I know this is a photo of a wheelie bin inside my house. I do this sometimes when im overwhelmed and need a quick fix.
Please read on if youre confused, horrified or just plain old intrigued.
I dont want this to come across as if im just purely all about 'how things look' or its all about what I have, on the contrary this post is about having less. Oh, I do love having beautiful things around me and have often read somewhere that its important to my personality type, but you can only have so much, right?
Enough already, people who write those articles.
Enough already, people who write those articles.
After years of glorious days spent op-shopping (during which I used to think filling the entire car a good thing), bargain hunting, picking up furniture at wonderful country auctions and collecting stuff it has come to my attention that even though
I have nice ornaments I like to glimpse during the day,
and furniture I love and that is practical (holds alot of the bargains),
I think the rooms in my house feel wrong. Full.
If I saw the rooms of my house in a magazine I wouldnt like them enough to tear the pages out either. Sorry for the 'magazine look' mention ladies but you know what I mean, dont you? Havent we all aspired to a certain type of home at some stage? Hang on, this is about more than that. Things arent in the right place at the moment cos theres too much. So IM not in the right place.
I have nice ornaments I like to glimpse during the day,
and furniture I love and that is practical (holds alot of the bargains),
I think the rooms in my house feel wrong. Full.
If I saw the rooms of my house in a magazine I wouldnt like them enough to tear the pages out either. Sorry for the 'magazine look' mention ladies but you know what I mean, dont you? Havent we all aspired to a certain type of home at some stage? Hang on, this is about more than that. Things arent in the right place at the moment cos theres too much. So IM not in the right place.
If ive analysed correctly, id like more simplicity, but id love there to be a softness, and perhaps something raw/natural about the rooms. The balance needs to be quirked, I need to finalise some lost projects, and more importantly I need to clean up my act.
The Mr and I are both hoarders (in stages I think?) but ive been fighting it for years and have felt like just buying a bigger shed and giving in. This I will never do even though I feel like it at the moment.
The Mr and I are both hoarders (in stages I think?) but ive been fighting it for years and have felt like just buying a bigger shed and giving in. This I will never do even though I feel like it at the moment.
That would be a bad idea. For instance, I went op-shopping the other week and I bought a suitcase to store things in which would be great if only I had somewhere to put the suitcase once its full....
I see potential in EVERYTHING and I would fill the non-existent shed very quickly.
Im really wishing at this point that I knew how to express myself in writing better. But I dont and I really want to put this out there as im truly hoping it will urge me onward to reinvent ... wait for it....
11 rooms in 11 days.
Because... well.... there are 11 rooms here and I need to do this fast! My son and his wife are coming to live with us soon and bringing their new baby. Its going to be wonderful but the house is going to feel full to the brim if I dont start now!
I realise I will cross over a weekend but im thinking two hours a day will be enough to do most rooms, even if I have to start in the evening. Am I kidding myself? Can I do this?
My plan so far, is to write a list of 'must do's' for each room as I go through, if I need to spend time fixing things or painting something, ive still got curtains to make and put up in some rooms, for example. But most of all I want to go through cupboards and fill a box a room (at least) of unnecessary things to either sell, giveaway or throw out. Its been exactly a year this week since I did this when we moved house.
Its time.
I dont need my house to be 'perfect' but it would be nice if it was 'perfect for me'.
Now, about that bin. Well, I happened to mention that I wanted to do this to the Mr over the weekend
and weve already started!
I feel AMAZING!!!!
11 rooms in 11 days.
Because... well.... there are 11 rooms here and I need to do this fast! My son and his wife are coming to live with us soon and bringing their new baby. Its going to be wonderful but the house is going to feel full to the brim if I dont start now!
I realise I will cross over a weekend but im thinking two hours a day will be enough to do most rooms, even if I have to start in the evening. Am I kidding myself? Can I do this?
My plan so far, is to write a list of 'must do's' for each room as I go through, if I need to spend time fixing things or painting something, ive still got curtains to make and put up in some rooms, for example. But most of all I want to go through cupboards and fill a box a room (at least) of unnecessary things to either sell, giveaway or throw out. Its been exactly a year this week since I did this when we moved house.
Its time.
I dont need my house to be 'perfect' but it would be nice if it was 'perfect for me'.
Now, about that bin. Well, I happened to mention that I wanted to do this to the Mr over the weekend
and weve already started!
I feel AMAZING!!!!
Posts
8 comments:
I have been "tinkering at the edges" trying to clean up / clear out and make space at our house... but maybe I need to try your technique... but maybe I will wait and learn from your experience first! Good luck xx
I know what you mean Wendy, i see potential in everything too and its nice to have beautiful things but when it starts to take over you really need to re evaluate. Ive even been really good at leaving things behind at the op shop lately. I think you can achieve this and good luck with it! x
Sounds amazing! I love doing things like that. For some reason it is so refreshing!! Good luck.
I know, I know. I like my 'treasures' too, but my environment is really important to my sense of wellbeing. I find myself drowning in stuff since the kids came along. The toys! Tonight I actually did a sneaky gather-up of unloved (by me and them) toys - mainly the plastic ones that make noises when you press buttons - for the op shop. Someone else will love them more than us.
I'm looking forward to your progress. And by the way, I think you express yourself really very well in writing.
I totally get what you are saying. I heard the line the other day: "Let your belief in the future influence how you live your life now". Mmmm. Well. Need I keep hanging on to all that stuff just in case? Am I really going to make a killing by collecting things to sell on ebay? Is there any justification for buying that? Or is it just because it is a bargain? Wouldn't it only be a bargain if I really needed it? Please keep inspiring us by posting a tally of your cleanouts as I desperately need to cull too. Cherrie
Hi Wendy you will enjoy my new organising missions. It's much the same as 'A Bowl full of lemons' 21 day challenge except it's going to be more then 21 days. I am also sorting and decluttering all my rooms. Good on you for your dedication.
Sam
Oh Wendy...I need to do this!
That phrase "I see potential in everything" is me to a tee!
Will be living vicariously through you, and hopefully inspiring myself to do some of the same.
Happy decluttering :)
Et tu Brutus? We have taken four trailer loads of rubbish (things that were going to come in handy one day) to the tip, two loads to the Tender Centre, given a load away to friends and the op shops and burnt two loads. We still have a huge pile to sort through. I feel lighter everytime I get rid of something!This was just our carport...I haven't started on our spare room! Good luck
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