Make & Mend – Picture Frame

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Posted on November 11, 2013

This week I want to share a few of the projects I have been working on recently.

First up is the picture frames. These are 2 large timber frames which belong to my mother. They have family photographs in them and usually stand on her sideboard. The problem is that the stand is actually very heavy cardboard. After several years of very wet and humid weather the cardboard has absorbed moisture and now has flexed and will not stand and support the frame.

I brought these home with the idea of repairing them and this is what I did.

I made a pattern from the stand on each frame and then marked it out on a sheet of plywood.

The pieces of plywood were cut using a jigsaw.

I then spread the glue (Aquadhere) over the plywood and placed it on the cardboard stand. I used several clamps to make sure firm contact was maintained between the surfaces. I left the clamps in place for 24 hours.

There are no photos of the clamps as my camera battery was flat.

Tonight I removed the clamps and the repair has been successful. Now I need to finish the other frame then return them to my mother.

Tune in again tomorrow for the next project.

Project 333 – Wardrobe Orphans

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Posted on November 8, 2013

While I have been busily writing about some of the strategies you can use to reduce your stuff, I have been reviewing the contents of my wardrobe.

As I have said before, I do not have a bulging closet. Nevertheless, there are still items that get overlooked when I am planning an outfit to wear. Why? They fit and there is no good reason but they just tend to get overlooked. They are the wardrobe orphans.

This sleeveless shirt is an identical style to others that I wear regularly but although I like it the top it does not really work with other pieces. My skirts are all patterned and therefore I wear plain tops with them. My shorts are white, black, red and khaki. I don’t get excited about any of those combinations. I think it needs denim or navy shorts or skirt. I don’t have either nor am I planning on adding them to my wardrobe. The final straw is that it obviously requires a white or nude bra and the 2 white bras that I have are too big and really past their use-by date. So, the shirt has to go.

Another white shirt. This time it is a 3/4 sleeve one with light blue metallic pinstripes. Unlike the other one I have never really loved it. I bought this when I needed another ‘business’ shirt but it generally gets cast aside in favour of others that I prefer. It is just not right for me.

I am going to move both of the shirts out of my wardrobe and was planning on putting them in the op shop bag. However, my first option is to offer them to any of my readers who are interested. You may have one or both if you wish. I am giving them away on the understanding that you will pay for any postage costs. I am willing to post overseas if required. They are best described as an Australian size 10 – 12. The sleeveless shirt was made by me and is cotton. The 3/4 sleeve one is Jacqui E cotton/nylon/elastane.

If you are interested please email me. gandy79atgmaildotcom

Are there any orphans lurking in your wardrobe?

STREAMLINE – Everyday Maintenance

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Posted on November 6, 2013

After you have worked through all of the other steps in the ‘STREAMLINE’ process, it is important not to lapse back into old ways. Just like changing eating (or any other) habits, if your version of minimalism is to be successful it needs to be an ongoing process. You will have to work at it constantly and be vigilant at every turn. Clutter in all its forms is insidious and will soon overwhelm you if you do not have strategies in place to stop it at the door, the mailbox and even your email inbox.

Well-meaning friends and relatives may feel sorry for you when they see your empty spaces and want to give you stuff to fill the gaps.

You did not set out to create a cluttered, over-burdened life – it just happened. So, it could easily happen again.

“No, thank you” is one of the most powerful things you can say in your quest to keep your stuff at the level which suits you best. Whether it is a freebie bag at a conference, a loyalty card from a store, a copy of recipe or your great aunt’s tea-set – if it does not fit your goals you can politely refuse the offer.

I have refused, decluttered and minimised for several years and still know that there is more to go. I keep a bag/box in the spare room and as I find things to go they are moved to the box which then goes to the op shop when it is full. Sometimes it takes ages to gather enough to send off and other times there is a flurry of activity and I take several bags in one weekend. Having a dedicated receptacle for things that are to be re-homed helps me to keep focused.

I hope you have enjoyed this series and would strongly recommend reading “The Joy of Less” by Francine Jay for more inspiration. Please share your thoughts on decluttering and minimalism in general and as well as your personal achievements.

STREAMLINE – Narrow it Down

STREAMLINE – If One Comes In, One Goes Out

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Posted on November 1, 2013

This is a fairly simple strategy – for every item that you welcome into your home another one needs to leave. Whilst this strategy will not turn you into a minimalist overnight, it will certainly maintain the status quo.

One of the most popular applications of the ‘one in, one out’ rule is clothes. Buy a new shirt and then choose one that you can move on. If you are having trouble letting one go, perhaps it is time to ask yourself why you bought the new shirt in the first place. Did you really need it? The last time I looked, we can only wear one shirt at a time so why do we need a wardrobe bulging with clothes?

