Simple Living: A Story of Collecting

Hello dear readers!  I've been working on a series of great interest to me.  Simple living.  This is a topic that has gained momentum in the last few years.  A lot of people have been questioning their values.  Whether it's  a desire for the peace that simplicity brings, or due to economic necessity or change in life circumstances, more and more people are questioning their consumption.  I'd like to start this series by discussing collecting.  For a very sensitive post on this topic, please see Jessie's blog.

Jessie's post is a rigorous self-examination of her own love of collecting.  I loved reading it.  I totally get where she is coming from.  I am a person who loves objects, love hunting and collecting them, yet also like sparseness and simplicity.  I love beautiful things, but I don't want too many of them.  It's always a delicate balance. In addition, I am an organization freak.  Each piece has a place in my home.  The reason for this is my poor memory.  If something is out of place, I can't find it.  Plus, our tastes change over time.

I hate to admit I am a collector.  I remember reading Rachel Ashwell's book on Shabby Chic.  It struck a nerve with me.  First, I was doing shabby chic interiors long before she coined the phrase.  We took furniture off the curb and painted it out of necessity.  We were poor, but still wanted our place to be cute.  The other nerve it struck was when she challenged the notion of collecting.  She said she was skeptical of collections.  That pissed me off at the time.  But.  I have learned when you read something that strikes a nerve, you are meant to listen, but perhaps are not ready.  I pay attention when I have this type of reaction, because the lesson later surfaces.  I have since examined and re-examined the notion of collecting many times.  In fact, maintaining a balance of beautiful objects and a love of simplicity are a constant dilemma I enjoy resolving in my laboratory (aka my apartment).

I first caught the collecting bug when I was a child.  I never liked baby dolls - I had a baby brother!  Infinitely better.  I was so possessive and protective of him.  I thought he was mine.  My mom liked dolls and bought me beautiful ones (even life sized ones that scared the crap out of me).  For some reason, they were too perfect for me.  I preferred my large troll doll and my slinky pig.  I had a beautiful vintage baby stroller made of wicker.  One day my dad came home from work and saw me walking my babies in the stroller.  He popped his head into the stroller, saying, "Who do we have here?"  His face became one of astonishment and disapproval, a look I instantly recognized.  This was his default look whenever he interacted with me.  Who was in the stroller?  My troll and pig, of course.  My father shook his head and said, "I worry about this child.  She roots for the under dog."  My dad never addressed me directly when he was disappointed with me.  He preferred to talk like I wasn't there.

Image via Google Image Search

And he often spoke mysteriously.  Under dog.  Under dog.  What in the hell is an under dog? my young mind wondered. There was that stupid cartoon called under dog.  But I wasn't a fan.  There was also an under dog in those mysterious words they made us say every morning at school.  "One nation, under dog...."  But I had no idea what he was talking about, as usual.

Sorry, I digress.  The point is I never liked baby dolls.  But I did fall hard for Barbies.  When I was a young girl in the 70s, a teenage girl who seemed so worldly, gave me her collection of barbie dolls.  I had the best collection in the neighborhood, and was very popular!  The most gorgeous dolls you've ever seen.  Some from the 50s, 60s and 70s, the most gorgeous clothes, shoes, purses, hats.... So many I carried them around in a suitcase.  I also had campers, cars, etc., but no Ken dolls, I was never a fan of Ken. I preferred my brothers' GI Joes and Viking dolls for the boyfriends.  Much more macho.  I also started collecting Dawn dolls and Flatsies (do you remember those?).

I gave my collection of Barbies to my ex-husband's sister.  I thought that's the way it went:  my collection had been given to me, I added to it and passed it on.  I still regret this decision, but believe everything happens as it should.  I have yet to encounter a collection as beautiful as mine.  c'est la vie.

I started collecting rocks at an early age and still dearly love them.  I had an uncle who was my pen pal for years.  He would send me post cards from all over Europe.  I wish I had those post cards today!  I became fascinated with stamps.  Each one like a tiny painting.  In my teens, I collected vinyl. I still love album covers.  I lost everything (including my photo album) when I fled the home of my physically abusive husband in my early 20s.  I  had nothing, but it was so worth it!  Leaving him was one of the hardest - and best - things I have ever done.

