...one BEE's Aspirational Clutter

 

2021.

Need I say More?

I have been AWOL.  No good excuses.  We're all well, status quo.  I'm just feeling a need to 'dump' some idle ramblings that are clogging up my brain (ie: brain dump!).

JANUARY of a New Year - FULL of potential and possibility.  I have the same 'intentions' for this year as I did in 2019, 2018, etc... ( You can go back ONE post to see those!!).

S.T.U.F.F.  I have reach my CLUTTER THRESHOLD (Thanks Dana White!), and though I have a HIGH Threshold, one 'intention' that is getting a LOT of attention this year is PURGE, PURGE, PURGE!  I have enlisted two friends (LK & LM) to join me playing the MINS GAME.  We are on Day 7.  Today's mission is to Purge 7 items. Yesterday was 6, and tomorrow is 8.  You get the idea!?!

I have been listening to NUMEROUS Podcasts regarding 'DeCLUTTERING' and 'ORGANIZING' to keep myself motivated.  Motivation is the only thing that is in short supply, because we all know I have PLENTY-o-STUFF!!

  

Thanks to TheCLUTTERBUG I have learned that my organizing style is a BEE.  (Go take the quiz - it's kinda eye-opening!)

Today's 'eye-opener' came from...

BE UNCLUTTERED

and the realization of ASPIRATIONAL CLUTTER (aka: 'FANTASY SELF')

"...In short, “aspirational clutter” is all the stuff you buy for your Fantasy Self. We all have dreams, aspirations, hopes for our lives. We work towards these by getting an education, working hard, earning money, and slowly making our dreams come true."

"... Aspirational clutter is defined by two criteria: These are idle things you’re keeping only for a future version of yourself, and… They’re things that create an obstacle for you today, whether that’s taking up much-needed space or digging at your self-esteem" (apartmenttherapy.com)

  

   This is a HARD one. MUCH self-reflection is involved.

~ Deciding what pursuits are worth investing time in.. 

~ Letting go of those that aren't ~ things (aspirations, dreams) that I no longer desire, or at 53yrs., realize won't (for various reasons) be part of my future.

~ WHO am I?

~ What 'exactly' IS 'MY' Style?

  I like who I currently am (for the most part), and don't want to feel 'guilted' by all the 'un-used stuff' in my current life that was purchased with the intention of a 'Better Version'!

So, with that idea fresh in my mind... Day 7 Purge was much LARGER than required by 'The Mins Game'!

I hit a portion of the 'hanging rack' in our closet! I took a Hard look at each piece... office attire from a previous chapter of my life - GONE!  Tree-Hugger FLAX linen/cotton pieces (who am I kidding that I will EVER pull out a clothes iron??) - GONE!  TWENTY-FIVE items (and 20 hangers!!) later, and I feel a 'bit' lighter...  but I have PLENTY more to sort through for the next 23 days!!

until we chat again,

enJOY

& 

be well!

...BLUE MONDAY?

Jumping on the Bandwagon with creations for the recent uprise in 'Aroma Therapy' jewelry

BLUE MONDAY.

'THEY' say it's a thing... I am going to choose to ignore the commercialized version of it, and rather focus on the 'other side':

"to inspire people to take action and make bold life decisions".

 (Click on the link and decide for yourself!)

My 'intentions' (much friendlier than 'RESOLUTIONS') for 2020 are along the same lines as they have been for the last decade or so...

~Be more present

~Create every day

~Purge. Purge. Purge.

~Learn something new every day

~...yada, yada, yada...

Easier said as 'enjoy Life'!

And how has this been working for me? (Why, Thank you for asking!)  ...

Sentimental costume jewelry added to a frame and mirror

~I have Really been enjoying participating in 'joint' creative endeavors.

FRIENDSHIP + GLUE GUN = WIN*WIN!

~EXPANDING upon my minimal crochet 'talents'... WRISTLETS for Everyone!

DD YARN DESTASH + LONG WINTER NIGHTS= WIN*WIN!

