It's been a loooooooong time since the last Hippie Friday, and it feels good to flex my old vegetarian, environmentalist, groovy, peace lovin' muscles again!
As I mentioned earlier, I recently purchased the new Apartment Therapy book and I've been pouring over the brightly colored pages, completely blown away by the creativity and love these people have for their homes.
The creator of Apartment Therapy, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, opens the book with this quote:
"In my work as a teacher and interior designer over nearly fifteen years, I've seen that the importance of the home in our lives has only increased. I used to think of home as the place where we cook, eat, and sleep. I now understand it as a force that shapes our daily lives. More than just a physical shelter, the home is both a second skin that protects us from the world outside and an emotional center that nourishes us and supports our innermost dreams."
Isn't that lovely? It is with this manta that these beautiful homes were collected for this wonderful book. It is truly inspiring to see these tiny spaces transformed into perfectly functional, creative spaces that feel completely spacious.
Spacious at 400 square feet ?!?
We are pushing 375 square feet in our apartment and we NEVER feel spacious, I often feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we try to pack into our tight quarters. No amount of organization, or clever storage techniques can create the open feeling I'm craving.....or can it? What if I were to get rid of everything we weren't using regularly, or that we didn't absolutely love? What if I were to finally LET GO of the stifling amount of stuff we have piled and shoved and packed away forgotten?
In yoga, there is a practice that helps you create space inside of yourself. It encourages you to let go of negative thoughts, quiet your mind and open your heart. When you have this open space in your mind you are able to just be and you are able to fill the space with love. I want to do the same thing to my home in a physical sense. I want create a space where I can just be.
Yoga for our home, am I crazy?
Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan also writes:
"By taking care of your home, you are taking care of yourself. A healthy home will nurture and support you."
So starting tomorrow I am shedding our extra layers.
Every item has to pass this test:
1. Do I love it?
2. Do I use it every month?
3. Is it worth packing and moving across the country?
If it doesn't pass the test it gets the boot, all the way to the yard sale we are hosting tomorrow. Whatever we don't sell will be packed up and donated, NOTHING will make it back in the house. This is a huge project, but I'm excited to see the results! I'll post the pictures and results on Monday!
Happy weekend, everyone! Thanks for reading and for your comments, they make this little blog of mine feel more like a conversation, and that makes me happy.
4 comments:
Want to come decorate my new place? We're moving next week and I am totally stumped on paint colors. I definitely don't have the eye for interior design that you have.
But I totally agree about not keeping things around that you don't need/want. Clutter is unbearable to me. I hate it! I can't believe the difference I feel in my attitude when I have a clean, clutter-free place to live.
Good Luck with the clean out. I wish we could come to the big sale!!
Nick calls decluttering the 5 S's
Sort, Systematic organization, Standardize, Shine, and Sustain.
It really works. Goodbye clutter.
I struggle with this, too! I'm a busy person and I have a hard time letting go of hobbies I love (even if I only dabble in them). I hate clutter, so I just try to make very conscious decisions about what I allow to stay in the apartment and plenty of storage for the crafts I can't bear to let go.
Good luck with your mission!
Ah, if only. I have a husband who is sincerely resistant to getting rid of things. He has that whole "What if I need it someday?" complex combined with "But we paid money for this" It can be terribly frustrating to someone (i.e., me) who has moved every two years of her life or more and is used to periodic cleansing of stuff. Good luck with your sale... maybe we'll stop by :)
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