For a long time I didn't collect anything.  Poverty always plagued me.  Though I worked like a slave, I never made much money. It was all I could do to drag my ass to work everyday. I began to see possessions as tying me to that horrible beast, corporate America. I loved the feeling of mobility, and craved freedom above possessions.  I could move on a whim.  Everything I owned fit neatly into my little car.  Sometimes I miss those days.  I guess the point of all this is that things come and go.  And we must be prepared to let them go without fear.

I next caught the collecting bug when I spied a beautiful bird house that looked like a church.  This is perhaps around the time I grew more interested in nesting.  (sorry for that dreadful pun)  What a beautiful piece of hand made art.  I was very specific with my bird house collection, they had to be white, simple, geometric.  I sold that whole collection and still miss it.  Oh well, there have been many times over the years where yard sales saved my life when I had no money.

Image via Velocity Art and Design, now sadly defunct, I believe

Currently I collect the following:

Costume jewelry.  Helps me to stretch my very few clothes and still be cute.

Image by Peggy

Rocks.  I still love them.  So fascinating that rocks from each geographic location have their very own character.  Friends and family bring me rocks from when they travel.  I haven't found a way to display them as yet.  That's a problem with collections, they need display. 

Promotional post cards.  This collection is easy to manage, it fits neatly in my file cabinet, and costs nothing.  I just grab them when I am attracted to them, wherever I see them.  Makes a great souvenir, and I am very attracted to the graphic art.  Again, display is a problem.  Sometimes I think about buying a card display or framing some of them.  But again, there's the issue of clutter.  I guess this is what you'd call a hoarded collection, see previous post about postcards here.

Image via Weekday Carnival

Vases and pottery.  This is my big weakness, as you know.  I adore ceramic, porcelain and glass vessels.  Mostly white - in matte finishes - but also love pink, blue, turquoise,.... etc.  Love simple shapes and the tactile nature of pottery.  I also have a weakness for lamps (which resemble pottery).

Textiles.  I've found as an artist I have to fight the tendency to become a pack rat.  I will keep things (organized, of course) intending to work on projects.  Over the years I've come to know myself and have accepted that there are somethings that are not going to happen.  For example, I'm not going to learn to sew.  I have enough on my plate.  If I did learn to sew it would become a huge obsession and I would soon be buried in pillows.  I gave my collection of fabrics that were sitting in a box forever - to someone who really loved them and used them!  Such a joy.  Things are not meant to be hoarded.  If you are not using something, pass it on to someone who will love it.  No sense having things in the closet that make you feel guilty.  This is also why I don't have exercise equipment in my apartment.  I know I will only use it to pile dirty clothes.

I satisfy my obsession for textiles with a few pillows, throws and scarves.  I like modern, but I also like cozy.  Especially in the colder months.  Pillows and scarves are very easy and cheap way to add color or change color on a whim.  Please don't spend a lot of money on them!  I find beautiful pillows for cheap all the time.  Go to TJ Maxx, Burlington, Big Lots, or even the dollar store is surprising at times.  I am finding that Target and Kmarts prices are not maintaining competitiveness.  In fact, the next time you make a Target run, challenge yourself.  Is this something that can be skipped?  When I leave Target empty handed, I feel almost noble and saintly, lol.  I've never been a Walmart shopper.

Urban Vinyl Toys.  This is another obsession of mine.  I adore them.  Each toy is a little piece of art.  See my previous post on why I love urban vinyl, here.  I guess this is also a hoarded collection, because it currently resides in a bin in my closet.  Again, the issue of clutter and display.  Sometimes I think of selling my collection on Ebay, but I'm not ready yet.  And I find selling on Ebay to be such a pain in the ass.  That's right, part of my desire for simplicity is laziness.  I admit it.

