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« Are you a Hoarder, a Shlumpadinka or Both??? | Main | Continuing to Feel More in Control »

March 29, 2008

Comments

sherri

I too have several things like this that I am tring to reduce. My clutter score is an 11 though, so perhaps I need the therapy even worse than you (HA)..... I think having kids who feel like my house is their storage building has added to my clutter score. I don't think it is just me (i hope at least)

sherri

I too have several things like this that I am tring to reduce. My clutter score is an 11 though, so perhaps I need the therapy even worse than you or perhaps there is group therapy for crafters(HA)..... I think having kids who feel like my house is their storage building has added to my clutter score. I don't think it is just me (i hope at least)

Heather

Well you and I have been talking about this daily. I am glad we have each other to be accountable to and take baby steps together. I can totally understand how you feel about throwing the stuff away. I have bins of fabric and some of it I don't even like but I CANNOT make myself throw it away. Its still good! But I don't want to and won't use it.. HELP! I need to pack it up and take it to the thrift store.. I know I won't sell it, its been here too long.
BTW, I think you should stuff those tins full of goodies and sell them, they are still good and someone will use them. I know where you live makes donating more difficult, but it kills me to see waste... sorry. Is that not supportive??

candice

I didn't need to see that show (no cable anyway) to know I'm in the same boat. 12 years ago our house was so bad, we had to move! Had 10 yard sales, 1000s of trips to the dump, donated tons more, sold our furniture with the house and still had 13,000 pounds of stuff to move. When we moved, I said I'd never let it happen again. Hah. I'm in the process of doing that purging all over again because it's depressing to have all that stuff around.

Started small--one drawer at a time. Tackled bigger things when I had the time/energy. My studio is the worst--small and dense. It's an ongoing process. Biggest offender after the purge/reorganization is not putting things away on a daily basis. This is called equalizing by professional organizers.

You will get there, Donna. I've done it twice. BTW, I want to order from your Etsy shop but don't do Paypal. Contact me, please?

Will

Why not use those tins to make Jackson's teachers a end of school project Mil. I'll say what you always say to me, "don't overacheive it."

You have yourself in a paradox, being a champion of the vintage way of life and lover of all things vintage and old, sentimental about ledger pages and everything else, but wanting to use those things in expressing yourself in art.

I think you are fine just the way you are and don't think you need to kick youself too hard in the britches, just don't buy so much.

Maybe it's a matter of time management (the pot is now talking directly to the kettle on top of all my toes)and alotting yourself a certain amount of time on ebay and then stopping. Just stop it.

I love that Bob Newhart skit from Mad TV. Have you seen it? I'll link it to you because you would love it.

What you are today is waht is important, none of us are who we were ten years ago and it's a good thing. I love you just the way you are. Hoarsclumpadinka.

Sarah

Is there any chance you have a local freecycle group? Our town is not huge, but our freecycle group is!

And I love it. Set your stuff on the front porch, make a freecycle post and someone who needs it/wants it comes to your house and picks it up. No trips to the thrift and no huge piles of stuff in the trash. :-)

Jessica

Hi Donna! It's so satisfying to clean out and get some control over our stuff, isn't it? I often think of how interesting it is that although the actual acquiring of stuff is fun, just having it around isn't satisfying at all! As humans, myself included, we often try, in vain, to fill a spiritual or emotional hunger with physical stuff (food, art supplies, drugs, whatever.) Maybe there lies a deeper issue in your struggle? Did you know that the Bible says God created us with a spiritual hunger (or thirst), that only Jesus can satisfy (John 4:13). Therefore there's no point trying to relieve this thirst with anything else but Him. As it says in Isaiah 55, "why spend your money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?" I know this has been true in my own life which is why I'm sharing this with you. Perhaps this is part of what you are struggling with now?

Alison Gibbs

HI Donna good on you fofr having a go at clearing up some of your stuff. Sarahs idea of freecycle is great or just take a pile to the thrift store.
Have a great week and take it slowly to make sure you only get rid of what you won't use
Alison

Michelle

I know exactely how you a feel! I'm a pack rat! I get it from my Mom, who got ot from her parants that are chech. and were here for the depression!

I find it easiest to sort everything by color, someday I'll post pics of my studio to share the idea. As for my stuff. The things I don't want, i share with my scrapbook group, use for craft days with my toddler or list on freecycle, a group dedicated to keeping your stuff out of the
here is the link
http://www.freecycle.org/
they are associatted with yahoo groups, so you can easily find a group near you. Don't be scared away by the "rules" It's so easy to post offers or wanted items!

hope this helps!

