In just five more days it will be three months since I started on my adventure to re-organize my home. As has been mentioned before and will be mentioned several times again, decluttering is the main thing the experts advise you to do.
But knowing what to declutter and what to get rid of is a bit tricky. You have to take the time and evaluate how important an item is to you. And you most definitely have to consider others living in the home. The trick is to evaluate each item and see if the item fits in with your vision of who you are and where you want to be.
My husband and I have not always seen eye to eye on what to keep and what to get rid of. I gave away an antique dinning room table and chairs with a service chest that my husband had acquired shortly after we got married. We striped the old paint off and restored it to fit our turn of the century home. Three years later we moved to Illinois and had to put the table in storage. When we moved back we took it out of storage, but it no longer worked for our dinning room table. We used it as a desk and stored the chairs in the attic. When we moved again, our new home had no place for it at all. Try as I might I couldn't ever imagine it in our new home. Instead of storing it again, I gave it to my husband's niece (with his permission). He has mourned the loss of that table ever since.
I have always felt badly that my husband was sad at the loss of the table but it was the right thing to do. We don't plan to move from here any time soon and it just doesn't fit the house. Instead of leaving it in storage where it was getting all dried out and brittle it is being loved by another family. For me a great burden was lifted and I was free to decorate our new home with pieces that fit and uplifted me.
I have not been as heartless with a number of other things and I have allowed and encouraged my husband to hang on to many of his treasures.
But knowing what to declutter and what to get rid of is a bit tricky. You have to take the time and evaluate how important an item is to you. And you most definitely have to consider others living in the home. The trick is to evaluate each item and see if the item fits in with your vision of who you are and where you want to be.
My husband and I have not always seen eye to eye on what to keep and what to get rid of. I gave away an antique dinning room table and chairs with a service chest that my husband had acquired shortly after we got married. We striped the old paint off and restored it to fit our turn of the century home. Three years later we moved to Illinois and had to put the table in storage. When we moved back we took it out of storage, but it no longer worked for our dinning room table. We used it as a desk and stored the chairs in the attic. When we moved again, our new home had no place for it at all. Try as I might I couldn't ever imagine it in our new home. Instead of storing it again, I gave it to my husband's niece (with his permission). He has mourned the loss of that table ever since.
I have always felt badly that my husband was sad at the loss of the table but it was the right thing to do. We don't plan to move from here any time soon and it just doesn't fit the house. Instead of leaving it in storage where it was getting all dried out and brittle it is being loved by another family. For me a great burden was lifted and I was free to decorate our new home with pieces that fit and uplifted me.
I have not been as heartless with a number of other things and I have allowed and encouraged my husband to hang on to many of his treasures.
Like this old armoire left over from pioneer days.
A newer armoire that has been a closet for our boys clothes, an entertainment center, a pantry and now is back to clothes again.
An antique vanity that we purchased at the Cain County Fair in Illinois. To get it home we had to tie the seats of our van on top of the car and stuff the vanity in the van with three antique chairs and an old player piano. I will never know how we did that.
The vanity has a lot of memories tied to it and even though I have finally found a new home for it, I wouldn't have missed it at all if we had given it away.
The vanity has a lot of memories tied to it and even though I have finally found a new home for it, I wouldn't have missed it at all if we had given it away.
Through the years, my husband has collected art pieces from all over South America.
We have put them in our home from time to time but we have had a running joke that they really belong in his office. Of course, with six children we haven't had room for him to have an office until now.
Now is his time to shine. He is creating an imperialistic chic decor in his office with all of his treasures. Saving these things has worked because they fit with his perception of who he is and who he wants to be. Here is a sample of some of them.
We have put them in our home from time to time but we have had a running joke that they really belong in his office. Of course, with six children we haven't had room for him to have an office until now.
Now is his time to shine. He is creating an imperialistic chic decor in his office with all of his treasures. Saving these things has worked because they fit with his perception of who he is and who he wants to be. Here is a sample of some of them.
Storing these items has paid off for him. Where letting go of other items have lifted a burden and freed us to become who we want to become.
So even if my home is not where I would like it to be yet, We are having fun creating new life for old pieces and bring forth our treasures out of obscurity.
I finally get what is meant by storing things that hold you back. They keep pushing you back into an earlier time. They don't let you change and grow. When you do get rid of them it is freeing and refreshing. So be careful what you chose to store and don't be afraid to let go.
Have you been storing things that you hope to someday be able to use, or are you storing things that hold you back and won't let you move forward?
.
So even if my home is not where I would like it to be yet, We are having fun creating new life for old pieces and bring forth our treasures out of obscurity.
I finally get what is meant by storing things that hold you back. They keep pushing you back into an earlier time. They don't let you change and grow. When you do get rid of them it is freeing and refreshing. So be careful what you chose to store and don't be afraid to let go.
Have you been storing things that you hope to someday be able to use, or are you storing things that hold you back and won't let you move forward?
.