tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post5896693793532217828..comments2024-03-28T17:53:34.935-04:00Comments on Exquisitely Unremarkable : SimplifyKim http://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-91738597521528039872014-06-20T09:58:06.821-04:002014-06-20T09:58:06.821-04:00That's funny, Natasha, my husband is a "M...That's funny, Natasha, my husband is a "Minimalists" kind of guy, too! I fall closer to you on the scale of stuff, but some things just have to go! ;)Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-59892137777696504242014-06-20T09:56:53.100-04:002014-06-20T09:56:53.100-04:00Thanks for the comment!! It's so hard to get r...Thanks for the comment!! It's so hard to get rid of stuff, isn't it?? I am trudging my way through the task and I love the result, but the process of letting go is just not easy for me, at all!! I wish you the best of luck with your journey to simplify hope you keep me posted! :) Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-14164325767200216232014-06-19T19:18:45.575-04:002014-06-19T19:18:45.575-04:00My husband is a huge fan of 'The Minimalists&#...My husband is a huge fan of 'The Minimalists' blog but I just can't do it! I love my treasures and could never part with them. I could simplify just a bit more though so thanks for the gentle push!<br /><br />Thanks also for joining the Say G'Day Saturday Linky Party!<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />Natasha in OzNatasha in Ozhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17975487981963489572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-25767664668473614832014-06-15T22:34:54.111-04:002014-06-15T22:34:54.111-04:00I am a really big fan of "the old", too,...I am a really big fan of "the old", too, Jann! It's funny how that happens, isn't it? When you're young, you want everything new! I love antiquing and thrifting and now my husband has gotten in on the act ~ hence the clean out! I figure whatever I bring in, had better be really great! I just happen to have a lot of not really great cluttering it up now! ;) Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-72857213906135951902014-06-15T21:09:01.400-04:002014-06-15T21:09:01.400-04:00I'm not much of a minimalist Kim. I just love...I'm not much of a minimalist Kim. I just love too many darn things. lol! I know that someday I will have to start downsizing, but until then (maybe when I'm 80), I'm enjoying it. I do like to keep it manageable. Don't mind dusting but I don't like it to look junky either. I go through my pantry and closet every so often and clean it out. I'm finding that I am wanting to get rid of the new and bring home more old. Is that backwards? Hee-hee! Thanks for sharing with SYC.<br />hugs,<br />JannHave a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15446091501170762899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-69524797678065829662014-06-13T11:50:40.642-04:002014-06-13T11:50:40.642-04:00We are sisters!!! I just moved into a smaller hom...We are sisters!!! I just moved into a smaller home...lost about 900 square feet. I have a lot of What you said about "your stuff is away" hit me right between the eyes! If I'm not using it I have got to let it go. I am soooo sentimental and have lots of tchotchkes. I am determined to simplify my life as well as my decor. Thanks for the blog.<br /> Beverlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01266860083908086395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-60257495290644614752014-06-12T23:12:35.897-04:002014-06-12T23:12:35.897-04:00Shelia, I cannot imagine what a daunting task movi...Shelia, I cannot imagine what a daunting task moving must have been, but I bet it was a real motivator to clean out! It does feel good and you are right, once I got past the clothes, it was easier! :) Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-77668800068442465442014-06-12T23:09:30.477-04:002014-06-12T23:09:30.477-04:00I love the perspective you have, Poppy, from livin...I love the perspective you have, Poppy, from living abroad. You are so right, we have too much stuff here in the states and there is way too much emphasis and importance put on the type of stuff one has. It is a hard culture to raise children in, for certain. I was twelve when my father died from cancer. We had a lot of stuff...none of it could save him and none of it could replace him. I, unfortunately, learned early on that most stuff is meaningless. Don't get me wrong, I love to decorate and shop, I just don't need so much of it anymore, taking up space in my home and my life! I hope you enjoy your time with your visitors!! Thanks again for your complimentary and thoughtful comment. These conversations are what makes blogging so much fun! :) Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-16941604093479704452014-06-12T22:58:31.153-04:002014-06-12T22:58:31.153-04:00Just a few bags ready to go, Nancy and you're ...Just a few bags ready to go, Nancy and you're right, I am feeling freer already! :)Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-35722267459773217532014-06-12T22:57:33.315-04:002014-06-12T22:57:33.315-04:00I guess great minds think alike, Donna! ;) I just ...I guess great minds think alike, Donna! ;) I just feel like I am always picking up stuff, dusting stuff or cleaning stuff out lately...when all I really want to do is sit by the pool with my family! So I am cutting a lot of that stuff loose! Good luck with the shop! Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-6863350030189180652014-06-12T22:56:53.719-04:002014-06-12T22:56:53.719-04:00You are a brave soul! I did the garage sale thing ...You are a brave soul! I did the garage sale thing once and I was so exhausted from it, I don't think I could ever do it again! Please pop back by and share how yours went! I love stories from the sale!!Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-56364460459936838022014-06-12T22:55:16.799-04:002014-06-12T22:55:16.799-04:00There has been lots of downsizing going on in my f...There has been lots of downsizing going on in my family in the past two years Nancy, it seems to be a good time to simplify! We are still in the acquiring stage...teenagers love stuff and more stuff! I also find that my husband and enjoy shopping on vacations at home stores together lately, so that doesn't help either! However, there are many things we do not need and it gives me pleasure to see them used by others. We gave my niece our entire living room set a bit back, coffee tables to a nephew, etc. It makes me feel good to pass it on! :) Thanks for sharing your story Nancy!Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-84544184536865871142014-06-12T22:51:25.171-04:002014-06-12T22:51:25.171-04:00Nancy and Cheryl, there is no way I could work in ...Nancy and Cheryl, there is no way I could work in a good will, thrift or any store with a decent employee discount for that matter! I have no willpower! ;)Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-63181243369901481792014-06-12T22:49:43.347-04:002014-06-12T22:49:43.347-04:00Yes!! It does and thanks so much for the follow......Yes!! It does and thanks so much for the follow...I love making new friends! :) Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-34453874910562669842014-06-12T21:56:48.035-04:002014-06-12T21:56:48.035-04:00I hear you loud and clear, Mary! We all have too m...I hear you loud and clear, Mary! We all have too much stuff and it keeps coming. We have stopped giving gifts among friends/grown ups, too. We try to do a dinner or have a get together instead. I enjoy my time with my them and really what more do I need? Thanks so much for the very thoughtful comment! I'm so glad you shared! :)Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-5740011382841447272014-06-12T00:42:00.294-04:002014-06-12T00:42:00.294-04:00I also get rid of belongings "in layers"...I also get rid of belongings "in layers". Each year it's getting easier to let go of more & more. I keep knick-knack gifts for about a year, then donate them if they are not really my style. I certainly don't care if recipients of my gifts do the same. I read the saying that if there were no gifts, there would be no garage sales. I am now donating or selling at a consignment store more stuff than I am bringing home this year. & all my friends/family have a pact of no birthday gifts. We exchange Christmas gifts, but mostly practical things & "consumables" - pretty paper napkins, toiletries, food, candles, It is almost a sin that we all have so much, TOO much. I hate dusting & have way too many collections of vintage stuff I still can't bear to give up, I love it so much. It does help to part with stuff if it's going to a charity. The money it makes helps the needy, & someone else can enjoy the donated stuff for about a year before passing it on again! mary scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17457428892597040488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-88749936044582698752014-06-11T19:29:30.390-04:002014-06-11T19:29:30.390-04:00I am laughing because this movement must be catchi...I am laughing because this movement must be catching on. For the fourth day in a row, I walked into the thrift store to find boxes of knick-knacks donated that morning! I need to move everything from the backs of cabinets and donate or toss. Donna Wilkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12985036983888082763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-85105472096293596412014-06-11T00:31:12.105-04:002014-06-11T00:31:12.105-04:00Congratulations on your decision to clear out unne...Congratulations on your decision to clear out unnecessary "stuff". I've been doing the same thing and am having a yard sale this week-end!