Appliances are another area where we can tend to buy a new version yet retain the old one. It is usually consigned to the back of the cupboard or the garage ‘just in case’. Just in case the bright new shiny one breaks down? Do we really buy things expecting them to fail? If the previous one needed replacing it is time for it to go.

We recently purchased a new refrigerator. After a considerable time spent looking and debating the various options available this is the one we bought.

Of course, there was the question of what to do with the old one. The Duke briefly canvassed the option of keeping it downstairs as a ‘beer fridge’ but we realised that it was completely unnecessary and would use up space and electricity. I advertised it on Freecycle and am pleased to say that it has gone to a young couple who were trying to set up a home with very little in the way of resources.

Most of us live in relative affluence and virtually everything we buy is an upgrade/replacement/newer version of something we already own. Therefore, there will be something to move out of your home. If the previous item was broken it should be consigned to the rubbish/recycling. If it is still functional someone else may benefit from having it. No-one benefits from it being stashed away to deteriorate in your garage or basement.

As an aside, I find this principle of ‘one in, one out’ a fantastic disincentive to shop. “Why spend my hard-earned cash on something when I have a perfectly good one at home?” is the question I often ask myself.

How effective are you at ‘one in, one out’?

STREAMLINE – Limits

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Posted on October 30, 2013

In years gone by our stuff was limited to a large degree by the availability and cost of most items. Goods were generally produced locally and in a relatively labour-intensive manner. Disposable incomes were less and stuff cost more when compared to incomes. Global manufacturing and transport, cheap labour and distribution have meant that there is a seemingly endless supply of stuff for you to purchase at your local shopping mall.

Since the natural limits of accessibility and affordability have been removed, it is up to us to take control or we will end up drowning in our stuff. The ultimate limit is the size of your home; you can fit a lot more in a 2 storey, 4 bedroom family home than a studio apartment. However, even this does not deter some people as evidenced by the burgeoning industry of off-site storage facilities.

You can easily apply limits to things like your books by simply choosing not to have the shelves overflowing. As you buy or acquire new books, make space for them by moving others along. We all have books that we are not sure why we are keeping them. Will you read them again? No? Time to go. This way you will eventually end up with a selection of books that you really love and are proud to have on your shelves.

Perhaps you can choose an arbitrary number such as 20 DVDs, 10 t-shirts or 6 champagne flutes. Make sure that you don’t simply choose a number that allows you to maintain the status quo. It needs to be challenging yet achievable as well as pertinent to your unique situation.

No matter what the item, you need to ask yourself the question, “Do I really need x of this item?” Nothing needs to be immune from this process – lipsticks, plates, socks, CDs, towels, candles and cookbooks are all fair game.

Once you set limits on your stuff and force yourself to choose, you will naturally choose ‘the best’. How you make that choice is a personal decision but making the choice means that you consider the merit of each piece carefully and you will appreciate its worth to you and your life. The stuff that makes the cut will have an opportunity to shine in the decluttered environment.

It is not only physical stuff that you can set limits on. You can set limits on your participation in events. For example, you may decide that you will only spend one night a week playing sport, therefore you will choose the one you enjoy most. This may give you a chance to excel rather than putting in a mediocre performance in 3 different sports on 3 different nights of the week. You may choose to limit your association with people who do not enhance your life.

Limits can be seen as restrictive but the limits you set on your stuff will actually be liberating as you are the one making the choices. Don’t let your stuff rule you and your life.

STREAMLINE – Modules

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Posted on October 28, 2013

Today I want to share the next step in the ‘Streamline’ process that is outlined the book, “The Joy of Less”.

The concept of modules is that like things are kept together but more than that, it is about creating a group of items required for a particular task or activity. It could be keeping your knitting needles, wool and pattern all together in one basket so that you can pick up your knitting at any time and know that it is all there. Perhaps, creating a bill-paying station where you have all of the items required such as pens, stapler, filing box etc.

By keeping like items together this method helps you to identify where you have an unnecessary duplication of items. An example is pens: If you have them lying around on various desks, drawers, kitchen bench, side tables etc it is difficult to understand just how many there are. Gather them up, check to see which ones don’t work (there will be some),and place them all together. So, do you really need 57 pens? They last for ages and you probably have more than a lifetime’s supply! Choose the best 10, keep them together in a convenient and confined spot. 47 pens that have been lying around the house as clutter are gone!!

Once you start thinking in terms of modules you can apply the principle to almost anything in and around your home.

