Sunday, January 17, 2021

Making space ... week 8

 

 I've been steadily plugging away at decluttering in various areas -- these are all areas that were out of sight, but I still feel great to have so many things leaving my house!

January 5 --To the thrift store: 5 or 6 iron-on craft transfers — bought to use on sweatshirts back in the day.  4 spools of thread, one white and three black.

Cleaning out that second shelf in the corner kitchen cabinet and also the top shelf in an upper cabinet.. 

To the trash: 5 plastic ice-cube trays; 2 metal ring molds; a broken deviled-egg plate; a cracked melamine plate

To our camp: 8 Corelle plates

To the thrift store: 1 Tupperware jello mold; 2 decorative tins; a 1-quart Corning ware casserole with cover; 2 stainless steel nesting bowls.

To our local daughter: a pretty blue glass pitcher; a 2-quart clear glass Fire King pouring bowl.

January 13-15 — sorting, tossing, donating items from some of my craft supply storage.

Tossed — a partial package of jersey loops for making pot holders; a bundle of raffia; old, woodgrain contact paper saved to use in a dollhouse; 2 kid-painted wooden signs (I saved the best ones); an opened package of colorful crafting feathers; pom-poms that had seen better days; an open box of plastic straws dedicated to crafting; assorted odds and ends of VBS and Sunday school crafts; a broken wooden Christmas plaque to paint (and presumably glue); a dozen or so nearly-used thread spools; my grandmother’s pincushion, a round plastic box of straight pins (much shorter than today’s pins and so not really useful); a stenciled wooden cheese box filled with a tangle of leftover crewel yarn and some skeins of off-brand embroidery floss.  (I kept a few skeins of floss.)

To the thrift store: a paper punch,  2 types of decorative sewing trim; 4 small soft-sculptured doll heads; 3 small grapevine wreaths; 2 plastic hangers (kids size); a package of multicolored plastic coffee stirrers for crafting; a fabric “praise banner” for kids to paint; 1 bag plastic Easter eggs; 2 spools metallic craft ribbon; a large bag of assorted pompoms; the makings for satin “Victorian hat” Christmas ornaments; odds and ends of plastic canvas; odds and ends of magnetic tape; a hem gauge (I think it’s called); 2 packages of cover-your-own buttons; 2 packages fabric crayons; assorted metal buckles; a half-dozen spools of thread; 2 skeins black yarn; a box of vintage button & carpet thread; an unused candle wicking wall hanging kit with a strawberry motif.

To my local daughter: odds and ends of craft materials that her kids will use.

To sell on Etsy: a vintage white plastic buckle for a dress belt.

To our camp: 2 kid-painted wooden signs; a wreath hanger I’d been hunting for; a handmade recipe card holder.

Gift items have also been stored up here.  I’d moved most of them to a different area, but forgot some. 

So, to the thrift store: a lighted floating “color orb”; to the gift chest: a set of 3 “Autumn Romance” votive holders.

I didn't count the items, but that's a lot of stuff.  So thankful to have it going elsewhere!

9 comments:

  1. I like your itemizing by category the things you've rehomed or tossed. Pretty inspiring, Mrs. T.

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    1. It's a lot of stuff, isn't it? Smallish stuff, to be sure, but still a lot. You are the one who has inspired me, and I thank you for that.

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  2. It's amazing the stuff we hold onto, then don't think about it again for years! You are inspiring me to go through the storage spaces in our home and sort things out!

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    1. Oh my, so much stuff held onto! I knew it was a lot, but I'm finding it's even more than I thought. Much of this is stuff I actually used at one time back when I did lots more crafting and sewing than I find time for these days.

      That tangle of crewel yarn, for instance -- I did many kits back in the 1980s, mostly for gifts, and then kept the leftover yarn for use in designing my own projects. I made many stitcheries using Holly Hobbie coloring book designs. So much fun, but I need to realize I'm not likely to ever use that yarn. It's old and musty, and even if I were to take up crewel again I would need to start with new yarn or a kit or two.

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  3. That even made me feel good! Now if I could get going here. I recently got a new router or something to increase the speed of my internet. Here I am paying top dollar for internet and had inadequate equipment slowing it all down. I was going to donate said thing when my son asked why. He told me it had seen its day. I said, "It still works." He said, "It's antiquated." So glad that it is in the trash. No one else will have to deal with it.

    Sometimes, the trash is where a thing belongs...true of clothing as well.

    Keep up the great work!

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  4. I'm glad this made you feel good, Vee! I have so much more to do, but have to keep reminding myself of what is getting done. Keeping a running list, more or less -- not of *everything* that's thrown away, but of those donated or rehomed.

    How great that your antiquated router is in the trash! And yes, I have some clothing (bought at a thrift store to begin with) that is literally falling apart. I only wear it for work, to be sure, but the time has nearly come to toss it.

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  5. It has to feel good to get things done. This is my seventh January to go through the house decluttering. I feel like it has been such a journey because in that 7 years I had Mom to help pare down her house and move. For the very first time I felt like I had a handle on what was in the house. Now, there is still too much in here, but it doesn't feel overwhelming anymore. I have honestly worked on pictures and sentimental stuff this year the most. I am checking things off my list. I like to tackle all of this in January well because it is so cold what else can you do but stay in and get stuff done. All this has made me ever so cautious about buying anything new---ha.

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  6. Wow, you are an inspiration to me, and I am reading other comments and realize that I need to get a move on with my own cleaning out and throwing out. I just haven't had the energy or desire to do so, but hearing all this is making me realize I really need to do this. I should start with my desk drawers as I clean out old files to make new for the new year. I usually do this at tax time, so might as well get a start on it. I don't think I cleaned them out last year and so now they are overflowing. Thank you for sharing this with us. I need a good kick in the pants to get going! LOL.

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  7. Yes, exactly what I am doing too Mrs T. I did take a chair that was in the guest room to Grimmwood for our bedroom. I wanted a chair for retreating to when Marvin is watching sports.lol My craft room comes this week. I have been going thru my closet, keeping only modest clothing that fits well. I am not a young thing anymore and I am dressing for comfort these days. Our thrift store supports missions so I can feel good about getting rid of things that are not my style anymore.

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