tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48290059658045771212024-02-18T23:06:33.580-08:00delightfully simpleapplying the art of simplicity to every day life.catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-91489157487079898982012-03-21T00:30:00.000-07:002012-03-21T00:30:00.484-07:00The Simple Wardrobe, Part 4 - A Sort-of-Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeR9d3fjUNirRdn7k5Q1U1cen1bMSIbdIHv0IV39c5yY2AOfJMEp1JO4z2wlltUl7FARSyWLUtWR5PkLI_R1hyphenhyphenAo3-U39R2px-tRafOKwJRVy2PhCcFJwqNQKKjdcZico7piMXe_M2PU/s1600/wardrobe+inspo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeR9d3fjUNirRdn7k5Q1U1cen1bMSIbdIHv0IV39c5yY2AOfJMEp1JO4z2wlltUl7FARSyWLUtWR5PkLI_R1hyphenhyphenAo3-U39R2px-tRafOKwJRVy2PhCcFJwqNQKKjdcZico7piMXe_M2PU/s400/wardrobe+inspo.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
Well, I didn't really think I'd be sharing my color palette photo when I made it, so it's a little less than stellar. Sorry about that. But, it serves it's purpose.<br />
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When it comes to simplifying my wardrobe (google things like: minimalist wardrobe), I've been researching other people's blog posts for quite some time now. Almost all of them talk about choosing a cohesive color scheme. That way, all of your clothes match so you're able to get the maximum amount of outfits from the minimum amount of clothing. I'm not sure that my wardrobe will qualify as a minimalist wardrobe, even when I'm done with it, but it still seems like this color scheme idea could apply to me.<br />
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It was one of the hardest things for me to get on board with, but I kept reminding myself how difficult the 3 jumpers (sorry, everything goes back to that one experience, doesn't it?) experience was, because I didn't think it through very well and decided to do a black, a gray, and a brown jumper. Well, lots of things might match with black and gray, but not all of those same things match with brown. And while lots of things might match with brown, they don't all match with black (navy blue, anyone?). Thankfully, I was a foreigner in Korea, so everything I did was inexplicable and it didn't particularly matter what I wore.<br />
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So, this time, I wanted to really bite the bullet and get a color scheme going. Unfortunately, that is not as easy as it sounds! You can't just pick your favorite color and go from there. You also can't just pick a bunch of random colors.<br />
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I did know that I wanted to minimize black. With the 3 jumpers, the black one faded enough that I didn't appreciate it, and it was also incredibly hot in the summer. To the point that it wasn't worth wearing. So, I may make a black dress, but it won't be one that I will wear every day.<br />
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No black then.<br />
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That left brown, white/cream, gray and navy blue as my neutrals. And olive-ish green, too, I guess.<br />
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Then I thought: I'm choosing a color palette! Why not pick an inspiration picture?<br />
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Nerdy, yes. Effective? Also yes.<br />
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I googled "art", went to "images", and selected the blue colored box as a filter because I knew I wanted at least one blue dress.<br />
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I came up with Van Gogh's A Starry Night. It works for me for several reasons. It's got a lot of neutrals with very little black if you look closely. It also has yellow, which is my all-time favorite color and I wear it quite a bit in fact. Both of my favorite sweaters are yellow.<br />
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So, I ended up with a color palette that works with what I already have. And I think that's the hardest part. Trying to figure out the essential pieces in your wardrobe that you most love, and how they might fit together into one cohesive color palette.<br />
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Once I'd done that, I bought the book I've been saving up all of SwagBucks for! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Modern-Sewing-Patterns-Favorite/dp/159668352X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1332018411&sr=8-2">Simple Modern Sewing</a>. Yes, I paid for almost the whole thing (except for $1.47) with SwagBucks!<br />
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The book was originally in Japanese (Japanese fashion is just to die for, imo) and it's been translated, but it's still a little different than an American pattern/pattern book, from what I've read. Apparently, it doesn't factor your seam allowances in, so you have to do that yourself. But even more importantly, the patterns are very, very small. As in, the largest size is comparable to a 4-6 American size. I'm going to figure it out and make it work for myself because I want this wrap dress!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bLV_T48MkCm66Cralo2dKjdlOt8TQg8owi3Y_1f0_7WDFRFUGjwudTQMDd58cXbpk6ZYky9pFXVzZHCYhdeKSR_vPoROQtxL9iq_iMFIiRBEAUWyUif5G0WRpZs_nGa-59zK70IifiE/s1600/wraparounddress02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bLV_T48MkCm66Cralo2dKjdlOt8TQg8owi3Y_1f0_7WDFRFUGjwudTQMDd58cXbpk6ZYky9pFXVzZHCYhdeKSR_vPoROQtxL9iq_iMFIiRBEAUWyUif5G0WRpZs_nGa-59zK70IifiE/s200/wraparounddress02.jpg" width="195" /></a>I'm sure I could make it without this particular pattern, but why try? I love this one so much.<br />
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For more pictures from this lovely book, go to the <a href="http://www.sewdaily.com/blogs/sewdaily/archive/2011/11/16/simple-modern-sewing-works-for-everyone.aspx">Interweave Press website</a>.<br />
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I was going to share some fabric choices I've been looking at and discuss the benefits of prints vs. solids in clothing (when you're as clumsy and disastrous with food/drinks/paint/everything as I am!), but I think I'll save that for tomorrow! For now, I leave you with this lovely dress and the admonition to go create a color palette for your closet! It's not necessarily easy, but find an inspiration picture, either online or in a magazine, and then use some paints, or cut up some magazine pages to pull your favorite colors out of that picture. It<br />
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actually helped me quite a bit when thinking about what I needed/wanted in a wardrobe.</div>
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Now, I need to go do some other decluttering. Have a very pretty Wednesday!</div>
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<br />catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-51833399262927286962012-03-20T00:30:00.000-07:002012-03-20T00:30:01.847-07:00The Simple Wardrobe, Part 3 - A Sort-of-Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">On Thursday, I had some time</span> and so I did a quick sweep through my closet and drawers, pulling out what I absolutely know I don't need. Since I'd been thinking about it for a few days, I had a few pieces in mind and <b>I tried to not look at or think about them much as I threw them in the bag for the goodwill.</b><br />
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When going through your wardrobe, a lot of people seem to use the "throw out what you haven't worn in the last 3-6 months" trick. I love this and I would totally use it, except that <b>I've always been someone who <i>does</i> wear all of her clothes.</b> <i>That</i> is not my problem. I naturally gravitate toward having a large wardrobe because I love having a wide selection of things to choose from. I'm creative and putting together colorful and exciting outfits is really fun for me. Sometimes I'm feeling vintage, sometimes I'm feeling bohemian, or modern.. sometimes my outfits end up looking a little like a hobo in a box of melting crayons... but I have <i>a lot</i> of fun with it.<br />
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Because the problem isn't that I don't wear all my clothes, but that I don't <i>need</i> all the clothes that I <i>wear</i>, <b>I have to weed out even some of the clothes I might wear on a semi-regular basis.</b> Does this feel wasteful? Yes, but if you're giving them to charity, it isn't actually wasteful, it just feels that way. And anyway, doesn't it <b>make my life feel more manageable</b> by cutting down on laundry, creating a cleaner closet, and freeing up drawer space? Yes, it does, and that is the best thing in the world.<br />
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My other problem is: What to do with that creative streak? One problem I had during the 3 jumpers experience was that sometimes I didn't feel like I had a wide enough selection to choose from (perhaps because I didn't!). Sometimes I just wanted to wear something crazy and fun! That's one reason I'm trying to come up with a wardrobe that has a little more variety than just 3 jumpers. Because, while most of the time I just want to get up in the morning and not have to think about what to wear, for a small portion of the time, <b>I really want something fun to wear.</b> And that small portion of the time is part of what drove me off the rails the last time.<br />
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I need variety, so with that in mind, I'm going to keep a few of my favorite fun and crazy outfits. Complete with vintage suspenders and bobby socks. I'm hoping that having a couple of my favorite <br />
"fun" outfits will keep sane.<br />
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However, I really am happy to wear one of three or four dresses most days of the week. Like with the 3 jumpers experience, I like dresses. If they're long enough (and they are when I make them myself), I can move in them, I can get housework done, they don't cling and they're cool and airy in the summer. I also found that, with jumpers, it was nice because the T-shirt underneath was the part that sat right against my body, so even if I was kind of sweaty and gross by the end of the day, I could usually still wear the jumper again without having to wash it, because it hadn't been up against my skin.<br />
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Is that gross? Oh, well.<br />
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I also know that we don't attend church, as such, on a regular basis which means that I don't need a lot of dressy clothes. For the most part, it's me and the mister at home, or I'm at school (did you know kids are going to school in their pajamas now?), or just hanging out with family. None of these, for me, requires super fancy clothing. That is not to say that I want to look grungy all the time, because <b>I like to look clean and well kept, I just don't need fancy clothes to do that.</b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anyway, with all of this in mind, I've come up with the following list:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Main Wardrobe:</b></span></div>
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<ul>
<li>wool coat</li>
<li>wool hat, scarf, mittens</li>
<li>wool cardigan</li>
<li>cotton cardigan</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">3-4 short sleeved dresses</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1-2 dressy dresses (for special occasions, like weddings)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 pair of nice jeans</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 pair of junk jeans + 1 junk T-shirt (for dirty around-the-house projects)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 blouse (to go with the nice jeans)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 black turtleneck</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">underwear (10-14 pairs)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">7 pairs wool socks</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2-3 pairs cotton ankle socks</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 half slip</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2 pairs of leggings</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2 pairs of pajama pants</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2 pajama tops (T-shirts)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 pair of every day shoes</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 pair of dressy shoes</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 pair of slip-on sandals</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Fun and crazy clothes:</b></span></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2 long skirts</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2 cotton cardigans</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">2 blouses</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">suspenders</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 leather belt</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 pair tights</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Possible additions:</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent;">
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 long sleeved dress in place of one of the short sleeved ones</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">another black turtleneck</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1 pair of every day jeans</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">summer pajama bottoms</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I <i>know</i>, I<i> </i><b style="font-style: italic;">know</b>. It doesn't look like a very small wardrobe. But to me, it does! I'm going to keep my fun/crazy clothes in the spare room closet, along with anything from the "possible additions" list that I decide to keep around. This way, if I want or need something, it's still there, but I'm also getting used to working with a smaller selection again and, better yet, <b>getting used to the <i>feeling</i> of owning less.</b> Because that is a good feeling!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>From those lists above, this is the list of things I need to make or buy:</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<li style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3-4 short sleeved wrap dresses</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3-5 tank tops/camisoles</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">underwear</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 leggings</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3-4 wool socks</span></span></li>
