Monday 8 August 2016

Stuff

Most of yesterday was spent clearing out my bedroom for the decorator who arrived this morning at an ungodly hour. The room is going to be transformed by the pretty pale blue-grey colour I have chosen, having bought far too many sample pots of various shades of blue - everything from barely there to the darkest possible Georgian blue which I love in magazines but am not quite brave enough to use.  

And this is the problem.  So much choice; so many sample pots, but I knew after the third colour I tried out that my search was over; this colour was perfect.  What to do now with all the other little pots? Projects I suppose.  Repaint the kitchen chairs and small items of furniture or paint plant pots, perhaps.  A pity not to use them but more jobs to add to the endless and ever growing to-do list.  

But the stuff that came out of my bedroom! Especially out of my wardrobe.  Where did it all come from? How did it get there and why did I want/need it?  So many pairs of shoes?  So many scarves? And the earrings, necklaces, handbags and clutch bags, jackets, dresses ...  all no doubt bought for a reason at some point.  The clothes I needed for a job I no longer have, special occasion clothes for a party or wedding, too nice to let go but probably not to be worn again, unless I take to going to the village shop or walking the dogs in them! Not entirely practical. 




The spare bedroom now looks like a branch of an Oxfam shop.  In my head I would love to be someone who buys only one or two carefully chosen pieces but this has never happened and probably never will. Instead, I am a magpie!  




The sooner it all disappears back into the various nooks and crannies of my bedroom, the better.  I shall no doubt do a bit of desultory pruning, a few books to the charity shop, a few pairs of the high heeled shoes put on ebay, perhaps, and a big note to self. For goodness sake, stop buying scarves!

10 comments:

  1. Nothing by empathy here, from a woman with a winter scarf basket, a summer scarf basket and a shawl basket. When I think of retirement I imagine the great closet purge that will occur but I know that I have a hard time parting with bits and pieces due to a very strong 'what if' streak!
    Good luck with the painting!

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  2. Glad it's not just me then, Honora. I usually hang onto things for around 10 years on the basis of 'what if'. They all seemed essential at the time...

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  3. Marianne, I enjoyed this post and know that you will thoroughly enjoy having the well-chosen new color in your bedroom. Paint can work wonders!

    Do make use of those sample pots of colors. Or if you can't find a use for them, perhaps a local school might welcome them for various projects.

    It's funny how we do choose which wardrobe items stay and which don't. For many decades I made my own clothes, and really enjoyed the process of choosing the patterns and fabrics, and developing my own style in the process. Buying luxurious shoes at sales was my treat.

    I think most of these clothes were made to meet demands of my corporate job. I am delighted not to have those demands now! I've sort of put a maximum limit on just how many clothes I know keep. Nothing enters the apartment unless something has gone out...either to the neighborhood thrift shop, or to the recycling collection of fabrics I keep for various craft projects, or just to the scrap pile.

    More recently, while I was working in the retail fashion world, I got all sorts of clothes and Scarves (!) for next to free, and lots of these items were donated to the thrift shop. I keep the scarves I really love, like those featuring the Japanese tie-dye technique Shibori, but others I have recycled for crafting.

    Marianne, don't let me leave you with an image of a minimal sort of decorating scheme in my apartment. Far from it. The clothes might be under control, but the art and craft materials and tools, and The Books...tell a different story. xo

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    1. So hard to decide what stays and what goes. Like you, lots of stuff leaves the house too, but I certainly hadn't realised just quite how much there was in my bedroom until I had to clear it out! Most of it is much loved though - everything has to earn a placed for a reason and there are so many memories carried in our stuff. Books and projects also take up too much space although the projects usually have to give way to gardening... The first coat is on and is looking good so far.

      Lovely to hear from you again Frances and will drop by.

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  4. I am in the middle of redecorating also, but unfortunately, did not get a decorator. Because I have always been pleased with my other choices in the past and have been complimented on my taste, I relied on it once more. Then they handed me at least 50 books of fabric. I got overwhelmed and picked wrong. Now I am left yo live with the results.

    Your choice of blue and grey is perfect. They are both popular colors now and so soft on the eyes.

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    1. The choice of colour and fabrics is overwhelming and so difficult to make the right call. I did walk into the room today and think the colour was wrong - far too grey, not enough blue, but it is settling in nicely and I think it will be fine. Living with a mistake is never easy - a constant irritant.

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  5. an enjoyable post! I remember feeling hugely emotional when I got rid of my 'work clothes' as it felt like the end of an era, but I was hardly going to wear them for a career in horticulture!

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  6. You got rid of them? Mine are still there waiting for dog walking duty!

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  7. I could have written this post! or something similar. I still have a work suit that I cherish because (nothing to do with the job!) I had just lost a lot of weight, and suddenly a neat little suit fitted me perfectly! I will never wear it again, and perhaps I will move it on, but not yet.........

    Blue can be tricky; I once went into a great paint-mixing place and explained that I wanted to paint my back yard "the colour of an English sky" that could stand the colder tones of winter. To my surprise, the very serious listener recommended a very ordinary Cornflower White - and he was absolutely right! It was wonderful in summer with pink roses, and looked smart in winter with only the evergreens. I hope you will show us the final result?

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    1. We all accummulate so much stuff as we go through life, each stage having different requirements, and it becomes part of our identity. I was rather shocked at the scarf situation though...

      I was very tempted to do an off white/neutral colour, but wanted to experiment a bit with colour. Although I wasn't sure initially, I am really pleased with it now, especially as the books and pictures are going back and bouncing the light around. It works really well with the curtains, too, which were bought 5 years ago, after a sailing trip in Holland, so I guess the theme is Dutch Skies. Have to see how it works in winter. Photo of finished room to follow, although carpet has not yet been replaced. Another project.

      Glad you were pleased with your paint choice, Rachel. It sounds perfect!

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