There is a quote in the book “Classic Style” , available at Piper and Dune, which says “Less but Better.” By Dieter Rams. I like this thought as it pertains to having less “stuff,” and the “stuff” that you do keep is made to last, therefore classic styles go with more and because they aren’t trendy, you won’t get sick of it. Last year I discovered all the local Facebook groups where you can donate items for free within your local community, where someone new might enjoy your Aunt Minnie’s old dresser, the toys your children have outgrown or an old appliance you never use… giving them a new home and a new purpose. Due to COVID we cannot have tag sales, but I have learned that giving things away is much better anyway – there is no setup work, no bargaining, and no cleanup. Just last week I posted some items around noon to give away; I put the stuff on my front porch or in my driveway and it was gone by 3pm. Whatever wasn’t gone by the end of the day was donated or it went in the dumpster. It is a fabulous thing!
Purging old stuff is therapeutic. My friend Amy and I often joke how we LOVE having a dumpster. It gives you the same “buyer’s high” that you get from a good shopping run. I still have a lot of cleaning out to do, but now when I buy, I try to buy with a purpose. I choose to buy something with thought, that I think someone would really like. I try to buy things of quality instead of junk. My Mom is a shopper. She loves to find a bargain. She is one of those women that will comb a rack and she will find something pretty good; I will never do that; I am not that patient. I hate rows of clearance racks; I much prefer to shop online. I will give my Mom credit, she has gotten better, but for a while she was making really bad- buying decisions, she’d buy something just because “it was a good deal.” She would even buy multiples. I remember at the last holiday I told her I already got appetizer plates so do not bother picking them up. Two days later she stopped by with a bag that had a decorative holiday candle and 8 little packs of appetizer plates from the Ocean State Job Lot (our local close-out store.) The patterns were not even nice, but they were “a good deal.” I had to beg her to stop buying that junk, I didn’t even want them. I would rather pay a little more for a pretty pattern than to spend money on something that will sit in a cabinet taking up space.
The author of the book “Classic Style,” by Kate Schelter gives some great advice to people looking to “clean out.” She says to “Love What You Use Every Day (and Remove the Rest!) This might include your pocketbook, your favorite face creams, vitamins, tweezers, hair products etc. She recommends that when you clean out, that you hunt through the piles for those “classic” pieces that you will never get tired of, that you will not wear out. This usually means the better-quality items. Share your books, give novels to friends, you probably do not need them or the extra 5 bookcases they sit on. If the books contain useful information to you, keep them, otherwise you should donate them and let others enjoy them. Another tip that I read in an old Martha Stewart article talked about taking a picture of old “things” like a box of old trophies to remember them, then you are emotionally free to go ahead and donate them because you can go back and still look at them. I did this with some of my children’s artwork and I felt it worked to help keep the memories alive.
So, if you have a little free time because Tropical Storm Isaias did a number pulling down trees and wires in your town, and you no cellular coverage, no power and no WIFI like me, then use this time to free your space or you might need a few candles or books and make the best of it!
Explore What Excites You,
Chris and The Piper and Dune Family
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