con-tain-it

Day 10: The {31} Purge: Less stuff, more happiness

Day 10 of The {31} Purge and HOORAY!!!  I'm finally into the double digit days...I'm one-third of the way DONE with this damn purge!!!

I'm ALSO still grabbing the ODD stuff out of my storage unit...but FIRST I have to share this wonderful video with you ;} 

Why you should listen to him:

Graham Hill (@GHill) founded the eco-blog and vlog TreeHugger.com, to help, as he says, "push sustainability into the mainstream," with a design-forward style and an international, wide-ranging team committed to transforming complex issues into everyday concepts. It's been called "the Green CNN." The TreeHugger team was even asked to join the Discovery Communications network as a part of their Planet Green initiative, and Hill now makes appearances on the green-oriented cable channel.

Before Treehugger, Hill studied architecture and design (his side business is making those cool ceramic Greek cups). His other company, ExceptionLab, is devoted to creating sustainable prototypes -- think lamps made from recycled blinds and ultra-mod planters that are also air filters.

See all the entries in the Life Edited contest on TreeHugger >>

"You should be allowed to be a modern city dweller and still care about the environment."          --Graham Hill  (Profile & Bio Credits)

Graham's three main approaches to less stuff and more happiness:

1. Edit Ruthlessy:  clear out all the extraneous things that are “clogging” up the arteries of our lives and learn to stem the inflow…think before we buy!
2. Think Small:  learn to use the space that we do have wisely!  Prioritize our things by how they are used and by how they function.
3. Multifunctional: finally we want things and spaces to be multifunctional so that they take up less space.

Wow...what a great video and let me tell you...I'm finding ALOT of boxes in my storage space that I have moved from house, to house, to apartment to storage.  Of course, being the extreme organizer that I am...I know what is in ALL of my boxes because I clearly LABELED them all.  So well in fact, that every single time they have been moved...the movers have commented on the labels...lol

This next item that I'm purging doesn't MEET any of Graham's criteria for keeping it and especially because it no longer brings me any more joy:

Stop laughing at me!  Yep it's my OLDEST son's {the one that is 31} telescope from when he was in high school...okay so you can laugh with me now ;}  Still like new...still in it's original box and still in perfect working condition!  This we know because when my youngest son came home for a visit a few month's back I had him help me put it together to make sure that none of the lenses were broken.   So we attempted to view the stars that night but it was cloudy so we had no clue as to what we were looking out...it all looked like the milkyway!

So off to Goodwill this is going and perhaps it will make another young star-gazer very happy this coming holiday.

Fondly, Roberta

Day 9: The {31} Purge: Highsmith Products

Day 9 of The {31} Purge and I'm grabbing the ODD stuff out...you know those things that you hang onto for "whatever reasons" and you have moved them from home to home...from attic to garage...from storage shed to storage shed!  Only to ultimately pick them up ONE LAST TIME and ask yourself..."Why the hell and I hanging onto these?"  Case in point...my Highsmith products!

 

Day 8: The {31} Purge: Black Tables

Day 8 of The {31} Purge and it's that last of the BIG items in my storage area: black occasional tables.  ANYONE who knows me the least little bit...knows...that I have a huge craving for anything black when it comes to furniture.  I don't care that it shows all the dust...the better to see when it needs to be cleaned...I say ;}  I was into black furniture long before it became popular and always had a hard time finding the pieces that I wanted/needed to fill my home with.  Then over the last decade, it became really popular and I had my pick from just about any furniture line out there...Ethan Allen, Bassett, Lane, Lazyboy, Burlington, Ikea, Haverty's, Ashley Furniture, Pier One, World Market and Thomasville...and I have pretty much filled my homes to the rim ;}

The {31] Purge: Buy Less...

