Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

Sophomore year of college my good friend Sarah moved into her dorm to find a giant canvas still hanging on the wall next to her bed that read: Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. It was a statement so profound Sarah couldn't bring herself to take it down (plus, at that point we had very little to cover our walls with anyways, so we welcomed free art). I later learned that this was was a quote taken from the chapter "Where I Lived and What I Lived For" in Thoreau's great work, Walden. Thoreau's Walden was like the bible of Islandwood (the Environmental Education center where I met Grady) and I was like a recent convert: wholly repentant for my consuming ways but not yet able to part from my sins. I'm more like the girl who buys the "consume less" t-shirt and doesn't realize the hypocrisy until after the fact. But I try not to be too hard on myself. While Thoreau's message has always resonated with me, I don't think I'm alone in the struggle to actualize his wisdom in today's consumer culture.

You see, I am admittedly one of those people that likes stuff. Now I know this is not a popular thing to admit when you live in the 'City of Conservation' (this posting will probably put me on a 'no fly' list at local yoga centers and vegetarian restaurants). It is slightly ironic given that I am also married to a (very patient) man who teaches children (& his wife) about sustainable living. But from the time I was just a little peanut, I loved arranging all of my little knick knacks and books on display along my dresser. My room was filled with 20+ rotating picture frames and a plethora of butterfly paraphenalia. I loved to color coordinate, even as a kid, and redecorated my little room multiple times a year with new pillows, picture frames, and candles. Today, in the same spirit, I peruse etsy.com for goodies on a daily basis and spend Sundays wandering through the Fremont flea market looking for my next great find.

But stuff, while not all bad, begins to weigh on you. That which clutters your life, clutters your mind. And my mind has felt cluttered for some time now.

So how does one reconcile her love for aesthetically pleasing goods with her equally strong desire to live in a clutter free space (and mind)? The answer is not to move into a bigger apartment- I tried that one out on the hubby yesterday. The answer does involve some soul searching though, along with self-restraint, perspective and a week devoted to purging.

My first step was to tackle the hallway shelves. Mostly because I had lost a number of expensive Aveda products there... aaaand years & years of tax and loan documents had been swallowed up and were making me feel uneasy. I have spared you all the scary "before" picture, but thought I'd share the little progress I have made...

Ta da! Clutter free, organized, functional & cute! I had to take a mental snapshot of the look of pride on Grady's face last night when I walked him through the organized contents of each drawer. He approves.

So this would be how I'm spending my spring break: recycling, shredding, sneezing, and loading up bags for Goodwill & Buffalo Exchange. And as the 'junk' gets cleared away a little more each day, I am breathing a little easier and thinking there really is something to what my man Thoreau had to say:

Our life is frittered away by detail... Simplify, simplify, simplify! ... Simplicity of life and elevation of purpose...

And just for fun, I figured I'd also share a few thoughts that have come up as I tazmanian devil storm through my apartment...

• where do all of these pens come from? and if we have 74 pens in this apartment (I counted) how come I can never find one when I need one???
• dust bunnies should really be called something more unpleasant. bunnies are adorable. dust is gross and it makes me sneeze (& sticks to my feet. yuck.)
• color coordinating the bookshelf and closet is both therapeutic and aesthetically pleasing, but entirely unpractical. I give it a week.
• funny kid pictures get unearthed:

Note: Danny's picture is far more weathered because he is an old(er) man. Also, I think he is smizing here, while I am channeling a rasta vibe. Jahba!