</span></ul>
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.6615166827104986"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">To me, that seems like a fairly small list of things to make and buy. I'll make the dresses, but in my experience, a simple dress doesn't take long: 3-4 hours at most. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm going to share with you some of the patterns I've been looking at tomorrow. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm also going to experiment with making my own tank tops (I usually wear a camisole under any dress I wear) and see how that goes. Wool socks I make whenever I get around to them. And I'll probably buy the underwear and leggings, although I may try to make leggings as well.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Because I've carefully planned this out, none of these purchases or "to make" items are urgent, so <b>I can take my time and build my wardrobe slowly</b>, once I've cleaned out everything else that I don't need. For now, that's all. Tomorrow, I'm going to post the color scheme I've come up with, as well as some fabric choices and patterns I've been looking at for the dresses.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I hope your week is going very well!</span></span></div>
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</div>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-1997994872142293822012-03-19T00:30:00.000-07:002012-03-19T00:30:02.724-07:00The Simple Wardrobe, Part 2 - A Sort-of-Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">I've spent the last few days thinking...</span><br />
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about how to execute this major closet overhaul. During this time, I've made about a hundred lists (okay, maybe ten) and tried to take every possible variable into consideration.<br />
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I'm concerned because I've made these sorts of wardrobe changes before (like with the 3 jumpers, as well as other various, unnamed failures), and it always ends up falling apart. Still, all those failures have given me some insight into what <i>doesn't</i> work for me. And that's a place to start, isn't it?<br />
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You may want to start there, too.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">What about your wardrobe <i>doesn't</i> work for you?</span><br />
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For me, it's all about comfort. I don't do too-short sleeves, a too-tight bust or waist, a too-low neckline, too-short skirts or too-long skirts for that matter. I try to steer clear of synthetic fabrics that make me too hot and too cold. I don't like too-small shoes, shoes I need to extensively "break-in", or shoes that give me blisters. I don't do shoes that won't (relatively) easily slip off and on. Or, at least, I don't do very many pairs of them like I always try to. Bras that dig into my underarms have to go, too, and so does silly underwear that I never wear because we've been married for a couple years now and, let's just be honest, the silly underwear isn't going to come out again this side of a mid-life crisis. I also hate flannel pajama pants. They're too thin to be warm and they ride up in bed. Plus, they wear out super quick.<br />
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<b>What are the pet peeves you have about your clothing? </b>Write them down if you need to. I was surprised to find out that, although I already knew everything in that list above of what I do and don't like, I still had at least one piece in my wardrobe that committed each of these crimes. When I wrote them down, I finally realized just how much some things bother me. I also realized that it's all too easy to rationalize to myself that, "this waistline isn't <i>that </i>tight," and "I love these shoes, they really aren't <i>too</i> small," when I'm at the store and feeling adventurous and excitable, <b>but I still won't wear those things more than once or twice when I get them home.</b> So, I've made a real commitment to be realistic with myself and to recognize that there are some things I am not willing to compromise on, because those things are costing me money that does not grow on trees, especially in this recession.<br />
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If you want to, make that list and then put it in your wallet where you can refer back to it when you go clothes shopping. Maybe it will help you to better evaluate your future purchases.<br />
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All right. Now that we know what we <i>don't </i>want, let's figure out what we <i>do </i>want. For me this was...<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Comfort</span></b><br />
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I am sensitive to fabrics. The clothes I wear most are made of natural fibers like cotton, wool, and linen because I simply like the way they <i>feel</i> against my skin. Synthetics like polyester don't breathe. They also conduct heat, which means that when it's hot outside, they bring the heat even closer to your skin and when it's cold outside, they conduct the heat away from your body. I find I'm almost always either too hot or too cold when I'm wearing synthetics (which is too sad because so many of my favorite vintage clothes are made of that infamous 1960's polyester), so they have got to go.<br />
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I also want clothes that will breathe in the summer. I tend to get pretty hot in the summer and the Mister and I try to keep the a/c to a minimum, so short sleeves are a must in order to keep cool. As are either short pants or skirts.<br />
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<i><b style="color: #bf9000;">Things to think about: </b>Get into your closet and pull out a couple of your favorite outfits. You know, the ones you go back to again and again and again. The outfits that make you feel sexy and the ones that make you feel cute, even the ones that are most comfortable. Pay attention to what these clothes are made of: cotton, rayon, polyester, wool? Also, pay attention to the texture of the fabrics. Do you prefer clothes to be soft and comfortable above all else? Maybe you don't like slippery or slinky fabrics, or maybe you don't like stiff fabrics?</i><br />
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<i>Now, consider the weather patterns where you live. Do you need winter clothes as well as summer clothes? Is there some way to bring into your wardrobe pieces that can move from summer to winter while still keeping you comfortable? Be creative! I'm thinking of incorporating dresses back into my wardrobe to mimic the 3 jumpers experience. I actually really enjoyed having a set of clothing that could be worn in summer (with a T-shirt, bare legs and sandals) and also in winter (with a long sleeved shirt, wool sweater, leggings and wool socks). It kept the core pieces of my wardrobe to a minimum, but still allowed me to be comfortable and have enough to wear.</i><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Modesty</span></b><br />
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I'm not going to lie and tell you this is a huge motivating factor for me, but it is present in my mind as I think about my clothing. For one, it has to do with comfort. I, as an individual, am less comfortable when I feel like my shirt is too low cut, or my skirt is too short. I spend so much time pulling my neckline up and my hemline down that I don't have time to enjoy what I'm doing.<br />
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I also feel like, somehow, making myself mindful of how I appear to those outside my home (and outside my husband), makes me more mindful of my actions as well. If I'm paying attention, trying to <i>look</i> like the person I want to be (I don't mean this to say that people should somehow spend more time worrying about how they look -- women, especially, I'm just not sure how else to word it), then I might be more attentive to my actions as well. For me, it's something that holds value and meaning. I don't want to do it because I think it's what God wants, or because I think it's what my husband wants (I don't honestly think he has much to say one way or the other), or because I'm worried what others will think. I simply want to do it as a means of improving myself as a person. That is not to say that it's something everyone will feel they need to do, it's just something I want to pay attention to in my own life.<br />
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Since we've been home from Korea, my necklines have slipped lower and lower and it's not that this bothers me on a moral level, and not even exactly on a spiritual level, as such. But it does bother me on a personal level. I want to be different than that. It's not a wrong thing, or a bad thing, but it's not <i>my</i> thing. It's not something <i>I want</i>. Just like I want a simple life, and so I cut out the junk, I also want a modest life and so my seriously scooped necks need to go, too.<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;"><b>Things to Think About:</b> </span>What motivates your wardrobe choices? Are you thinking about how you look because you're worried what others will think? Try to point yourself in the right direction by thinking about where you want your life to go in the next year, in the next five years, even the next ten years. Can you build a wardrobe that will get you there?</i><br />
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<i>Think about your wardrobe choices, which are somewhat frivolous and not incredibly important in the grand scheme of things, I'll give you that. But which also may have a greater impact on you, as a person, than you realize. To expand upon my own example of modesty, when I dress more modestly,<b> I feel better about myself.</b> I feel like I am somehow protecting, covering, my femininity (does that make any sense?) and that I am making a statement to myself, that this part of me -- this womanly part -- is worth the effort it takes to cover my body. That, in a sense, I am worth the effort. So, think about how your wardrobe makes you feel and then <b>consider how you wish that it would make you feel</b> because that is your goal. Work toward that.</i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Practicality</span></b><br />
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The wardrobe I eventually end up with needs to be cohesive. By that, I mean that most, if not all, of the pieces in it need to be interchangeable and within the same color scheme. They also need to be easily washable, for the most part, especially those pieces which will sit right next to my body and therefore need washing most often. I don't have all the time in the world to do laundry.<br />
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These are more reasons that I am sticking to natural fibers, specifically cotton and linen. Both are washable and both only get softer with time. Natural fibers do fade a little more readily, but I live the casual life of a student and wife, so that's okay with me.<br />
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In addition to those things, I want pieces that will be durable, pieces that will last me a while. That means I'll probably try to stay away from the big box stores as much as possible because those clothes shrink and the seams tend to rip out more quickly. It means that I'll make what I can, and thrift what I can't, looking for brands that I know might last me a while.<br />
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<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Things to Think About:</span></b> For this, you need to take your life into account. Do you work? If so, what's the dress code? Are you a stay-at-home mom? If you have kids, then you're also going to need to take into account things like the wash-ablility of fabrics (stick to cotton, linen, hemp, bamboo), perhaps leaning more toward clothes with a busier print to disguise spills and stains and keep your garments serviceable for longer. </i><i>This is another place to take texture into account. Babies and small children may prefer softer fabrics against their skin and since tiny people require a lot of holding and rocking, their sensitive skin may be in contact with your clothes on a regular basis. So, take that into account.</i><br />
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<i>Also consider how often you engage in things like: going to church, going out on the town, date nights with your significant other, work parties, travelling for business (or pleasure), camping, sports, rock climbing, bicycling, etc. These sorts of activities may require certain clothing, so you will want to think about that and plan your wardrobe accordingly.</i><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Cost</span></b><br />
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We are not a rich bunch over here, the Mister and I. So, for me, this overhaul will not be happening all at once. That means it's even more important for me to have a plan. That way, I can sketch out what I want my wardrobe to look like as a "finished product" (if you will, although wardrobes are always changing, aren't they?), the pieces I already own that will help get me there, as well as what I need to acquire over time. When I approach the planning in this way, it ensures that I don't end up going through my closet in a rabid donating spree, giving away clothes that I will need to hold me over in the interim while I build up a wardrobe that better suits the lifestyle I want to have. I'm finding it helpful to literally make lists, deciding what I definitely want to keep, what I definitely need to make/buy, and what clothing I will keep to fill out my wardrobe while I am bringing in new pieces.<br />
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<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Things to Think About:</span></b> The best ways that I know of to keep your clothing durable, of good quality, and also as inexpensive as possible are to shop at thrift stores, and make or sew anything that you can at home. For me, this means that I don't always get the selection I was used to before, at Target or Old Navy. I can't look in my closet, think, "I need a red sweater to match that dress," and then head on down to the store and pick it up. I have to keep a sort of running list in my head, or sometimes I write it down and put it in my wallet. That way, when we end up at a thrift store, I know what to keep my eye out for. And, if they don't have what I need, then I leave empty handed. It's that simple.</i><br />
