What are you loving?

I'm loving the thoughtful comments on this blog which make it a conversation.

Cath thinking about a phrase/image/feeling about decluttering prompted me to think about why I want to do it and the phrase Low Maintenence Life came into my head. I simply no longer want to look after, move. clean and dust, insure and think about quite so much stuff any more!

I've loved it, but I have moved on from the beautiful collecting phase..

Cathy's putting things away for a period then looking again is such a useful idea, and I too have come round to seeing that one answer, the answer perhaps, is not to bring so much stuff in! And Elaine seems to be on a very similar journey towards a gentle minimalism.

We are all at different places of course and some books 'speak to your condition' in the lovely Quaker phrase, at some times and not at others. Marie Kondo's book speaks to me just now....

..what it would be like if I really finished the job of decluttering as Marie Kondo says you should.

Hmm.

6 months she says you could take over it.

It's beginning to feel do-able.

It might feel like yesterday's photo?

I came across the phrase 'lightness and ease' in a novel many years ago (at a time when nothing in my life seemed either light or easy!) and I remember thinking Yes, that's what I'd like - some of that please!

I've just remembered the novel was The Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and here is a review of Marie Kondo's book. She says you should get rid of the book when you are finished with it too!

What have you been wondering about lately?

I found myself searching my photographs for an image that was as far removed as possible from the madness that is Black Friday and the ethical minefield that is shopping.

This shot of our mini-meadow from July 2011 fits the bill I think?

Aaaah....

Neither did I!    

But it shifted my thinking.

I want to buy less, accumulate less.


Check out the (longish) article - www.slate.com/articles/life/fashion/2012/06/the_salvation_army_and_goodwill 


if

Giving away things that once meant a lot to me, and no longer do, was making me feel a bit sad. I even thought momentarily 'what a waste of time' collecting (candlesticks and quilts) only to be considering giving them away now....

But surely not!
 
I learned so much, from books and museums and auction houses, I enjoyed the search in beautiful parts of the country, I met some wonderful people who are still friends. And earned a modest living. 

They were about who I was then. I've outgrown them. I'm selecting just a few to keep - the ones with the strongest, happiest memories - the ones which still thrill me.

We change, we grow, and it makes sense that we want to change our environment and the things and memories that we surround ourselves with. Our tastes change. I find it useful to ask myself Would I buy it now?  No need for guilt, or sadness. That was then and this is now I tell myself as I pass forward the things which I no longer want to keep. (I do keep photographs of them though).

Now, I want to be as involved, as enthusiastic, as excited and have as much fun.... just not by collecting things! 
 

A few more wise words from Marie Kondo -

Really important things are not that great in number.

It is not our memories but the person we have become because of those past experiences that we should treasure.

Do you agree?

PS I applied the 'does it spark joy' test (see previous posts) to this piece of linen fabric, and do you know, I love that simple bit of cloth.

Funny what you love, isn't it!

Do you like chestnuts?

Liking the feeling of fresh energy that is coming with this particular clear-headed, angst-free bout of decluttering of the stuff that was squirrelled away in the corners of the house. It was out of sight, but not out of mind and was weighing me down. I only realise that as I feel the lightness of getting rid of it.

I'm floating an inch or two above the ground now!

Kondo (see previous posts) talks of paring down to the volume that you can properly handle And I think how and why did I ever let it get beyond the volume I can properly handle?

How sane it is going to feel when I only have as much stuff as I can properly handle!

In most of the rooms, I absolutely love that I can go straight to an item I want from a shelf or cupboard and lift it without having to move anything else first. But what I did with the surplus when I organised the house like this, was to stuff it in the far corners  'just in case'. (I've been through all the just in case scenarios and decided I'll find solutions, if and when they happen, that don't involve keeping extra stuff..)

When family members come on Sunday there will be a box of nice surplus things with a Help Yourself sign on it, and anything not taken will go to the charity shop on Monday.

I do feel I am moving to a new level of Living Simply here which will free me up to Simply Live....

And you?

I am enjoying Marie Kondo's book The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying.

Am I the only one who finds it funny I wonder?

She makes me laugh when she says thing like Thank you very much for your hard work to her shoes when she puts them away....and makes me smile again when I try it and laugh when I find it works! (It's a gratitude practice really.)

She describes herself as obsessive and a bit neurotic at times, and she surely is, but there are some very interesting ideas in this book (as well as a little nonsense which is perhaps tongue in cheek....as when she is very strict with her clients).

I do find myself underlining bits and folding down corners of pages.

