Category Archives: Minimalism

A 15 Minute Job

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Sometimes it is difficult to find time to do anything much more than the basics – washing, ironing and cooking – done when I am busy at work.

However, tonight I managed to start and finish a small job in just 15 minutes.  I cleaned, tidied and sorted the drawers in the bathroom.  There are 4 drawers in the vanity unit but one is empty and I save that so that it is available for guests to use if they wish.

One drawer has GMan’s stuff, one is mine and the bottom drawer has the hairdryer so extra mini soaps and spare toothbrushes.

Here is my drawer before I started.

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There does not appear to be much difference once I had cleaned it  but a couple of things have gone.  It is a good opportunity to review what is actually in the drawer so that I can remind myself to use it.

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I did not photograph the other drawers before but here they are – clean and sparkling.

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Finally, I have finished the makeup that I wrote about recently.  These have been tossed in the bin and I am going to buy new lipstick, mascara and blush tomorrow.

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The cupboard in the vanity unit is the next thing on my hit list but not tonight.

Use It Up

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I have always taken a fairly minimal approach when it comes to make-up.  In this post from 2014 I showed my collection of make-up.  This has been streamlined a bit further.

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I gave an almost brand new lipstick to my daughter the other day.  It was a colour I used to wear but find a bit pale these days.

I currently do not have any mascara as I used to buy it from Aldi but they no longer stock mascara.

My blush (also from Aldi) and lipstick are almost finished.  The eyebrow pencil is but a stub but will last for quite a while yet.

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I need to make the effort a buy new blush, lipstick and mascara but I will be making sure that the existing ones are completely finished before I start begin using any new make-up. I see no reason to waste these by throwing them out.

Project 333 – A Capsule?

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Since I first tried the idea of Project 333 back in 2012, I have used “Project 333” as the preface for the title of all my blog posts about my streamlined wardrobe.  I would like a similarly short, snappy preface that is unique to my blog posts so I will give it some thought but in the meantime I will use “Project 333”.

Tonight I want to address a question which vexes me and that is, “What is a capsule wardrobe?”

I read and hear of a capsule wardrobe, winter/spring/summer/autumn capsules as well as formal capsules and gym capsules to name but a few.  Confused yet?  I certainly am. Here is the Wikipedia definition.

My wardrobe has never been bulging at the seams but I have had the same issues that many other women have identified and that is the feeling of looking at a collection of clothes and feeling that you have nothing to wear.  This seems to lead to random purchases which only further compound the problem.  Therefore, I have chosen to carefully select clothes which truly fit my lifestyle and reflect my personality.

I live in a fairly temperate climate so have very little need for heavy coats.  We do not have clearly defined seasons and generally have more warm weather than cool.

It is currently winter and the weather is as cold as it gets with overnight temperatures as low as 5C and some days when the maximum is only around 15C, however, on Sunday the daytime temperature reached 25C.  You can begin to see the folly of packing all warm weather clothes away for a 3 month period.

2015-05-18 01Nevertheless, I did remove some of my true summer clothes from my wardrobe a few months ago and it is easier to see exactly what season-appropriate clothes are available.

2012-05-28 01As I have continued to define and refine my style over the past few years, I have found that I tend to purchase multiple items of the same style.  For example:  I have 3 identical pairs of shorts – black, white and khaki as well as a very similar pair of red ones.  When I find a style that fits well and suits me, why not buy multiples?  4 dresses, 2 cardigans, 2 pairs of jeans and 2 skirts are other examples of where I have more than 1 colour of the same style.  I guess it is a matter of ‘when you are on a good thing, stick to it’.

What do understand by the term ‘capsule wardrobe’?  Have you tried to pare down the selection of clothes?  What tips do you have?

Keeping it Clear

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At the risk of boring you, I have one more post about the new desk.

After years of an open table top with no storage, it is a novelty to have 2 large drawers on the right-hand side of the desk as well as the storage above.  The top drawer has some paper that I salvaged from the IKEA packaging which our grand-daughters will be able to use for drawing as well as last year’s Christmas cards that I need to sort and file.  The lower drawer is designed to hold suspension files and there is nothing in there at the moment.

2015-07-20 01This is a close-up of the left-hand side of the shelving above the desk.  From the top – monitor for solar panels, modem, phone and stationery items (pens,paper clips and bulldog clips).  There are 2 speakers on the centre shelf but the remainder are empty.  How long will that remain the case?

I have a couple of lists and a notepad in the small drawer on the left.  I really like the idea of being able to put them in the drawer so that they are not lying around on the desk.

My plan is to keep the desk looking pretty much as it is and I see no reason for that not to be the case.  It is a great opportunity to start with minimal stuff and keep it that way.

The Emotional Stuff – Part 2

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About 10 days ago I wrote this post.

2015-06-22 01Tonight I would like to follow that up with this piece, also written by my friend, Patty.