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<i>Aside from saving money, when you learn to shop this way, you're also ensuring that you support local charities (which receive funding from thrift stores), that you're not funding as much sweat shop labor, and that your money isn't going to big box stores, which run small businesses out of our towns and neighborhoods, hurting our friends and neighbors by putting them out of jobs. So, if it seems like a pain, or like it's just too much work, think of those things. You really are, "voting with your dollars."</i><br />
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<i>If you do sew, there are a number of ways to obtain inexpensive fabric. Personally, I look for quilting cotton (and occasionally cotton jersey) when making clothes. Poly-cotton blends don't need ironing, but in my experience, they wear out faster and don't breathe as well in the heat, so they're not for me. Some people really like them, however, so you may want to give them a try.</i><br />
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<b><i>Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:</i></b><br />
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<ul>
<li><i>The clearance section of your local fabric store.</i></li>
<li><i>The linens section of your local thrift store, where you might find cuts of fabric, or (if you're like me), cute old sheets, table cloths and curtains that make terrific skirts and dresses, or nightgowns for little girls.</i></li>
<li><i>Search out a printable 50% coupon to Jo-Ann's Fabric Store and buy fabric at a steep discount. This doesn't solve the, "no big box stores" problem, but it is cheap! (make sure to read the coupon for stipulations on what you can and cannot purchase)</i></li>
<li><i>If they ask, tell friends and family members you'd like gift cards to your favorite fabric shop for your birthday or Christmas.</i></li>
</ul>
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<i><b>Online fabric resources:</b></i><br />
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<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://www.fabric.com/">http://www.fabric.com</a> - very reasonable prices, very good selection.</i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.fabrics-store.com/">http://www.fabrics-store.com</a> - a great selection of linen and linen/cotton blends at very reasonable prices (for linen). It looks as though it's only $7.15 for shipping whether you get 1 yard or 30, so stock up or go in with a friends if you're buying here!</i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.connectingthreads.com/">http://www.connectingthreads.com</a> - it seems they have some really pretty fabrics for pretty good prices. Check the clearance!</i></li>
<li><i>Here's a really long list of online fabric shops, although not all of them are inexpensive: <a href="http://sewaholic.net/online-fabric-shopping-the-big-list/">http://sewaholic.net/online-fabric-shopping-the-big-list/</a></i></li>
</ul>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Color</span></b><br />
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I already mentioned that I want a wardrobe with a cohesive color scheme, but another important point about color (for me), is to leave out blacks and whites as much as possible. The problem is that these are my favorite colors to wear! BUT.. they are also the most difficult to care for. Blacks fade and whites get dingy and stained. I'm not leaving them out completely, but I am leaving them out as much as possible.<br />
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<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Things to Think About:</span></b> This sort of goes under practicality as well, because color is really quite practical when you get down to it. For example, how is it that a person may have a mountain of clothes, but still can't ever find anything to match that one, particular skirt?</i><br />
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<i>Color is important. Refer back to your favorite outfits, the ones you pulled out of your closet (or thought of in your head) and consider their colors. They're probably colors that you feel you look really good in, colors that make you feel good when you wear them. Start thinking about what your favorite colors are to wear. <b>Not your favorite colors in general. </b> Pay attention to this, because it may very well be that your favorite color is flamingo pink or chartreuse, but the truth is that not all of us (despite what we may think) actually gravitate toward wearing these colors. Even if they have made a grand appearance in your wardrobe, that doesn't mean you actually wear them, or even want to wear them, much less return to them again and again as wardrobe staples. Because that is what we're looking for here. Clothes that you will be happy to wear again and again.</i><br />
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<i>When considering color, also consider fading and staining. For instance, black items may fade fairly quickly. Are you going to want to commit to re-dying them? Or replacing those items of clothing? You might think about limiting the black in your wardrobe to pieces that you will only wear on special occasions, or pieces that don't matter as much (then, if they fade, it's no big deal). Also, think about white and other light colors. White stains, it turns dingy and yellows in the armpits if you wear antiperspirant (if you use deodorant without an antiperspirant, that doesn't happen!). You may also consider limiting very light colors to a minimum.</i><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">In this grand journey, I've also considered...</span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">My Quaker Roots</span></b><br />
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I grew up as an Evangelical Quaker. Now that I'm older, I identify more closely with what are known as Liberal Quakers (or Liberal Friends, as Quakers are also called Friends). It's an important part of my life, who I am, and it influences and shapes the way I think.<br />
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One of the more basic tenets of the Quaker faith is simplicity. Traditionally, that meant that Quaker homes were usually kept free of many unnecessary possessions, furniture was often simple and unadorned, and that walls remained bare.<br />
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More famously, this "testimony of simplicity", applied to Quaker dress (think: Mr. Quaker Oats), also referred to as "plain dress". Some modern Friends are taking up plain dress again, as it has died out substantially since around the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I don't feel like taking a more traditional Quaker approach (which might include ankle-length dresses, neckerchiefs and Amish-esque kapps) to my wardrobe is something I resonate with, but I do feel like I want to both calm my spirit as well as honor the Quaker traditio<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">n, by developing a form of plain dress for myself.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;"><b>Things to Think About:</b></span> Is simplicity as a way of life something that's important to you? If you desire a simple lifestyle, consider making a simple wardrobe a priority in your life.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>It's true that isn't always easy. You have to stay out of the clothing section at the department stores. I try to stay away from window shopping and keep out of thrift stores unless I'm looking for something in particular, and if it's not clothing-related, I steer completely clear of that section of the store. </i></span><i>But if you want a simple life, you can't continue to mindlessly consume, because each pair of shoes and each piece of clothing (or each kitchen tool or appliance, each new bathroom product, each piece of furniture or new DVD or electronic device) that comes into your home disrupts the lifestyle you want for yourself.</i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Consider what you truly desire for your life and make those things a priority.</b> You don't have to jump in headlong, but start inching in the direction you want your life to go. Clean out your closet, empty your junk drawer, weed out those magazines on the coffee table. Each step you take toward a simpler life brings you that much closer. And each step reminds you how peaceful the journey can make your home, even though it may not always be easy.</i></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">-------------</span></b><br />
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I'm sure your wants and needs are different than mine as everyone's living situation requires special consideration, so take your own needs into consideration when planning your wardrobe. I hope this list made sense and that, perhaps, you might feel inspired to also take the leap! In tomorrow's post, I've come up with a color scheme for my new wardrobe, as well as a comprehensive list of the items I hope that it will eventually contain.<br />
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Thanks for stopping in and for putting up with my seriously long post. ;)<br />
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<br />catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-162435169346306252012-03-17T00:17:00.002-07:002012-03-17T19:10:15.993-07:00The Simple Wardrobe, Part 1 - A Sort-of-Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">I'm not really the go-to person when it comes to a simple wardrobe.</span><br />
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At least, not right now.<br />
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It's not that I don't know how, it's just that since we moved back to the US a year ago, <b>my wardrobe has exploded.</b> I guess there are a few reasons for that, the main one being that, while I'm of an average size as far as an American woman is concerned, <b>I was on the extra large side of <i>huge</i> in Korea.</b><br />
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When I was finally able to find jeans that fit my waist, they didn't fit my hips.<br />
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And if I was able to find T-shirts, they were so short that half of my torso was left bare.<br />
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And just <i>forget</i> about undergarments.. just forget. I sure wish I could. :P<br />
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Anyway, with all of that being the case, <b>I wasn't able to purchase new clothes for no less than <i>a</i> <i>year and a half</i>.</b> So, when we got back home, picking out something new to wear was at the top of my list. In hindsight, however, it <i>may</i> have gotten a little out of control.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Some back story:</span><br />
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First, I didn't plan very well when we moved, bringing with me a somewhat cheap wardrobe with lots of pieces that didn't work well together, and then.... there was the case of <b>the CHAOS washing machine.</b><br />
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Lest I be thought of as a dreadful, ungrateful person, I need to say right here that it was <i>really great</i> to have a washing machine. Both the Mister and I were so, so happy to be able to wash our clothes right there in our apartment. Or.. out on the porch. But you take what you can get, right?<br />
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There was a problem with the CHAOS, however (yes, it was named CHAOS). <br />
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Actually, there were a few problems.<br />
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First, we had to stop and google it because <b>it can be a little difficult to work with a washing machine that's all in Korean</b> and looks totally different than any household appliance you've ever seen before. Then, we had to call in reinforcements because we could figure out how to turn it on, but from there <b>it was like a hurricane in a box</b> and we needed to know how to make it <i>work</i> not just shoot water around. <i>Then,</i> we had to buy a new hose so that the water could drain all over the porch and into the floor drain, instead of... I'm actually not sure why we bought the new hose, since it was already doing that.<br />
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ANYWAY, all of this is terribly beside the point, isn't it? Because the point is, that while the CHAOS was grand to have and we were grateful... and while the CHAOS did utilize chaos theory in it's agitation of our clothing.... and while we <i>did</i> finally learn how to turn it on and it <i>did </i>wash our clothes, albeit somewhat harshly...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Well, in short, it wrecked every last piece of clothing I owned.</span><br />
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Thankfully, my sister came to visit and brought some provisions that got me through the next 3 months.<br />
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Then, finally-finally, I was able to buy a sewing machine. And from there, I made three jumpers out of the softest, most lovely Korean fabric that I wish I could find here in America but I doubt I ever will... My three jumpers. I still wear them when the clean laundry's running thin.<br />
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And, if you're wondering, yes. I did wear those things for 9 months straight. Just 3 jumpers, bolstered by long sleeves and leggings in the coldest cold of winter, and lots of handknit wool socks. They served me very well and, honestly, I think that although my wardrobe at that point was the sparest it has ever been, I was also <b>the happiest I have ever been as far as my clothes are concerned.</b><br />
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All of that to say... I am hoping to return to that idea. A small wardrobe of pieces I can wear pretty much every day. Only maybe not so extreme as to literally have only 3 jumpers.<br />