Here are some of the passages I found thought provoking and useful

The whole point in both discarding and keeping things is to be happy. It may seem obvious but it is important to experience this realisation for yourself and let it sink in to your heart. Before you start tidying , look at the lifestyle you aspire to and ask yourself 'Why do I want to tidy?' When you find the answer, you are ready to move onto the next step: examining what you own.

She has some useful ideas about how to think through, in some detail, what you want.

I see the point of handling each thing to 'see if it sparks joy' as she rather oddly puts it, and agree that in doing so you are processing your past, enabling you to move forward. This has been quite powerful for me, and freeing.

Just because you throw something away (or give something away) does not mean you give up past experiences or your identity.

Is anyone else using this book?

And is anyone else laughing?

Uh-oh. I don't think so!

I've always been very drawn to minimalism, and at a glance my home does look fairly minimal and uncluttered I would say. But after this week's emptying of all storage places in attic and eaves cupboards in order that the house could be better insulated, I see that I can't lay claim to the title Minimalist.

I knew there was quite a lot of stuff stashed away - but until I saw it all together I really had no idea just how much there was.

Instead of being overwhelmed however, I feel energised and am dealing with it - every day another few bags leave the house! 

The timely arrival of Marie Kondo's book The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying made me laugh (both the timing and the book itself) and made me take a more radical approach, and the timing of a family party next weekend has me determined to keep going till it's done.

The other good news is that my husband is joining in.....

Enjoying working my way through this list of words which I first came across on this blog.

Enjoying Leo Babauta's detailed description of an alternative way of publishing a book - the iterative process and crowdfunding. Fascinating.

Enjoying the anticipation of glorious spring colour with a little splurge on tulips from Sarah Raven -extra cheap  as they are on final reduction! Vintage Silk, Formosa, Gentle Giants and Apricot Parrot. (It's not too late to plant them by the way - they are less prone to tulip fire if planted now, and even into December.)

Enjoying Lucille's Cold Turkey post. It reminds me of the charming invitation we received to my uncle's 90th birthday party, which included a photograph of him as a little boy, and at the end he added 'For God's sake no presents!'

Most of all enjoying your comments. I think it's just amazing to have these little exchanges with like-minded people from all over the globe popping up throughout the day - so I'd be delighted to know what you are enjoying today!

..that the house was back to normal!

Actually it will be better than normal in a few days/weeks as it is being wrapped in a big thermal blanket - under the floors and under the roof and we are having to move all superfluous stuff for the work to be done. 

I am determined that only a tenth of it will go back!

As the gamers say we have moved to a new level.

It will be good.

Simpler.

What are you wishing for today?

I'm deciding that I won't try to sell my good surplus clothes on Ebay.

Some time ago I said (decided) that I didn't need to get the last gasp out of everything, and that's what it feels like I'm trying to do by selling them.
 
I've had my moneysworth.

Also I'm a bit lazy, have had annoying hassle with PayPal, and the nearest post office is 7 miles away.

Instead they will go to that great little charity shop on Byres Road.

The relief!

Are you agonising over a decision too?  Kind of draining, isn't it?  I nearly forgot I'm supposed to ask myself What would be simplest? And just do it....Yay!

Thank you for all the great comments about playing. I had another little quiet play with this

Sitting down to write this post I realise I'm not. Not playing that is.

Life doesn't seem very playful at the moment - It's more plumbers and loft insulation and taking the car to the garage!

The CD player works intermittently so I'm not even playing music much

I do play with my camera.

I do play with changing things in my house

A quiet kind of play....

.
I think I could do with a bit more playing in my life, just for fun, only for fun. Laugh out loud and giggly! Like Sarah is surely having with Tavi (see here) but I don't think I want a pet...)

And you?

..twice before crossing the road. Or three times, since Heather, alert, savvy, streetwise and old enough to cross the road, was knocked down by a car. Small bruises, big fright! She was so sure she had looked..

Also -
Looking at the possibility of some travel next year
Looking for that list I made, I know I put it somewhere safe 
Looking around me and feeling happy that I live in such a lovely place
Looking into cookery books with renewed interest
Looking over blog posts of past Novembers (see sidebar)
Looking back to look forward (sometimes that feels necessary)
Looking up at the wintry stars
Looking down and sweeping up leaves

Looking. It's what I do, as an artist.

What are you looking at/for/into/over.....?  I love it when you share.

Whatever you do remember to look both ways when crossing the road!

..my husband to get rid of his boxes and boxes of books in the loft! He has a wall of bookshelves with books three deep in the study, and if he lives to 105 he's not going to have time to read them all, meanwhile those in the loft have to come down and sit somewhere, while we get more insulation put in. Perfect opportunity for some editing wouldn't you think?

I am also wanting peace on earth, snow this Christmas and my family to be perfectly safe forever....please.

I'd love to know what you are wanting.

