With this in mind, I've put together some tidbits and cool sites that will help you preserve your working sanctuary:

1. Make a plan. If you have a lot of equipment, lay it out on the desk the way you want it beforehand and figure out many cables you have and where you want them to go.
2. The absolute cheapest way to tame your cables is with zip ties and sticky zip tie pads. Stick the pads to your wall or desk, pull the zip tie through the notches on the pads, then around the cables and voila! You can find a plethora of ties and accessories at local hardware stores.
   
3. A low cost solution is to screw a wire basket to the bottom of your desk and put all your excess wire and power adapters in it. I learned about this on Unclutterer.com.
   
4. If you want more room, get a wall mounted bracket for your monitor. Mounting your monitor will make any desk look super trendy, and when you're not working you can show off your photos by setting your screensaver to photo slide show.
   
5. For you daring types, drill a large 2” - 3" hole in the back of your desk and pull your wires down through the hole, then along the back edge, and down the legs. Keep the wires in place by with zip ties and tie holders.
6. If you've spent some money on your desk or it's an antique, you won't want to stick things to it or drill holes. Do your design a favor and invest in a wireless keyboard and mouse.

For the truly chic who don’t want the fuss of dealing with wires at all, check out these designs. They tackle clutter with style:

Pinel and Pinal I Trunk
This is a case pre-built with your office or audio studio right in. (from candy cast)

Blue Lounge takes all your accessories into account with the Space Station, a wire desk organizer.
(from coolhunting)
I also really like their CableBox


If that isn't enough, check out the Football world cup desk (from T3)


Want to learn more about wire managment? Start by checking out these sites:

http://shawnblanc.net/2007/elements-of-style/

http://www.uncrate.com/stuff/steph/

http://www.decluttered.com/

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/10/26/indoor-picket-fences-for-hiding-cables/

Got your own suggestions for taming that cluttered desk? Share them in the comments below.

There's a lot of hard work, sweat and yes, sometimes even tears that go into each makeover, but it's all worth it when we see that joy on the family's faces during the reveal.  

Mary and Joe loved their upgraded kitchen! It's got all the digital, FiOS-powered tools they'll need to expand their catering business, and potential clients can even sample their delicious wares in their elegantly redesigned basement. (When the family's not enjoying sports on their state-of-the-art home theater, of course.)  

Happy cooking, Wurtz family, can't wait to see what the future holds for you!

What do YOU think this is? Post your guess in the comments below!

Then find out tomorrow at the block party reveal!

OK, now back to work on the makeover!

While there are lots of computer chips and electric lights on my list, I am also working on my outfit. You may have noticed the frumpy jumpsuit I wear on the website -- it's great for the boys, but like most girls I require a little style. Luckily, jumpsuits are in style now and I've gotten my inspiration from Miss Sixty, J Crew, H&M, and other cool looks fresh from the runway.

I asked my former student and fashion extraordinaire to help me out in picking the right gear. You can check out his suggestions on my stylefile here:

alisonstyle.weebly.com

We'll try to keep this updated, as I have more events coming up. For now, it’s just the shoes and a couple of accessories but is there anything else more important to a woman than new shoes?

For the Jaegers' episode I’ll be wearing: Ed Hardy sneakers, diamond studs (these are a girl's best friend), Lucite necklace by Alex and Chloe (above), and a zipper bracelet which I purchased at an NYC Diesel store. And of course, the My Home 2.0 jumpsuit, which I recently tailored to my personal style.

There may be another fashion surprise or two at the Jaeger block party as well, so stay tuned...