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Real Life Minimalists: Lena Wetherbee

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details. (Note: the schedule is now full until March — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)

This week, I’m excited to present Lena Wetherbee’s story. I love her garbaj project — what a fabulous and creative way to declutter!

Lena writes:

I recently started a blog, www.garbaj.com, on which I am giving away 1,000 things that are cluttering up my house. You can read the full history of gar•baj on the blog (see “history, or how it came to this”), but here’s the abbreviated version:

Once upon a time I was a vagabond.… {Read more}

To be thingless is to possess the world

A few weeks ago, I attended the John Pawson exhibition at the Design Museum here in London. For those unfamiliar with his work, he is the minimalist architect extraordinaire. I adore his aesthetic: white walls, open spaces, and minimum adornment, combined with natural materials like wood, marble, onyx, bronze, and granite. Simplicity, purity, grace, clarity – these are the words that come to mind when looking at his spaces.

At the exhibition was a long table, displaying the architect’s notes, articles, architectural renderings and models. This page of Pawson’s typewritten notes was the first thing I laid eyes on:

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“To be thingless is to possess the world.” The words struck me like a lightning bolt and burned themselves into my brain.… {Read more}

The Joy of Less Named to Amazon’s Best Books of 2010

Wow! I just received an email from a reader, congratulating me on my book being named to Amazon’s “Best Books of 2010.” To be honest, I had no idea what she was talking about – but oh my goodness, it’s true!

The Joy of Less has been chosen as one of the “Top 10 Books” of 2010 in the Home & Garden category. If you scroll down, you’ll see it at #6. I never hoped, nor dreamed, of receiving such an honor—not to mention being in the same company as the likes of Bill Bryson. :-)

I’m pretty shy when it comes to self-promotion, so I hope you’ll excuse my little happy dance here.… {Read more}

A Year Ago on miss minimalist

What’s in a Minimalist Kitchen?: When we sold our house and purged almost everything we had, we discovered that the majority of our “stuff” came out of the kitchen. We had never realized just how many plates, pots, pans, glasses, utensils, and other cooking implements we had accumulated over the years… {read more}

I’m Dreaming of a Minimalist Christmas: From the time I was young, I’ve had mixed feelings about the holidays. While I love the excitement, the festivity, and the gatherings with family and friends, I’ve always dreaded the “stuff” that seems to come along with it… {read more}

Top Ten Gifts for a Minimalist: Ask any minimalist what they want for Christmas, and I guarantee they’ll say “nothing.” However, if you’re set on buying something anyway, I’ve compiled a list of gift ideas in keeping with their lifestyle.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Matt Madeiro

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details. (Note: the schedule is now full until February — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)

Today, we meet Matt Madeiro, who was led to minimalism by somewhat unusual circumstances. To find out how simpler living fits into his overall self-improvement plan, surf on over to his blog, Three New Leaves.

Matt writes:

I wish I’d come into minimalism on my own accord. I could have approached it gently, selling things at a slower, more satisfying pace.… {Read more}

Miss Minimalist’s Gift Avoidance Guide

The holiday season can be a challenging time for minimalists: with all those gifts flying around, it’s almost guaranteed that one or more unwanted presents will land in your lap. And after you’ve decluttered your house, reduced your consumption, and pared down to just the necessities, the last thing you want to deal with is more stuff.

Never fear – my handy Gift Avoidance Guide is here! Put these tips into practice, and you’ll greatly increase your odds of coming through Christmas unburdened with extra things. Just think: no more items to return, regift, or defeatedly stash away in your drawers and closets!… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Jessica

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details. (Note: the schedule is now full until February — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)

Today, we hear from Jessica, a long-time reader and commenter. She tells us how minimalism has changed her life, and inspired her to share her experiences on her wonderful blog, Minimal Student.

Jessica writes:

The summer before I moved away to university I realized I was in quite a dilemma.… {Read more}

Minimalism 101: Modules

Whenever I pack for a trip, I organize my stuff into modules: for example, I have a toiletry module, a clothing module, a first aid module, and a “long flight” module (earplugs, eye mask, iPod Touch). This system helps me keep everything organized, and prevents me from overpacking.

When I moved overseas with a single duffle bag, I used a similar strategy. I arranged all my possessions in packing cubes: one for pants, one for shirts, one for underwear, one for paperwork, one for kitchen supplies, one for toiletries, etc. It made six weeks of hotel living significantly more pleasant and manageable.… {Read more}

A Year Ago on miss minimalist

Minimalist Living: Questioning the Couch: Have you ever been in a house without a couch? I don’t think I have. I’ve thought about my friends’ houses, my relatives’ houses, and my neighbors’ houses. I’ve thought about all the places in which I’ve lived, from childhood until now. I’ve thought about the homes I’ve seen on TV, in movies, and in magazines. From modest studios to million-dollar McMansions, from inner cities to suburbs to out-in-the-sticks, you’d be hard-pressed to find a living room without a couch…{read more}

Minimalist Furniture: The Bare Essentials: We’ve been in our flat for over two months now, and I think it’s about as “furnished” as it’s going to get.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Sherry Ott

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details. (Note: the schedule is now full through January — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)

This week, I’m happy to introduce you to Sherry Ott. She’s a refugee from corporate IT who is now a long term traveler, blogger, and photographer. She’s a co-founder of Briefcase to Backpack, a website offering career break travel inspiration and advice, and one of the driving forces behind Meet, Plan, Go!… {Read more}