I’ve actually started to get rid of stuff.

Now this might not seem like much to other people, but this is just HUGE for me. I am a collector, a keeper, a “what-if –er”. I never throw things out until they are so unusable that even the Salvation Army doesn’t want them. I have clothes from 1976 (my first year of teaching.) I also have clothes ranging from a size 14 -24. And boxes and bags full of them.

Today I left 16 bags of clothes for the Viet Nam Vets to come and pick up. These weren’t little wimpy bags, either, but big, sturdy black trash bags. And the clothes weren’t junk either. Some might be a bit outdated, but most were from the “Elisabeth” line of Liz Claiborne.

I have had these things stored in the closet for more years than I care to admit, and I haven’t worn them, or been able to fit into them for about 9 years, so they are now gone. It was far easier than I ever thought it would be to get rid of them, and there are a few things that I kept for nostalgic reasons, but more was tossed out than was kept.

Sadly, I still have lots more to go through, but I think this was a huge start for me, and I’m quite proud that I actually followed through.

I’d like to fit into those smaller sizes someday, but decided that if I ever do I’d rather buy all new stuff as I’d deserve rewards for the hard work of losing weight. I would like to get myself to the place where I can be regimented about dieting again, but I don’t think I have the motivation to do that right now.

It’s a goal for the near future.

Meanwhile, the unpacking and settling in is slowly coming along. I’ve brought in lots of my books and do-dads, so it’s starting to look a bit homier. I’ve hung the shadowboxes and plan to get some of the shelves up today. That way I can figure out where the do-dads will live.

The hardest part is the figuring out where things should go. The space is so different here – lots of funky angles and more windows (that are BIG), so less wall space to hang things on or to push furniture against!

I’m trying to keep the living space a “stamp free zone”. I don’t want to be storing art supplies in the living room and dining room, I’d like to keep them confined to the craft room, but I’m discovering that this is really hard. The craft room is small and has the funkiest angles of all the rooms, so trying to keep the stuff organized and accessible is a real puzzle. At the moment things are stacked everywhere and the floor isn’t really visible. Unfortunately it gets really hot in that room, so I don’t want to spend a lot of time in there at the moment. We are having an extended spell of hot and humid weather, and that’s the only room that gets direct sunlight. It’s an oven.

The Wall of Jericho in the garage is much smaller, and it’s easier to find things when I go looking. I’m actually at the point of SELECTING numbered boxes because there are specific things that I want to unpack. I have far less opening and shifting boxes going on now.

No one else could come in here and think that I’ve made progress, but I know that I have. It doesn’t look the way I want it to yet, but at least things are being located.

I really haven’t done anything with my bedroom yet, mostly because I had the 16 bags for the vets stacked in the corner. Now that those are gone I can start rearranging the furniture and finding the things that belong in the bedroom.

The bathrooms continue to bug me. The lack of medicine cabinet and linen closet is making me crazy. So I’ve bought some stacking basket/bins for under the sink, another set (that’s meant for the kitchen) to go between the vanity and the wall, and I bought an étagère (that has to be put together) to go behind and over the toilet. These things are all going in the bathroom off the master bedroom.

I hung a shelf unit in the main bathroom, and found a free standing toilet paper holder (who ever heard of not having a toilet paper holder in the bathroom?!?), but that’s all for now. I hate the wallpaper in that bathroom, it’s so not me. It’s beige with brownish stripes and butterflies and flowers. It’s sort of a raised pattern and is so ugly. That will likely be my first big remodel project. Off with the paper and on with some dramatic paint color.

It’s all coming along, so I need to take heart and not let myself get crazy.