Minimalism and me

I read several blogs about frugality and minimalism; the two topics often go hand in hand in Blogland, and I am interested in both subjects. I remember spending hours taking my sisters’ furniture from their Playskool doll house and arranging the pieces just so in the back of one of their toy pick up trucks—I loved the idea of a small living space. I’ve always been fascinated by the miniature and little and completely enjoyed finished the doll house my uncle made.

From Doll House

Some minimalist blogs can be a bit preachy and judgmental as though if I choose to have more things (or Stuff as it’s generally termed in these kinds of blogs), then I’m morally deficient. But I did find a minimalist blog that lets me look into that world without being judged that I’m not—nor ever will be—fully part of that movement.

Miss Minimalist wrote a post about the 100 things she and her husband don’t own. What I loved about the list was that she also included some of the reasons they choose not to have those items. That list also solidified for me that while I like living in little spaces and I prefer an uncluttered existence, I also need items that she and other, more purely minimalist people, would find burdensome. The clean bare lines of no curtains or artwork on her walls works for her, while I positively chafed until we got our curtains hung up last weekend. I needed that color and that bit of softening the curtains provided. Plus they helped with the acoustics in the room.

But I do enjoy her blog because she's not judgmental. She talks about what works for her and I'm free to pick and choose what works for me in my streamlined existence. Maybe that's the term for me: streamlined.