There comes a time in the decluttering process when everything slows down. The first push is over and you can already see improvements. The first exodus has been made and items rehomed where they will be used and loved. You sit back and smile. Pat yourself on the back and admire your newly neat and uncluttered cupboards.
I have spent quite a lot of time the last month opening and closing cupboard doors and wandering in and out of rooms and giving myself great big congratulatory pats on the back. Not content to do this alone I have encouraged, nay forced everyone who comes to the house to do the same. I have drawn the line at inviting the postman to inspect my linen cupboard, but only just. I am in the evangelical phase. I want everyone to know how liberating decluttering can be. I want to share my joy and I want to show off just a little bit as well.
However, the clue is in the first line. The first push is over. I may have won the first battle but the war is by no means completed. I fully intend to win but it will be a protracted process. Today I moved all the stuff in the Barn that I had removed from the kitchen. I packed up tea services and plates and labelled the boxes for charity. Then for good measure I did a quick whizz around the Barn to pick up any stray items that had snuck in whilst the kitchen stuff was there. Stuff attracts stuff. Leave stuff around and it will double in size as more stuff is added to it. Have no stuff lying around and there is nowhere for new stuff to hide!
one pair of shoes at a time 
Lovely, lovely, lovely to see you have as many musical instruments around your piano as us. I am afraid they are not negotiable, I am purging every week still. At the moment Cory and I are starting on the 250sqft Storage unit, containing boxes, boxes, boxes. – Pray for me 😉 ?
I’m praying 🙂 We have a harpist, clarinetist, flautist, horn player embryonic saxophonist and retired violinist. Everyone plays the piano and four out of five sing. In fact the Singers have a choir audition this evening. I do not want to go to Newcastle for 6.30 but needs must 😦
Goodness me, it’s like the Von Trapps 🙂 I am making my way with my Geetaw, Uke, Sax, Oboe and Steck. See you at tea time. ( anything to avoid the storage unit) !!!
How is the storage unit coming along or are you having a music man diversion?
Gillie,
My daughter Amalia and work every morning for 30 minutes or more on our attic, which is a cavernous hideout of junk, junk, and more junk. College textbooks, old mattresses (yikes!) and lots and lots of theatre stuff. We can’t get rid of it all, but I’m looking forward to the day when I can feel proud of that space–uncluttered and cleaned out. It is going to take us some time!
Every step however small is a step closer 🙂
Oh what a magnificent dining table!! (sorry, not paying attention to the clutter talk at all here, so blown away am I by that gorgeous table… 😀 )
It does make me feel rather medieval 🙂
Congratulations on peeling back the first layer of your onion (a little analogy we use for the decluttering process). It is nice to reminisce in my feelings of when I completed the first push through.
Yes that’s an excellent analogy. Complete with tears!
That is my favourite part: I love the tears 🙂
“stuff attracts stuff” — so true. I also find I have to get stuff *out* — at least to my van — or it sneaks back in (usually via a 2 year old).
You have a *lovely* home — I love all the wood + stone.
Gillie, I quoted you (linking back to this post) in a post that will publish July 12, “Decluttering, The Final Act”, on Knapsack Spirit (http://knapsackspirit.wordpress.com) because I just love “Stuff attracts stuff and it will double in size as more stuff is added to it. Have no stuff lying around and there is nowhere for new stuff to hide!” That’s fantastic, and too good to not be shared. Great insight!
Brilliant post and thank you for the link. Your photos are super, you can see how bright and airy everything is now.
Thanks! I thought it seemed more bright and airy too, though at first it seemed too bare and open! I’d gotten used to it being all closed-in. I love all your posts, and wish we could meet over a cup of tea or espresso! You seem like such a fun person to know!
Definitely tea. It would be fun I think 🙂
OK! Come on over! 🙂
Italy would be wonderful but I think I might be in a bit of trouble if I upped and left without any warning!
🙂