I'm enjoying reading articles from the New Yorker magazine. Today a fairly long and indepth article on the rather astonishing life and writing practice of Hilary Mantel, whose book Wolf Hall I so enjoyed while on holiday in York (see here).

Water, water, water.

More than ever before.

I have to remind myself, as I don't seem to feel thirsty often, by filling a jug and leaving it out in the kitchen. We are lucky to have good drinking water on tap in Scotland, but I've also been enjoying Pellegrino sparkling water - just for a change and because I like the taste. I do feel better for drinking more. It's hard to explain the difference it makes - am I imagining I feel more alert, more energetic, less likely to snack?

I've also just taken delivery of half a case of champagne and am thinking up occasions to drink it!!  Sometimes I go a little mad....but in a good way.

And I'm so frugal in so many ways.

And it was half price.


What are you drinking?

I'm cooking little starters and dainty desserts.

Some of you will know that my husband does most of the cooking. (Lucky me! He asked me once to teach him to cook. I taught him everything I knew and then left him to it....)

But inspired by French Women Don't Get Fat  (see here) I've been trying some of Mireille Guiliano's simplest dishes to compliment and add interest to our meals. I'm really enjoying it and remembering how lovely whole milk is, and butter, and real chocolate, good cheese and nice wine....and still the extra pounds are slowly disappearing. It's an intelligent book (and the secret's in the portion size...)

What are you cooking?

I'm making..more cards, and plans for a wise and loving Christmas (see Julia's comment yesterday).

What are you making?

It's always good to discover a new blog and I enjoyed looking at this post from Simple Happy Mom.  The post in turn was inspired by this blog......this is how it works isn't it!

Simply Laughed with Scott (age four) when he asked me 'Tickle me too much!'

I will be doing Christmas at my own pace thank you.

It actually takes effort not to be stressed out about Christmas!

Advertisers are very very good at what they do and the commercial world is already pretty full on about it. Buy it now, today only, last chance, limited offer,  get our emails so you don't miss out, three for two.....Buy now at half price, eat it, then buy another before the price goes up, eat that too and get more  before Christmas? Spend three times as much and eat more fat and more sugar than is good for us?

I don't fall for it.

I step back.
 
Stay calm.

Refuse to be pressured.

There are after all 43 days still, and how long does it take, really...

You can have more than one 'look' that suits you of course....

You may remember this post where I came up with my 'look'. I really enjoyed working that out and have been wearing variations of it since - it's so simple and easy, and I found that proportion  and tone are quite important to me (maybe it's being only 5' tall and wanting to look just a little taller!)

Similar colours, not too much contrast..

I dyed the patterned tunic to reduce the contrast and co-ordinate it with other things. Here the proportions are quite different with longer tops - just above the knee for the overshirt and a long tail on the blouse, though you only see that nice touch when it's worn without another layer.

Trying to make this look good on the hanger made me admire the stylists whose job it is to make things look fabulous in magazines - it's not easy! (But it's fun.)

One of my new lime green/yellow necklaces would look good with this...

And I'm thinking what will I wear at Christmas. Mmm.

Am I allowed to say it yet?

An extra post today!

Here is this year's set of Simply Live Christmas/Winter Cards

If you would like a set of cards please send your name and address and a cheque for £11 (£10 plus £1 towards P&P) made out to Freda Waldapfel, to 5 Swedish Houses, Ardentinny, Argyll PA23 8TR.

Thank you.

..with a bit of zingy colour!

One of the less welcome wildlife sounds here is the mouse running around behind the walls at 3am!

Either at the first frost or after a day or two's solid rain the mice invade this wooden house.

We tried humane traps (empty every three hours? From the loft? I don't think so, and if you don't they starve to death..)

Cats in my experience like to torment mice and we might have a cat and a mouse running around at 3 am.

We tried a sonar plug in 'deterrent' - I think this may have reduced the numbers and only the hard-of-hearing mice come in now but..

we've resorted to the old fashioned, nasty but (mostly) quick, mouse traps.

Needs must.

It's a cruel world.

They only want in out of the rain.

 I have a few dark/black things which I love -

But when I tried putting them all together in a group with some dark coloured books the result made me want to......fall asleep.

They just did nothing for me, even by candlelight, although I get great pleasure from seeing them around and outlined against the white walls.
 
Not poetic, just dull. (Or maybe that's me!)

Have you had any more success with dark objects or colours in decorating your home?

But enough of indoors. On the beach this afternoon we could hear the curlews cry (the bird in the shadows a couple of posts ago)....Have you time to transport yourself to moorland or shore and the haunting sound of the beautiful curlew in this 4 minute video?
 
Another simple pleasure!