February « 2010 « miss minimalist

Minimalist Life: How Many Keys on Your Keychain?

By miss minimalist | 80 comments

(Photo: Bohman)

I’ve decided that my goal is to have as few keys on my keychain as possible. To me, the less keys on your keychain, the less responsibility you have—and the more freedom!

Interested in joining me? Here are five ways to pare down your keychain:

1. Go car-free. My husband and I have gone from two cars to one (he drives it), and our ultimate goal is to be car-free. I’d love to simply use a carshare program whenever the need for wheels arises.

2. Don’t own multiple houses. Well, duh. But seriously, a beach home or downtown pied-a-terre can be pretty tempting. Avoid the second home, and you’ll avoid a truckload of headaches and expenses. I’d rather stay in a hotel or condo than have to deal with the upkeep of a vacation home.

3. Don’t have a storage unit. If you pare down your possessions to what fits in your house, you won’t have to pay rent on a second home for your stuff. (Okay, most of you know my dirty secret, but I wouldn’t have one if I were in the same country as my stuff!)

4. Don’t own high maintenance toys. I’m talking about boats, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles—unless of course, they serve as your home or main source of transportation.

5. Don’t own valuables. Anything that needs to be locked away is just too much hassle, in my opinion.

So, right now I have three keys, but they’re all related to my one home: my building key, apartment key, and mailbox key. (My husband keeps the car key, and a relative in the States has the storage unit key!) How about you?

Minimalist Wardrobe: The Power of Accessories

By miss minimalist | 32 comments

(Photo: Breibeest)

I’ve noticed something funny. I can wear an ensemble that someone has seen me in multiple times; yet if I pair it with a scarf, unique necklace, or interesting pair of earrings, they’ll invariably comment on my “new outfit.”

Such is the power of accessories. They freshen up an “old” look in no time flat, and better yet, demand very little storage space. (I’m focusing mainly on scarves and jewelry here, as handbags take up *too much* storage space and merit a post unto themselves.) Guys, I imagine this is how ties function for you, as I’d have a hard time telling if you wore the same suit five days in a row; the tie, however, I would notice.

I hate having an overstuffed closet, and over the years have pared my wardrobe down to the essentials. The pieces are rather classic, and consist mainly of bottoms (pants and skirts) in black and gray, a handful of dresses, and tops in subtle colors (burgundy, slate blue, eggplant, etc.).

However, I’m kind of “girly” and crave a bit of novelty every now and then. Instead of filling my closet with trendy pieces, I’ve been able to satisfy that craving with the occasional accessory purchase. My indulgences are usually handmade jewelry and silk scarves from Etsy. Both take up precious little space, but add an interesting touch to my wardrobe basics.

It’s also a great strategy for packing light. When I travel, I tend to wear the same outfit two or three times. I’ll bring a scarf or two, however, to alter the “look.” They weigh next to nothing, instantly dress up whatever I’m wearing, and are infinitely easier to transport than another change of clothes.

Does anyone else use a similar strategy to stretch a minimal wardrobe?