YOU ARE NOT YOUR STUFF

So I've been trying to DE-CLUTTER....

I friend once told me (in what she thought was a compliment) that my house was perfect for the cluttered look. That it wouldn't work in most homes but the 'look' really worked here. Those weren't her exact words but it was one of those casual observations that kinda get stuck in your craw and are hard to forget.

Yes, I live in a large old farmhouse in Maine built around the year 1900. (There are no real public records on file for it so most of it's history is just guesswork....but I digress ) I love bits and bobs and bobbles of stuff here and there. And 'cluttered' really IS an accurate description of my "decorating style" for most of the house. I've tried to be more minimal in my bedroom and now I'm trying to apply the same minimalism to my diningroom. I've packed away all the candlesticks and mirrors and doo-dads that were 'decorating' every flat surface (see above pictures). I rolled up the large rug that was under the large (with both leaves it seats 6 -8 people depending how much you wanna squish) oak table and heaved it up to the attic. Then I took out both leaves of the table....but that made it more card table size and that was too small so then added in just the one leaf and that seems to more minimal and yet practical I think....Anyway....it's an ongoing project...just like my ever-growing project to get my craft room organized. And to THAT end I almost started drooling when I saw an advertisement for a new magazine coming out this month...

http://www.organizemag.com/index.html

It's feature article is entitled, "You are not your stuff" by the guy that helps people de-clutter their homes and get rid of about 2/3rds of their stuff that they don't use and is just cluttering up their lives on that tv show...on tlc I think? Can't remember...but if you follow the link his face is on one of the featured pages that they are showing from the inside their premiere issue.

It's all I can do to NOT click SUBSCRIBE ME NOW!!! right this instant....they even let you flip through bits of the issue and there are lots of colorful pictures of the perfectly organized space with shelving and baskets and rooms that are just screaming, "I AM THE HOME OF AN ANAL-RETENTIVE GENIUS AND I KNOW YOU ARE JEALOUS!!!!".

And of course, I AM. I am DESPERATELY jealous.

... It's as if I am completely convinced that if I could just get my home organized, my life would somehow magically fall into place and be organized as well and I would actually get around to DOING all the projects that I have been collecting supplies for and yet haven't touched. *sigh*