 In the town of my youth, behind the double brick home that is my mother’s neighbour’s house, is a hoarder.
The daughter of a very cranky, intolerant almost-100 year old father, (who lives in a nursing home on the other side of the river) she lives by herself with her mother’s memories and furniture.
Downstairs, you are barely able to squeeze past the belongings of her mother’s old home.
The furniture, the tables, the sofas, dusty with age and just covered with plastic, the china cabinets, and boxes, and boxes, and boxes of glassware and who-knows-whatever-else. All stored.
Filling up her house, cluttering her own life.
She moans to my sister as they hose their lawns. “I wish I could travel! It’s too expensive.”
My sister and I would sympathise and suggest she sell some of her mother’s possessions.
“Oh no! I could never do that! It’s too precious!”
And so her life is unlived, her home a rambling, chaotic mess of someone else’s life.
There’s barely enough room for herself. Her mother lives on, in every room.
It’s physically demanding, cramped and unacceptable.
She lives within the shadows, unhappy, miserable, resentful, and unable to move on.

She knows the answer to the situation, she just hasn’t asked herself the question.
Why keep it all, and what happened to MY life!

I have said to my own sons: “When I go, keep what you want, no obligation, and chuck the rest!”

While this is probably an extreme example, it is a stark reminder that we cannot live our lives if we are weighed down by emotional attachments to the stuff of previous generations.

How do you feel about this?  Have you had to deal with this sort of situation?

Away From Home

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I have been away for a couple of days as I have had some family commitments.  Luckily, I had prepared the ‘Wordless Wednesday’ post on the weekend so it was ready to go.

I don’t have anything particular to share but I have noticed recently that everywhere I turn there seems to be discussion about excess stuff and decluttering.  Is it just me or have you noticed the same?

2015-05-28 01For ‘Flashback Friday’ I will find one of my previous posts on decluttering and living with less.  In the meantime please share your thoughts.  Have you decluttered?  Do you wish you could?  Is there any particular aspect you would like me to write about and discuss?

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Project 333 – Clearing the Cupboard

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While this post is not strictly about Project 333, it is about decluttering my clothes so I have kept the Project 333 tag for ease of locating the post in the future. Today I decided to empty the entire contents of my wardrobe and dresser.  Here is the empty wardrobe. 2015-05-16 01The first category that I chose to scrutinise was shoes.  Here they all are. 2015-05-16 02Yes, all 21 pairs.  Now, I don’t really know how that compares with what other people have but it does seem like a lot for someone who supposedly tries to keep things to a minimum. I sorted them and these are the ones I have worn in the past week. 2015-05-16 03An additional 3 pairs in the past couple of months. 2015-05-16 04Winter footwear that has been worn in the last 12 months. 2015-05-16 05Three special-purpose ones that have not been worn in the last year but still get to stay.  In fact, while typing this I remembered that the patent heels have been worn in the past year.

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This brings the total to 18 pairs which have made the grade and will return to the wardrobe.

Here are the three pairs that are moving out.

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Black heels which I had replaced but not got rid of them.  They have not been worn since the new ones were purchased.

Red flats which are nearly 3 years old.  The heels are worn and they are not overly comfortable.

Pewter sandals which were a mistake as they are really a half-size too small.  Hopefully someone else will get a really good pair of sandals that fit them well.

I did not cull a great number of my shoes as most of them do get worn on a regular basis.  This was a useful exercise as it made me consider each pair and the value of keeping them.  I have also identified the next pairs which will go over time and I will be giving more thought to the shoes I buy in future.

Over the next week I will be sharing some of the other discoveries and decisions I made when I emptied my wardrobe.

Meanwhile, I would love to hear about your shoes – what sort?  how many?

Between Bags

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I have never been a fan of handbags because I simply cannot see the point of having several items that perform the same function.  Mind you, shoes are a different story entirely!

The main reason that multiple handbags are not appealing is the fact that things need to be constantly moved from one to the other and the chances of not having the item you need are substantially increased.

You may remember that I recently bought a bag for work that would hold the laptop as well as anything else I need to take to work.  Here it is with the everyday contents.

2015-04-27 01This has worked well and I have not even used my regular handbag since buying this one.  If I am going grocery shopping I just grab my phone and purse and toss them into the tote bag I use for groceries.

This all changed last week when I went to a funeral and neither my work bag nor a shopping tote were appropriate.  I retrieved my black handbag from the shelf in the wardrobe.  The only items in it were a mini tape measure and a pen.

2015-04-27 02I added my purse, phone (and charger) and keys and I was ready to go.

2015-04-27 03I realised that everything else was really only applicable to work so it made swapping bags relatively simple.

Project 333 – Wardrobe Gaps

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There is nothing like a change in the weather to help identify gaps in the collection of clothes.  After a long, hot summer that I thought would never end, the weather has turned quite cool.

My cool season selection is somewhat depleted with the departure of three tops at the end of last winter.

2012-08-11 05I had this red/white striped 3/4 sleeved one as well as two black/white ones of the same style.  They were at the end of their life so I wore them to death on our holidays and then sent them to the op shop when we arrived home.  However, I have yet to replace them.

I am not sure what I want so I expect I will need to make a concerted effort and have a look around.  I also need another pair of trousers for work as I have one pair of black trousers.

Then there is the small matter of a coat.  I have a long, navy overcoat which is over 20 years old but in perfect condition.  It is more than I need in Queensland so I am thinking of parting with it and getting something more suitable.  I envisage a hip-length coat, preferably charcoal grey or black.

I have been so busy at work for the past couple of weeks that I have barely had time to keep up with the basics of washing and cooking, let alone considering changes to my wardrobe.  I hope to make time this weekend to look carefully at what I have and what I need.