Around the house..

When I was in college I did my senior thesis on the modern arts and crafts movement and how it related and also differed from the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 1800s. The arts and crafts movement was a reaction to the garish and highly decorated styles of the Victorian era and the increasing turn toward industrialization. The (mostly) men behind this movement turned, instead to traditionally made items that were both functional and beautiful and spoke to the materials and workmanship that were put into each object.

Even as a modern day city girl, I can totally get behind these values. When we moved into our new home we were so excited! Until we realized we had barely any furniture but a shit load of boxes. So, Trevor and I spent the month of January trying to clean out, get rid of stuff, and find places for everything in our house. We are trying to get back to those craftsman-y values.

I'm kinda of a hoarder in a lot of ways. I find junk at thrift stores, yard sales, in trash bins, and somehow form a weird attachment with it.  There is something about old, crusty, and vintage things that makes me want to preserve them, to relish in their history, to savor it the way it should be savored. But I'm beginning to realize that there is a fine line between having a justifiable collection and just having a whole a bunch of crap. While having stuff seems to be a marker of success in our culture, having stuff can also be imprisoning. The more stuff you have the more maintenance, the more stress, the more chores you have to do and the more things you have to keep cleaned and organized. I'm beginning to feel trapped by all the stuff not physically but emotionally. Now is the time to clean out to allow space-physical and emotional-  for new things! My goal for January was to clean out about HALF of our stuff. It has been hard but I'm excited to refine the style of our home, to keep only the best treasures and be fully surrounded by my favorite, most prized possessions. It's coming along sloooooowwwlllly but surely!

Btw- if you are local, we will be having a yard sale soon. Shoot me an email if you want details.