Downsizing

I've recently moved into a sweet little cottage. Sweet, as in a comfortable layout with fabulous vintage amenities, a warm and cozy fireplace, big, bright windows and a deck with glorious views. Little, as in 450 sq ft.... and that may be stretching it.

It all had to begin with downsizing..... again. This time around I was excited about it, no longer feeling the need to hold onto "stuff". I started by putting things in three separate piles-

1. PURGE 2. MOVE 3. GARBAGE

During the moving process I kept the same mindset, excited to be a little lighter, no longer needing to acquire large collections. Over the next month as I unpacked, I reevaluated each item and purged some more. The tiny basement was filling up quickly with boxes marked PURGE. It's funny how a shift in thinking causes a shift in what is necessary and a shift in consumerism. (Is that a word?) I now have 1/3 of the refrigerater space I was accustomed to. Luckily the Co-Op is within walking distance for fresh goodness!

As I began unpacking, I realized that people I knew may be in need of pots, pans, dishes, knickety-knacks, etc; so I began informing friends, family, and coworkers that I would be having a PURGE PARTY! My purge is their binge, so to speak. It would be like shopping, but free. I even saved shopping bags and boxes to haul off the goods. Anyone who wanted to bring their own things to purge were welcome to do so.... As long as we did not let it back into our homes.

It was a decent turnout, considering the fickle weather we've been having here in the Northwest. We were lucky to have a sunny Saturday. My mother came down to help out. Thank goodness for that! While my mind went off in many directions, she stayed task oriented. Appetizers, beverages and fun were had by all. We even had some lovely parting gifts, handmade AND GW finds.



A few friends stayed afterwards and helped me load my vehicle of what was left and I took it to the GW the following day.

I still have mucho work to do settling into this place. Boxes are still packed, pictures on the floor, a mantle filled with overflow, etc. etc. etc. Placement! Oh, how to make it work in the space given? Purging remains on the forefront of my mind. Aware that I have enough fabric/trims/notions that could open a small fabric shop makes me realize I have a lot of room for improvement.

Petals

I love tulips. From the first sign of blooming till the final petal drops. I love how a tulip arrangement changes by the hour, it has been described as dancing in the vase, opening, closing, shifting, drooping. However, my favorite part of the tulip is watching the petals burst open with color and slowly take on a deeper tone as it makes it's way falling onto the tabletop. Yesterday I couldn't yet part with the petals, so I gathered some up and placed them in a silver bowl with a few fern sprigs. Prolonging the beauty of a tulip.