Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 14 - CATCH UP
I was struck this morning on how many memories an item can hold. I purchased this teapot in Shanghai in 2010 on a business trip with my older brother. The work was good, we had spent the previous day at the Expo and had had a wonderful time. And we had spent our last day at the knock-off mall when I saw this set. I loved the colour and I loved the feel of it in my hands. And when I picked it off the shelf, the shop owner invited us to sit down and have a cup of tea. She was a good sales women, giving me gentle compliments as we haggled over the price. It was just a great trip and I love the memories of such a good time with my brother without other family members around.
Last year I decluttered another item from that same trip. I hummed and hawed over it as I it came from the same the trip but is didn't spark the recall that this tea set does.
And I think this is what decluttering over a series of years can do for us. We can peel back those layers of what is and isn't important, what is good for us and what drags us down. And what sparks that 'joy' everyone is always talking about. And truly understanding that joy the tea set gives me, I want everything in my home to be a version of that.
Today is the end of the second week of our 21-day Declutter Challenge. It's fascinating how exhausting making decisions can be. So I am happy to say that this is a catch-up day. But if you are like me and are feeling fatigued, this is a day of rest.
If you have missed a spot or it was not quite covered in the previous days, this would be a great day for you to deal with it if you want to.
If you find that you have some extra space in your sewing room, and feel motivated, it’s also a good day to take a look at your furniture.
Go back to my video Organize Your Sewing Space Part 1. Think of your sewing triangle. Things you can ask yourself include:
How is your space working for you?
Can you remove some furniture from your space to make it work better?
Are there ways you can add more light to your space?
Do you have extra furniture you want to add?
You may find that after moving things around, you'll find more stuff to declutter.
If you are tired or feeling behind, remember that life happens. And some weeks, your work life or personal life will take priority. Some of us are dealing with only one year of clutter and some of us have 20+. You will get there in 30-minute chunks of time.
Take a moment at the end of the day to take a picture of your sewing space to see how far you have come.
I am choosing just to rest today. Or rather spend my day hand sewing blocks from a current WIP. I'll have a number of friends around to share stories with and compare notes with. It will be a nice break from all the behind the scenes work for the declutter challenge.
See you tomorrow for Day 15!