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A Haiku Life

I’ve always been a big fan of haiku, the ultra-compact poetry of Japanese tradition. I appreciate its elegant form, its economy of expression, and its emphasis on limits: 17 syllables total, in lines of 5, 7, and 5.

Haiku typically celebrate the natural world and our intimate relationship with it. They show sensitivity to the changing seasons, and an appreciation for nature in its smallest details. They remind us that the most beautiful things in life have nothing to do with money or stores.

In a haiku, every word is precious, evocative, and chosen with the utmost care. As a minimalist, I can’t help but wonder: what if we put the same effort into choosing the words we speak, the activities in which we participate, the possessions we own?… {Read more}

For Photos of Minimalist Spaces, Join Me on Pinterest!

Oftentimes, in my travels around the internet, I come across photos of minimalist spaces I’d love to share with you. However, because of copyright issues, I’m always hesitant to post them on my blog.

Fortunately, I’ve discovered a wonderful new way to consolidate and share these inspirational resources. It’s called Pinterest. I’m usually the last person to embrace a new social networking platform—but honestly, this site is just too much fun!

Basically, it’s a digital space where you can “pin” your favorite photos from around the web. So far, I’ve created two boards:

Minimalist Home

Minimalist Design

You can follow my boards (or anyone else’s) to keep up with new additions.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Francesca of Tasmanian Minimalist

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.

Today, I’m pleased to feature Francesca. She did a complete turnaround, from avid accumulator to avid declutterer. You can read more about her experience on her blog, Tasmanian Minimalist.

Francesca writes:

I still have a long way to go. But, when I consider how far I’ve come, I can’t help but pat myself on the back.

My lurch towards minimalism is an all-encompassing lifestyle change for me. Two and a half years ago, after being partners with a hoarder and being a heavy-duty shopper and hoarder myself, I found myself single again, not to mention, heavily in debt.… {Read more}

My 7 Links

Betsy Talbot from the fabulous Married with Luggage recently nominated me to participate in the “My 7 Links” project that originated at Tripbase.com. She asked me to select a post in each of the following categories, then invite five other bloggers to do the same.

I really appreciate the honor, and the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane!

Most beautiful Minimalist Philosophy: Sophrosyne I chose this one simply because the concept itself—living a harmonious life by embracing enough—is so beautiful.

Most popular Minimalism in the Family In this post, I speculated on whether minimalism ran in families—and the comments (210 of them!) were fascinating.… {Read more}

How a Minimalist Loses a Vase

I travel quite often, and rarely bring back souvenirs from anywhere. I’ve learned that once something has memories, it can be a bear to declutter later on; so I save myself the trouble and typically return only with digital photos and some leftover foreign coins.

However, when I visited Oslo, I found myself in a chic Scandinavian design shop—and couldn’t resist bringing home one of its wares.

Before I continue, let me give you the backstory. On our first Christmas in the UK, a dear friend sent us a beautiful bunch of white tulips. My husband and I were 3000 miles away from friends and family, and her wonderful gesture really brightened our holiday.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Jonathan Chapman

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.

This week, Jonathan Chapman tells us about his journey into minimalism. I’m sure I’m not the only one who can relate to his eBay experience!

Jonathan writes:

I am a 27 year old male and I live in the UK. This is the story of how I became a minimalist.

I moved into a city centre apartment in November 2008. As I shifted all my stuff, I noticed floor space was quickly disappearing behind box after box.… {Read more}

Minimalist Inspiration from Millionaires

A few days ago, a reader sent me a wonderful article from The Seattle Times: Young tech millionaires keeping 1-bedroom lifestyle. It focuses on some of Silicon Valley’s most successful young entrepreneurs, and how they’re rejecting traditional status symbols like mansions and luxury cars. Why? They find more value in funding startup ventures and social causes than engaging in conspicuous consumption.

For example: Aaron Patzer, the founder of Mint.com, who sold his company in 2009 for $170 million. He lives in a 600-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment, and recently replaced his 1996 Ford Contour (with 150,000 miles) with a $29K Subaru Outback.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Robert Hickman

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.

Today we meet Robert Hickman, who’s found a wonderful way to reconcile his creative pursuits with his minimalist journey.

Robert writes:

Being mildly autistic, my interests and life choices could never be considered normal in any regard. Nor have I ever aspired to follow that path. The whole concept of buying large houses, mountains of clothes and overly expensive cars always seemed mad to me. Yet still I found myself weighed down by a disproportionately large amount of stuff.… {Read more}

One Less Thing: Microbeads

I love a good exfoliating scrub as much as the next gal—but did you know that every time you wash your face, you may be pouring plastic down the drain?

Yes, that innocent-looking cleanser may be hiding an environmental hazard—usually touted on the label as “microbeads” or “microspheres” or “microcrystals.” Whatever fancy name they’re given, they’re nothing more than tiny globules of plastic (polyethylene) that give an abrasive texture to soap. And once they’re done polishing our skin, they go right down the drain and into our waterways.

What’s so bad about that? Plenty, according to this article on Slate.com:

1.… {Read more}

A Year Ago on miss minimalist

Minimalist Lessons from a Tea Ceremony: A few years ago, I participated in a Japanese tea ceremony. It’s a beautiful ritual, and—in my opinion—a wonderful analogy to minimalist living. In a nutshell, chado (or Way of Tea) is the ceremonial preparation and serving of matcha, powdered green tea. Guests enter the teahouse after walking through a small, contemplative garden and symbolically purifying their hands and mouth with water from a stone basin. To enter the tearoom, they must bow their heads to fit through the small door—meaning all are equal in tea, regardless of social status or position…{read more}

7 Steps to a Minimalist Wardrobe: When I decided to pursue a minimalist lifestyle, one of the first areas I tackled was my closet.… {Read more}