We are still waiting on spring’s full bloom — the blossoms on our backyard trees are just coming into themselves and the daffodils that line the walkway to our door are up but not open — yet I’m deep into my spring self already. I am wearing too-thin clothes for the still-cold weather, sorting my children’s rooms, re-organizing the medicine cabinet. I find myself wanting to put everything into a bin. Cord bin, shoe bin, especially the donate bin. One thing I learned observing my parents as they downsized from their house in NW DC to their condo in Bethesda: get rid of things periodically. They’ve actually always been good about this, but even with my Dad’s purge mentality, there were still duplicate knife sets they’d never needed, and old clothing my mother had hung onto from her childhood. I find myself applying new rubrics. It’s not just: do I need this / would I realistically use this in the next year, but — would I want to give this to someone in 5, 10, 30 years if I hang onto it? And would it better to give it away now? An excess mini food processor is better to shed today than in 15 years when it’s deprecated. Mainly this leads me to donate a lot of things, which is good.
This springtime urge for more blank space has also led me to re-evaluate my current organization systems. I realized we needed a second drying rack (less expensive option here) for the laundry room — I was forever filling our wall-mounted one and then draping excess items over baskets and on cupboard handles. And our basement storage room had piles of boxes and luggage on one side that often barred full entry to the space. My husband ordered additional storage units that matched the ones we already had in there and — wow. It feels so luxurious to have everything put away, and not heaped on the floor. I discovered that certain beauty items I reach for every day — contacts, these makeup removing wipes, retainer cleaner — were in the back of the cabinet, behind things I don’t use daily. I moved those to the front and decanted into containers to make them easy-to-grab. In the kitchen, I am forever in pursuit of a pair of scissors, a box cutter, and a pen, all items that appear to sprout feet and wander away over the course of a day. I bought extras (and then some) of each and stowed them in a specified bin. I also don’t know how it took me until this week to realize that my process for organizing my clothes and the various items brands send me to test was woefully ineffectual. I had piles of things everywhere. Neat piles, to be fair, but it always felt like I was shuffling small clusters of items from one area to the next without giving them a proper home. (Another surprise of getting older: how much time you spend putting things away.) I devised a new solution, with garment racks on the top floor, and a tiered cart with designated areas for products I want to test, products I want to write about, and products I want to give away. These tiny improvements somehow make me feel like I’ve closed seventy open tabs. The systems suit — even simplify — the work. (How had I not noticed the poor fit prior?)
I also find myself changing my work process–yet again. I am now in the midst of a few bigger projects (stay tuned!) that require chunkier blocks of maker’s time. My previous, more intuitive approach of mainly writing in the morning and mainly doing lighter creative work and admin (like collages, and product reviews, and emails) in the afternoon no longer pencils out. I have to “X” out entire half-days (sometimes full days) to really get into things and make material progress. My adaptability to this shift has surprised me. I guess all that writing and thinking about being fluid, accepting change with grace, and especially the mantra: “Actually, life is beautiful and I do have the time” are paying off. But mainly the work has made clear its demands, and I am dutifully carrying them out.
All of these movements are perfectly suited to springtime anyway. It’s the season to clear out the dead leaves, shed the layers, make room for what’s coming. It’s time to let the fresh in.
Sunday Shopping.
All the items I own or am currently eyeing in this spring headspace:
BEADBOARD DRYING RACK (LOOK FOR LESS HERE) // DRAWER ORGANIZERS // RATTAN TIERED STORAGE // SORBUS CLEAR BINS // BEACHCOMBER BASKET // PASTEL DOCUMENT ENVELOPES //SCISSORS // THE BEST PENS // STACKABLE CLEAR DRAWERS // LUCITE HANGERS // MINI LABEL MAKER // GOLD GARMENT RACK
And! A few other more general shopping bits and bobs:
PATTERNED PANTS AND TOP // RAFFIA BAG // STRAPPY SANDALS // BRODERIE ANGLAISE TOP AND PANTS
+Banana Republic launched a 40% off promo this morning. Use code BRSHIP. Love this top and the matching pants! And this bag and this dress! And so much more.
+Just discovered the most gorgeous collection of home accessories — paper products, pillow covers, candles, and more. I’ll take one of everything.
+I ordered my kids the cutest new bedding — this clamshell motif for my daughter and this alligator motif for my son. All of it is 25% off with code ROOMREFRESH25.
+I couldn’t resist treating myself to this Bottega-inspired mini clutch! (Compare with the real deal — $9,000 — here.). Will go perfectly with my Julia Amory dress (now available!)
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