There are collections I've had in the past that I have whittled down to almost nothing.  I had thousands of magazines, books and CDs.  (I never collected VHS or DVDs.)  Now I have just a few of my favorite books and a few European design magazines, which I tend to like a lot more than the American ones.  My PC meets all of my media needs, I love Pandora and Netflix. It's  also helped me cut down on paper.  Nothing like a series of moves to help you cleanse and purge!  In my 20s I had probably 100 pairs of shoes, in every color.  Now I wear mostly black and have maybe 6 pairs.  I'm still a girl and enjoy girly things.  One  of the luxuries in my life is nail polish in funky colors.  I can find fab nail polish for $1.00 at the dollar store.  It's perfect for when I need a girly pick me up!

There's a few things I don't have that I don't miss.  I don't have a TV, but don't need it.  I don't have a microwave oven.  Again, don't miss it.  I don't have a smart phone.  I sort of want one, but feel a little overwhelmed.  I do not buy into the notion that we must be accountable 24/7 and at times feel the need to unplug.  I do thank the cosmos for the miracle of the Internet.  I enjoy the self-expression and the friendships with like minded people I've cultivated.  I don't have a car.  I do miss that.  It's not so easy getting around in an urban environment without a car.  Yes, there's the bus, but it's such an unenjoyable experience of  over-crowding, shoving and loudness, my sensitive soul cannot bear it.  When I was in college, I thought about majoring in Urban Planning.  I imagine that is a frustrating field right now. Our whole infrastructure is obsolete and completely reliant on the automobile.  Sorry, I digress again.  That's a whole other topic.

I've been working hard over the last few years to whittle down my hoard to a manageable level, and I think I could go even further. I love beautiful things, but when I look around and see too much, it creates discomfort for me.  I find that the simpler I live, the happier and more peaceful I am.  Gifts do not hold conditions.  If I give you gift, we share a beautiful moment together.  I do not place strings on gifts.  You don't have to display the gift, unless it is special to you.  I also tell friends to feel free to re-gift whenever appropriate.  Objects are meant to be dynamic, not hoarded.  Also, your entire collection does not need to be displayed at once. Have a designated shelf in your closet or a cupboard in your kitchen and keep a small collection.  Then rotate your collection.  It's so fun.  Sometimes you discover an object all over again - it can be as fun as shopping!  I love experimenting with vignettes.

Remember to take something out before you get something new.  Perhaps you have a space in your home where you need the perfect vase.  Trust that the vase will come to you.  Create a vacuum.  Prepare the space, make it empty and take something out.  Your new object will materialize like magic.  I donate a lot to the Goodwill.  This is the ultimate in recycling.  I get a lot of pretty things on the cheap from the Goodwill, so I love giving back.  Whenever I donate, sell or gift an item, I thank it for serving me and pray that it will go somewhere where it will be loved and bring joy.  I believe the Native Americans understood this. Objects were to remain dynamic, not stagnant.  Indeed, hoarding is fear.  Hoarding is a lack of trust in the universe to provide what you need.  The pejorative use of the  term "Indian giver" is actually incorrect. The Native Americans believed that if items no longer served, they should move to a place where they did serve.  Hoarding actually impeded the flow of energy.  Hoarding was a fear of lack, rather than faith that the universe would always provide exactly what we need.

When it comes to collecting, don't get caught up in perfectionism.  There's no reason to spend a lot of money on a beautiful object.  If I love an orphaned piece, I don't even mind if it's damaged.  In fact, I like the idea of giving an object a new life.  Sometimes paint will do that. It's so fun to see something new emerge from a pile of rubble and dust.  I don't like new furniture.  My 50s danish sofa was cheaper and built far better than anything on the market today.

Last year when I moved to this apartment, I described the freedom I achieved when I  let go of 20 years' worth of my journals.  A great burden had been lifted.  I closed a chapter in my life, and I felt lighter. When I reviewed the journals, I realized I was no longer that person.  Sometimes you have to get empty to get full.  I maintain that if something is sitting in storage, you don't need it. Like, I said, I am evaluating my toy collection.  I'm not perfect, lol.

Lastly, possessions are work.  They need dusting, arranging and storage.  That's why I adore electronic collections like my favorites on Etsy or Pinterest.  Electronic collections cost nothing, don't need dusting and they take up no space.  Now, if only my Internet were free....I wish I could get off the grid, but that's the subject of another post.

