Day 8 {Not. So. Simple.}

So here I am, on day 8 of my journey and I'm surrounded in chaos. I want you to imagine what happens when you decide to clean out your closet and before you know it your entire room is a wreck?! Imagine that in an entire house! So, I have now accepted that in order to simplify my life it must first become more complicated. 

As I pulled out all of my useless junk (including but not limited to 10 old key chains, 999 pencils and pens, and every leotard I've ever worn), I was shocked at the amount of junk one person was able to stuff in one closet! So how do I decide what stays and what goes with so little space to work with? I do admit that some things I have found have been extremely difficult to part with. But then I have to remind myself, if I haven't missed it for the past few years in a box, I can without a doubt live without it . 

On the other hand, you may find something you didn't know you were missing that will light up your day. Those things you keep... I found a beautiful picture of my grandmother when she was my age. I put it in a frame already and displayed it in the guest room. It's truly meaningful decor. (Not to mention the sepia coloring flows gorgeously with the room's "antique chic" style). 

So my advice to others trying to get rid of excess clutter in their lives... make sure you don't end up throwing away what could be beautiful heritage. There is a fine line between saving for simple nostalgia and saving for real net worth. Ironically, I learned this after my grandmother's death (the same one in the picture). When I say she was the complete opposite of a minimalist, I mean she saved every take out box she ever received (I will note she did clean them). However, more importantly she kept every journal she ever wrote, and every piece of jewlery had a tag with the date and who it was from so that her family would know the history behind them. Because of this I have a beautiful blue hand-painted, bead necklace. And because of the tag I know that it was a gift my great-grandfather gave my great-grandmother for Valentine's Day. I also know wonderful details about her and my grandfather's lives that I will always remember. That my friends was worth the space it took up. 

Your task for today is to think about all of the things you own and their net worth. Take one large box and place in it everything you've collected throughout your life that you would love to pass down for generations. The rest of the simple nostalgia... consider them your take-out containers.