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Because of where I am right now with my own clothing situation, <b>I don't intend for this to be a tutorial on how to simplify your wardrobe.</b> I'm not "there" enough yet to dole out that kind of awesome since I'm still in the process of figuring out for myself what works and what doesn't. I'm just going to let you know what I'm doing, my process, what's working/not working for me and I'll give you some ideas for things to think about along the way. Okay, this might be a <i>sort-of-</i>tutorial, but please don't take what I say as the gospel truth! Wardrobes are so individual and everyone has to figure out what works for them individually.<br />
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In this spirit, I spent some time between classes today, outlining what a simple wardrobe might look like for me. I tried to think of what I wanted from my clothing, the demands my life makes on my wardrobe, the sorts of activities I take part in, etc... and I started making some lists. Those are a few of the things I want to share with you on Monday.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">I'm really excited about it so drop back in to catch up with me!</span><br />
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<br />catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-92089280797146514892012-02-08T16:07:00.000-08:002012-03-17T19:10:48.831-07:00Cooking as part of a simple, healthful life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPIOm-lyhLKqVFQlNflTcrP07cB68sZclhJO0c0oDDKoqn3cWd9-0tzZWfuZkUS7w9LtLo68eVFMEzx2rPrygNCQ4Wpw5bfbOZlabnAxd9OD4NXWR1_4kUejNzw5TK2nzutbx_YDyJ1Y/s1600/woman-cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPIOm-lyhLKqVFQlNflTcrP07cB68sZclhJO0c0oDDKoqn3cWd9-0tzZWfuZkUS7w9LtLo68eVFMEzx2rPrygNCQ4Wpw5bfbOZlabnAxd9OD4NXWR1_4kUejNzw5TK2nzutbx_YDyJ1Y/s320/woman-cooking.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.391858063172549"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">For us, the simple life has done even more</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;"> than make our lives more peaceful, less cluttered, and more purposeful.</span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s also improved our health.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learning to cook is one of many on the list of things to do when you decide to simplify your lifestyle. Everyone has their own path and makes their own way to simplicity, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">simplicity is different for each of us.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> So, what works for the Mister and I may not be the same for you, and I </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">know</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that what works for others doesn’t always work for us. Still, I would be inclined to say that learning to cook might be at the top of the list for many.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of us know how to cook <i>something</i>, don’t we? Whether it’s macaroni and cheese from a box, or boiling a hotdog. Or, it might be more extravagant -- spaghetti, macaroni and cheese from scratch, shepherd’s pie -- but your repertoire is limited. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wherever you’re at, I want to encourage you to take some new steps in your adventure.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">I really believe that cooking is life changing.</span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's such a seemingly simple thing that you do for yourself, your children, your friends and family. But</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> it’s a gift you give the people who eat from your table</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and a gift you give yourself as well. It will give you a sense of satisfaction that you can’t get from other areas of your life, because you will be able look at your table and think, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I made that, from practically nothing, with my own two hands.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> And you will be able to look at your once lanky, bony husband, who you’ve fattened to a healthy physique and think,<i> </i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I made a difference for the person I love.</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s often the small things that make the biggest difference.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> And a hot, home cooked meal is one of those, I think.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">Because the journey is, and will be, different for each one of us, there are no real important points for where to start or what to do. </span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">This can make the job feel more overwhelming, can’t it?</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">If that’s the case for you, try making your own list of things you’d like to accomplish. You might add to it, things like: </span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br />
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<li style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Figure out how to eliminate one store bought item from your pantry<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> (i.e. cream of mushroom soup, canned chili, salsa, canned beans)</span></span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Learn to make your own meat bone stock (broth) from scratch</span></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learn to make a version of your favorite restaurant meal<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> (a particular cheeseburger or pasta dish) - to do this, you can google, and use your own tastebuds to figure out what’s in the meal you love. If you have the guts you can even call the restaurant and just </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ask</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> them for their recipe! I’ve seen people do it before and it worked for them.</span></span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, please don’t be fooled. You will hear from everybody else that you need this, and you need that in order to cook. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>But you don’t need a kitchen full of utensils to get your cooking life on the road.</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In our case, we didn’t have much variety to start with, so I started with what I had: two peeling, non-stick skillets, a really old toaster oven, a leaky tea kettle, a pancake turner, a wooden spoon, a two burner gas stove top and more metal chopsticks than you could shake a stick at. We didn’t have a cheese grater (at first, we didn’t even have </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cheese</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">), a rubber spatula, a mixing bowl, a saucepan, or forks, although we had a couple Korean rice spoons. We didn’t have a garlic press or whisk, or anything to cut with but one dull paring knife and a bent steak knife. Even still, </span><b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">there was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a lot</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I could do with just those few things in my kitchen (I didn’t even have a full size oven!), and so I encourage you to try it out at whatever place in life you are.</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxusaZ6-0ZECCR2pNHOKVV5NXH2qyUEkKBH7in2nwed2bjS1qJB-Zid66CEqwKicok5PAqXrs_sZ0DKoBH11jdwINeKowwdVRseYzFNMHBuLrbnwvzBwnoZy80LgWFaWIBxaBG7dg6Xw/s1600/cooking_classes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxusaZ6-0ZECCR2pNHOKVV5NXH2qyUEkKBH7in2nwed2bjS1qJB-Zid66CEqwKicok5PAqXrs_sZ0DKoBH11jdwINeKowwdVRseYzFNMHBuLrbnwvzBwnoZy80LgWFaWIBxaBG7dg6Xw/s320/cooking_classes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Be creative!</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some of the first things I made were things I already knew how to make: spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, and shepherd’s pie. It was quickly discovered that the Mister hated shepherd’s pie, so that was nixed. But spaghetti and macaroni and cheese remain favorites around here.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once I’d made the things that I knew well several times, and had gotten a feel for our oddly arranged (and sparsely stocked) Korean kitchen, I started using other simple recipes, using simple ingredients we had on hand. Pesto spaghetti with fresh vegetables and chicken, bread pudding, <a href="http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2007/10/king-of-casseroles-king-ranch-chicken.html">King Ranch Chicken</a> (we </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">love</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> our Tex-Mex), and meatloaf.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-weight: normal;">One of our favorites (and a very easy meal) for a while, was roast chicken with potatoes, carrots and onions.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">It was difficult to fit a chicken into our oven, even once we’d purchased a larger, more accommodating toaster oven, so <b>we bought a crock-pot.</b> It wasn’t a big one, we couldn’t find one of those. It was just a normal, maybe 4 quart, crock pot that cost an *arm and a leg*. <b> </b>It was worth it for us, though, and<b> we saved for it and gave up other things in order to get it.</b> I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when we got that thing. And with how much even a small toaster oven and two burner stop top can heat a small apartment in the summer, we were very grateful for the ability to cook without heating up the whole entire house.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would go down to the open air market that was just down the street from our house and pick up a chicken from our favorite vender: a husband and wife duo, who were sometimes accompanied by their small children and parents. I’d point to the chicken I wanted (a small fryer sort of thing), and right there in front of us, they would drag the plucked chicken by one leg, off the ice in the cold case, throw it down hard on the cutting board in front of them and ask us if we wanted it quartered. Most often (unless I was going to use it for making stock), I would say no and then they’d just chop off the skin around the neck and the wing tips, throw in a handful of gizzards, and put the whole thing -- raw and uncovered -- into a plastic grocery sack, then another plastic grocery sack, tie it in a knot and hand it to me, a little sticky on the outside with chicken juice. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>But Korean moms and grandmothers aren’t scared of a little chicken juice like we are here, in the US.</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To an American, accustomed to being somewhat more detached from the butchering process than that, it was a little alarming at first. Especially since the market didn’t seem particularly sanitary what with my chicken being chopped in the open air, on an old wooden table, with a giant cleaver that didn’t seem to have been washed well since the last chicken customer came by... but I got used to it and after a while, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>it became nice to be slightly more connected to my chicken dinner.</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I saw, and communicated with, the people who butchered it. I trusted them to take the precautions that were normal for Korea. And we never got sick, not once. Those chickens were </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">good</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, too</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyway, long digressions aside...</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Cooking is a very powerful tool in the arsenal of a simple life.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you can cook, you’re more inclined to have a garden, and with your own garden, you get your own organic produce, virtually for free! You’re also not contributing to as many petrochemicals being used to produce and get your food to you. Also, when you cook, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>you know what’s going into your food.</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> You know what you’re feeding that lanky, bony husband of yours, and what he thrives on, versus what tends to make his allergies worse.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">At our house:</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just through cooking and learning more about food and nutrition, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>we have significantly reduced both or our incidences of allergies and asthma.</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My acid reflux has completely gone away and we both sleep a lot better (not waking up as much throughout the night, sleeping more soundly, falling asleep more easily). Oddly, we also get hungry less often, which means we are eating less food, which equals less money, less time, etc... And best of all, guess what? It is February and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>neither of has been sick this winter -- not once!</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Cooking is powerful. Real food is powerful. And living a simple life is powerful.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, don’t underestimate yourself! Be brave. It’s so fun to branch out, get your hands dirty, and mess around with a whole, slimy chicken.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And it really is worth it.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-2594942576082671382012-01-30T10:05:00.000-08:002012-03-17T19:11:25.093-07:00DIY Monday - knitting a dishcloth, a beginner's project!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtgz0_shQN-MBhLZErGcBjYf6QSG7OcXNqd93uETJk3XErji0DEXMOGgEAOVLI91lBBVPKTmQkFuM7vGTE_4Hgk6U1aQeGl0kAZSIs3og9vbDBdUa3FBon1GYNpPg_gOzaHOeDXVOzuY/s1600/dishcloth01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtgz0_shQN-MBhLZErGcBjYf6QSG7OcXNqd93uETJk3XErji0DEXMOGgEAOVLI91lBBVPKTmQkFuM7vGTE_4Hgk6U1aQeGl0kAZSIs3og9vbDBdUa3FBon1GYNpPg_gOzaHOeDXVOzuY/s400/dishcloth01.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">Those who know me will you tell you, <i>I love to knit.</i></span><br />