What about you dear readers, how do you feel about collecting?  Are you examining your consumption?  What are your tips for simple living?

The Coolest Barbie Ever

 Barbie Collector

OMG have you seen the new tokidoki Barbie?  She's due out October 1.  You already know I love me some tokidoki (see previous posts here).  I think this is the coolest Barbie I've ever seen.  She's sporting pink hair, tokidoki tatts, leggings and taking Bastardino for a walk.  Supplies of this babe won't last.

I collected Barbies when I was a girl, but I gave my collection away when I was a teenager.  I'm beginning to question that decision.  No matter.  Today's Barbies are way cooler than mine were.  Have you seen the Hard Rock's Barbies?  I photographed the top two Barbies in Chicago and the bottom one in Seattle.  Sorry for the poor quality of the pics, I had to do it on the down low.  The sales personnel got mad at me and chased me out of the store.  Man I love photojournalism.

 @manu

Today's Barbie has the coolest furniture!  Sometimes I see a photo of a Barbie room and think it's a real room.  Just look at that hot pink lamp, turquoise sofa and soft orange silk pillows.  I want those for my own home.  I never had furniture like that, I just had the Barbie camper.  Although I must admit, it was the coolest.  I'd love to have a life size version of it to travel the country.

A cute tray

I love blogging, and I love hearing from my readers.  It makes my day when someone asks for my design advice.  Recently, a blogger friend asked me if I thought the color scheme of orange, hot pink, turquoise and black could work in a bathroom.  To which I replied, "Of course."  Here's the truth - any colors you want to work together will.  There's no such thing as colors that don't go together. Just look at nature, it's a cornucopia of colors.

I bought this cute tray at Target, and it perfectly illustrates the point.  This would look darling in a bathroom.  Trays are a great way to corral clutter.  I could see it holding a bunch of beautiful perfume bottles.  The bottles should be clear so they don't obstruct the pretty pattern.  Or I could see it hanging on a wall.

Here it is in my kitchen.  Isn't that the ugliest counter you've ever seen?  Rentals.  I'd rip that sucker out if I owned this place.  Back to the cute new tray.  I was surprised to see that I now have a collection of trays.  How did that happen?

feeling blue

I'm loving blue right now.  I adore collections of blue glass and ceramics.

Dee Adams.

Siri vases by Roost.

 Beautiful watercolor by Karen Faulkner.

Doin' what I do, part three - creating a stylish display using your digital camera

Collections are a funny thing for a lover of minimalism and simplicity.  I love ceramics, as you know.  I wish I had a pottery shop.  I would dust and arrange the pottery all day long, and I'd be happy as a clam.  Ah, and window display - heaven!  But in my home, I am still hoping to hit on a display that I love so much I never feel compelled to move it again. I just know that Nirvana can be achieved with the perfect arrangement.  Perhaps that is only achieved by not buying anything.  I've written about going on a buying diet, but I haven't been successful at sticking to it.  I find yard sales so compelling.

However, before I buy something new, I get rid of something old.  Whenever something new comes in, it's time to restyle.  Recently, I bought a couple of swan soap dishes, one from Etsy and one from a yard sale.  I dig 'em, but don't know why.  Oh dear, this could start a whole new collection - or is it a collection already?  Is two a collection?  I think two is actually a pair, and three is a collection. 

Styling bookcases is really hard for me.  Today I decided to arrange some of my favorite ceramics on my pink bookcase.  So I sipped a latte, popped on the Al Green (he's the coolest), and grabbed my digital camera. Using the camera can really help with perspective.  I use it to determine if something is too much, or not enough, and whether the collection appears balanced.  Plus, I can be a bit ditsy.  The camera helps me  remember.  By the time I figured out what I wanted, I couldn't remember what I had done.  No worries.

This was an unusual exercise for me.  I can be a ruthless editor.  But when I looked at the sixth picture, I actually thought it needed more.  That's a first.  I've been fighting the label, but I might have to admit that I am a collector.  I'm going to try an experiment - I'm going to see how long I can live without moving this display or buying any new vases.

