I finished my coffee table book of my digi layouts for 2007 yesterday and now will move on to my photos for the last year. Blurb is my publisher of choice and I find this way of keeping my photos and layouts far easier and cost efficent than a several albums of 4x6 photos in plastic sleeves. I have started to do books that cover a calendar year. My hope is that when my family look at these Down The Road, they will enjoy them more than going thru a trunkful of pictures and trying to guess who is who and when were these taken?
It is a simplier process and I am all about simplifying. Over the last year, I have found my taste changing. Going from a country/primitive look to more of a Pottery Barn feel. I sold alot of things at yard sales last year. Also sold a piece of furniture last fall - have not regretted it yet. More will go in this year's yard sale pile and the old will be replaced by the new.
In one wall of my bedroom, I have 3 evenly spaced Warren Kimble pieces, approzimately 20 x 24, which will be replaced with black frames, white mats and my own photos. Same theory, different look. As I am going thru this change, I am amazed at what I am seeing. Things that I thought I couldn't live without - suddenly, bother me. The process of simplifying is on-going and forever changing. I truly do love the process.
So, January is here and I feel the need to do more. Woke up last week with a burning desire to simplify my kitchen pantry and four trash bags later, I had offerings for the trashmen and my yard sale pile. Found this organzational tool today - The Four Laws of Simplicity.
1. Collect everything in one place.
2. Choose the essential.
3. Eliminate the rest.
4. Organize the remaining stuff neatly and nicely.
I didn't even know that Simplicity had any laws and when I did my pantry, this is how I did it. Usually, I just straighten everything up but this time I even looked at the Buy By Dates on everything. For me, the first one is the key. If I don't have it all together in one place, the other 3 never have a chance of getting completed. Good thing it's January - I got a whole lot of drawers to get to...
