Decluttering - Phase One - Clothes

I decided it would be easiest to start my de-cluttering with clothes as really there's only so many choices to make.

• They either fit or they don't 
• They either suit me or they don't 
• I'll either wear them (like them) or I never will (hate them, even if they fit)

My clothes have been piling up on the bed, dressing table, chairs and floor as my wardrobe and drawers were full and going through the piles, drawers, cupboards and wardrobe in my bedroom I seem to have had a lot of clothes but nothing to wear. Sound familiar?

I made the decision to do one drawer/cupboard/pile at a time and not try and pull out everything at once.
I tried everything on even if I was sure it would/wouldn't fit.
And to make myself happy I started with my 'to slim into drawer' - I'm sure everyone (women at least) has a drawer like this in their house.

It was actually a lot of fun, helped by finding six, yes SIX pairs of trousers I can now fit into properly and wear in public :-)
It was also a bit like journeying through my past as I found outfits and items of clothing from years ago 80's and 90's that brought back lots of memories.  I'm keeping the memories and ditching the clothes :-)

I put everything that was going into big black binbags and when each one was full moved the bags out of the room and refused to look in them again as I know from experience if it sits there I'll start taking things back out and inventing a reason to keep them.

Several days and lots of clothes and dust later I won the battle of the wardrobe.

I had SIX black bin bags and one carrier bag to go to Cancer Research.

I didn't even have to worry about what was good enough to donate or not as they also get money for rags so anything they can't sell in the shops is still useful.

And they even have an option to Gift Aid it now.

My friend Hazel helped me take all the bags to the shop in one go so I wouldn't be tempted to start rummaging :-)

No more piles of clothes on the floor or surfaces, my clothes now all fit in my wardrobe and dressing table drawers.
However, I admit, I have started a new 'to slim into drawer' but its a lot smaller than the previous one.

Next phase - books!

Serious de-cluttering time

I have way to much stuff, all types of stuff and me and my house are drowning in it. 

Craft stuff, sewing stuff, genealogy stuff, music stuff, 

books stuff, dvd stuff, clothes stuff, paper stuff, 

exercise stuff, diet stuff, cooking stuff and oh yeah organisation stuff! 

Up till now I've done some minimal decluttering but mainly I've been trying to get organised more and find places and ways to store all the stuff I have. 

The problem is now every surface, corner, cupboard, drawer, box, shelf and table are stacked high with stuff. And while I do know what it all is and where its all kept and can usually find things quite quickly when I need to,  I can't really do much with what I've got as there is no room left for actually using the stuff.

My life has becoming continually maintaining the organisation of piles of stuff. There has to be more.

I've finally come to understand Flyladys comments when she says you can't organise clutter.

So, enough is enough!

I'm starting on properly clearing out years worth of stuff and as I haven't moved home since I was 3  I have a LOT of stuff and some of it is going to have emotional attachments but quite a lot of it won't.

Some of it I've kept for fear of offending the people that gave stuff to me, ornaments I don't like, books I won't read and clothes that don't suit.  

I've decided as my house is now so cluttered I never invite them round anyway how would they know if I kept their gifts or not, and would most of them even remember what they gave me.

Flylady had a little list that may help

• Do I love this item?
• Have I used it in the past year?
• Is it really junk?
• Do I have another one that is better?
• Should I really keep two?
• Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it?
• Or does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see the item?

I'll post here as I work through the various stages, and hopefully writing it down will help when it comes to some of the harder decisions of what can go and what can stay. 

Anyone up for joining me or any suggestions on making it less painful, feel free to comment. 

New Phone and a Question

I'm still working on my To-Do list from last month and ticked off a couple.

I've managed to get extra hours in the day by taking this week off work and making serious inroads on my housework and sorting all my paper clutter. I'm trying to set up proper storage spaces for bills, sunday school lessons, craft classes, magazines & newspaper clippings as well as find a way to deal with junkmail as soon as it arrives not just pile it up on the kitchen counters.

I also bought a new phone at last. Only my fourth ever mobile and the first to really do pictures and internet. So now in the midst of getting to grips with the touch screen and rotating display and a keypad that keeps appearing and disappearing I'm also trying to navigate this new world of 'apps'.

• What are they?
• Do I need them?
• If so which ones?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Ten things on just after the Tenth :)

I was going to post this yesterday as part of Shimelles 10 things on the tenth but still getting to grips with my new phone and couldn't get it to type an entry only the title. I recently signed up to twitter so sharing 10 people I'm following.

glittershim also known as Shimelle Laine

Spring Harvest Christian conference I volunteer at each year

jake humphrey F1 from BBC, best in the world :)

twitturgies personal liturgies in 140 characters

ProfBrianCox everyone needs a bit of science

Natwivity Twitter Nativity

timminchin don't agree with all his views but he is an amazing musician/comic/writer

NASAVoyager2 I know I'm a geek

BrainyQuote Some of it has to rub off on me at some point

stephenfry isn't everyone?

If anyone wants to follow me you can do so here but I cant promise I'll be any more consistent with my posts than here :)

Things still to do this year!

Things still to do this year (in no particular order)

• Update craft blog
• Update family tree blog
• Update family tree website
• Tidy and organise craft room
• Organise and tidy family tree files
• Defrag PC and delete the bad digi photos
• Start craft class
• Find time to craft and sew and research family tree
• Find the other 12 hours a day I would like to have to do the above
• Turn my spare room into a Hogwarts(ish) room of requirement that i can use for crafting, sewing, genealogy and occasional visitors
• Take more photos
• Get back to running
• Record more stories
• Spend more time with friends
• Get a new mobile phone

10 on the 10th

10 Things I'm thinking about today

1: Headaches and sickness bugs :(

2: Sunday School classes

3: British F1 GP win for Ferrari and points for Michael Schumacher

4: Housework :(

5: Shimelles 4x6 Love layouts

6: Weather

7: Running plans

8: Punch art ideas

9: Which of my Vegas photos to scrap next

10: Whats for tea?

Its July!!!

Ok I know I said I'd be back in a week but its been a busy month :)

I had to make up some time at work so have worked the past 3 Saturdays and that really eats into your creative and organising time. So much for working to live!

I have manged to get some things done though - I got out for a run, only two miles but I'm back at it. I had a play with my Bigshot and I scrapped! I'm quite proud of myself.

Its been a while since I did any scrapbooking. I keep meaning to get started and I read lots of blogs and forums and look at lots of ideas and then think - I'll do it later.

Well at last later caught up with me. I'd seen a sketch on Shimelles blog and immediately thought of one of the photos I'd bought on my recent trip to Las Vegas so here is my oversized picture layout of my trip to the Shark Reef Aquarium at the Mandalay Bay.

I dipped into my stash of cardstock and designer paper mixing in a bit of pink with the blues to match my top and the coral. I used my new Top Note and Fun Flowers Dies for the Bigshot and some embossing folders to add some texture. Then I had great fun making my Shark lettering with chipboard letters, various shades of blue inks, crystal effects and lots of time and patience :) Crystal Effects advises 30-60 mins to dry if using a thick layer but don't believe it. I always leave mine overnight. Just to be sure :)

I'm please with the final result and glad to be back scrapping. Hopefully more holiday layouts to follow soon.

I've also treated myself by ordering all my holiday photos from Las Vegas and the Cruise in 09 from photobox they arrived yesterday and make a huge pile.

May need to browse for inspiration.