{Photo Credit}

Sorry if anyone finds this offensive...but right now after dealing with all of my STUFF in storage...I'm so appreciating this!  Funny thing is that I found this in my email today from Pinterest.  Soooo...I know I'm not alone with my sad {sick ;} humor...cause it had me cracking up...very bold statement for sure.

Just as bold as their site name...fuck you very much!

Alot of people have an issue with these words but...ya know...they are just words!

Today...thay made my day!

Enjoy, Roberta

Day 7: The {31} Purge: Flower Arrangements

Day 7 of The {31} Purge and it's Flower Arrangments!  I'm starting to feel like "Mary Poppins"...you never know what I'm gonna pull out of my storage unit...lol  The two arrangements below are what were left-over from my home and my retail shop.  Over the years, I have always designed my own flowers...fresh and artificial...and many of my friends have told me that I should "sell them".  So that I did, when I had my shop and these types of BIG arrangements would go for several hundred dollars a piece {thank you for paying my rent ;}

These two arrangements were always two of my favorites because they made such a bold statement.  When we downsized the first time to our apartment in Charlotte...they still fit the space and decor...however they did not fit in so well here at The Love Shack.  So once again...after failing to sell them via Craig's List, Etsy and/or Yard Sales...I've carted them off to the Consignment Shop where I hope to at least re-coup my costs for these exotic silk flowers.

How about you...how do you feel about artificial arrangements?

At this time in my life, I prefer the real thing and in such a small space, I like having as many real plants as possible to help purify the air.

Fondly, Roberta

Day 6: The {31} Purge: Bookcase & Plant Stand

Day 6 of The {31} Purge and I'm still wrestling with the emotions that I'm having when it comes my furnishing and "how attached I am" to them ;{  "Enough already!"...I'm sure many of you are saying...if you are reading any of The {31} Purge?  But then...those of you who love interior design as much as I do...I know that you so get it!  For me...whenever I shop for a piece of furniture...it's a major expedition.  That is that I rarely give up my money for any splurges when it comes to my home.  Every single piece I own has a story behind it and if you sit long enough...I can tell you all about it...lol

Case in point...these two pieces of accent furniture that I also tried to sell on Craig's List and via Yard Sales and they just didn't move...so I gave them to a very dear friend that totally "gets me".

In the photo below, the bookcase was a piece that I had custom made for my boys bedroom when I lived in New Hampshire and worked for the State.  The Prison Industries had a wood shop that made all of the office furniture for us at Postsecondary Technical Education and so I asked them to make me a bookcase for my boys.  They took a lot of pride in their work and you could tell because this was not your typical "press-board" piece that you find in all of the office product and retail stores.  Nope...it is SOLID maple with three adjustable shelves and lots of trim details.

The plant stand...even though it was not a custom piece...was still one of my favorite pieces because of it's red stain and Asian design.   I'm guessing...that it reminded me of living in Taiwan as a kid :}  This piece was also a very functional piece of furniture with it's tiny drawer and shelf and it was small enough to fit into many nooks and crannies (just not here at the Love Shack ;)  For the past dozen years it has always been placed somewhere, near our entry way, where it held our keys and cell phones and welcomed us home everyday.

How about you...do you have special stories about your furnishings?

Do share them in the comment section so that my family will know that I'm not the only one...lol

Fondly, Roberta

Day 5: The {31} Purge: Lamps...Lamps...and more Lamps!

 

Day 5 of The {31} Purge and I'm seeing the LIGHT! Well...not exactly!  What I am seeing though are a lot of LAMPS andall the darn light bulbs that go with all of these 3-way fixtures.  Lamps are tough when it comes to first buying them and then even more so when it comes to selling them...one of those purchases that you never recover from...lol

So off to my sister's house I went...toting along two candlestick lamps {aka buffet lamps ;} and a coordinating {very taboo now to say "matching" ;} table lamp that I use to use in my office on my white desk.

Along with two floor lamps with cranberry silk shades that  went well with her bedroom ensemble.

