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The theme for Week #5 over at the Art Journal Caravan is Simply Me and the verb of the week was Simplify. This was fun as I have been trying to figure out how I would be able to simplify my life for a few weeks now. Does anyone else go through this? What can we do to make just a little change to actually make our lives a bit simpler at the end of the day? I love my house but have come to the conclusion there is just too much space for me to keep having "STUFF" sitting around. I know we all do it, but some days I look at this "STUFF" and wonder what the heck I am going to do with it. I have my STUFF, my husband's STUFF, the kid's STUFF, grandchildren STUFF, dog STUFF and tons of my parents STUFF. I love my STUFF, hubby loves his STUFF, the kids and grandchildren want me to save their STUFF, the dogs need STUFF to play with and I couldn't bare to get rid of my parents STUFF!!!! Makes for a whole lot of STUFF sitting around..I have my days that I want to clear out all the STUFF (except for STUFF in my art room) and start anew, but instead I rip STUFF apart, spend hours cleaning, make everything fresh again, move it around and I am settled for a few more months. One of my favorite days is the day I take my Christmas STUFF down and put it away, the house always looks bare and clean and I love that look. Eventually STUFF starts to move in all around me again and that is when I try to figure out what I should do with it. Anyways I liked making my Simply Me piece as it is pretty plain and simple. Tell me if you have these STUFF days and what you do to fix it!
27 comments:
Hi Debby!
To answer yr question: about once a year (usually in the Spring when the brighter light makes *stuff* look even worse!), I take a long, hard look at everything and decide how much can be recycled. Then those books, clothes, bric a brac etc go into different bags and straight to local charities like Cudeca, my favourite. A bit of effort but I feel a whole lot better afterwards!
Would love to know what other blogpals do!
have a lovely week!
XOXO LOLA:)
I have simplified my life as much as possible, but I keep adding art stuff. That seems to be my downfall. Someone asks if I want stuff, or leaves stuff at my door, and I try to find ways to recycle it. The problem is, it accumulates faster than I can work. I guess if I didn't spend so much time on the computer, I'd have more time for stuff. But then, I wouldn't be able to see your lovely "simplified" YOU. Your drawing is gorgeous and I love the half circles. They are the perfect addition.
Debby--I--LOVE--THIS!! You have me laughing about all of your STUFF. I try real hard to manage all of the stuff in my house, but it's pretty much taken over.
girl, we all have 'stuff' issues....that's life after all...I do like to have a simplified look more than a cluttered one..it gives me piece of mind to see clear, spacious surroundings.
I try to have a rule. If I don't absolutely love, love, love a piece, then I don't keep it! simple as that. The object has to be meaningful to me or really lovely...or I don't keep it!
it's hard though, because I do love to collect things..yikes...
loved reading your post today!
ciao bella
this is too adorable!
Debby, your Simplify Me piece is wonderful (and I can SO identify!). STUFF - the bane of my existence.
Hugs,
Sue
AH, I got in!!!!! YEAH....and your email never got to me so it's apparently with your server?
ANYwho...STUFF. I'm reading your post and thinking "I have said that 1000 times". After Christmas it looks great, when we moved and the extra STUFF was in the garage waiting to come in, I wanted to call a dump truck to haul it off, Spring/Fall cleaning makes me want to chuck STUFF out the window. Then I go antiquing/scrapbook/craft/fleamarket shopping and bring STUFF home! Am I nuts? Nah, just in good company! In fact, I just bought STUFF yesterday while we were in the 'big city'. I doubt it'll ever end but at least we've recognized our STUFF addiction and are willing to laugh about it!
Hugs Deb-Doodle.....sista in STUFF!
Oh I know about "Stuff"!
I love the idea of simplifying, starting fresh, as you said.
Your image here is lovely, she is so chic and artsy!
Debby,
I Iove your post today. I relate 100% girl. I don't know what happened. Well, I do know & their names are Lily, Philip & Owen. LOL BK (before Kids) my life was pretty & somewhat orderly. Now with my art stuff, kid stuff, dog stuff & hubs stuff my house looks like a candidate for 'Hoarders'. I so want to have a giant estate sale, sell everything except family heirlooms & my art studio & go minimalistic. This is from a girl who loves country/cottage clutter. Tell me how you plan to simplify, I'll follow. Lisa
I love my stuff......I hate my stuff.......!! I know how you feel.