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I knit at home, in the car, at the table after dinner, while talking, watching TV, waiting at the doctor's office, in the back of my big, auditorium classes, or (if I ask the prof. beforehand), right down in the front row. I knit in the park, at the mall, and while we wait for our food at restaurants. <b>I am almost never without a knitting project in my purse or in my hands.</b><br />
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My mother first taught me when I was about nine. I remember clumsily moving in the needles in my hands, and eventually abandoned my small project in frustration. I learned again around age 17, when I really picked it up for good.<br />
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Since then, I've learned a few more complicated techniques, like cabling and lacework. I've made a lot of things for relatives, and quite a few for the Mister and myself as well.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">One of the first projects I really started on when we realized we wanted to move toward a simpler life, was knitting dishcloths.</span><br />
<b>I used the same pattern, over and over, to make over nine dishcloths in a relatively short period of time.</b> Just a little square, knit on the bias (that basically means that you're knitting the square diagonally, from corner to corner, rather than side to side). And then, because we were planning on the Mister going to law school in Washington, D.C. (that's right, my genius husband got accepted to <i>Georgetown</i>), they all got sent there. And I'm pretty sure that it's there they remain, in a little Korean box with a few other treasures like a small, pink, melamine-handled vintage pancake turner that I so loved.<br />
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We need to get that box back, don't we?<br />
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So, I don't have any of those particular treasures to show you, only these couple that I found when I was going through my yarnage and then promptly finished in order to present to you here.<br />
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To make a long story short, our life plans completely changed one day, somewhat out of the blue, and now we're here in Idaho. Quite possibly until the end of time. <b>So, I made <i>another </i>stock of knitted dishcloths (this time, I found a round dishcloth pattern that I love). </b> The square cloths we have now are for the bathroom, while the round ones reside in the kitchen. I've heard that some people color coordinate in order to know which cloths belong where. I, however, was working with yarn my mother had given me for free. I didn't get to pick the colors, so I chose to work with shape instead. Honestly, it's easier for the mister to remember, too, when he folds clothes.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">This short, easy pattern is for the square.</span> <b>It's actually the very first thing my mother taught me to knit at age 9, so you know it's easy!</b> Disregard the fact that I gave up in despair -- I was a fickle child. ;)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5xyYeAB6qe48gDPeoghnPYACVgVi7hFqBxOO4L_Mf5tnipY29SqCZ8qTnUidAyENtkm2DAHIP2oxKZRKRo9ZbpI5Td9s6zuVPkXsxpLNen5S6AwjEPic3GyPPH5nX2Hs1Ym81ZfXBY8/s1600/dishcloth04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5xyYeAB6qe48gDPeoghnPYACVgVi7hFqBxOO4L_Mf5tnipY29SqCZ8qTnUidAyENtkm2DAHIP2oxKZRKRo9ZbpI5Td9s6zuVPkXsxpLNen5S6AwjEPic3GyPPH5nX2Hs1Ym81ZfXBY8/s320/dishcloth04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dishcloth on top was knit with a lighter weight (thinner) yarn <br />
from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/cupidstory">cupidstory's etsy shop</a> (it's positively beautiful and ever so soft). <br />
The dishcloth on the bottom was knit with unbleached Lion Brand cotton, <br />
the kind you can pick up from any Michael's from Jo-Ann's in America.</td></tr>
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If you are new to knitting, do not fear this pattern! <b>It has only 4 rows.</b> You simply repeat 1 of them, over and over for half of the cloth, and the second one over and over for the second half of the cloth. <b>Please refer to the key I've placed at the bottom of the pattern if you've never read a pattern or don't know what a certain abbreviation means.</b> I've also turned each part of the key into a link, so if you have anymore questions, either click the link, or email me, at <a href="http://catieneely@gmail.com./">catieneely@gmail.com.</a><br />
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It should also be noted for beginners that there are really only two stitches when knitting: the knit stitch, and the purl stitch. For this pattern, you need only know the knit stitch. It is generally considered the easiest of the two, so you shouldn't have much of a problem. However, <b>let me know if you need help!</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbds6Ybxwgrmi1NxugCdisxNoYQoHdApJsm4IO5R0Cw9AOARMQ8FqbRGZR67CpRg-m9kGtgnBmFy0Uw3o_p-XlcunEuVVceU1Wq2JJ-AMsPdrYXimDChy-NvM5Kutp81xfAGhlz8o4y0/s1600/dishcloth03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbds6Ybxwgrmi1NxugCdisxNoYQoHdApJsm4IO5R0Cw9AOARMQ8FqbRGZR67CpRg-m9kGtgnBmFy0Uw3o_p-XlcunEuVVceU1Wq2JJ-AMsPdrYXimDChy-NvM5Kutp81xfAGhlz8o4y0/s640/dishcloth03.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can really see here how I try to use up all my last bits of yarn! You can't really tell, but the blue one has <i>four </i>colors in it: Green, light blue, dark blue, and at the very tip, white, because I ran out of light blue just at the end. </td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">My Favorite Dish Cloth Pattern</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">You will need:</span><br />
<b>Knitting needles</b> - either straight needles or circulars (any length over 16" should do, I suppose), I like size 5 or 6 for mine, but that's because I like the cloth thick and sturdy. If you want to use a larger needle, your cloth will be done faster, but it will have a looser texture with "holes".<br />
<b>100% cotton yarn</b> - I am still knitting through the stash of cotton my mother gave me upon our arrival back in the states. Most of it is peaches-n-cream or sugar-n-cream brand, but there's also some lion brand cotton. When I was in Korea, I bought the loveliest, most scrumptious organic cotton yarn from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/cupidstory?ref=seller_info">cupidstory's etsy shop</a>. It is ever, ever so soft and comes in some fun colors. This yarn is a little lighter than an American worsted weight, so I used size 3 and 4 needles for it. Keep in mind, however, that cotton shrinks. So, even if your cloths end up a little loosely textured, they might tighten up a bit in the wash.<br />
<b>A large-eyed tapestry/yarn needle or crochet hook for weaving in ends</b><br />
<b>Scissors for cutting yarn</b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Using the long tail cast on, CO 4 sts.</span><br />
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<b>Row 1:</b> Knit.<br />
<b>Row 2:</b> K2, yo, k to end.<br />
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Repeat Row 2 until you have 50-55 sts for a worsted weight yarn, or 60-65 for a lighter/DK weight yarn. You get to decide when to stop. This pattern doesn't rely on accurate stitch counts (another reason it's a great beginner's project!). Remember to take into account that a dish cloth, when wet, tends to stretch and spread, so often, less is more. A dish cloth that's about the size of your hand or slightly larger will certainly suffice.<br />
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When you decide your dish cloth is large enough, begin to decrease:<br />
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<b>Row 3:</b> K1, K2tog, yo, K2tog, K to end.<br />
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Repeat row 3 until you have just 4 sts left on your needle.<br />
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<b>Row 4:</b> Knit.<br />
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Now, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0plhuwVF4j0">bind off all sts.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O51m7EHMdEA">Weave in the ends</a> and you're done! <br />
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<i>*Wash before using, as it may not soak up water well if you don't. In fact, I like to wash mine several times before using, as you might do with a brand new towel.</i><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Key:</span></b></div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Iv03nRS8xU&noredirect=1"><b>CO:</b> Cast on</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8kF5JBkjSs"><b>K:</b> Knit</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>K1:</b> Knit 1 stitch</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>K2:</b> Knit 2 stitches</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBpbLmgwHFA"><b>K2tog:</b> Knit 2 together</a> (knit two of your stitches together, as though they were one stitch)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qq__ttEMUo&feature=related">YO: yarn over</a> (you literally just throw the yarn over your needle, creating a loop)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>sts:</b> stitches</li>
</ul>
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You should really try this easy pattern. Knitting can seem complicated and confusing, but often, if you'll just pick up the needles and have a go at it, it can be quickly demystified.<br />
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If you're confused by all the linking in the pattern, here is a list of the links to all the videos I gathered:</div>
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<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8kF5JBkjSs">How to do the Knit stitch</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Iv03nRS8xU&noredirect=1">How to cast on</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBpbLmgwHFA">How to K2tog</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qq__ttEMUo&feature=related">How to YO</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0plhuwVF4j0">How to bind off</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O51m7EHMdEA">How to weave in ends</a></li>
</ol>
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</div>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-70015406571208956922012-01-25T04:00:00.000-08:002012-03-17T19:12:29.043-07:00What's in My Basket? - Embroidery<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">I want to make "What's in My Basket?" a weekly feature,</span> but we'll see how that goes...! I also need to kind of immerse myself in this semester and get a feel for how the week is going to flow before I can set a day for it. Until then, we're just going to go with the flow.<br />
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<b>My basket sits at the side of my bed, and whatever's in it is what I work on during the evening hours, while the Mister and I are winding down, in bed, getting ready to go to sleep.</b> This is what's been in it lately, and, in fact, is still in it, because I have been ever so busy! I'm honestly not sure I've touched it again since I took these photos.<br />
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This little treasure is going to be a "pajama pillow". Kind of silly, right? Well, I figure, once I make two of them, <b>they will help keep our pajamas from laying all over the bedroom.</b> They'll have a specific, neat little place to go every morning. And then we'll know where they are at night.</div>
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I first read about pajama pillows over at <a href="http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/">Down to Earth</a>. I've looked and looked for the post in which they were mentioned, but to no avail. Oh, well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrD4VvCu-xFAP2BGLvFRZ7Dt_N0ZJ8YsITHQXlRys5pzQ83CTiXClXjCESBj6-uAeUuTJsM4xc2tL3AhSRpvc2o0CoLFjXAGdShrHrX4jLh1GI_JGgSQtJPatQladmDGolsptltorO064/s1600/inmybasket03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrD4VvCu-xFAP2BGLvFRZ7Dt_N0ZJ8YsITHQXlRys5pzQ83CTiXClXjCESBj6-uAeUuTJsM4xc2tL3AhSRpvc2o0CoLFjXAGdShrHrX4jLh1GI_JGgSQtJPatQladmDGolsptltorO064/s320/inmybasket03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This one is a men's bike for the Mister's side of the bed, and I'm going to do a lady's cruiser for my side. The stitchwork looks black, but it's a really a quite nice shade of brown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraRuUETS2S0R-g-5NyQmOd9anpE5DoqB8cfry-bJUPRcncse4QIskkewNufZKxtGHgHWP7rz9pzYqh-oAjbBzCYWZWJ9Xgz1dU_hi3QGMT3CzHe8wfzboAJeKNQWW2l7z3B59eZWwgZ4/s1600/inmybasket04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraRuUETS2S0R-g-5NyQmOd9anpE5DoqB8cfry-bJUPRcncse4QIskkewNufZKxtGHgHWP7rz9pzYqh-oAjbBzCYWZWJ9Xgz1dU_hi3QGMT3CzHe8wfzboAJeKNQWW2l7z3B59eZWwgZ4/s320/inmybasket04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And these are some vintage transfers that have been hanging out in my basket, dreaming of becoming something great. I love vintage transfers, don't you? They're just sweet.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">That's what's in my basket. What's in yours? Share it with us in the comments!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoXMlxRVT922Wb__zFl9vHrh6O18lqII4nio_hXD-wU2HumBb32HwDrKv3OQzIjRnSP_ANdddUiQFB3cyM3z-AycHCzx2AH4_4xJCOC9DYzBjSR4ZGPvqlpZZGWvC0xT0t0xvlIny5jA/s1600/sig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoXMlxRVT922Wb__zFl9vHrh6O18lqII4nio_hXD-wU2HumBb32HwDrKv3OQzIjRnSP_ANdddUiQFB3cyM3z-AycHCzx2AH4_4xJCOC9DYzBjSR4ZGPvqlpZZGWvC0xT0t0xvlIny5jA/s1600/sig.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-76746051180720547242012-01-24T04:00:00.000-08:002012-03-17T19:12:55.510-07:00Color Story - Autumn Tractor<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">I love beautiful things.</span> Two of my favorite things are beautiful pictures and color combinations. Simple color stories combine both of those into a happy -- perhaps somewhat useful -- tool.<br />
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<b>In the past, I've looked up and used color stories for things like:</b></div>
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<li>Our wedding</li>
<li>Parties</li>
<li>Blog and web design color schemes</li>
<li>Knitting</li>
<li>Sewing</li>
<li>Quilts</li>
<li>When needing general creative inspiration</li>
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Because I have used them for quite practical things indeed, well, that leads me to believe that, perhaps, <b>color stories, too, are quite practical indeed.</b></div>
