Minimalism For Hoarders

Hello. My name is Lisa. I so want to be a minimalist. I'll go ahead and speak for my husband and say he does, too.ha Problem is we're collectors. And we're quite good at it😜 When I decided to stop teaching full-time, my #1 goal the first week out of school was to pack up half of the house to empty rooms for a renovation to start the next week. My #2 goal was to clean out and purge as we brought crap back in. Cause it was a lot of that. I (we) have been working on #2 for the last month and a half. I'm here to tell you, when you've lived in a house for 24 years and consolidated things from two sets of parents into your own things, cleaning out or purging is hefty work! This pic was the first smaller bedroom I tackled this week. I am down to the master bedroom, which I've decided is going to wait until right before the EXTREME YARD SALE. Girl needs a summer break!

It's unreal all we've gotten rid of. When you change professions as I did 4 years ago, you change from professional dress clothes, dinner/party wear, heels to classroom attire to, now, occasional classroom casual. Husband is also no longer in need of extra suits and dress-up clothes, and hordes of t-shirts. But stop right there. We won't be packing up and ditching the following: vintage handbags, Chintz china, Beatles memorabilia, airplanes or guitars. We need help. I can't even. Collectoritis is all fun and games until you run out of room. Our collections are crossovers into hobbies and hobbies are important, right?

My www.bagofwhimsy brings me great pleasure hunting for near perfect vintage handbags at antique malls in the U.S. and across the pond! I have loved experimenting my hand at whimsical painting on leather bags. I have A LOT of bags waiting to be painted and eventually presented at vintage market days. I can't part with them. I also dabbled for years in collecting Chintz china. I love, love all the different patterns. First sold in Woolworths as everyday china. It was addicting to see how many patterns I could find. So, there's that for me!😁

Do I have 75 or 100 in various baskets? Is anyone counting if it's a hobby with a plan to paint and sell? 🤷‍♀️

Time to move on to husband. The Beatles. John's love for music goes back to building radios and listening to Wolfman Jack late at night, and then one day meeting him and so many other people connected to music through DJing. My husband at the young age of 14 skipped school one day and bought himself a Greyhound bus ticket to Dallas to go take a test to get his FCC license, so he could be on the radio. Back in the day, you had to have a license. Didn't tell his parents he was doing this, went up there to the FCC on Commerce St, took the test, and came back on the bus. They never knew. Only time he ever skipped school. So KNIT, KFMN, and KEAN before teaching. Cause, you know fun before teaching! The Blackwells have all the Beatles and guitars you could want (if you ask the wife). And the collection all started with four silly little autographs we obtained on our London honeymoon. 🎸🎸🎸🎸 #HardRockLivingRoom #NoYouCan'tSpreadOut

One wall, mind you.

The thing of it is, he was all into airplane models until we ran out of room. So someone decided we'd move to building guitars? cause they're so much smaller and all. 🤦‍♀️

The thing of it is an over-grown house doesn't happen overnight. Its years and years of collections, gifts, family heirlooms, purchases and too much of everything. For the Blackwells, the too much is taking from our headspace and peace. We have actually gone through the practice of holding up items and asking, "Do you have a strong emotional attachment to this?" Nope? It's outta here! It's also the realization that our kids are not going to want all the things that we think are special. They just aren't. One room at a time. One area at a time. One thing at a time. Bag it up. Get it out. Move on. Just do it!

I'm actually quite proud of the first heavy pass the Blackwells have made at the good-hearted, genuine attempt to minimalize ourselves. Truly, it's not for sissies. Granted, we have a long way to go - to get those dang airplanes and guitars out of the sunroom and living room and into the YARD SALE. ✈🎸

Onward purging soldiers. xx

PS. This week on the blog watch for highlights on the checkerboard entryway in all its glory and German Schmear that's not German Schmear brick wall! #soproud