Simplify

 I chose to focus on the word SIMPLIFY for my "One Little Word" this year.  This is my eleventh post on the subject of simplying.  (You can read the others here).  

I used several quotes in the posts....this one is my favorite:

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. Hans Hofmann



I've been trying very hard to eliminate the unnecessary by sorting through and cleaning out closets and bookcases and boxes and totes. I've gotten through all but two rooms in the house and the fruits of my labor are stacked up in the living room.  Next step on the road to elimination is price tags....'cause it's yard sale time!!  I have lots of work to do this week!!

UPDATE:  Just for the record...this is not all mine!

My daughters have both contributed.  I was a little embarrassed by the large piles of stuff and just really felt the need to clarify!   : )

It's kind of funny to see how the boxes and totes ended up stacked underneath the SIMPLIFY sign!!

Simplify

I'm still trying to focus on and apply to my life this year's "one little work".

"SIMPLIFY"

Something I've realized is that no one can really SIMPLIFY their life until they've learned to be content with what their life is.  Then they need to work within that contentment to weed out what isn't necessary. Maybe finding a more simple life in the process.

"...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.'

Philippians 4:11-13 

Thank you Regina for my new SIMPLIFY picture. I love it!

Wouldn't it Be Nice?!

Three wishes, genie in a lamp, a fairy godmother......I could use any of these right about now.  I have an important "date" coming up in a couple weeks (more about that later) and I've set some goals/expectations about things that I would like to get done before then.  Hopefully they're reasonable ones.  There are some things around the house that we've put off (or done halfway) and it's really important to me that we try to complete these projects.  I'm almost done with the "simplifying" of the living room, dining room, kitchen, family room and bedroom.  Two more evenings should be enough time to finish that.  Bags and boxes are piled in Bill's car waiting on a trip to the Goodwill and tubs and boxes of yard sale goodies are piled up (in the living room ~ I really NEED to find someplace else to pile these).

There's still some repair projects and a couple decorating things that I'd like to see completed.  Plus there are two physical (as in body) goals that I have. 

Long list ~ little time!  Maybe I could just twitch my nose!

"With God nothing shall be impossible".
Luke 1:37

Still At It.....

sim·pli·fy verb \ˈsim-plə-ˌfī\
sim·pli·fied sim·pli·fy·ing

Definition of SIMPLIFY
transitive verb
- to make simple or simpler: as, a : to reduce to basic essentials, b : to diminish in scope or complexity : streamline, c : to make more intelligible : clarify
- sim·pli·fi·ca·tion \ˌsim-plə-fə-ˈkā-shən\ noun
- sim·pli·fi·er \ˈsim-plə-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun

Out With the Old......

Yes, I continue to simplify.  I made REALLY good progress this past weekend.  I went through my closet and dresser.  There's a HUGE box to be taken to Goodwill and several smaller ones to put with all the other yard sale stuff.  The final stack of unwanted magazines isvin the recycle pile.   I sorted through my (pre-digital) photos that were in three cardboard, under-the-bed storage boxes and got rid of a large bagful of blurry, out of focus shots.  The rest are now arranged neatly in one larger plastic, under-the-bed storage box.  So ~ I'm happy with making a little dent in simplifying my life.  I got rid of a lot of stuff!

I also found something to help with future simplifying.....in the kitchen, I think.
I bought this cute wire rack (at Walmart) and two pint-size mason jars and I'll be filling the jars with some cute pens and pencils, or maybe some straws.

"I can do all things through Christ

who strengthens me".

Philippians 4:13

One Little Word

Our life is frittered away by detail...
Simplify, simplify.
Henry Thoreau

 

I'm going to spend some time simplifying my life this weekend!  I'm going to enjoy doing it too!
I hope you enjoy your weekend!!!

My Magazines

I'm about one day away from finishing "the sorting of the magazines"!  It looks like about half of them will be staying and the other half will be re-cycled.  I feel pretty good about completing my first "simplify" project.  I tore pages out of a lot of magazines and will file them for future reference.  I also took some pictures of some pages in the magazines.  Here's some lacy pictures that I took.  I think lace is so pretty.  

I'm not sure what I'll do with these photos ~ for now I'll just save them, but they'll be taking up a lot less room then they used to!

Simplify #2

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

Hans Hofmann 



artfire



Simplifying (my One Little Word)  is not an easy thing to do.....but the magazines are 75% finished. So that's progress.

Hobby Lobby Fun

I got a little Christmas Cash from my father-in-law this year so I stopped in at Hobby Lobby on my way home from work yesterday.  I'm serious about this "simplifying" thing that I want to do, and that means not bringing a bunch of new "stuff" into the house.  But I was very good ~ I only bought two little things. And they were both on sale too! My total including tax was $6.96!!



My new little bird is about 4 inches long. 
I just know that she's thinking, "It's Good to be Queen"!



This sweet strawberry pin cushion is about 1/2 the size of the bird ~ it's perfect whether filled with pins or not.



Magazine Update:

It's taking longer than I thought it would to go through ALL these magazines.  But so far I've flipped through 27 of them ~ and I'm only keeping 5!!  I'm making some progress!

Happy Thursday!!

Simplify #1

As I wandered through the house looking at all that I wanted to remove, I noticed a similarity in each room.  Magazines. Everywhere. Stacks of them. Boxes of them.

I discovered exactly where I would be starting to "Simplify"!

I gathered all the magazines from the family room, the bathroom, two bedrooms, and my craft room.

Then I stacked them on, or piled them under a card table that I set up in my bedroom.  I've always liked to have a little reading material close by!!  I figure if I flip through 25 of them each evening I'll have this job done in no time.  The hardest thing for me is throwing them away (by this I mean "recycle" them).  I thought about having a "Giveaway" with the ones I don't want but honestly, the shipping costs would quickly get out of hand.  Maybe I'll see what's left at the end and offer them to my blog friends for just the cost of shipping.   Would anyone be interested in that?

Love the covers on the Martha Stewart magazines ~ and I totally forgot about the stack of Christmas craft magazines.  I can't wait to look through those again.  I guess this simplifying may not be as hard as I thought.  At least not this week!

One Little Word ~ Simplify

I have been feeling over-whelmed by life for the past several years.  It's partly because of the way I've lived for many years before. I'm a collector and a saver and a procrastinator and I have a lot of good intentions. But I just don't have a lot of time.  Add to the mix some big changes in my life over the past several years. 
On Christmas morning we were sitting in the living room looking at all the stuff in the room. Decorations, brightly wrapped packages, furniture.....so much stuff.  Stuff that spilled over into the kitchen, the family and the rest of the house for that matter.  One of my daughters pointed at one of the "decorations" ~ she thought it was kind of funny to see it in the midst of all the stuff.

There it was ~ staring down at us from above.  SIMPLIFY.  In this house it's not a statement of fact....it's more like a dream...wishful thinking.  I want it to be a reality. And I'm not talking about just the material things either. I want to SIMPLIFY my life....my surroundings, my soul and my spirit.

So my "One Little Word" for 2011 is SIMPLIFY.


Definition of SIMPLIFY
transitive verb
: to make simple or simpler: as a : to reduce to basic essentials, b : to diminish in scope or complexity : streamline, c : to make more intelligible : clarify

Synonyms: streamline
Antonyms: complex, complexify, complicate, perplex, sophisticate


Out with complicated and in with simplified.  Starting now.