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-49712281191506215272014-06-10T18:29:07.265-04:002014-06-10T18:29:07.265-04:00It seems this is a common theme these days, Kim. ...It seems this is a common theme these days, Kim. Discussions with friends, articles I read, comments I hear in passing, signs I see in gift shops. . ."simplifying" seems to be the word. I started down this road in 1988 when my late husband and I moved from L.A. to a small rural community. We got rid of a lot of stuff in that move. Then we moved again in 1996 and we added more to the simplifying pile. Three years after he passed I remarried and moved from the Midwest to Colorado. I had a huge garage sale and sold a lot of décor, dishes, and all my furniture, except for one dresser, my Grandfather's trunk and my sofa. Now all but the trunk is gone. When we sold our Colorado home and moved to Oregon I gave away everything I owned, except a few family photos and momentos, and my kitchen essentials. I gave my son and daughter-in-law boxes of photos, family heirlooms; anything I thought they might want. I just didn't want to hang on to all that stuff any longer. It felt so good to give things away -- not sell them, but give them away -- to young people starting out and other people who had needs but very little money. Now the challenge is not to get more stuff to replace the old stuff. :) To just have what we need and love in our new home. I think you'll be seeing & reading a lot about this on my blog in the days ahead. Good luck with your own simplifying. :) Hugs, NancyNancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12854211710203164265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-41550347105896946282014-06-09T16:18:09.625-04:002014-06-09T16:18:09.625-04:00Hi Kim,
Good for you! I do a major inventory clea...Hi Kim,<br /><br />Good for you! I do a major inventory clean up/out every spring and find it to be the most satisfying thing I do all season - yes, even more than buying and planting new flowers! It feels so good to get rid of accumulating stuff that hasn't been used or appreciated in a long time, even though I am not sure if I will need it or ask for it in the future. I really love what the Minimalists said, i.e., tossing out stuff does not mean tossing out memories! To be honest, I have found that people in North America simply have too much stuff; it's a real consumer culture and having lived on both sides of the pond, I can truly attest to the fact that, generally speaking, Europeans like their space - as space, not cluttered or cramped or claustrophobic! I believe they are the original minimalists, preferring to fill their space with socializing, summer siestas, and simple, but meaningful decor. <br /><br />Having said all that, I have been visiting my daughter and family in Toronto for two and a half months, and it's time to purge, pack, pull stuff off the walls and out of hiding places and just make room for laughter and lovely friends and family, who come to visit. These are the luxuries of space.<br /><br />REALLY enjoyed the honesty and attitude of this post. As always, you manage to entertain and 'train' us for better things!<br /><br />PoppyPoppyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08980323586402386609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-33123167283274537812014-06-09T15:14:03.775-04:002014-06-09T15:14:03.775-04:00Doesn't it make you feel great to get rid of a...Doesn't it make you feel great to get rid of all that stuff! Newest follower from Boost Your Facebook Post Hop!Mama's High Strunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01046668149644014579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-15312948712856329622014-06-09T11:10:41.619-04:002014-06-09T11:10:41.619-04:00A move is always a good time to clean out! It forc...A move is always a good time to clean out! It forces you to make those hard choices! Good luck on your purging and your move. It sounds exciting! :) Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-15788412736789373742014-06-09T11:08:59.621-04:002014-06-09T11:08:59.621-04:00Angela, when I was first married, my husband used ...Angela, when I was first married, my husband used to say that if we hadn't used something in a year or two, we didn't need it. I hated that, because what if I needed it in THREE years! Well, I WON (haha) that battle and now I have things that I haven't needed in a decade or more taking up space! :) It's been hard, but it feels good!Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-84396531789746654472014-06-09T11:06:45.978-04:002014-06-09T11:06:45.978-04:00I agree with you, Lorri! I was raised by a depress...I agree with you, Lorri! I was raised by a depression era baby and we never threw away ANYTHING growing up. Unfortunately, when mom got really sick and had to sell her place, the moving process was overwhelming and truth be told, most of the stuff was so old and icky from years of storage, it had no value. I am trying to reframe and think that I am helping to provide someone else with a useful item! I'll you know how that goes! ;)Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7072740790042271296.post-17866189059098537662014-06-09T11:03:44.699-04:002014-06-09T11:03:44.699-04:00I've been at it all weekend, Diana...it's ...I've been at it all weekend, Diana...it's been hard, but yes, it feels good! Good luck! :) Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/15445291034631735026noreply@blogger.com