~I'm finding YouTube to be an explosion of inspiration! J and I love combing beaches for 'treasures', and now I have been inspired by a lovely vlogger on Prince Edward Island to create mosaics!   A recent DD mirror is revived into a SeaGlass Mosaic.
LANDFILL RESCUE + EXCUSE FOR HOARDING SEAGLASS = WIN*WIN!

How has the first month of 2020 been treating you?  

 I have been missing all of my peeps in Blogland - please say 'hi' in the comments!!
  Until next time....

BE WELL

and

en JOY!

...new man in my life...

...or should I say "new Man in my Garden!"?

compliments of my two favorite men - My Daddy (design & construction) and J (finishing paint job and installation!)  THANKS GUYS!!! My new-to-me ScareCrow Centerpiece for my Herbie Bed puts a smile on my face every time I see him!!

Made of old saw-blades and repurposed 'parts'...

I can foresee lots of change-outs
to his 'buckets'... and maybe some
'hats' in his future!!

((BIG SMILE!))
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some other men/boys came into our household this weekend... YES - I actually went to a Rummage Sale!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE on the Purge for the BIG Garage Sale:

Found a box of 'childhood momentos' in the attic...  REALLY?!??
I think it's safe to part with these toddler clothes now! (J had a good laugh that I ever wore this!!)  Size 5T, circa 1960's at it's finest.

...2 days and counting

Okay all you Bloggy Show Gurus, here's a 'Dry-Run'... ready for critique ~ give it to me!

(excuse the boxes and mess in the background - not a whole lot of space for the mock-up, and housekeeping has been on hold lately!!)

Did everyone note the 'Seaglass From the FingerLakes' sign?!?  Isn't it AWESOME?!?!  Pulled in a favor / trade and my 'PR' girl (I love saying that - sorry R!!) custom designed & MADE it for me - (from an ivory sheet of paper)!! I'm in love, but it REALLY makes all of my other signs look PATHETIC!

Partner in Crime - 'L' - in this adventure is coming with her wreath creations tomorrow to finish filling up this display that will sit at one end of the table.

Now... back to work!

...27 STEP PROGRAM.

Anybody recognize these?

These are one of my true 'Achilles heels'...

 If you guessed 'Ceramic Mosaic Tiles' (CMT) - you are correct!

Oh, I DO adore them. 

 Glazed Ceramic Tiles (CT) follow in a close second...

 Okay, so just about ANY kind of tile I am a sucker for.

It's NOT my fault - REALLY!!

In my previous life I was an Interior Designer, and I loved adding special little 'details' to projects in the form of mosaics

 

This Reception Area 8'x10' 'Oriental Rug' design made of 1"x1" CMT was one of my favorite projects EVER!!

 

 When samples would become obsolete, I couldn't stand to see them sent to a landfill... so for the 10yrs I worked as a Designer, I lovingly hoarded the samples away in a 'small corner' of my Attic/Studio.

Over the years I have rehabbed SEVERAL tables by learning the art of tiling and doing mosaic inlays MYSELF!!  Then came the test - 15 yrs ago I redid the bathroom shower with 'sample tiles'!!  **(BEFORE MARRIAGE mind you!!)

I did EVERYTHING on this shower surround from carefully laying out my 'under water theme' on grid paper (once again using  my beloved 1" x 1" CMT), to sorting, sticking, adhering, cleaning & grouting the tiles!! 
ALL FROM SAMPLE TILES!

...and here it is, 20 years later still going strong ~ but feeling rather dated...

~BUT, I digress~

after ALL of those years of 'tile hoarding' for 'future' projects... this past week I was F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. feeling strong and the URGE to PURGE overcame me!!  I contacted a local Montessori school art teacher who was interested in some, and the rest are going to our community mosaics projects. So I am good with it, that none are going to landfills ~ just yet!!

• There are 27 steps from the first floor of our house to my Attic/Studio.
• That is actually 54 steps round-trip.
• It took me THIRTEEN trips to bring all of the tiles down from the attic (or 702 steps)!!

"and that is how I lost 560Lbs using the 27 Step Program!"


