On a day where I’d usually be out roaming the countryside, I’ve instead decided to take some time out to continue to furnish my new home with the help of Freecycle. Severe flooding has hit Bristol and North Somerset in recent days and with rain continuing to fall as I type this, I’m actually quite glad to be indoors today.
It all started with this pair of bar stools. I’d been hunting these out for a while as I’ve always seen the opportunity to use the breakfast bar as a dining area. I do live alone (and I don’t expect that to change) but I’d like to have company once in a while, which is why I was determined to find a matching pair. As it happened, these were only a 30 second walk around the corner!! Zero emissions and somewhere comfortable to park my bum!
I clearly need to do something with the collection of boxes. I think two are filled with recyclable jiffy bags, which is excessive. I keep telling myself that I’m going to use most of them when I come to declutter my DVD collection but I keep putting that off… Which is okay. Decluttering doesn’t have to happen all at once. You can work in stages, taking small steps to break down the load.
I’ve also been able to collect a pair of cork notice boards or pin boards. I was only looking for one but I like the dry erase portion of the other board (even though I think they’re written on it with permanent marker…).
My intention is to place the cork board over my desk area, so that I can remind myself of bills to pay and appointments to make, etc. The other might work well in the kitchen – as I learned from my friend on Christmas Day; it’s sometimes important to be able to jot things down, like times for when certain items have entered the oven. But of course, as I’m renting, I am limited to using only holes already in place. I’m not allowed to drill new ones.
Next, I’d like to find a pair of light coloured curtains to fit over this window. You can see I’ve fitted a slatted blind to existing hooks but it’s not wide enough to keep all of the light out. I have received one offer this morning (again, from another local) but sadly, these curtains are far too long (note the breakfast bar below) and I’m not immediately aware of anyone who could take them up for me… And although it looks straight-forward on YouTube, I’m not about to bring a sewing machine in when I’m supposed to be minimalising my space!
Later on today, I’m aiming to spend a small amount of money on some nearly-new cushions for my sofa, after a failed collection attempt on Friday night (you can’t quite get it all for free). If I find myself twiddling my thumbs, I might even look at those 100+ DVDs I don’t watch…
I was quite impressed to notice that Steve Ramsey of Woodworking for Mere Mortals has been blogging about decluttering his workshop (and mind) lately. He’s an undeniable inspiration for many woodworkers so I hope that many of his followers take note.
Thanks for reading.