miss minimalist

Nothing to Steal: My husband and I travel a lot, and people sometimes ask us if we worry about our apartment while we’re gone. Our answer: not particularly. The reason: we have nothing to steal. Sure, we have stuff—clothing, kitchenware, books, and a few pieces of furniture. However, I can’t imagine anyone wanting any of it. And if they need it so badly that they have to steal it, they probably need it more than we do. In fact, if it weren’t for personal safety issues (or having to evict a squatter that moves in in our absence), we could just as well leave the door unlocked…{read more}

Minimalist Architecture – Helsinki and Tallinn: When my husband and I travel, we love to walk the streets of foreign cities and admire the architecture. We’ve seen it all: from the Art Nouveau apartment houses of Prague, to the neon skyscrapers in Hong Kong, to the Gothic cathedrals in almost every European country. What we don’t see very often: minimalist buildings. Therefore, I was delighted to encounter some lovely examples on a recent trip to Helsinki and Tallinn. After spending the last several months gazing at elaborate turrets, intricate stonework, and churches carved with every manner of saint, sinner, and gargoyle, the Scandinavian architecture was a breath of fresh air…{read more}

Ancient Minimalist Wisdom: I used to think that being fed up with “stuff” was a symptom of modern times. Globalization has made material goods inexpensive and widely available, and satisfying our consumer desires has become almost too easy. However, philosophers have been railing against materialism for millenia — well before megamarts and “everyday low prices” came on the scene. I thought I’d share some of this ancient minimalist wisdom with you today…{read more}

Minimalist Philosophy: Cherry Blossom Living: Every year, I look forward to cherry blossom season with great anticipation. I love to sit under the pink clouds of delicate blooms, and wax poetic on the beauty of life. (A few years ago, I fulfilled a lifelong dream, and spent two glorious weeks in Japan doing just that.) I used to think life would be more beautiful if the cherries bloomed all year round; but, somewhere along my minimalist journey, I realized that life is more beautiful because they don’t…{read more}

Extreme Light Travel: A few months ago, I wrote about the contents of my carry-on. This is the only bag I travel with, whether I’m going away for one week or three months. You can read about it in detail in my earlier post, but generally it contains a packing cube of clothing, a toiletry bag, and odds and ends like guidebooks, energy bars, camera, iPod Touch, umbrella, etc. in the pockets. After years of overseas travel, I had this system down to a science. Now that I live in England, however, I’ve been spending a lot of long weekends visiting European cities. And truth be told, my little carry-on is simply too big for these quick jaunts…{read more}

Celebrity Minimalist: Vincent Kartheiser from Mad Men: Let me preface this post by saying I have very little interest in celebrities. I don’t care what they do, what they buy, how they dress, where they live, what they drive, or what they eat, and could never understand pop culture’s obsession with them. (I’d much rather read the bio of a scientist or humanitarian than an actress or professional athlete.) So you can imagine how puzzled I was when my husband forwarded me this interview with Vincent Kartheiser (the actor who plays Pete Campbell in Mad Men) from the Guardian. “Trust me,” he said, “just read about halfway down.” I dutifully skimmed the article, and was surprised and delighted to read the following…{read more}

Mars, Venus, and Minimalism: Earlier this week, I blogged about an interview with minimalist actor Vincent Kartheiser. One of the comments made by the interviewer, however, struck me as odd. After Vincent described the simplicity of his abode, and how he was making a sink out of a rock, the interviewer said it was “not very woman-friendly.” Well, I’m a woman, and I think the rock sink—as well as his whole minimalist aesthetic—sounds divine! It made me wonder, however, if there’s any particular gender bias in minimalist living…{read more}

Spring Decluttering: So it’s finally here…spring. And you know what that means, don’t you? It’s time for some major decluttering! I’ve always loved this time of year. The cherry trees will soon be in bloom, as well as the Bradford pears, magnolias, and dogwoods. The whole world seems fresh, new, and beautiful—and I want my home to be just as lovely!…{read more}

To Live Content with Small Means…This is My Symphony: Today I’d like to share this quote from William Henry Channing: “To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common–this is my symphony”…{read more}

Minimalist Philosophy: Wise Words from a Reader: One of the reasons I love writing this blog are the comments I get from my readers. They’re a wonderful source of inspiration, and a great opportunity to learn how others incorporate minimalist principles into their lives. Yesterday, I was thrilled to receive an incredibly insightful comment on one of my older posts. I know that many of you do not receive the RSS Comments feed, and would likely never see it. Therefore, I’ve decided to highlight it in today’s post, as I want to make sure that nobody misses it…{read more}

Minimalist Seeks Survivalist: I just finished reading a novel about the aftermath of an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack, and it has me thinking about survivalist issues. As an urban-dwelling minimalist, let’s just say I’d be up the creek if the SHTF. I have three days of food and water at best, and nothing to speak of in terms of tools or other supplies. (I’m certainly not bragging about this, and in fact am a little embarrassed to admit it.) Although I know it’s prudent, every fiber of my being is against the notion of stocking up…{read more}