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Regardless, I've put a very simple one together, using a picture from my Color/Inspiration board on Pinterest.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbg6ACOa_i8mjovaHT10C65axkkWo31MWIsbMrT2JCJVrpl3i-2dsVsghU17cRqZveIWZVBImJN0Op2CmEGiargfSI35wenflcbVLDVELrnGxRKgYlQ13dS5z8xX0GsYCFckrk0UHTcM/s1600/tractor2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbg6ACOa_i8mjovaHT10C65axkkWo31MWIsbMrT2JCJVrpl3i-2dsVsghU17cRqZveIWZVBImJN0Op2CmEGiargfSI35wenflcbVLDVELrnGxRKgYlQ13dS5z8xX0GsYCFckrk0UHTcM/s640/tractor2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Autumn Tractor</td></tr>
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It's a humble photo, I'll admit, and perhaps not one you might normally associate with a color story, but it reminded me of the small town I grew up in, where my grandpa used to take us on tractor rides around the field behind our house. His tractor was gray, not red, but it was old as heck, just like this one.</div>
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I love those colors together and, sometimes, I wish I could get married again just so I could choose different colors! But, of course, that's silly. :D</div>
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Here is another color story from the blog <a href="http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com/home/2011/3/14/inspiration-daily-03-14-11.html">Creature Comforts</a>, that I also found on my Color/Inspiration board:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PvFvBE2AZP8QBOaZO98Dx0PKs-aSvN3UcJcPLdV2i7p9ZmE_AMPEUNqOLM0Jg3eimtshZJWYSuayBkkOK07PD-PItT3q8Z_FBjl2lwaL2RQs4tBuKhfgltD5R0Fj7ApUC52g7iEU7do/s1600/fallpalette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PvFvBE2AZP8QBOaZO98Dx0PKs-aSvN3UcJcPLdV2i7p9ZmE_AMPEUNqOLM0Jg3eimtshZJWYSuayBkkOK07PD-PItT3q8Z_FBjl2lwaL2RQs4tBuKhfgltD5R0Fj7ApUC52g7iEU7do/s640/fallpalette.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
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I love this one quite equally as much as I love my own. Maybe because the picture is more striking. Either way, I think color stories are such fun, don't you? Maybe you can use the one I made, or <b>go check out <a href="http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com/">Creature Comforts</a> and use Ez's. The beautiful color and inspiration is so thick over there, you could cut it with a knife!</b></div>
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If you're not on Pinterest already, you should really check it out. I'm not sure if you still need a friend to invite you, but if you so, I will certainly invite you! Just let me know.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoXMlxRVT922Wb__zFl9vHrh6O18lqII4nio_hXD-wU2HumBb32HwDrKv3OQzIjRnSP_ANdddUiQFB3cyM3z-AycHCzx2AH4_4xJCOC9DYzBjSR4ZGPvqlpZZGWvC0xT0t0xvlIny5jA/s1600/sig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoXMlxRVT922Wb__zFl9vHrh6O18lqII4nio_hXD-wU2HumBb32HwDrKv3OQzIjRnSP_ANdddUiQFB3cyM3z-AycHCzx2AH4_4xJCOC9DYzBjSR4ZGPvqlpZZGWvC0xT0t0xvlIny5jA/s1600/sig.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-84579819912325944342012-01-23T04:00:00.000-08:002012-03-17T19:13:43.911-07:00Mount Yarn - pictures!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP75X7Cl-2rYjBZAe5dV5Mz3JNYjWLm1apuPqVrY9qiTeka9cRAmi8AlQ0z0vKxskSeXtn6coZglDL_8o2Cokdqb5eLVAO3HHFGKnsugVVWMsPTLxscsmxhdqJiXFUWYUW1aWG56JQoJw/s1600/DSCF0883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP75X7Cl-2rYjBZAe5dV5Mz3JNYjWLm1apuPqVrY9qiTeka9cRAmi8AlQ0z0vKxskSeXtn6coZglDL_8o2Cokdqb5eLVAO3HHFGKnsugVVWMsPTLxscsmxhdqJiXFUWYUW1aWG56JQoJw/s640/DSCF0883.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Yarn!</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">This picture is Mount Yarn before it was scaled.</span><br />
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And rest assured that yes, there is an unseen pile of yarn <i>behind</i> the forty gallon clear tub as well.<br />
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<b>Where did all this come from?!</b><br />
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Heck if I know, folks. Well.. I mean, I do know, actually. In fact, I could probably tell you the origin of each and every skein in that mountain/pile/hoarder's-dream-come-true. The problem was not in figuring out how the yarn <i>got there</i>, but in figuring out how to <b><i>get rid of it!</i></b><br />
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Well, it was a long night. I took this picture around 8:00pm, because that is when a good night owl like myself gets to work! And it took me until 1:30am to get two trash bags given away. Although, I did lovingly package most of the balls and skeins into matching groups, then into ziplocs, and, for R, the Mister's sister's bag, I labeled each one with it's fiber content and how to wash it. She's a new-ish (but awesome) knitter who, unlike me, has zero stash (those were the days!), so <b>I know all my lovingly packaged skeins will be well loved.</b><br />
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Of course, if you're in the process of chucking a yarn stash, certainly do not feel compelled to go as far as I did in labeling each skein and packaging it in ziplocs with it's yarn kin. I just found that <b>treating it well and sending it off with love made it a lot easier for me to get rid of it.</b> I also really liked knowing that it was going to someone who would appreciate it (like R). <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">If you're having trouble parting with your sewing/knitting/scrapbooky/felt creature/crafty supplies, you might try either or both of these two things:</span><br />
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<li><b>Lovingly packaging</b> - taking care to package your items well, labeling and preparing them for the next owner, and more importantly, in the process, kind of mentally letting it go of your items.</li>
<li><b>Giving your items to someone you know will really appreciate them</b> - either someone who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford your items, or someone you know will just love and appreciate your gift!</li>
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They worked for me!</div>
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<b>This is my after picture (!!):</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdU86quyKWLaTQ2avGVyrECAnnpfEgqFzijwgDfe6EPuasCVJgr0EBq7OnMy0mHfYEX5f9sGvanQSrf2Zy5mFXfWFm9v7usuzE_0bCmj_Kq_Qepywq45L0pjTTQKfE0-euBTOAgML6uIg/s1600/DSCF0894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdU86quyKWLaTQ2avGVyrECAnnpfEgqFzijwgDfe6EPuasCVJgr0EBq7OnMy0mHfYEX5f9sGvanQSrf2Zy5mFXfWFm9v7usuzE_0bCmj_Kq_Qepywq45L0pjTTQKfE0-euBTOAgML6uIg/s640/DSCF0894.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I <i>know</i>!! It doesn't look that different! But I'm still chippin' away at it. I've been continuing to unravel more unfinished treasures over the past few days, so a little more yarn than this is accumulating, but <b>a good chunk of the unraveled stuff is going to charity, too. </b>And I have great and amazing plans to continue the great yarn giveaway until everything -- everything!! -- fits into the big, 40 gallon tub there. That includes all the bits currently strewn about the tiny house either unraveled or patiently waiting to be. My plan is to continue knitting only from my stash, turning it mostly into items that are useful to people <i>outside</i> of this house, as believe me, we are quite well stocked in the winter woolies, thankyouverymuch, as well as continuing to cull through and give more yarn away.<br />
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This is the smaller tub of yarn (ends and bits) that I may or may not save for making a patchy afghan:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteXIEUW4AqvT-My22UNoEdWZja48eN2vKiRUtQucvJzijMcb25VDFkvsc50_1TyBZwLqdewfSxMKZ3Y5DAXjoG_uv1RVCMHxxz-O3HO08TGosw50o3NQ_8a4NQE0MRN-Rr0jGDaf_gpY/s1600/DSCF0897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteXIEUW4AqvT-My22UNoEdWZja48eN2vKiRUtQucvJzijMcb25VDFkvsc50_1TyBZwLqdewfSxMKZ3Y5DAXjoG_uv1RVCMHxxz-O3HO08TGosw50o3NQ_8a4NQE0MRN-Rr0jGDaf_gpY/s320/DSCF0897.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think I might save it for a set amount of time (say, until June) and see how the potential afghan is progressing (if at all) by the due date, and <b>then decide if an afghan is really feasible for me.</b><br />
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And <i>these </i>are the bags for giveaway:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOutycrG9NkAIpxwtOMTMf7PTuThjv1Wac-zmAZmdvFXB56gUVJ24eJP4eQ32vuHtoUR6nZxYEcwWtogVpJggK0yZSbVwQDGwIj8Q9-vgqSVwmf5Rba5lyK8mTh1Mg-A4ZTj1B64p0G6k/s1600/yarnage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOutycrG9NkAIpxwtOMTMf7PTuThjv1Wac-zmAZmdvFXB56gUVJ24eJP4eQ32vuHtoUR6nZxYEcwWtogVpJggK0yZSbVwQDGwIj8Q9-vgqSVwmf5Rba5lyK8mTh1Mg-A4ZTj1B64p0G6k/s320/yarnage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The one on the left (heart!) is for R. I stuck some yarn weaving-in needles to the outside with masking tape because I know she needs them and wrote her name on it (so I'd remember which is which - I guess taped-on needles weren't enough?), thus the heart. Also because <b>I love her!</b> The other bag is for charity. Either a thrift shop, or I was thinking I might post it up on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a> to see if anyone local wants it for charity knitting. I'd ship it, but y'know... it's the size of a big bag of trash, soo...<br />
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So, that is the current state of my yarn! <b>If you, or anyone you know lives in Southern Idaho and would like to pick up a mish mash box of mostly wool (some vintage) yarn for free, let me know! Or if anyone within the US would like to pay for shipping to get free yarn!</b> Shipping is not extraordinarily cheap (although the box would be lightweight because yarn isn't heavy), so keep that in mind. Still, the yarn is completely free to you apart from shipping. I can do surgery on the trash bag and extract some of it's contents (since I'm nearly quite sure no one wants to pay the hundred bucks to ship the whole bag), also <b>I have more to give away that's not even in the bag!</b><br />
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Srsly. Lemme know.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">For now, that's all. I hope your week is off to a simply splendid start!</span></div>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-13314655622962643002012-01-22T12:15:00.000-08:002012-03-17T19:14:16.626-07:00Down to Earth, the new book by Rhonda Hetzel<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13nOp2v5AZrn-aZAv5rJHad1qnkNb9lcjdKKWaSZKaWLWezMOc8HOvtkYYRzlHv3fOnkR5ecPTAlgtZprFM0y7hWpvlb3xwsndxOB245b5V_D4vqC3_Ip6pQWIh1laQoYOxcqQYQp9L_x/s1600/Down+to+Earth_front+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13nOp2v5AZrn-aZAv5rJHad1qnkNb9lcjdKKWaSZKaWLWezMOc8HOvtkYYRzlHv3fOnkR5ecPTAlgtZprFM0y7hWpvlb3xwsndxOB245b5V_D4vqC3_Ip6pQWIh1laQoYOxcqQYQp9L_x/s320/Down+to+Earth_front+cover.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">borrowed from: <a href="http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/">down to earth</a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">One of my favorite bloggers of all time,</span> Rhonda Hetzel from the <a href="http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/">Down to Earth</a> blog, has a new book coming out! It's been a long time coming for her and oh, <i>how beautiful it looks.</i><br />
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Her blog is just lovely. <b>She very thoughtfully writes about how she and her husband have changed their lives to live more simply, and how you might do the same.</b> Some of my favorite posts from her have been about things like her housekeeping routine, keeping backyard chickens, and how to make cold processed soap. I specifically remember one post in which she said something like... "There's no need to feel a sense of urgency where your housework is concerned. You don't need to rush around, trying to get everything done all at once because <b>the fact is that your housework will never be done.</b> There will always be another dish to wash, another spill on the kitchen floor that requires mopping. <b>So, just keep working at it and do what you can in a day </b>so you won't get burnt out."</div>
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That's a total paraphrase, but it had such an impact on me. As messy as my house is, <b>I'm a die hard perfectionist</b> and I apply my perfectionism most harshly to my home. Ironically, I think that's one reason it gets so out of hand. Because I work really, really hard to make it <i>absolutely perfect</i> and then, the next day, there's more laundry to do and more dishes and more dirt on the floor! And I end up giving up, because <b>it can <i>never</i> be perfect.</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">Rhonda has taught me that <i>life isn't perfect</i>.</span> And I remember her words, so that every day, I just try to keep working at it. Not to worry that I probably won't get ALL the laundry done and all the floors swept and mopped and vacuumed and the bathroom spotless and every other thing I need to do so that the house looks like a page from Country Living Magazine. <b>Because, if I'm working, and if I <i>just keep working </i>it will all get done. </b> It just won't all get done today, and maybe not tomorrow, but possibly by the day after that, or maybe a little later. But getting it all done at once is no longer the goal. <b>Accepting the role of continually keeping the house, continually working to make our lives better, that <i>is</i> the goal.</b></div>
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Rhonda, and her blog, are a complete inspiration for me and I find myself, especially on my most down-trodden-of-feelings days, returning there, reading and rereading her posts, and finding that I'm not alone. And that it's okay to be perfectly normal.</div>
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So, you should really, really go check out <a href="http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2012/01/pre-ordering-book.html">her post about pre-ordering her new book</a>, <b>"Down to Earth - a guide to simple living".</b> She gives you a few pictures, tells you where you can pre-order the book, and provides a link to the Penguin website where you can "Look Inside" at the table of contents and the first couple pages of the book. Oh, it's just beautiful, it really is. You know how I love pictures and these pictures are truly lovely.</div>
