Addicted to My ‘Stuff’

Hi, my name is Lori and I’m addicted to my stuff.  I keep stuff just in case I need it to re-decorate or just in case someone might need it. I have spaces that are over-flowing with ‘stuff’ and it’s really starting to weigh on me.

I’m not even sure where to start with this post – I’m feeling so overwhelmed!  And I’m so tired of feeling that way!  Maybe it started because I had to remove everything from my stash in the machine shed at the farm and in our shed, sort through it and store what was left in the loft and studio.  Maybe it’s because last August I did a minimalist challenge with a friend and purged a bunch of stuff and we’re doing it again.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been chatting with Janine of My Joyful Home, a blogger friend and certified KonMari consultant for an ‘thing’ we worked on together.  Maybe it is all these things but I feel it in my soul that it is time.  Time to purge, sort, give away and CLEAN IT OUT!

Do you ever feel that way?  Am I the only one who gets so overwhelmed with stuff everywhere?  Closets, garage, shelves, drawers, places it DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE!!!  Why, why, why do I feel the need to hoard so much stuff.  And I feel still it even though we have gotten rid of some stuff already!  My friend, Alena, and I talked about the post that was going around Facebook about letting people look into every nook and cranny of your house – open closet and cupboard doors, shuffle piles – what would they find?  Would you be mortified at what they would find?  I think I would be.

Like I mentioned, I did a challenge in August and that got rid of little things around the house and I’m looking forward to doing it again.  And when Mom and Dad sold the farm { you can read that story HERE } I had to clear out the machine shed loft where I had a stash of stuff for 10 years!  Chairs, wood, lights, a marble fireplace, not one but 2 sinks, SO.MUCH.STUFF.  And all that stuff needed to find a home.  Some went to the trash, some was given away and some got shuffled into the loft above the garage.  A canoe, chairs, wood, sand dune fencing, rubbermaid bins all jumbled up with all the stuff that was already up there – year books, magazines, fabric, chairs, a table set, chaise lounge, coffee tables, lamps, shelves, hockey sticks and baseball bats from the last owners.  There is a narrow path through the loft.  I’m hanging onto this stuff in case I need it some day or someone else does.

And I feel justified to a certain degree.  The butcher block chunk that I drug around for years now finally found a home at Mom and Dad’s new home.  See??  It was the perfect piece, it cost us nothing, I was glad to give it to them for their new home.  I had a gorgeous vintage dining room set that I was given by a sweet friend that I’ve been hanging onto for a few years now.  I always planned on painting it and selling it but I never quite got around to it.  And now, I’m so excited to pass it on to the sweetest couple who are getting married next year and setting up their first home.  I’m going to go through my stash and see what else they might need.  They are my ‘just in case’.  They left with not only the set, but a chair, coffee table and a set of curtains, plus a small compressor that Michael had before he upgraded. { Can I get a fist bump for that?? }

I watched Mom and Dad sort and purge and toss and pack up stuff to donate and offer things to us kids { no thanks, we don’t need your old VCR }  and it made me realize just how much stuff we do collect over the years.  We’ve only been in this house for over 3 years and already I have closets overflowing with stuff.  And I have to say that I’m pretty good about passing on the girls outgrown clothes and toys and also about going through my own closet regularly.  I’m not a clothes horse, nor do I have a large stash of makeup and beauty stuff, nor do I have a shoe problem.  But I still have so much stuff.  I have scarves.  A lot of them….insert eye roll….

I’m a creative person, plus an interior decorator, so I like to have options.  Chairs, art, projects, craft supplies and bits of wood, knick knacks, lamps, frames, tables, pillow covers, curtains….see what I mean?  I like to be able to shop my stash for something and re-do a room without leaving the yard.  But – how do I purge and still be able to do that?  At this point, I’m just not sure.

So, what’s my point? What’s my game plan?  I have no idea.  But I feel like this is the starting point of something.  I want to live lighter.  I want to have more space, and less stuff.  That goes back to my Word of the Year { which you can read HERE }  and I just felt the need to write about it and get this much off my chest.  I’d love to hear anything you’ve been through along these lines – are you a hoarder?  Are you a minialist? Have you used the KonMari method?  Where do I start?

To be continued,

Lori