Kim

Hi Donna, I can relate to so much of what you have been posting about clutter. Like you, I have called a halt to additional vintage rhinestone purchases because I have enough to use in hundreds of art projects. Have you considered putting some of your "extra treasures" on eBay (I know you listed some fabric there) and donating a portion or maybe all the proceeds to a charity? eBay has the Mission Fish program and if you were donating the proceeds I think it would give you a great sense of satisfaction. You could even do this on etsy. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to contact me. I have a lot of experience in this kinda thing :).

Shannon J

Obviously your not alone, Donna! But don't kick yourself too hard. You have an amazing talent, remember that! Finding treasures and creating what you do says so much!
Here's an idea: Put yourself on a monthly budget for your vintage finds, when you've spent your budget, that's it! No more hunting & spending, instead head to your studio and start creating! It'll take some work/self control to keep yourself from spending (believe me), but it's worth a try! (We are going through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University right now, so I'm all about budgets!) ;)
Hey, give yourself a hug today! You need one! ;)
Hugs from me,
Shannon

Jeanne

Hi again Donna! I think this is a universal problem. I've been discussing this topic with friends and we have noticed that there is a flood of articles about clutter issues in the magazines, newspapers, on TV, etc. I believe it is a sign of the times. I am SO happy that you said you could relate to the hoarding woman on the Oprah show. My best friend could not. Well, maybe she doesn't have those tendencies, but I DO! And I am frightened if I let it go on any longer my house WILL look like hers! I have a difficult time parting with things, partially because I like them so much and partly because I spend good money for them and I find it wasteful to just get rid of it without even using it. The other problem I have is decision making. It is hard for me to decide what things to part with because I see everything as being equal. I know I am my own worst enemy because since I KNOW I have a problem parting with things, then I shouldn't bring them home in the first place. I've been working on this problem for years and don't seem to get anywhere. I'll be watching your progress and hopefully I will gain some inspiration and finally, once and for all, be able to successfully tackle my hoarding issues.
Hugs,
jeanne

laura

Our schools- especially grade and middle love fabrics, trims , beads, even egg cartons for their art classes. Maybe you could donate to them. Good luck. Laura

danasmith

I so can relate! It seems many of my own Blog posts are about hunts for more vintage finds and few are about things I've created with them! A few years ago we lived in NYC and I worked a couple days a week in a needlepoint shop on the Upper East side. Just about every Sat. a gal came in and never left without spending at least a couple hundred dollars....and many times much much more. I asked her one day if she had started stitching the canvas she has purchased the week before and she said....Oh my dear, Dana, I don't care if I ever stitch the canvases I leave with each Saturday I just want to own them. I just looked at her at a loss for words.
Fast forward 13 years and I can relate each time I walk in the door with yet another cabinet card or handful of vintage clip earrings. I'm just as crazy as that Upper East Side Yenta!
Dana in VA

Karin (creativechaos)

OMG....Ohhhhhh you speaketh directly to me'th...I have soooo much to say on this subject but I'm just supposed to be browsing my fave blogs while trying to catch up on life and my blog....but I will be back...with much to say on this subject that has my name all over it....and lmao about the tins.soooo something I would have done!

Penny-Elizabeth

I think alot of us vintage collector girls can relate to this! I know I can- looking behind me now at the bomb site that it my loungeroom, I can't use the couch (piled with stuff to sell on ebay) or the reading chair (piled with paper packs for Etsy). I can't use the kitchen table (wrist cuffs in progress) and even the studio table has been buried in a mountain of scrap.

I didn't think it was that big a deal...I'm creative, I have a small house, I can do something with just about anything...excuse, excuse excuse. My clutter score is 13! Yikes.

The part I don't understand though is why throw it in a dumpster? Why can't all these things be given to the thrift shop?

I haven't read the whole Oprah rundown so hopefully that's the case, but it makes me even sadder to think that all that accumulation is going to landfill, when there are so many people who could use it. After all, one of the top reasons I use vintage is to save it from landfill.

I'll be purging this weekend, so ebay, etsy and the thrift will all benefit!

Scrap Gold Prices

I spun it up pretty finely because I wanted to try to use the Navajo Plying technique. For those who haven't tried it before, Navajo plying is a means of achieving a three ply yarn off a single bobbin by, in essence, working very long crochet chain stitches. It takes a touch of coordination, but with a little practice, it's actually quite fun. I started with some scrap yarn I had and got the motion down, before trying it with my new singles.

Robin~Thrifty Miss Priss

I used to come here all the time and somehow lost you! I've added you to my google reader now. I'm glad to be back here and feel your pain on this issue. That lady's house is ALWAYS in the back of my head. I wonder if my family is secretly whispering about me.....I even sometime LIE a little about when I've visited a thrift store!

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