Simplify #4 and More!!

After a really great start, the simplifying my home has taken a break.  Losing Charlie has been really hard and I haven't felt like doing anything! A few sunny days have helped. 

I mentioned that a blogging friend with a booth was interested in some of my things.  I kept sending her photos and adding to her pile of stuff. I ended up with 4 boxes full!  

This is the 'simplify' part of the post! 

Donna of Distressed Donna Down Home lives in Aikens, SC a couple of hours from me.  We arranged to meet last week in Madison, GA where she frequently goes to shop.

We met at the Goodwill and took a quick look around.  We both bought a few little things.

Then we headed to a fun Vintage Mall!

A little photo with the zombie and we continued to

shop, shop, shop! 

We then headed downtown to another couple of Vintage malls but first we had lunch at 

Madison Produce Company.  

They made wonderful sandwiches! 

Donna and I both had the smoked turkey with cheese and avocado!  I finished every bite!

Then more shopping!

We talked and talked. Shopped and shopped!

It is always so much fun to meet a blogging friend in person.  We plan some more shopping trips in the future and I plan to visit Aiken, SC and Donna's booth! 

So I had some money in my pocket from Donna and decided I did need aka WANT a 'few' things!

This little plaque is all I found at Goodwill.  It will go on my gallery wall that is getting closer all the time.  It was Sr Discount Day so it was $1.21!

I added to my collections.

These salt & pepper orphans are so pretty and at very low price, they both came home with me.

A great egg cup

 and this cute Flamingo planter

(excuse the bad photo)

This little Limoges ladybug egg stole my heart!

This framed print was only $4 and will go in my bedroom.

At our last stop I found a 75% off booth and scored some really cute things!

This little celluloid box is just charming!

Labeled 'French Ivory' it had to come home with me to hold some jewelry treasures.

This adorable turquoise planter was also 75% off and I could not leave it!

My last and most expensive purchase was a McCoy pink bud vase.

So sweet!

Thank you Donna for helping me downsize some of my treasures.  It is so good to know that they aren't going to the thrift shop where someone might not appreciate them, but will find new homes with other junkers like myself! 

Of course as bloggers we exchange little gifts.

Donna gave me some adorable tags she made, some vintage postcards and my first frozen charlotte!   I love it all!! 

I gave her some old 1920's photos of my Grandmother who was a beauty queen in Ottumwa, Iowa.  I had a few duplicate photos and I knew she would love them.

Donna shared a few items she found on a recent blog

But there is so much more for her to share!

I'll let you know when she posts again!

Meeting Linda in Madison
Friday Finds

So I did add to my collections, but I did downsize much more then I bought.  I need to get back to downsizing.  A lot of the things left are heading to the thrift shop.  Wish me luck as I hope to get lots more donated by next Monday.

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Simplify #4

I am finally feeling a bit better, but this cold just does not want to completely go away.   I spent several days this past week taking my Mom places and dropping off supplies for Sara and family as they had a stomach virus.  A pretty busy week so what else did I get done?

This pile of items was finally taken to the thrift store!  Yay.  
So of course I started another pile!

This weeks goal was to start on these two bookcases

A mish mash of cookbooks, novels and junk! 

I love cookbooks as does my Mom.  When we moved her I took several of her cookbooks to add to my own collection.  This will be the 3rd time I've downsized it.

Some vintage cookbooks and Pillsbury bake off pamphlets.  I just have so many and I don't look at them and I really don't cook much either.

This is where I keep Charlie's canned food and that won't change, but this red basket is a catchall so I went through it and this is how it looks now

I keep appliance manuals here and cloth napkins.  The cowboy one is Tiger's.  I'm sure things will be dropped in here again, but the plan is to keep it neater.

Down to one shelf of cookbooks.  

There are some I just can't part with. 

The other bookcase holds books on my TBR pile and well, JUNK!

I went through all the books and decided to donate all the one's I probably won't read.  I still have my Nancy Drew books to decide about.

That's better and with an empty shelf I can figure out what to store there.  The top is still a work in progress.  Might be a good spot to do seasonal vignettes. 

 I'm hoping to work on editing more books from my shelves and working on the top shelves of both bookcases this coming week.

I am planning to continue this Simplify post each week to keep myself accountable.  Maybe you will join me?