Stay tuned for a tour of my apartment, and an exciting freelance project that I am working on.

White Accessories

I'm a lover of simplicity.  In my youth I was an avid minimalist and everything was white.  Everything I owned could fit in my car.  I miss the freedom of those days.  Stuff can weigh you down.  Yet, a few well placed objects adds character to a room and makes it personal.  I'm a collector of beautiful glass vases and ceramic.  Collections can be a bit of an obsession, and it's important not to let your collection become work.  Collecting should be fun, and your collection should be something you love.  I always try to keep my collection pared down to my favorites, and I sell a few pieces when contemplating a new piece.  Clutter just won't do.  What to do if you love beautiful objects, yet crave simplicity?  It's all about balance.  One way to maintain simplicity is to collect objects with simple shapes, and to keep them all white.  Here are a few lovely white objects, for example.

Sake sets come in lovely shapes and are extremely collectible.  I have a rule in my collections.  Everything must be functional as well as beautiful.  I think that's why I love pottery and tea pots so much.  Image via deedee9:14.

 I adore this sake set by Masahiro Mori via deedee9:14.

 Beautiful ceramic serving tray by Ggallery.  I adore the shape of this.

Oval sushi dish by baileybowls.  You can see the pattern emerging.  When you keep your accessories all white, the variation in shapes is fascinating.

Beautiful sugar and creamer set designed by Hans Theo Baumann.  Available at  forEYESandHANDS.

 Hand thrown tea pot by clamlab.

I adore costume jewelry, and I love seeing it mixed in with a display of treasured objects.  These beautiful pieces would look great on a floating shelf next to white vases.  Available at Linea72.

White helps unify disparate objects as this beautiful vignette shows.  Image Bodie and Fau via The Style Files.  Love the cluster lights by Kathleen Hills.  And there you have it, a collection of white objects.  Virtual collections are the best.  They cost nothing, take up no room and you don't have to dust them.  My next post will feature some stylish display options.

Garage Sale Saturday

Funny thing about stuff.  I just got rid of a bunch of stuff.  Whenever I get rid of stuff, more comes to fill the void.  Oh well, that helps with keeping the clutter of collecting down, keeping the stuff in movement.  Today I went to the most fab garage sale.  I wasn't expecting to buy anything, and well, see what happened.

$14.50 for all this loot!  I've been needing an end table in my bedroom.  This one was $7.00 and I kinda love it.  The metallic vase was $3.00, I'm excited about it because I want to add silver and metallics to my decor this fall.  Swan soap dish was only 50 cents.  I've been wanting one for a long time.  Two little vintage bottles were $2.00 each.

Here's what I didn't buy, but I did hem and haw over it.  It was only $3, and I'm sure I could've talked the lady down.  It's actually ceramic, if it had been wood it would have been a no brainer.  She explained to me that it was a serving piece, the holes were to hold toothpicks of fruit or cheese.  I probably would use it as an incense burner.  I think it would be cute in an organic, rustic place and thought about buying it as a gift for my friend Haley's loft.  What do you think, dear readers, does it look like a knock off of an Indonesian design?  What did you do today?  I hope you are enjoying your weekend!  xxoo

Upcycled Furniture

I love upcycled furniture.  I have found many pieces of fine furniture that have been abandoned on the side of the road.  Take it home, give it a little love and a little paint and it has a new life.  It's a fun way to have a unique piece on the cheap.  Apparently the idea is catching on.  Crown Paints and Graham and Green recently held a competition.  Students from the Royal College of Arts were asked to use Crown Paints to upcycle a piece of furniture.  Coming in second place (although in my opinion she should have been first) is Laura Amstein's beautiful sideboard.

I love it!  Part sideboard, part lovely organic painting.  I love how it's only partially painted, paying homage to its original wood.  I'd love to have this piece.  I think my pottery collection would look fab on it.

