Downsizing the Scrapbooking Supplies
They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with one simple step. Well, I've been taking baby downsizing steps off and on for a few years now, but the amount of stuff I have seems to keep growing despite my efforts. I've read lots of books on the subject, but the one that finally seemed to have the practical and psychological advice I needed was The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life
by Francine Jay. I find her method of downsizing to fit my needs very well.
I downsized (or minimized as Ms. Jay calls it) my bathrooms a few months ago and though I could do them again and probably simplify them still more, I decided to tackle a bigger problem. Namely, that I have far too much craft and hobby stuff. While I like having lots of activities, I simply do not have room for all the supplies that have accumulated. In trying to decide what to simplify, I tried to prioritize my activities. Though I enjoy scrap-booking, it's near the bottom of my list as far as hobbies go, so that made it a prime candidate for downsizing first, especially since it seems to take up an enormous amount of space!
The goal is to have everything I keep fit within the above containers! This would make it easy to store and keep it easy to transport to the local scrap-booking store for Midnight Madness scrap-booking gatherings, which is really my favorite time to scrapbook. I rarely do any at home outside of Midnight Madness. Part of Ms. Jay's method is to remove everything and then only put back what is absolutely necessary. It's a great opportunity to really think about exactly what I like and use the most.
Here is part of what I need to go through. There is SO much stuff here! Most of it is stuff that hasn't seen the light of day (or Midnight Madness) in ages!
And here is still more! I've gathered it all into one spot so I can see what I have. From here, I'll put only those items in my preferred containers that I really use and like and the rest I'll be getting rid of! I already have one person lined up to come peruse my left-overs and I'm sure there will be others!
I minimized my pens and pencils about a year ago to what you see here. Do I really USE all of these? Not really, so I think my goal will be to get down to two pencil pots instead of three.
I'd really like to make this bit of furniture obsolete! It worked well, but I need to clear out some space in my study/studio space so I can devote more time and space to painting, which is rising back to the top of my priority list!
by Francine Jay. I find her method of downsizing to fit my needs very well.I downsized (or minimized as Ms. Jay calls it) my bathrooms a few months ago and though I could do them again and probably simplify them still more, I decided to tackle a bigger problem. Namely, that I have far too much craft and hobby stuff. While I like having lots of activities, I simply do not have room for all the supplies that have accumulated. In trying to decide what to simplify, I tried to prioritize my activities. Though I enjoy scrap-booking, it's near the bottom of my list as far as hobbies go, so that made it a prime candidate for downsizing first, especially since it seems to take up an enormous amount of space!
The goal is to have everything I keep fit within the above containers! This would make it easy to store and keep it easy to transport to the local scrap-booking store for Midnight Madness scrap-booking gatherings, which is really my favorite time to scrapbook. I rarely do any at home outside of Midnight Madness. Part of Ms. Jay's method is to remove everything and then only put back what is absolutely necessary. It's a great opportunity to really think about exactly what I like and use the most.
Here is part of what I need to go through. There is SO much stuff here! Most of it is stuff that hasn't seen the light of day (or Midnight Madness) in ages!
And here is still more! I've gathered it all into one spot so I can see what I have. From here, I'll put only those items in my preferred containers that I really use and like and the rest I'll be getting rid of! I already have one person lined up to come peruse my left-overs and I'm sure there will be others!
I minimized my pens and pencils about a year ago to what you see here. Do I really USE all of these? Not really, so I think my goal will be to get down to two pencil pots instead of three.
I'd really like to make this bit of furniture obsolete! It worked well, but I need to clear out some space in my study/studio space so I can devote more time and space to painting, which is rising back to the top of my priority list!
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