AND finally a rod-iron torch-ere lamp that was constructed with some really handy shelves for great storage...but the best part was that it gave off GREAT light...you can see it tucked here into the corner of our morning room. 

This was a very expensive lamp and I loved it's dual function of storage and great light!  So...I tried to re-purpose it here at The Love Shack...but it just didn't work or fit into the space well.

So out of storage all of these lamps have gone...thank goodness...because they really do take up a lot of space and I was always having to move them about whenever I wanted to find something!

How about you...do you have something that is always in your way?

Perhaps like me...it's time for you to move it on out!

Fondly, Roberta

FIVE Quick & Easy Ways to Organize Your Recipes

This post is actually a "re-post" from last year and it is located here on my Love Shack Larder blog.  However,  I wanted to share it again here on Love Shack Baby because Cheryl of Tidy Mom is asking everyone to share the ways that they organize their recipes for I'm Lovin' It Fridays!  Also I hope that it would also serve my readers better, when looking for organization ideas, to be able to find these tips here as well.

Yesterday I found this wonderful post on The Pioneer Woman's site and after reading it I just HAD TO DO A FEW THINGS!  First I just had to share this recipe...

 **Photo from here. 

with my niece, Cortney who loves fall and she is having this big GIVEAWAY this month on her blog, Living & Loving in California to celebrate it.

Then, I had to (had to ;) share this with everyone...because how often to you see yourself in writing...

Because you see, my mom’s “recipes” amount to two enormous—like, the most gargantuan I’ve ever seen—three-ring binders stuffed with plastic sleeves that contain every wonderful, fabulous recipe she’s used since The Dark Ages, or at least since around 1968. She still collects and tests recipes, so her plastic sleeves are updated with modern, interesting foods.

{Inspiration Workshop! - RED the color}

Today for Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop  we’re linking up with our favorite RED inspirations.  Share your blog post with us by linking up here. Gussy will be reading what you link up, so I hope you join the linky party and share your inspiration!!!! You have until Sunday to share your take on the color RED :]

This week's prompt is by far my favorite!  That would be because RED has always been one of my favorite colors for interior design and it is now my signature accent color for The Love Shack.  Over the years I have always had a touch of RED somewhere in my home and even had painted the foyer a bright "dragon red" in one of them {I'm sure my love of red has something to do with living in Taiwan when I was a kid ;}  Using it around the house though actually began with my first red piece of furniture...my red cupboard ;} 

Day 4: The {31} Purge: No More Etsy

Day 4 of The {31} Purge and I'm trying to handle the emotions of failure that are gurgling up from deep inside of me.  These feelings of failure are coming from the fact that I still have inventory tucked away inside my storage area from when I closed my retail shop con-tain-it at BLACKLION...over four years ago now ;}  My shop was doing well and I think that I would have been very successful had I had the time and energy to deal with it.  However, at the time my day job as a Controller for a large company was compromising all of my energy.  Especially when they moved the corporate offices and changed my daily commute from 40 minutes a day to over a 2-1/2 hour daily commute. 

Right about that time I read an article in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine about this great venue for selling your creations, called ETSY.  It sounded like a perfect fit for what I needed since I could then focus on the organization containers and the creative designs that I really wanted to do...in lieu of the seasonal things that I was forced to keep in my actual retail shop...just to pay the rent!

Well...ETSY for me was just a big BUST!  In the 3-years {plus} that I maintained my on-line shop...I had less than a hand-ful of sales.  The fees were cheap enough...but I feel like there is just too much competition and/or buyers...who simply shop for the ideas for completing their own projects.  So, a few months ago, I closed down my ETSY shop as well...oh boy...more feelings of failure!  Perhaps there is another venue out there...waiting for me to discover it ;}  Right now I just need to stay focused on clearing out my storage space!   Then...I'm going to focus on creating art for myself and organizing my family memories.  One thing I've learned in having a retail and an on-line shop is that...if you want to have a successful shop...then you have to make it the main focus ;}   So the reality is that I failed because...I lost my focus.   And that I've learned that I don't really have anything that I feel great about selling right now...over selling stuff...I want to sell my own artwork ;}

