Minimalist Melissa


Lately I have been doing a lot of thinking about my possessions mostly because I am overwhelmed by them.  We don't have a large house and when we moved here we had a place for everything and things were organized and manageable.  However, in a mere seven years something dreadful has happened.

One of the dreadful things that has happened is the sale table at Barnes and Noble.  I have a huge personal library that I will never read.  When I purchased a lot of the books, they seemed interesting but now, not so much.  So, in the last couple of weeks I have culled some of the books and taken them to my neighborhood Half Price Books to sell them.  I didn't get a lot for them but that is ok.  Yes, I could put them on Ebay and try to recoup what I paid for them but that is just an awful lot of bother, now, isn't it?  Other options are to offer them on Goodreads or donate to the library -- both options I might consider -- especially the library.  In any event, I need to make further strides in that area and keep the books that truly mean something to me.

Another dreadful thing that has happened -- magazine subscriptions!  Somehow I have to get my husband to quit subscribing to magazines.  Really.  They are taking over the house!

I also seem to have a problem with purses/handbags.  I put out a question on facebook yesterday asking if I were to only have one purse, what would my friends recommend.  I got a few responses -- all good -- and I think I am considering this:

They come in three sizes and I will probably opt for the large considering I could use it as an overnighter if I chose to. It is weather proof nylon, lined and has leather trim.  It doesn't have lots of pockets inside which I always seem to gravitate toward yet never use. These bags are very popular on the East Coast and not so much here in the south, however, because they are lightweight and water-resistant, I think one would serve me well.  So, this might be on my Christmas list.  First, however, I need to go through my current pile of purses and sort things out.

Shoes are not really an issue.  I used to love to buy shoes but not so much anymore.  I have a pair of black Clark's flats and a pair of tan -- exactly the same, very comfortable and very basic.  I have some sandals, one pair of athletic type shoes and one pair of top siders.  I have a pair of black heels but I don't wear them often.  I will keep them though, just in case the need arises.

I have several silky blouses that are just too big and really, even though I am old, they just smack of "old lady" and they are going away.  Far, far away.  I have a few coordinated items with colored slacks and coordinating blouses -- too, too old lady for me.  So, they will be going.  I am shaping my wardrobe around the basic colors of navy, black, and gray -- I don't like khaki -- and intend to use some accent colors of red, turquoise and possibly pink.  I don't get dressed up anymore in dresses and I think I can dress up the other things I have to serve the purpose if I need to.  I have long comisserated the demise of our "ladylike" dress, complete with gloves but, now that I am living life in the slower, retired, more leisurely lane, I think I might actually enjoy no stockings and no gloves --- soft socks are really nice.   I might consider a black, straight skirt -- I might be able to do that.

As I discussed in an earlier post, I am test driving a new makeup -- Rejuva Minerals and so far I like it.  I placed an order for two foundations, a blush and an eyeshadow.  The blush was not in the order and I called the number, got a real person -- a nice one -- and explained.  She explained to me why the blush was not there -- it was on backorder -- and she expected it to be in stock and shipped by Friday.  I received an email that it was shipped and I should receive it tomorrow.  The reviews of the mascara was very good and so, if I like the blush I will probably order the mascara and an eyeliner and purge the rest of my cosmetics.  I buy the stuff but don't wear it or wear it once or twice and don't like it and then it just piles up in the drawer because I feel bad about buying it and then just throwing it away.  Since I do believe that less is more as we age, I think this amount of makeup will do just fine and I can throw it in a makeup bag and take it with me if I so choose.  I still can't download a photo so visit the site at rejuvaminerals.com.

I am looking for a new pair of dressy jeans and I think I am going to try the ones at Coldwater Creek.  I have seen them on and they are nice.

So, that is what has been on my mind all this week.  Getting rid of things, paring down to what is important and meaningful and making my life easier on the whole.  Once it is done, I guess the trick is to keep up the process -- that may be harder than getting things done to begin with!