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I'm super excited to get my copy when it comes out! I just know it will be wonderful. I love Rhonda's simple, concise style of writing and I can't wait to see how it's been applied to a book format.</div>
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Check her blog out, too! <b>You'll fall in love, I promise.</b> With chickens and gardening, knitting and mending and preserving and baking bread and making soap.....</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">And if you haven't already, I'll bet you'll even start to ask yourself how these things could be possible for <i>you </i>to do and that's a slippery slope I'm so excited for you to tumble down!</span></div>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-26804302128360612692012-01-21T10:22:00.000-08:002012-03-17T19:15:11.359-07:00Simple inspiration!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3186089114_530f6a62f6_z.jpg?zz=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3186089114_530f6a62f6_z.jpg?zz=1" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">borrowed from: <a href="http://battykitten.com/inspirations/1978/">batty kitten</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">This is my kind of sewing room.</span><br />
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I love getting inspiration from pictures of other people spaces. As far as this one is concerned, my hopes are certainly not so lofty as the great minimalism contained herein, but I do hope to obtain a space <b>as clear, and clean and decluttered as this. </b>Whenever I feel like I just <i>cannot </i>give something away (but I know I need to), I come back to this.<br />
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I like the white, first of all. I'm a super huge lover of light wall colors, especially white. I also like the lighting. It seems really bright, even though the room appears to be in a basement.<br />
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When simplifying our lifestyle (particularly the home and <i>stuff </i>parts of our lifestyle), I love to troll the internet for inspiration. <b>Not so that my home will look like a page from a magazine.</b> I'm not sure I'll have be able to achieve such a lofty goal. But just so that I can feel like <i>other people do this, too! </i> Other people have homes like the one I'm working toward. It just makes the whole thing seem more doable, do you know what I mean?<br />
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Does anybody else do this?<br />
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If you don't and you're someone -- like me -- who thrives on visual inspiration, then you should try it.<br />
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Really.<br />
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Just don't get any ideas in your head and start thinking you can somehow manage to turn your house <i>into</i> the picture.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">On the subject of inspiration to simplify, I give you my #1 source of Mt. Yarn inspiration.</span><br />
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That is, my #1 inspiration to donate a good portion Mt.Yarn!<br />
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<a href="http://minimalistknitter.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Minimalist Knitter</span></a>. <br />
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She no longer posts to the Minimal Knitter blog, but you can still read the archives and they are great, imo. Instead she's moved to another location: <a href="http://shemakeshats.blogspot.com/">She Makes Hats</a> and boy, does she! This lady is busy, busy, busy.<br />
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There is so much inspiration information where she's concerned, I'm telling you! Check out these posts from Minimalist Knitter:<br />
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<a href="http://minimalistknitter.blogspot.com/2010/05/minimalist-knitter-plan.html">The Minimalist Knitter: The Plan</a><br />
<a href="http://minimalistknitter.blogspot.com/2010/06/ditch-stash-five-tricks-for-getting-rid.html">Ditch the stash: five tricks for getting rid of all that yarn you don't use</a><br />
<a href="http://minimalistknitter.blogspot.com/2010/04/on-minimalist-knitting.html">On minimalist knitting</a><br />
<a href="http://minimalistknitter.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-i-do-what-i-do.html">How I do what I do</a><br />
<a href="http://minimalistknitter.blogspot.com/2010/05/taking-control-of-my-stash.html">Taking control of my stash</a><br />
<a href="http://minimalistknitter.blogspot.com/2010/05/knitting-through-bag-1-of-yarn.html">Knitting through 1 bag of yarn</a><br />
<a href="http://minimalistknitter.blogspot.com/2010/05/five-tips-for-when-minimalism-sucks.html">Five tips for when minimalism sucks</a><br />
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I want to talk more about all that I've gleaned from her experience,)along with her Minimalist Knitter Handbook (if you haven't seen it, it's free and I'll give you a link in another post) but I'm saving it for later. So, that's all for now. But, seriously, visit her blogs and take some time going over what she has to say. In a world where a knitter's stash is everything, it was definitely revolutionary to me when I first started reading and thinking about giving up my precious treasure.<br />
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I know I promised pictures of Mt. Yarn yesterday, but this post got in the way. <b> I have found simplifying (minimalism) to be so incredibly rewarding thus far and I'm just so excited to find out what's around the corner next!</b> So, stay tuned. Pictures will be coming on Monday, I promise.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">In the meantime, I wonder if you might ask yourself: is anything that you, like me, are hoarding in your life?</span><br />
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Yarn, fabric, dishes, clothes, shoes, even bathroom products and toiletries are all common areas where clutter collects(they certainly are for me!). Does your excess in this/these areas of your life enhance the way you live? Do they make you happier, and I mean, like, <i>really</i> happier?<br />
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<b>Do think about it and get back to me </b>in the comments section. I'm willing to bet you wouldn't even miss that pair of heels you never wear, or the coconut scented shampoo that's been left unopened for a year. Consider tossing a few things into a box for charity. Go through your cookbooks, the shoes that hang out in your closet (full time), or the utensils drawer in your kitchen.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">I'll be back on Monday with the promised pictures!</span>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-21454290831405623942012-01-20T11:24:00.000-08:002012-03-17T19:16:13.280-07:00Simple Vintage and tackling Mt.Yarn!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/67976275595227457_ypKboQ90_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/67976275595227457_ypKboQ90_c.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">borrowed from: <a href="http://thompsonfamily.typepad.com/">thompson family</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Just dropping in!</span> </span> I have Transnational Lit. in an hour or so, so I simply cannot stay!<br />
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I think this picture might be getting close to a sort of simplified vintage, don't you think? I mean, a way that I might accomplish simple-homey-vintage-love I love, love, love the color palette! And the round pillows, but I need more pillows like I need a hole in the head. Oh well, it's good inspiration.</div>
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I've been ripping out old, unfinished knitting projects all morning. Some of them are actually finished, but the fit is all wrong. The others I just know I'll never finish. And I'd <i>love</i> to donate finished, gently used knitted (100% wool) items to somewhere like <a href="http://www.afghansforafghans.org/">Afghans for Afghans</a>, but I'm pretty sure they don't take them. It's a shame really, since I have quite a few and they are genuinely in nice shape.</div>
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However, I do remember how people viewed used items in South Korea. There were thrift shops and secondhand stores, but they weren't really considered clean and people who shopped there were certainly considered a little bit off, maybe even "dirty", which has a connotation all it's own in Asian societies. So, I wonder if the reason they don't take used items could be something like that.</div>
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Anyway!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">I tackled Mount Yarn for the first time last night</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">.</span> I started WAY too late in the day and didn't nearly finish, plus I was tired so my ability to be at all objective or ruthless was significantly impaired. Still, I got two trash bags filled for give away! One is going to the Mister's sister, the other is going to charity, or to Saver's (did you know they give you a 20% off coupon when you donate!? I just found out..). For now, I still have way too much yarn, but I did what I could. I'll work on it more, maybe this afternoon after class or tomorrow.</div>
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I knew it would be difficult with the yarnage. More difficult than the fabric was. For some reason, I'm quite attached to wool. It's more expensive than fabric, maybe that's why. Or maybe I'm just a little irrational when it comes to knitting. That might be closer to the truth.</div>
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I still own a forty gallon plastic storage bin, stocked completely full, and then a smaller plastic storage bin (4-5 gallons?) full of small, single balls of yarn. Bits that I only have bits of. I've got a mind to start an afghan with them, but I could see that going awry... Plus even a little more than that, <i>and</i> all the things I'm ripping out (although a portion of that is definitely going to be given to charity).</div>
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Anyhow, I need to finish unraveling this capelet thing I have strung out all over me so I can get ready for class. I did take pictures of the yarn disaster and I'm planning on sharing them tomorrow, though, so pop back in for that! I'm hoping to do a before and after bit with the giant sewing/knitting/all-things-crafting room, Mount Yarn, and the new little sewing area in the living room. Once I get it all done, that is.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">Have a beautiful Friday!</span></div>
</div>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-23609141330093706972012-01-19T15:12:00.000-08:002012-03-17T19:16:34.612-07:00The problem of vintage<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lawoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/flea-market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://lawoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/flea-market.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">borrowed from: <a href="http://lawoman.com/2011/01/26/nancy-pak-2/flea-market/">la woman</a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">I love vintage.</span><br />
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Anything vintage, really.<br />
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Dishes, tablecloths, sheets (I have several dresses that I've made from vintage sheets), curtains, furniture, artwork, dresses... the list goes on.<br />
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And this wouldn't be a problem... except that I just seem to keep piling the vintage on.<br />
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It seems to me that many vintage-lovers also<b> tend to be vintage <i>hoarders</i>.</b> No, not Hoarders-the-TV-show type hoarders, but people who keep-keep-keep just the same. It's true.<br />
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Yes, it is true that I.. may or may not be... one of those people who will buy vintage bits and pieces just because they're pretty, just because they're cute, or even just because they're old. I'm not usually thinking about where I'll put when I walk out of the store with it in my hand. Or maybe I'll have every intention of giving it away to someone else, but <b>if I'm honest with myself -- really, really honest -- I know that, a.) I don't need it (even if it's for someone else), and b.) just bringing it into my home makes my life more complicated than it needs to be.</b><br />
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Check out these photos I got from googling, "vintage rooms":<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/bedroom4-de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/bedroom4-de.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">borrowed from: <a href="http://www.countryliving.com/homes/how-to-get-the-look/bedroom-designs-2008">country living</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bellzandwhistlez.com/images/wary_meyers_vintage_room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.bellzandwhistlez.com/images/wary_meyers_vintage_room.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">borrowed from: <a href="http://bellzandwhistlezblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/vintage-inspired-room.html">bellz & whistlez</a></td></tr>
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Those are such beautiful rooms, aren't they? And I know some people (most?), would be fine as far as the stuff factor in each of these rooms. But for me, beautiful as they are, it just feels like <i>too much. </i>And that's how so many vintage styled houses and rooms tend to be. Lots of stuff, cute little things, pictures, and books -- all of them so fun and beautiful to look at. And all of them <i>there</i>. Together. In once small space.</div>