So today, I pulled out these pen/marker supply caddies and carted them off to the consignment store:

The caddies provide great storage and they are elegant to look at...but the drive behind the design for these caddies is that most art markers are suppose to be stored horizontally...not vertically...in a pen/pencil holder like you find on most desks.  Hence the frustrating reason why your pens are dried out when you go to use them in your journals or scrapbooks ;}

So if you'd like to make one of these on your own...here is the DIY skinny...simply find a wine rack/bottle holder that you like and some great bulky bar/water glasses that will fit inside the rack and that are long enough to store your pens in {this was the hardest part for me ;}

Hope this helps save your supplies and offers you a great looking storage solution.  Please let me know if you use this storage idea in your studios.

Fondly, Roberta

Ikea Design Videos and a Little TOO Much More!

Today on Tiny House Blog they have posted a series of Ikea videos featuring Ikea Malaysia's interior designers who give tips on how to squeeze every thing you need into a small space. These videos are short and sweet and they demonstrate very well what can be done in a small space or home.  First up is the original video which shows all of the completed projects for a 430 square foot apartment; a 118 square foot combo bedroom/living room and a 29 square foot bathroom that also has laundry facilities and more. It's the next best thing to actually visiting an Ikea showroom ;}

Day 3: The {31} Purge: The Big Stuff

Day 3 of The {31} Purge and I'm still dealing with the BIG things that are left in my storage unit.  So far we've been able to help out our family and friends with our "left-overs" and that makes me happier then giving it away to strangers at yard-sales and/or consignment shops.  "Why?"  You may be asking...well it's simple really...it helps me get over the fact that I spent good money on things in the first place when I know that my family and friends will continue to benefit from my initial investments. You asked...lol ;}

Case in point would be this small table and chairs that my son, Timothy used while he was living here during his college days.

Day 2: The {31} Purge...No Whining

Oh Boy...it's only Day 2 of The {31} Purge and I have to remind myself that there is NO WHINING allowed for the next 30 Days!  But it's really hard when you have this huge task in front of you and you really begin to wonder...have I bitten off more than I can handle?  So to keep myself going...and to not get over-whelmed...I'm just going to hold myself accountable for handling ONE item at a time...kinda like my ole motto...Handle It Once!  This will also keep my blog posts manageable and make it easier for any readers following along ;}

First things first...I've opted to deal with the BIG items that are left in my storage area so that I can make room for tackling the smaller items, and the paperwork in the file cabinets last.  So today I'm tackling my emotions over the "idea of" having a wine rack, a.k.a...multi-purpose, chopping block...in the middle of our kitchen here at The Love Shack.

Day 1: The {31} Purge

Welcome to "31 Days to purge your stuff!" otherwise tagged here as  The {31} Purge. Today and for the entire month of October I will be joining the other 31-Dayers in purging and posting about my experience of cleaning out my storage unit which is the "last frontier" of my two-year downsizing to a simpler life here at The Love Shack.

Link up your 31 Day series and enjoy all the inspiration! You only need to link up at ONE of the following host sites and it will appear at ALL of our sites!  Be sure to link directly to your welcome or day one post, rather than your home page so people can find your 31 Day series even in the future!! Only link up once the whole series long.

•  Nester – 31 Days of Lovely Imperfection
• Jen - 31 Days to Balancing Both Beauty and a Budget
• Jessica – 31 Days of Memory Keeping
• Melissa: 31 Days:  Inspired Holidays
• Sandy: 31 Days of Warmer Connections
• Darcy: 31 Days of Photo Tips
• Emily: 31 Days to Change the World
• Emily: 31 Days of the Little Things

After two years of purging and downsizing my stuff via...