Behind The Scenes Footage:

 

4' x 4' CLEAR space in Attic/Studio
which 'used' to house the tiles...
Hmmm.... 'Empty Space'???!?

...yes. I DID keep one.little
box of Favorites for possible
future endeavours...
 

...ZOE!

Pottery 'fish' recently captured while saling for .10¢!!
It is a HAPPY DAY when you F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. find that pair of jeans....

 ...That makes you want to purge the rest of your closet!!

My latest infatuations are my LUCKY 'ZOEs'!!  Yes, they were purchased 'NEW!' (relax, it was an 'outlet' store, but that still counts in my book as a 'real store'!!)

They are just about The.Best.Things.Ever.  ...Almost makes this heat loving girl want the cold weather to arrive, just so that I can wear them...  ...almost...

Truth be told, I DID purge #44 of obsolete excess clothing from my closet before adding my Beloved Zoes!!  Somehow, everything just seemed so ratty and dated, I just didn't even want to look at it anymore!  (J offered to buy me another pair if I would keep up 'The Purge'!!)

~AND~

Because I KNOW you are all curious as to the progress,  I am receiving 'baggies-o-corks' on a daily basis...  I think that the Grand total is around 408 these days...

In 'STUFFING NEWS'... things have been rather sparse!  Have found a few items, but they have mostly been in the FREE PILES!  Does this say something about me, that I prefer the items that other people see as trash?!?  These are a couple of my recent 'grabs' (yes I DID purchase items from these people too!!).  What do you think??

I can use old 5cent envelopes as my mailing labels on packages - they were tossing out almost $4. worth of postage!

How cute is this old Tin Litho water color paint box with almost all of the paints still in it?!?

...'Don't send me flowers,'

'Don't send me flowers,...
...just the vase (or planter, or urn, or...) is fine!'While sorting through my pottery the other day, I found myself daydreaming (once again) as to what it would have been like to have lived in the 50's. Oh, come on - don't EVEN try to tell me that the thought has Never crossed YOUR mind!!

Imagine florists having stacks of these catalogs on their shelves...

Haeger, Hull, McCoy, Shawnee, Kenwood...

"Let's see if anybody has anything new or different this Spring..."

"Who has the best prices..."

These were just 'the-run-of-the-mill' containers to deliver flowers in!!!

Why-oh-Why do we get stuck we cheapo flimsy plastic or boring pressed glass vases today??

So, how did I get into this delicious daydream you may ask? Okay... you probably didn't - but I'm going to tell you anyway!

Anybody out there in the market for a beautious Solid Oak, Mission Style entertainment center?

I have finally conceded to a LARGE flat screen, wall mounted TV,

but first things first...

entertainment center must find a new home,

and

do you see what is on top of the ent. ctr.???

green agate.

which is going to get relocated to....

the Computer Room.

.

.

.

The particular shelving unit that I have in mind for it has a Big Ole Mish~Mash on it... misc. Haeger...Bennington...VERA China... inherited Waterford... and my entire Shawnee / Kenwood Pottery collection (yes, I'm a closet Shawnee collector...).

I must CLEAR THE SHELVES!!!

Most of the small, misc. collections are being purged - so to ease my anxiety I'm daydreaming while dusting and sorting to 'go' !! 8o

GOOD BYE SHAWNEE!

GOOD BYE KENWOOD!

it's been a good trip.

(anybody interested in giving them a good home... they are coming to svelteSTUFFj ETSY store SOON!!!!)

...should it stay or should it go?...

"Darling you gotta let me know

Should I stay or should I go?

If you say that you are mine

I'll be here 'til the end of time

So you got to let know

Should I stay or should I go?

always tease tease tease
Siempre - coqetiando y enganyando

You're happy when I'm on my knees

Me arrodilla y estas feliz
One day is fine, next is black

Un dias bien el otro negro

So if you want me off your back

Al rededar en tu espalda
Well come on and let me know
Me tienes que desir

Should I Stay or should I go?

Me debo ir o que darme

Should I stay or should I go now?

Should I stay or should I go now?

