(When its books and art its just called “collecting”. The owner of this apartment has over 7500 books and 250 works of art, in 1200 sq ft! Thats 6 books per square foot! Architecht Steve Blatz did good here. From NY Magazine HERE)
Soooo…. how’d you guys make out? Good times? Feeling full and happy?
While you were engaged in your festivities, I spent 3 days up to my elbows in cleaning supplies and garbage bags(and an electric toothbrush which I used to clean crevices). The last time I actually did anything like this was the night before JoJo was born… I had to clean out a closet so he would have someplace to keep his little things! I think it was the final burst of nesting before I went into labor.
This time, I just got sick of it… sick of stuff. Sick of things that don’t belong being in cabinets and drawers and closets. (Hex nuts from last Spring’s hex nut phase in the junk drawer of the kitchen, etc…) So I went ape shit on them.
And I’ve realized something: If you gave me so much as your business card at NYIGF in 2008, chances are, I still have it. So I’ve decided to become super careful of what I actually let into the apartment. Because once its in here, it never seems to leave. EVER. While I do toss things I buy for myself every so often, I’m so sentimental that I still have anything that anyone has ever given me, good bad and ugly- even joke secret santa gifts- I still have! Sometimes I give things a nostalgia that they don’t really deserve… like, my husbands grandmother gave me a gift at my shower in this box… Does that mean I need to keep the box forever?!?!
So in the spirit of the holidays when people are gifting each other tons of stuff, both good: thoughtful and sweet presents, and bad: mass purchased christmas sweaters and stocking stuffers… how do you all deal with the stuff? Do you return gifts? Give them away? Do you have like a Christmas gift registry type of thing? That would be good. How do you deal with a mass influx of stuff into your homes?
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You know i’m a clutter phobe but I am in LOVE with this apt. I wish I had this much stuff…the bookcase, the ladder, the art up to the ceiling…As for sentimental clutter, I have a hair clip my sister left in my apt about 2 years ago..its ugly and I dont use it, but I cant seem to throw it out because its the only thing of hers I actually have. Old birthday cards, full crap notebooks, keys to previous apts…those things tend to stick around. I have my limit though. I throw out at least one small bag a week of crap stuff. Its a weekend ritual. Try doing that.
It must be something about all the new stuff coming into the house after the holidays that make the everyday clutter seem more unbearable! I’ve only scraped the surface in my home…it’s going to take a month of Sundays to get it in order. I’m a little more careless with what I throw out…my husband is on the other end of the spectrum. It usually comes back to bite me in the ass, the screw I SHOULD have kept but didn’t. I’m ready to toss it all!
I have the opposite problem I am a constant thrower outer to the point that I never have receipts if I want to return something bevause they’re thrown out once I leave a store. A severe fear of stuff is what I battle with. Cards, photographs, and books are all I keep. In so many ways I wish I was more like you! But you must feel so cleansed and fresh after this weekend-congrats taking the plunge!
It’s actually appalling the shit I find in closets and drawers. I’m attempting to throw more things away but more shit always finds its way back. Good luck!
My mother in law thinks she’s a great gift giver, but she’s terrible. I tell her just to buy me books–I love books–but she always buys/makes me stuff for our house and we have completely different tastes. Homemade dream catchers anyone? A gigantic plastic scroll that she bought on her trip to China? She just bought me some sort of cupcake and quiche maker that I would take straight to the Salvation Army if I knew she wasn’t going to ask excitedly “have you tried it yet?” I feel held hostage by these gifts that are just not me.
“Held hostage by” is a perfect description. A cupcake quiche maker seems cool though.