Blessings,
Jo
Oh, I am just like you...I love my stuff. I don't really have a solution, unfortunately, and I seem to keep all my stuff - which just seems to get moved around to different locations in the home. LOL Wish I could offer a much better solution for you, but I am such a dear lover of my stuff!!! Hope you can find a happy resolution that will make everyone happy. Theresa :)
My problem with stuff is, unfortunately, not my own. I am a champion "thrower-outer". I don't form attachments to stuff!! I like a clean and neat house but the other person who lives here (the hubby) is a hoarder of monumental proportions and that is a real problem for me. He has taken over empty rooms in the house and filled them to the ceilings. I kid you not! All I can do is shut the doors on those rooms and pretend they aren't there. Ho hum.
Debbie - I love your "Simply Me" lady. She is so whimsical and quirky and I love that she is the focus of the picture, situated as she is in white space. She deserves to stand out! Simply beautiful.
Hi Debby, oh, yes, the Stuff days! LOL! I put on a movie which I've seen a zillion times before - so I don't feel inclined to sit and watch, and I just start "somewhere" - and while my mind is thinking of what's coming next on the movie,etc... I get things done! Sounds easy, I know, but it seems to be a matter of getting my mind to stop. Love your "Simply Me" creation, it's wonderful!
oh so true!!! I love the Holidays but when you take everything down after Christmas and it is all clean and bare there is a sense of a fresh new start....
I have been cleaning my way around the house and love it....I am removing lots of "stuff"
The proverbial stuff. I am in total agreement with you. You clean it up until it begins to close in on you and then you start all over again!
Hi Debbie -
Yes, STUFF grows rampantly at my house. Sometimes I cannot figure out where it comes from and then I remember, mostly from me, lol. As Nora said, Spring light really puts a whole new perspective on the growing piles. Yesterday, try as I may, I only conquered part of the STUFF. I just keep focused on finding a place for everything but knowing some of the acquired STUFF, must go.
True that for sure! We live in a society bent on having stuff, but then if people didn't want stuff where would our stuff go??? ;-)
Yes, there are days that I just want to pile everything outside and put a FREE sign up. Spring is a great time to sift through stuff and find someone else who doesn't have enough yet...lol.
LOL!! This post is hilarious, Debby!
My mom gets like you, but she's good at clearing away what she doesn't need. Personally, I'm married to a hoarder, so we live in a Merlin's tower kind of thing, with tottery piles of books everywhere (and I mean everywhere), fascinating found-object sculpture (otherwise known as recyclables) and a laundry mountain that simply ebbs and flows but never really goes anywhere. Thankfully, it doesn't get to me - I just kick stuff out of the way and sit.
I have stuff days....I either want more or I want it to go away.....I really have had to streamlined things down though....Having to make a big move got me in gear....The truth is, we probably all could live a happy life without so much clutter around us...I love the collage by the way......
Ahhhh. The STUFF was donated (and hopefully helped others) when we moved from a 4 bdrm. BIG house into our tiny house.
I don't miss STUFF. I think I'm a little odd for an American - I prefer less STUFF and more clean, open simple style. That's why there are soooo many Nordic blogs in my blogroll - I love their homes and the lack of STUFF everywhere.
Thanks for popping by my blog, and I hope you have a great day, Debby!
I like your "simply me" piece very much, debby! The colours and simple-ness of it appeal to me.
If you want a serious answer, I have gotten rid of a lot of "stuff" in order to move 1,500 miles and I feel much better because of it. I sold or gave away or even threw away a lot of STUFF. I still have stuff don't get me wrong - but not as much, that's for sure and it makes it easier. It makes me feel lighter and better too. Try it. Just start cleaning house, as in getting rid of things you don't need. Or want. Or like. Or even if you do, you might find you could get rid of some extra and it might even feel better?? Sometimes I miss stamps I had that I sold or gave away but I can always find something else to use instead!
: ) hugs from lenna
Hi Debbie,
I recently decided to move my art STUFF into the house... Yikes..but once I get it all put away and edited I am going through the house and simplify, simplify, simplify! At least that is the plan.
JOY!
Your Simply Me is wonderful, such fun :)
I used to keep so much stuff when I was younger, but now I get rid of stuff that has no use for me anymore, and I have finally after 30 years got my husband clearing out his clutter too. I donate a lot to the Benevolent fund, even magazines, they take anything.
Now with us moving it is easier to part with things :)
As for your grown kids, I say get them each a nice box and have them choose the special things they want to keep, and get rid of the rest, otherwise let them keep it in their own homes :)
You are really good at the caravan stuff! hugs
Oh yes...the stuff. My cure...Move out of state and downsize. What is going...my crafts...couch...not much more. And boy, do I have the stuff.
It will be interesting to live without "stuff" but I'm looking forward to it. Oh, yeah, I'm taking my husband too.lol
Oooo! I love this!!!!!
Fantastic - I love it!
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