If I go there will be trouble

An' if I stay it will be double

sO come on and let me know
This indecision's bugging me

Esta undecision me molesta

If you don't want me, set me free
Si no me quieres, librame
Exactly who'm I'm supposed to be

Diga me que tengo ser
Don't you know which clothes even fit me??
Saves que robas me querda?
Come on and let me know
Me tienes que desir

Should I cool it or should I blow??

Me debo ir o quedarme?

Should I stay or should I go now??

Yo me frio o lo sophlo?

if I go there will be trouble

i me voi - va ver peligro

And if I stay it will be double

Si me quedo es doble

So you gotta let me know

Me tienes que decir
Should I stay or should I go??
Yo me frio o lo sophlo?"

(FOR THOSE OF YOU TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER, THESE ARE THE LYRICS FROM A BELOVED SONG BY THE INFAMOUS 'CLASH' ...ahhh, memories...)
**NO, 'I' am not what is in question of going... or 'J'... not to worry 8-)

Just off a WONDERFUL Holiday season of days upon days filled with family and friends!! Now the New Year finds me feeling a bit restless and unsettled... not a way I like to bring in a New Year that is supposed to Welcome fresh new starts. In hopes of uncovering the roots of these feelings I have dove deep into this series of 'Clutter Clearing' books by Don Aslett that I picked up at a sale last summer.

I'm generally not a 'go-to' person to get book or movie reviews from, because my opinions are usually completely the opposite from 'the masses', so take what I have to say with a grain of salt! Halfway through the first book, I am forcing myself to proceed, although so far (HOPING it is going to improve and there is something to gain!!!) the reading for me compares to scraping my fingernails down a chalkboard. Like I said, 'just my opinion'. I must admit the reading has caused me to give pause, take a deeper look at my personal situation and my motives (the book over generalizes). Yes, there are areas in my life that could benefit...
Some of the points that he emphasizes (not 'exact quotes', but pretty close!):

• 
  
  'People spend all their time hunting and gathering when they could be spending their time doing more valuable things'. How many interesting journeys have I taken as a result of a 'treasure hunt'? How many early morning sunrises, beautiful backroads, adventures with J have I experienced that I wouldn't have taken the time for if it wasn't for my 'stuffing ways'?! I guess it depends on what we qualify as 'valuable'.


• 
  


• 
  
  'It is costing people SO much in time/energy/storage/maintenance, just to 'save some money', when it would actually in the long run be cheaper for them to go out and buy new.' So he is saying that the time people put in at 'real jobs' to make the $$ to buy new is more efficient - where does he take into account the stress of the job/effect on the earth??

• 'People become slaves to their junk and spend great amounts of time cleaning, maintaining and worrying about their junk' I think that I have probably mentioned this on here before - one of the wisest 'life lessons' ever taught to me by my Mother..."Never stay home to clean". Don't get me wrong, my parent's house was always picked up, clean and presentable - (yeh, if you moved a couch there were probably dust bunnies- but who really cares??), but Mom, given the opportunity to experience Life or enjoy her family / friends would NEVER choose 'maintaining her stuff'!

I'm sure that there are some good ideas to be gained from these books, and damnit - I.WILL.FIND them!! I definitely DO have a few areas in need of some purging... but that is another post ;-) Anybody else read these books and have any opinions?

I have also gone out and hit a few thrifts in hopes that maybe this would calm my restlessness...

A couple of 1966 Holt Howard mugs. Loving on the retro style!! I have a small collection of HH orphan retro mugs that I have been trying to decide if one of these should become of member of (although I KNOW that a pair would sell MUCH better than a single!!)

Hawaii souvenir scarf

1891 Medical book - started reading some of the text - what a RIOT!!!

"Women of pleasure never give to the world sons of genius, or daughters of moral purity." Maybe they give Daughters of genius and sons of moral purity?!

Italian Bocce ball set

The restlessness has Not dispersed.

I have been purging.

I have been engaging the right brain (though I cannot show you photos ((yet)).

I have made NO RETAIL purchases yet for 2012 8-).

Life.Is.GOOD.

Bring it on 2012
VERA 2012#1 .50c