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Simplify #3

Not much 'simplifying' happening this week.  This nasty head cold knocked me for a loop. So there has been more reading, TV/Movie watching and sneezing then going through my stuff.

This is the thrift store pile waiting by the door for me to feel like loading it up taking to the store.  I will be glad when it is gone.

I did start going through boxes of paperwork, sorting and recycling.  Paperwork can pile up so fast its always a big job.  Maybe I can start doing it monthly so things don't pile up so much.

I have a few new items I've bought to spruce up my living room space.  I showed you this chair in my car, but here it is in my home!

I found this great chair at the thrift store and it is exactly what I've been looking for.  Small scale, nice neutral fabric, in great shape and it rocks and swivels!  It is in great shape, clean and only $35!

My blog friend Marigene saw this pillow on a website and sent me the link.  I knew I wanted it but pillows can be pretty pricey.  I found it on Amazon and it is a pillow cover and under $7.  How cute is that!! 

This one by the same company is perfect on my couch.  I have a love of Flamingo's and Dragonflies!  Amazon had lots of pillow covers at really low prices so it's now my go to place for them!  You can store covers so much easier then the complete pillow and just change them out for seasons or a new look!

This is my bedside table with my new diffuser.  It has helped with my cold so much.  Sara uses essential oils and brought me some to use and it has really helped my cold.  I am a believer for sure.

 Charlie is doing well.  He is eating a little better now but still super thin.  He is really enjoying laying on his towel in front of the window in the sun!  Warms those old bones I think.

Scout turned 9 mos old and is really starting to 'talk'.  She says Mama, Da, Tig and Gma!  She is such a sweet and happy little girl. 

Tiger is growing so fast!  He is going to be a tall kid for sure.  He really enjoys using his Lego's to create fun games! 

Not much else to share.

I am looking forward to getting well and getting out of the house soon! 

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Simplify #2

I got serious in the dish closet this week! 

This is how it looked at the beginning of the week

I got busy and it is now like this!

This still looks like a lot of dishes but lots of spaces are now empty and dishes that were elsewhere are now on the shelves

This really makes me happy!

I was able to find homes for some of my stuff

All of this is going to a friend who has a vintage booth. 

All of this was free for pick up and many of my friends took things. 

This bin full of dishes and other glass items is going to the thrift shop this week!  I would call that a successful week!

I still have this shelf to go through.  The three teapots are for sale, but so far no takers. 

I can't tell you how good this feels!  I'm trying to work one room at a time, but wanted to make a big dent in the dish closet this week...and I did! 

Now I'm working on the shelves in the living room and the dish hutch in there.  Lots of glassware has already been donated but I want to do another round of purging. 

One of the hardest things to edit are my 'collections'

Birds and Egg cups!

I started downsizing my egg cups.  I had even more then in this photo and I realized I didn't Love them all and they were crowded and not being enjoyed.  I gifted a few to friends and came down to these in the cubbies.

I mixed it with a few pieces of pottery that I love and now it's perfect.  I have a few more egg cups in the Paris cubbie and some blue and white on another shelf.  This way I can really enjoy them more.  The birds will be edited soon! 

So that is my week 2 of project Simplify! 

How did you do?

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Simplify!

Simplify

to make less complex or complicated, to make plainer or easier...simplify

2015 brought some major changes in my life.  Another grand child, an aging cat, the loss of my brother which had a huge impact on me.  My health and the health of my Mom.  All these things have overwhelmed me at times. 

Simplify is my word for 2016

I want to make my life simpler so I can enjoy it more.  The first step is my home.  It is cluttered and I am not able to keep it as clean as I would like because there is so much stuff in here.   I've been working on downsizing for a few years, but this year will see a major change.

Staring with my dish closet.  I am no longer doing tablescapes on a regular basis.  I have collected so much stuff that I can't use this extra closet for anything else.  Most of these items I haven't touched in two years!!  So out they go. 

Just look at it all!

I am going to do a weekly post on my journey to simplify my life.  I'm going to start with a huge purge of my dish closet.  

These sets of flatware will be going to the thrift shop today.  I enjoyed picking these sets up over the years at bargain prices, but I don't use them so out they go.

This box full also.  Yes I had way too many but it was fun to have all the different colors when setting tables.  Time to donate so someone can use these items and they can stop taking up space in my closet. 

I will be working on dishes this week and will have photos next Monday. 

Join me as I Simplify! 

Wishing you JOY,

Linda