Just playing around here (I know, I'm obsessed).  Here's the piece imagined with a few vases from Ikea and one from Anthropologie.  Congratulations Laura!  Beautiful work.  The piece will be available at Graham and Green this Spring.  See their blog for more details.  Since I don't live in the UK, I'll be keeping my eye on the curb for a credenza.

Rethinking Tsotchkes

It's official. I'm moving next week. I am really excited about moving into a house, and I am so grateful my brother is taking me in (if interested in the boring details of why I'm moving, click here). I know I've said it a zillion times, but I can't believe how much stuff humans accumulate! I've always been a ruthless editor, yet there's too much stuff. I've been sorting, trashing, donating, selling and still there's so much. I remember reading Patricia Ashwell's first book years ago. She said something about not being interested in collections. It struck a nerve with me even then, when I was in denial about being a collector. I think the reason it struck a nerve is that she is correct. Collections can be such a burden.

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My favorite collection is, of course, my vases. It was difficult deciding which were my favorites. I pulled them all out of the closet, lined them up in the living room, decided which were my favorites and got rid of the rest. Tricky. I didn't get rid of as many as I'd like. I had to make several passes at it. But once a vase went into the out pile, I didn't look back. I may hem and haw over the decision, but once it's made, I don't look back.

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After editing and wrapping my collection, I decided I needed a latte and some good old procrastination. It's important during the moving process to spoil yourself I reasoned. Moving can be traumatic. I'm excited to be starting a new chapter in my life, but I feel a little sad about leaving my humble, dusty, noisy, beloved apartment. So while sipping my latte, I went into my favorite vintage store and looked at STUFF. Ha! Looking at stuff while getting rid of stuff. It's an illness. Still, it is fascinating that humans make so many beautiful things.

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I found myself considering tsotchkes (that's a hard word to spell). Thank goodness I don't have many, because of course you know that vases are not tsotchkes (sarcasm). I had a rule in my collecting. Everything had to have a function. It was not enough that it be beautiful, it had to serve a purpose as well. That's why I collected vases, candle holders and pillows. Over the last several years I've been downsizing more and more. One day I hope to get back to the minimalism of my youth. It seems to me there is something pure about those days. But, it's still fun to look. And while looking, I found myself being drawn to mostly yellow figurines.

Darling vintage Italian sculpture. This sculpture is so light weight and epitomizes innocence. I found her tempting, but she was horribly expensive, and I vowed not to buy anything.

Cute salt and pepper shakers.

Vintage Hindu couple planters. The owner of the store is so patient. He allows me to rearrange and photograph to my heart's content.

I believe this is a Haeger planter. I think she's kinda cool in a spooky sorta way. I wouldn't put plants in her head, though. I've always hated planters where it looks like shit is growing out of their head. Much better to just let her be. Oh, and notice that fab lighter to the left. I love groovy lighters even though I don't smoke. I guess I could use it to light incense. All above images by Peggy.

Generally, I don't like vignettes in my home. I'm not that good at them, they always look cluttered to me. I do love seeing a skillful vignette in other people's homes, though and adore this vignette by flickr users CYC & Ted. There is something sweet and innocent about it and those two little figures are lovingly naive looking. I adore a vignette that looks carelessly put together. Not as easy as it looks.

I always adore images of Rosy the Riveter. I'm generally not a lover of war memorabilia, but you can't deny that she's an icon of feminine strength. Don't you think it's cool that she's such a powerful icon that someone produced an Asian version of her? Flickr user Luke from Z.

Sweet and contemplative. I adore her. Image The Ten Cent Designer.

Yellow wooden shoes hanging on the wall. Looks like Spring to me. Image Dottie Angel.

A nice balanced composition. Flickr user haegernerd. I tend to prefer assymetric groupings in my home, but I'm always fascinated by symmetry.

I love yellow toys! This cute little Tinpo is from the fan series. I'm sorry I didn't buy her when she was available. Definitely looks sunny among the daffodils. Image by Belle.


Toys as art around the house are so fun and unexpected. Image Jeana Sohn.