On the weekend, The Duke and I spent quite a bit of time decluttering, sorting and organising the workshop. It is definitely a work in progress but now we can actually see some of the half-finished projects that had been buried under other things, completely forgotten or simply unable to be worked on due to the clutter on the workbench. Much of what we did was putting like with like. There were pieces of baling twine which we keep for various odd jobs. It seemed like everywhere I turned there was another bit of baling twine but they are now all together in one plastic bag and easy to find when we need a piece.

We have almost finished demolishing the old chicken run and this has entailed removing the side of the woodshed which was adjacent to the run. The woodshed will remain and a new side panel built to keep the weather out and the wood dry. This has prompted us to look critically at all of the various piles of wood – everything from tree branches to leftover material from previous building projects. We are attempting to get all of the suitable firewood in one place in the woodshed so that we can easily access it when needed in the winter months. One day the firewood ‘module’ will be complete!

The wood is currently in piles to be cut for firewood, stored for future projects or simply of no use and needs to be re-homed or dumped.

Modules create efficiency and also limits. Whilst the STREAMLINE process is most definitely NOT about rushing out and buying a whole lot of pretty boxes to stash your stuff in, it does help to be able to physically contain your identified ‘modules’.

You probably have ‘modules’ that work for you but that you have not even described as such. Please share your idea and what works for you.

LIMITS is the next in the series and follows on very neatly from today’s topic.

Doing, Not Writing

STREAMLINE – All Surfaces Clear

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Posted on October 23, 2013

Today’s gem from Francine is pretty simple to say but not quite so easy to achieve. Keep all surfaces clear. Clear surfaces provide us with possibilities. Somewhere to eat your dinner, prepare a meal, pay bills or simply to sleep.

She also reminds us that surfaces are not for storage. If you have too much stuff for your available storage spaces perhaps it is time to let some it go.

This is one area with which I have had partial success. For instance, my dining table always is clear apart from a doyley and vase which provide a decorative element. I am also pretty good at keeping the vanity bench in the bathroom as well as the laundry bench clear.

The study desk is generally a failure and the kitchen benches range from good to bad depending on the day of the week and work in progress.

It takes time and effort to achieve the state of a completely clear surface. Like all changes you need to start small. Don’t expect to turn the study desk which is overflowing with stuff into a minimalist’s paradise overnight. If you have sufficient storage in the bathroom, I think the vanity bench is a great place to start.

The dining table is also a good one to tackle because anything that is on here is definitely in the wrong place – a dining table is to sit at to eat a meal. Since most of us eat 3 meals a day there are plenty of opportunities to make sure that it is clean, clear and ready for use. Since it is also a public part of your home everyone will benefit from it being clear and ready to use for its designated purpose.

Please let me know – do you have any constantly clear surfaces of which you are particularly proud? What are the areas that seem to defeat you?

Tomorrow we will move on to something a bit more interesting than my kitchen bench. Modules – containing what you have. It is definitely a new twist on rushing out and buying containers to store your stuff.

STREAMLINE – Everything In Its Place

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Posted on October 19, 2013

Just to prove that I don’t always live up to what I write here is a photo of my kitchen bench this morning.

Well, everything was certainly not in its place. Saturday morning is not usually the best time at our place. We have both had a long week at work and despite the best of intentions, I have usually run out of steam be the time I get home. The empty box on the floor and the wine on the bench were part of a delivery of purchases made by The Duke while we were away the other week. There is an assortment of paperwork that had not been dealt with as well as some clean dishes and numerous glass jars and bottles.

So, what is their place?

The packaging from the wine has gone into the recycling. The box was repurposed to hold some jars that I have listed on Freecycle. The paperwork has been sorted into recycling and a pile to be filed.

I keep 2 plastic tubs of jars in my pantry. One holds the ones which have pop-top lids which I use for preserving and the other tub has an assortment which I keep for storage etc. There were too many jars so it was time to cull them and keep only the best ones. I only keep about 4 different style/size of jars with pop-top lids so that I can use a consistent size when making something like pasta sauce.

The excess jars have been listed on Freecycle but if no-one wants them I will drop them off at the op shop.

The wine has been relocated to the wine rack storage in the cellar. Alas, it is not strictly a cellar in the true sense of the word but it is downstairs and maintains a fairly even temperature. The Duke and I took the opportunity to tidy up and sort out the contents of the rack. It is now in a more logical sequence and hopefully we will easily be able to locate what we are looking for in future.

As usual, one thing led to another and I now also have some excess coffee mugs to take to the op shop as well as 2 low folding chairs to put on Freecycle. The less stuff we have, the easier it is to keep everything in its place.