Ramblings About My Stuff

Hi there, why is it that as crafters, the amount of 'stuff' we have seems to grow and grow...... and grow! This year I have been through a number of de-cluttering phases with endless runs to the Op Shop, giving stuff away to friends, and just general throwing stuff away that's of no use anymore.

Why is it that I'm feeling at the moment like I never did anything???

I've been reading a few Minimalist blogs and I just love their way of life. I love the clear areas in their homes due to the lack of stuff to clutter it. BUT I know as much as I love to look at their homes, it's not for me to live that way. How do I find a middle ground?

I've been being really careful about what I bring into my home for quite a few months now. I didn't even buy one ball of yarn or one fleece when we went to the show at Bendigo, and that is a miracle for me. I've been using up my yarn stash and except for one short time of craziness a couple of months ago, when I was on a yarn-buy-binge, I've very proud of myself at not having gone out buying loads of yarn, especially since there have been a LOT of crisis times here recently.

I guess what I'm wondering here, is if there are 'creative' Minimalist people, or even if such people exist?

Yes I know of course they do, but I'd really be interested to see just HOW they manage their supplies, their tools, their books, etc etc.

I was reading a blog this morning, and there is a movement going on in the Minimalist world where people are deciding to ONLY OWN 100 THINGS!!!!! Can you believe that!! 100 Things! My goodness where would I even start? If I can remember the name of it I will post a link.

The woman even did her whole list of what she owns on her blog and it was amazing. Can you believe how freeing that would be, to only own 100 things? I am in government housing and have my name down for a swap to a country area. I can't begin to imagine just how long it's going to take me to pack up this house, the mere thought fills me with dread! AND I have three kids worth of STUFF to move too..... AAARRRGH!!

But my point is, that how would it be, if you could just throw your whole 100 items that you own in the back of your car, and go.....

I remember when I was married (ugh) in my mid-twenties (long-divorced) and we had a number of caravans that we lived in at different times, and a decked out bus. The caravans were 15ft, 18ft, 20ft and a 30ft. I loved living in those caravans at various times when we were following the fruit harvests and doing the picking. It really made us question anything we wanted to buy, because there just wasn't the extra space like in a house.

I remember when we had the 15ft caravan and we drove from Victoria to Western Australia to try and get a job in the mining industry. We packed WAY too much stuff, and then wondered why our tyres kept blowing out and even the rims crumpled as well!!! Young and stupid?? You bet! So we had to dump out half our belongings at a little bush town somewhere in South Australia.

The guy at the truck stopped was thrilled with my husbands tools, stacks of them, we just had to give them away to lighten up the van so we could keep going. Money was running short and we needed to get to WA as quick as we could.

The wife at the truck stop was mighty thrilled too, she got my treadle Singer Sewing machine. Yes I cried a few tears over that one too, my husband said he'd get me another one, I'm still waiting 18 years later.....

That machine was the lovely black sewing machine in almost perfect condition. The treadle all worked perfectly too and I was very keen to use it once we got settled in WA. The cabinet it came in was the ones with the three drawers on either side and the dark wood that's all hand-carved..... as I said I sure did cry a few tears for that one.

I did crochet back then, I remember my stash of acrylic yarns and a tin of hooks was stashed under our bed at the back of the van.

Living in a caravan is wonderful, so many people bag the lifestyle but it really is a wonderful life, the freedon to just up and go whenever you like, and the lovely, and sometimes strange, people you meet are such an experience too.

But anyway back to my stuff. I'm feeling snowed under at the moment, everywhere I look there is stuff. I have the urge to just take most of it, dump it in the trailer and do a dash to the tip! That would give me the space I crave in my house..........