And lastly, my desk! This has been completed for awhile, but I did some major decluttering and have resolved to keep this surface open for activity and not for storage! (Thanks Francine!). It's amazing how having completely clear surfaces can make you feel instantly inspired.
This little nook is in our kitchen and is such a great example of how you can use wasted space to create something wonderful! There used to be a high table and a couple of stools here (they belonged to our landlord), but we removed them, built shelves, and made a desk out of our old front door. Add the chair we got on Craigslist for $15, and voila!
It's nice to have my printer/scanner up there, but it's out of the way. The gray wall "file" is for papers I need to sort through. I like having somewhere to keep it all in one place! The large clear bin is for recycling and the drawers on the right are mailing and letter writing supplies. I would eventually like to replace those with lovely fabric covered boxes and put them up above on the shelves. The blue cupboard above my desk is our pantry for dry foods.
I love to sit here and work with the door swung open while the girls play in the backyard.
...and that was our weekend.
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Many of you are asking for book and blog recommendations for decluttering and minimalism. I will compile a complete list when I do my longer blog post about it, but you can start with these! If you have a favorite that is not listed...please leave it in the comments so I can add it to the master list!
*For those of you who think minimalism is only about living in a sparsely furnished tiny house with white walls...think again! To me, minimalism is clearing out the things and thoughts that are cluttering your life so you can LIVE FULLY! Now get inspired!
Blogs:Miss MinimalistBecoming Minimalist
Minimalist Packrat
Zen Habits
Books:The Minimalist MomThe Joy of Less (highly recommend!)
The 100 Thing ChallengeThe Radical Minimalist30 Day Clutter Bootcamp (I'll be writing more about this later!)
Sell Your Crap