Realistic Maintenence

Remember when I said that doing a major Declutter should be one and done or at most a very occasional thing?  And that all these influencers who claim to be minimalists and yet are constantly doing major declutters, cannot be true minimalists and it's all for content?  Remember that?  (click here if you don't) And then, do you remember when I did a major declutter a few years ago trying to make our lives and all of our stuff fit into this tiny house?  Well, I'm happy to report no hypocrisy here.  I am not in need of another huge declutter.

As I read back over the past...11? years of blog posts, I see myself being a little all over the place.  Sometimes I'm happy with what I have, sometimes I'm desperately wanting more, sometimes I am at peace with myself and sometimes I'm battling my nature to try to "be better."  That's because I write what I'm feeling or going through or thinking about at the moment I'm writing.  And things change; seasons in life change; priorities change.  But I am happy to report that when it comes to Decluttering, I'm holding steady.

Last year a relative passed away and she was a collector of all the vintage things I love.  Since anything unwanted was going to be donated, I decided to bring home anything I wanted and go through it later, knowing full well I wasn't going to keep all of it.  Recently, as we started completing renovations on certain rooms of the house, I've been able to take out the things I put in storage for this moment and either find a place for them, put them back to see if they'll fit in one of the other rooms once they're finished, or after taking a second look, deciding I don't really care for the item and donating it as it was going to be a year ago.  But, this has been a very small amount. 

 

Sometimes in my down time I go back through old blog posts to fix typos or correct spacing issues that escaped my notice when they were published and as I've been doing so I've also been making notes of a couple of items of clothing that I bought and they just don't look good on me; they're beautiful and I love them, but they don't love me back.  I wrote them on a to-do list I keep on my nightstand to remind myself if I ran across them in the process of searching for things for the house, to take them out right then and put them in the donate bag.  Yesterday, in fact, while I was searching for a box of lamps I wanted to test out to see which would look nicest in my library, I found all the items--3 corsets, 2 dresses, and 2 pairs of stockings--and donated them along with the lamps that didn't make the cut.  But, that's it.  I still feel really happy with the things I've let go of (for the most part, only had giveaway-remorse on a couple of things) and don't really want to part with much else.

I'm thrifting.  A lot.  And really just adding pieces that I want to be part of a permanent collection.  All my Selkies?  I don't really wear them much since I've been working full time.  My current job allows for me to wear dresses, but they have to be much more practical than anything I've ever bought from Selkie.  And, yet, I don't want to get rid of them either.  They're mine and I love them.  I'm good with what I have.  No more hauls and no more Declutters.  And when my house is done, we'll do one last declutter on everything in storage that doesn't make the cut for decorating the remaining rooms of the house, and then that's it.  I want to just enjoy my home and finally have a little breathing room around here... But, I'll probably still buy dresses. 

Decluttering shouldn't be a major regular event.  Do a major declutter and then change the habits that have led to accumulation.  Minor declutters will keep things tidy around the house, and ensure you don't get caught up in that negative loop of haul-declutter-repeat.

Outfit Info:  Anthropologie We Love Vera High Seas Dress is thrifted, American Eagle Cardigan is old, Honiara Vintage shoes are old, bag was gifted