After decades of working as a researcher and evaluator, I decided to scale back/lean out (whatever you want to call it) and work less. A series of life events (some good, some not) pushed me towards an obvious insight. I was more than halfway through my life and my time would be up before I knew it. Neither of my parents lived past 80. I’m over 50, so that’s less than 30 years from now for me. I have shoes older than that. It was time to strive less and to savor more.
In 2021, I purchased a small home (yes, in that ridiculous market). The home and yard were the perfect blank slate. A single story brick house with white walls and hardwood floors. A yard with mostly grass, overgrown with bamboo in the back. I had a few things from my previous house, but I needed a lot of stuff to get the new place into shape.
Since I was working less, I needed to spend less. I also wanted to avoid buying new things (have you seen our landfills – yikes). I grew up shopping at thrift stores. I will pull the car over to pick through stuff on a curb. I am that person. I focused on sourcing things from curbs, my local Buy Nothing group, Facebook Marketplace, consignment shops, and thrift stores. The combination of frugality, environmental benefit, plus getting to flex some creative flare to repurpose, fix-up, and combine random stuff – now that is delightful. Working in the garden and messing around the house is my introverted way to recharge.
I love blending old and new things, different styles, and upscale items with things others might consider junk (AKA my treasures – like my troll doll with hot pink hair, muppets glasses, or my Smurfs figurine). In keeping with William Morris’ advice I surround myself with useful and/or beautiful things. Over the years, I’ve learned how to spot an object’s potential and how to fix things up, often using whatever I have laying around. I started posting about my home and garden projects. Folks found it helpful. And so, a blog was born.
Everyone has their own ideas about what is useful and beautiful to them. Creating a space that reflects that makes for a more efficient and enjoyable day. The secret is figuring out what works for you and making it happen.
Not perfect, but perfectly you.
