maynelander's Profile

I get so tired of hearing this whole "less stuff" thing. It isn't necessarily the amount of stuff you have it's mainly the type and how you organise it. If you want/need a lot of project supplies and tools or collections or whatever you can organise and store things not just crammed out of sight but warehoused by whatever system you like so you can find what you want with minimal fuss and zero guilt about not being a perfect minimalist. What you keep out on display varies by taste. That said, if you don't really want/need it or just never got around to getting rid of broken or useless stuff that's different. Clutter is not an overabundance of stuff, it's the messy presence of stuff regardless of amount. From there it's just a question of degree. Hoarders get in trouble because of health and safety concerns. The same amount of stuff (minus actual garbage) stored neatly and safely wouldn't cause such concern. As long as you're functional only you should decide if you need the stuff, not somebody else with no need for it in their life. My tiny apartment is usually tidy since most activities are closed-ended but my sewing room is often in chaos with several projects on the go and various things out where I can grab them. If it gets nonfunctional I do a big cleaning sweep then start all over again. Cleaning and dusting are done regularly.

My mom is obsessively clean. She has a lot of time on her hands, it keeps her from getting bored and gives her something to complain about. My son and his family are chaotically messy and often can't find things. Their lives are filled with activities and work and school and they're rarely home but they are definitely happy people.

My mom has tons of wedding and family photos around her place and she loves to look at them. And talk about them. After 3 divorces (all friendly, just took a while to figure out I prefer to live alone) I'm quite happy without people photos on display. My son and his wife have some really beautiful wedding pictures we took ourselves around our old house when lots of flowers were in bloom and have one nice one hanging in their study. The ceremony and celebration were both held at the house and it looked like a cute little chapel and hall.

I have two "sizes" of clothes since I fluctuate up and down enough to make some just a bit more comfortable than others. Loose stuff works for either size but more fitted clothes don't. My clothes are organized by season (hot and not) then type (shirts into long, short or no sleeves; skirts, pants and dresses by length, etc) and a few fancy dressup outfits and some real cold weather gear "just in case". Everything fits in one small closet and one tall chest of drawers. I have few enough items that I know which ones are larger.

Fabric (curtains, bedding, maybe a wall hanging), art (DIY options abound), plants. Bed against a blank wall, add large headboard (DIY ideas galore all over the place). Beige walls make great backgrounds for just about any colour scheme.

Hang them in the trees in your yard, give them to grandparents, etc. If you want to make potholders or whatever that's easy enough to do, just do a search on cardboard looms.

As long as it doesn't affect health and safety and relationships with others it all comes down to how frustrated it makes you to either keep cleaning up or trying to find things when it's messy. If you can find stuff in the mess and nobody else objects it's no big deal. I like having my tools and supplies organized so I can find them quickly and can fit more stuff in a small space. That said, my sewing room can be pretty chaotic in mid-project because when dealing with a creative frenzy it just distracts to have to worry about putting every little thing back in place. Time enough for that when the project is done, though sometimes that can take a while. I like to keep the rest of the place fairly tidy since it's small and feels pretty closed in when messy.

I still have my old globe from grade school days (thanks mom!) I like looking at the changes in country names and borders between then and now.

To heck with the kids, I'd move in!

Those kitchen cabinets - ooohhhh!

I just have one room, plus bath, so it's an eat-in room with options. I can stand at the counter and eat (usually the go-to option for really messy food), flop out a TV table while watching movies, or use the tiny round bistro table I dragged in from the patio because I misssed having a kitchen table and everything else was too big. With a lamp hanging overhead it's the best spot for reading while eating. There's a larger round table that folds up flat and tucks away when not needed that I can use with folding chairs if I have guests over. No need to be confined to one particular mode for all occasions.