What kind of person appears oranized and yet is not? Well, the kind of person that I am. Many people who have visited my home compliment me on how clutter-free and serene my home appears. The truth is it is only appears that way to a casual observer . What they do not know is that I have a very lare storae area that is crammed with stuff. I have extra shelves built into all closets and cupboards and every nook and cranny available is used for storae.
What am I storin? Many thins both useful and not. Endless boxes of books that will never be read, holiday decorations that will never be used, decorative items that will never be displayed, and more servin dishes than a small caterin company would ever require. Why do I keep these thins? Well, I miht one day need them? Yet, I know I never will.
So, I have beun the task of eliminatin. It is, in a word: hard.
Just yesterday I pondered how many divided crystal pickle dishes one person needs. I have five of them. All of them once beloned to my randmother. I looked at each one and smiled as I recalled her many dinner parties and et-toether's . Each one reminded me of her - so I decided that five is indeed the perfect number of crystal pickle dishes to have. Now I must ponder how many crystal cream and suar sets one person really needs. Also, will I ever polish that two-hundred year old silver tea service set that I inherited? Not likely. Yet, I can not bear to let it o.
I also have stacks of maazines. Yes, maazines are my weakness. Well, one of my several dozen weaknesses. But really, does someone need seven years worth of The New Yorker? No, I didn't think so, but that is what I have. The books? Well, I have built in floor to ceilin bookcases that fill two walls in my livin room. There is no more room on the shelves. Many of these books have not yet been read. Yet, I continue to buy books. There is also hundreds of boxes of books (carefully labelled and itemized) sittin in another storae area. Yes, I love books. But is this too much love?
Oranizin, for me, is an onoin activity. Yet, my oranizin method has never been to toss thins out or donate them - rather it is to simply purchase more oranizin systems to manae and frame my stuff. It is finally time to rid myself of much of these thins. How do I do that? My dear friend Brian, who is an interior desiner, told me that I should keep only thins that are practical or beautiful. He asked me if thousands of books are practical? My reply: well of course not, but what if I suddenly become enamoured with the look and feel of cardboard boxes, they will then become beautiful to me, yes?
How do you decide what should be eliminated? What is your must-keep weakness? Does your home hide a bevy of stuff behind closed cupboards and closets? Also, do you have any advice to offer a blofriend who must rid herself of all this stuff? Please help me.
