The Cottage on the Hill

I was in bed staring at the bookcase on the opposite wall. Along the side were necklaces 3 to 4 deep on hooks, well organized, but annoying me. I got up and opened my jewelry case that my husband got me for Christmas last year. Inside, rows and rows of earrings were neatly arranged and I looked at them with disdain and grabbed the same pair I typically wear. Jewelry is supposed to make us feel good and pretty. Instead, I didn't even bother with it, except for earrings to maintain my piercings. Why couldn't I get my act together to wear any of the pretty jewelry I owned? It actually took several weeks to figure out. It's called "decision fatigue." I had SO MUCH jewelry that it was an added chore just to go through it and pair it with outfits. I also realized that as I work on minimizing and being more intentional with my wardrobe, many pieces of jewelry I owned simply didn't go with what I had left. I kept anything heirloom or precious, of course,...

Culturally, or, perhaps, familially, spaces were filled. If you had a flat surface, it needed something on it. A table had a centerpiece, a shelf had decor, countertops held all your kitchen things at the ready. If you had wall space you put up an art piece, or a clock, or family photos. If you had an empty corner or nook, you bought something at a garage sale to fill it: a doll, or knick-knick hutch, an old piece of whatever antique neat-looking thing you could display. Under beds and under sofas were just opportune real estate to store more things. I brought that same lifestyle into my own little home. At first, we had very little and I was eager to fill the spaces. What I had didn't balance well with the rooms and the empty spaces seemed awkward. I tried filling them with whatever I could find inexpensively that I liked, but they didn't necessarily fit the spaces well. Over time, I managed other more aesthetically pleasing pieces, but, eventually, I just ended up ...

As I whittle more and more out of my house, I find I am actually able to get rid of some things that do bring me joy. I'll talk about two in particular: The first is this beautiful dark red bookcase with lower cabinet I got at Target on clearance for a steal years ago. I remember that day. There were two left and only around $35!! I called my sister and we both bought one. We set them up in our respective houses and loved them ever since. A year or two ago, my sister told me that if I ever wished to part with mine, she'd take it because she'd like to flank her dining room windows and put a window seat between. I loved the idea and told her if she ever spots a similar bookcase, I may consider a trade. Time passed, and try as we might, we never found a suitable bookcase. I loved how mine looked in my house and served its purpose, so I held on to it. My sister never metioned it again, but I knew it would make her so very happy to have it. I kept searching for a boo...