I adore this yellow vase! I bought a bottle like this as a gift for a bachelorette party I attended last year. It was filled with Reisling. Looks so cute here, maybe I should've kept it. Image flickr user shopursula.
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I am fascinated by the notion that we are all curators. Now I have a whole virtual collection of tsotchkes. They take up no room, didn't cost anything, don't have to be dusted, and the best part - they don't have to be packed!

Pretty Girly Things or Virtual Collections

Today I packed my dishes (I'm moving, if interested see previous post here). As I was packing, I kept wondering why I have so much stuff. Then I procrastinated by reading blogs, checking out flickr and Etsy. I came across this lovely piece of jadite and wished I had a whole collection of jadite. So here's my virtual collection of jadite. Takes up a lot less room, I don't have to wash them and I don't have to pack them. Still, it would be fun to touch them....

Jadite Kate. I adore this pink!

I love this image. I think only the plates are jadite, but this is such a wonderful composition. This would make a great poster. Love the pink and blue, and the brooch. Image via Picnic by Ellie.

My collections, part 3: my favorites on display

Dear readers, I've written quite a bit about downsizing and collections over the past couple of days. I'm sure it must be boring and that no one is interested in this process but me. I'm not sure why I feel the need to process, but I do. Enjoying mundane details eases a lot of stress for me. I hope you will humor me. Here are my current favorites on display in my apartment. As you can see, it's still a lot of stuff.

Part of my ceramic, glass and pillow collection. I have so many pillows, I will probably get rid of some. But I think most of these pieces will make the move with me. Keeping my collection of ceramics vertical really helped with making the place look less cluttered.

A corner of favorites. These are a couple of my favorite pieces of ceramic. And my precious Dee Adams painting. I love this little bookcase. I went through a massive purge of books several years ago. I used to have hundreds of books. I don't really miss them (except for my rare feminist writings). With the internet, I don't need magazines, books, DVDs and CDs like I used to. These will all be making the move with me.


A shelf in my kitchen. Some of my favorite pieces. My collection of promotional postcards will be making the move.

A shelf in my bathroom with a few of my favorite toys. I like displaying them in pairs. My toy collection is neatly packaged in a plastic bin and will be making the move with me. I hope to someday donate my collection to someone very special who loves toys and graphic art as much as I do.

My collections, part 2: what's in my closets

Organization pleases me. I am happiest when everything is in its place. My place is small, but there is plenty of storage space. But, I still like negative space. Closets out of control cause needless and avoidable anxiety. After my first round of downsizing (more to come) here is what's left in my closets and cupboards, for now.

One thing I won't miss about this apartment is the kitchen. I have the ugliest kitchen on Planet Earth. There are a lot of cupboards, though. The kitchen's appearance would've been vastly improved if the cupboards were painted white, but I never fooled myself into thinking that I would do it. I'm way too lazy for that. I love plain white dishes, and I love the feeling of opening a cupboard and viewing organized contents. I guess I'm anal. Note the top shelf. It's empty. I have several empty shelves in my kitchen, and not just from downsizing. Like I said, I like to allow some negative space.

More cupboard space in my kitchen. I will be keeping the blue pieces as they are some of my favorites, and two were gifts from my sister-in-law. I may be keeping the fuchsia piece, I love the color. Note the dust on the door of the cupboard. Another thing I won't miss - the dust! This is by far the dustiest place I've ever lived. Believe it or not, that is only one day's worth of dust. I turned my heater off this winter. I preferred to freeze and use blankets because of the dust. I am totally over old buildings. Fuck character, I want clean and modern. Do you know that my landlord told me I should not go barefoot in my kitchen because the tiles were made of asbestos? It's true. But, he bestowed this piece of wisdom after he replaced the tiles. I'd already been walking on them for about five years. And the mold in my my bathroom, forget about it! Remember the adventure with my bathroom? (See previous post here.) Maybe my health will improve after I move. Gotta look on the bright side.

My hall closet after vast downsizing. I don't think all of this will make the move. I'm thinking I will sell the tall white glass vase and the blue bowl on the top right. And I'm thinking I will donate the pink and lavender flower pots to the right. If you are a reader of my blog, and see anything that you'd like drop me an email and I will send it to you as a thank you for reading!