The Sweet and Sentimental

Six little bears need a good home

Many items in our homes are ones we enjoy for a time;  but then, it is time to let someone  else find and enjoy them.  I'm clearing out the clutter.  Eventually, I hope I will have gotten at least close to being a minimalist in my home decorating.  My goal is to only have what my husband and I consider useful and beautiful, as well as a few of those very special sentimental gifts.   They may not always look beautiful in someone else's eyes, but the memories are sweet.

However, I would like to make a point about gifts.  By no means should you continue to hold on to something or display something just because a loved one gave it to you.  I am still learning how to handle this.  One item, which we have had most of our married life (40 something years),  I am veryyyyyyyy tired of seeing. Yes, I was a baby when I got married, if you are trying to figure out how old I am.  Ha, ha! 

In our last house, I put The Picture in a spare bedroom because it went perfectly with the curtains.  The person that painted it wanted to know where it was, and  she thought I didn't like it anymore.  It wasn't that I didn't like it.  Even though, I appreciated the reminder of her love -- I was tired of looking at it.  And, it didn't fit in with my color scheme or other pictures.  I made sure she saw it's new special place, and how perfect it looked there.  Now, I am to the point in our present home, I am trying to brighten up our decor;  so, I put in the middle hall, when the artist came to visit.  When I find something else I would rather have there, I am going to move it again, or even put it away for a time -- so it will be fresh.   And I am not showing you the picture, even though I know this person does not use the internet.

 Above, I have posted no longer wanted or needed items.  There is nothing sentimental about these things.

These are mini-books.  I don't mean short, but they are truly small.  I cannot even read them with
my glasses on, and I recently had my eyes checked.  They were a sweet gift,
but they are taking up space.   So, if the person that was so sweet to give them to sees this, you will be contributing to our vacation money.  Hopefully, someone will buy them at my garage sale.

The count on items decluttered since March is 157.  

I am counting the August garage sale items, because leftovers will go to a charity thrift store.  

It is easier to photograph as I put the clutter aside for redistribution.  

Finally, I have a fleeting thought I would like to share.  Some of you may disagree, but that is alright.  When you are on a tight budget, you can often buy "like new" or items you know would be interesting for a gift.  For instance, one of our daughters bought a vinyl record for her dad one year for Christmas.  That was a neat gift.  I have had things that I over-bought that I have given for gifts to people I felt would appreciate them.  It really is the "thought that counts."  Sometimes, I will hold on to something if I think it would be a good gift, but I let it go when that doesn't work out.  My kids and friends don't want clutter either.  It really does not hurt my feelings when they decide it is time to say good-bye to an object.