De-cluttering is the best!

I really wanted to post pictures of my craft room with this post, especially because I just finished my girls spring dresses, made a bow board, and made a matching dress for my oldest's cabbage patch doll. But alas the cord for my camera is missing and the great pictures I've taken will just have to wait until I replace the cord. I also wanted to show off the look of my new and improved craft room.

My sister in law came over last Monday and made me get rid of half my art supplies/ old artwork, half my fabrics and the majority of my patterns. Most of the fabric and patterns I gave to goodwill were given to me by well meaning people. I just didn't like the fabric or patterns but couldn't part with them because well they were a gift. I also hold onto scraps of fabric forever thinking that there has got to be some way to use them because they are just so darn cute. My sister in law forced me to look at when if ever I would use them and if I wouldn't rather get new stuff when I have a new project. All of the scraps that are only big enough for Polly pocket clothing I tossed. I did the same with my scrapbooking supplies and let me tell you I feel so much better.

There is a book that same sister in law lent me called "Clutter be Gone" by Don Aslett (He's somewhat of a cleaning guru). It talks about how attached we get to things and stuff that really has no use. We hold onto junk for some possible future use or because we can't bear to get rid of something we paid for. There are millions of reasons he lists for why we hold onto things that take up much needed space in our lives. But the ultimate outcome is the same, the clutter begins to take over not only our space but our lives.

For example. I love to scrapbook, I do one scrapbook for each of my children that spans the first year of their life. This is a doable goal for me and I feel a nice gift of me for my kids. The problem was that I have so much scrapbook stuff that when I get it all out it takes over my house. It is all I can do for days (even with my own craft room), because I have to do it when it is out because it is such a hassle to put away. For that reason I rarely scrapbook. So my holding onto scraps of paper and old stickers that I no longer care for and have no reason to use ends up holding me back from pursuing a creative outlet that I sincerely enjoy.

I have now caught the bug. Each week I am assigning myself one area of my house that needs de-cluttering and then I am going to do it. I want to live like "things" are not dictating what I do and don't get accomplished in life. My next goal is my linen closet, it is a disaster and I know that I will feel like a new person when that project is taken care of.

Seriously all you women out there suffering from clutter, just get rid of it. It will sting for a moment but you will feel so much better. Thoreau said "It is desirable that a man be clad so simply ...that he live in all respects so compactly and preparedly , that, if an enemy take the town, he can, like the old philosopher, walk out the gate empty-handed without anxiety." I heard a story somewhere (since I'm not citing the source I can't vouch for it's authenticity) but it was about two different groups of men working on a damn. One was Native American and the other Average white Americans. There was a catastrophic flood one day that wiped out half the workers, surprisingly all were white men. When asked what happened the Native Americans replied "The White men ran for their money, and we ran to safety".

Don't let things and money rule your life. If you get a moment read Thoreau, or if you aren't into classic literature (it is hard to wade through, I read it because I had to for my degree) read one of Don Aslett's clutter books (he has several). Free yourself and live in such a way that you own your things and they don't own you.