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I used to look at pictures online and in magazines, and think some of the same things I think about these two photos: <b>beautiful! </b>So fun, with such inspiring pieces. And I love how people will mix and match different vintage eras and somehow still come up with a really cohesive room.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Loving this style, as I do, I just assumed that continually adding more and more cute, vintage "stuff" to my home was the only way to achieve it. That somehow continually layering and layering on new pieces and textures was the only way I could truly be happy. I'm very visual, and pictures like these have an incredible appeal to me.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">But simplifying your home isn't just about the way things <i>look</i>.</span></div>
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Because <b>the way my house looks affects the way I <i>feel</i>.</b> About my life, about my space, even about my relationships with other people (namely, the Mister!). Being as visual as I am means that I tie pictures to my emotions and feelings, and vice versa. And what I came to discover is that even if we had as many beautiful, intriguing bits and pieces layered around the house as one of the above pictures, I was still not going to get the same feeling from my own surroundings as I got from a photo.</div>
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No. Instead, being a naturally messy sort of person, I was going to get the opposite effect! A disaster! Because <b>a messy person + too many belongings = a giant mess of too many belongings!</b></div>
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So, a dilemma has arisen. <b>How to combine my vintage loves with the absolute necessity of paring my lifestyle down (dramatically, for me)? </b> I don't really have any reference for that look.</div>
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I'm decidedly <i>not</i> into stark. This photo,</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://elyounes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/minimalist-bedroom-designs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://elyounes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/minimalist-bedroom-designs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">borrowed from: <a href="http://elyounes.com/2011/01/03/minimalist-bedroom-design/minimalist-bedroom-designs/">elyounes.com</a></td></tr>
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while, indeed, beautiful (that <i>is</i> one of my favorite shades of yellow), is not something I could get behind. So, the traditional "minimalist" look is out.<br />
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I thoroughly understand why other people would want this look, and, of course, to each their own, but it's not for me. I love the homey feel of soft, pretty curtains, an old (but well kept) couch, a handmade touch, some throw blankets. I love pictures on the wall, and even a few throw pillows (what kind of simpleton am I?!) for texture.</div>
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This may change, of course. As we continue along the path of simplifying. <b>I fully expect change, and I'm excited about it.</b> So, if I do decide, someday, to let go of my last throw pillows and afghans, then that will be that. In the meantime, however, I still need to keep some of these things that inspire me and make me love our tiny little house and the lives we live within it.</div>
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So, what I'm saying is, I think <b>simplifying a home looks different for different people.</b> For some, that picture above, of the stark house overlooking the ocean just encompasses all their minimalist hopes and dreams. For me -- and for the mister, too (I think I can speak for him) -- I've got to find a middle ground. Somewhere between the traditional "vintage" look with lots and lots of layers and the traditional minimalist look -- spare and slick, with plenty of hard, unyielding surfaces.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">What does all this mean for us?</span></div>
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We've really just begun to tackle the madness that is our little house, and it's still pretty overwhelming. While I've mostly got my sewing and general craft supplies under control, my yarn still has a life of it's own.<br />
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So, right now I guess it means I need to go start tackling<b> the GINORMOUS Mount Yarn</b> in the former sewing/knitting/all-things-crafting room. Oh! And the old wooden box of yarn in the living room. Mmhm. And the wicker basket under the blue chair that's full of sock yarn... and don't forget the <i>other</i> wicker basket full of dishcloth cotton beneath the end table and, of course, the one that houses all my odds and ends at the corner of the couch...</div>
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And guess what? About 80% of my yarn is <b>vintage! </b>Like I said. A tendency to hoard.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">If anybody knows of any charities that will accept 100% wool yarn, puh-leaze let me know ASAP.</span></div>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829005965804577121.post-49172311455848353982012-01-17T22:59:00.000-08:002012-03-17T19:17:10.540-07:00Join us as we take our first steps to a simpler lifestyle!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://respacedpdx.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/drowning+in+stuff+by+Perfecto+Insecto+at+Flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://respacedpdx.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/drowning+in+stuff+by+Perfecto+Insecto+at+Flickr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">borrowed from: <a href="http://respacedpdx.com/2011/10/a-neato-little-organizing-secret/">reSPACEd</a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">In late 2009, just 3 weeks after tying the knot,</span> the mister and I packed up everything we owned and put it in storage, moving with only 2 suitcases a piece, to South Korea. Our original plan was to get rid of a large portion of our belongings (and the portion <i>was</i> large) to keep our storage needs to a minimum, but with a wedding in the works -- and then the post-wedding exhaustion -- combined with living out of family member's houses for the last month of our time in America, things didn't go exactly as planned.<br />
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Korea was incredible, though, and arriving with only what we could cram into our four suitcases made us really evaluate our belongings. We were on a pretty limited income for the first few months, and that, coupled with a higher cost of living than what we were accustomed to at home, meant that <b>we were simply incapable of accumulating more than we needed.</b> Very, very carefully and thoughtfully, we prioritized a toaster oven over a microwave, a new skillet over new shoes, and blankets over bath towels. For the first time, I think I really began to realize how much I valued what I had. <b>We didn't take these simple things for granted anymore, because we'd had to wait so long and save up for them.</b><br />
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Of course, by the end of our time there, we were actually quite comfortable (although we'd paid off all our debt!), having acquired a couch and two chairs, a real, sit-down-on-chairs table, a well equipped kitchen, crockpot and water filter pitcher... but the seed was planted.<br />
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When we returned to America last March (2011), the original plan (again) was to go through our stored things with a renewed sense of detachment. We'd only been gone for 18 months, but it was long enough that we knew we weren't as attached to what we'd left behind. Also, many of our things had been sold in a yard sale due to an apparently huge miscommunication, but that's another story. <b>We did do a lot of giving away (which I guess is a testament to how much we actually own/owned), filling the whole back seat and trunk of our car, plus a little more.</b> So, we felt good about it.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">Flash forward to almost a year later.</span><br />
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We've moved into a small, cozy two bedroom house. I like small houses. I really always have. And this one is the kind of small, cozy house with built in drawers and shelves, where everything is painted white. It even has little turquoise knobs on all the cabinets and drawers! I love this house (apart from the earth worms in the kitchen during summer, and the ants, and the mold... but I do love it!).<br />
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At first, our little house was the perfect size! We even had empty cabinets and drawers leftover in the kitchen when we were done packing. It was cozy, just as we'd hoped, and not overly furnished. We picked up a very inexpensive, (pink!!) vintage couch at the thrift store, as well as a couple of living room chairs. We crammed our king sized bed into the smaller of the two bedrooms and I set up my sewing/knitting/all-things-crafting room in the second, larger bedroom. It was perfect!<br />
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<b>...................but things just kept coming in!</b><br />
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First there were the five or six boxes we forgot we'd left at the mister's parents house. Then the fabric and yarn my mom found, still in her garage. Plus more fabric and yarn that she was decluttering (taking it off her hands seemed like such a good idea at the time!). <b>And we love thrift store shopping.</b> It's so cheap, right?! It's such a good deal!!<br />
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Oh, take that smug look off your face. It <i>can</i> be a good deal!<br />
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We started school in August. Mister went back to get a BA in computer science. I went back to... find myself. At 28. Because this is America, okay? And for other, more complicated reasons.<br />
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We had plans to cook at home. I had plans to finally learn to keep house.<br />
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But, I am telling you, the stuff just kept walking in like it owned the place. <b>Before we knew it, we both felt like we were drowning.</b><br />
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To be perfectly honest, it seemed to be mostly my stuff; sewing/knitting/crafting... but now that that's gone, I guess it's both of us. Like the two colanders in the kitchen. And our shared closet, packed full of clothes.<br />
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I've felt the urge to completely declutter my life since I was in high school. I always thought there just had to be a better way. But as I got older it started to feel like being an adult meant that there would inevitably be more <i>stuff</i> and I just needed to accept it. So, I tried.<br />
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Then Christmas break came this year and <b>I was just <i>sick of it</i>.</b> My side of the family did what we called, "Homemade/Second-hand Christmas" this year. Everyone, including extended family, hopped on board and, at the end, everyone agreed it was the best Christmas we'd ever had! It was tons of fun. But, by the end of it, our house was a wreck.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">I've never been good at keeping things clean.</span><br />
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And this time was no different. Despite cleaning the house on Christmas Eve-eve (the day before Christmas Eve), stuff was just everywhere. The sewing pile from the oven mitts I'd made for extended family, the pile of printable Christmas tags that were leftover, packaging from gifts, wrapping paper. But not all of it was seasonal. A lot of it was just STUFF.<br />
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From a very young age, my room has been a mess. I'm a sentimental keeper of... all things, really. Seriously, in one purge, I found this crazy-scary-dagger-knife thingy that had belonged to my grandpa. So, I had kept it for quite a while. Because I totally needed a crazy-scary-dagger-knife. It was my grandpa's!<br />
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It's not like this situation was new. <b>It's just that, this time, I was finished with it being my reality.</b><br />
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I started reading some of the simple living blogs that I google sometimes when I want to gain momentum to organize my clutter (which means shoving stuff I don't need into pretty baskets), but this time I started reading them with a dark sense that they were meant for <i>me.</i><br />
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I read Organized Simplicity, by Tsh Oxenreider. <b>It was invigorating.</b> And I dare say, it may have changed everything.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">I hope it changed everything.</span><br />
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So far, we've taken one full load of STUFF to the thrift store. Our back seat is, right now, stuffed to the brim with the next load, waiting to be taken. Our trunk is, too. Tomorrow is my first day back at school for the Spring semester and I am actually feeling pretty <i>good</i> about this! Our house has been STAYING clean! And it feels like it's been doing it all on it's own.<br />
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I always read that decluttering was addictive, that once you got going, you just gained momentum and kept going. Well, I think I'm addicted.<br />
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My sewing/knitting/craft room is almost completely done and I now own about one third of the sewing/crafting supplies I did before. My yarn and knitting supplies have yet to be purged <b>(I'm terrified of that PILE)</b>, but they will be soon.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">So, this is the story of me and the mister, living in a tiny house, with aspirations to make it feel less and less tiny.</span><br />
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I am loving the feeling I get from being in a house that keeps itself clean! <b>I may never be a minimalist, and I'll never be perfect, but I am determined to find out what it means to be me <i>and</i> to live a simpler lifestyle.</b>catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07488675371221191335noreply@blogger.com0