True Clutter Confessions and Show n Tell; A Great Pair of Practical Shoes, Saving Money

Photo, Robert Stock
 
Just wanted to share a laughable true-confession from the merciful creative-messy...Me, on clutter and it's ill effects.   Remember the post I did last month on me missing out on the beautiful handsewn bag my daughter made me because of dreadful clutter?

Well, after writing about it and posting about it.  I strolled through that same closet that very afternoon, thus closet has an in and an out door.  Well, thus closet also had a "harmless" little basket of clothes in the walkway.  Missie here was dancing through like an elephant in a snowdrift holding a hanger and shirt to put away when boom-a-bang-a over-correct around the basket and tripping over my shoe-rack...as I fell I'm heading towards the end of the open door.  Wow.  Thank God I did not hit the edge of the door on my poor noggin!  Now I see how these household accidents happen I hear of with people falling and hurting themselves so badly.  And for me?  It was because of that villain...clutter.

Lesson learned:  Clutter not only blinds us from what we truly love but it hurts people!!!!

I wish I could say this is the first time I've ever taken a fall of this nature and cause of human, but I remember when Lea and Marianna were little, I, falling backwards into a filled clothing basket in my room like I Love Lucy.  I sat there and laughed and laughed....That time there was no hurt just me in a basket behind first!

One tool that has helped me declutter is an emotional evaluation bag, or in the case of clothing, a "Do I really, really need this or love this?" bag.  

This is GREAT for the stuff I'm not sure about...I mark the bag with marker with the date and give it a year.  Sometimes I actually do need a skirt or something out of the bag, other times I *think* I need a blouse or something of the sort and realize, the color really does not do a thing for me... It either gets dyed or given.  Another trick I have that works on clothes I don't want to bag, perhaps a camisole in a drawer...I put a garage sale sticker (the bright circles) on it with the date.  If a year goes by, and it's not used, it really needs to go to bless someone else.

Show 'N Tell Time!
  Photo, Robert Stock

I know you are going to think I'm daffy now!  (That girl is decluttering and now she's buyin' shoes?!) Ha!  Don't you remember the excitement of getting new shoes?   I do!  I'm an only child but my mom and dad were very good about not spoiling.  They really were.  So when we went to the store to get new shoes that was a great day!  I remember being shocked visiting some city-cousins when I saw the mounds and mounds of shoes those girls had in their closet!

And yes, I have decluttered some shoes and actually I have fit even my tennis shoes on my shoe rack now!  The only things that aren't on my rack are my two pair of boots (pretty much) ; ) .

Anyhoo.

The name of this game is practicality and multipurpose right?

I just wanted to share these shoes from Payless.   I have had them since last summer and they are wonderful.  Totally wonderful.  This beige color goes with just about anything and they don't need breaking in.  To me?  Life is too short to have to break in shoes.

These are Dexflex Comfort brand and are on sale right now for $19.99.   I recently bought the black pair as well; I am a black-tights kind of gal for cool church mornings and such.  They run pretty true to size, I go with the larger of my inbetween-sizes because of the closed toe.
 



Ways I Have Saved Money This Week

Photo, Robert Stock

Well, while I was on a site I saw a neat handbag.  My cute marketbag had broken and my attempted repair was a fail.  I saw the cutest black and white big bag.  My little girl inside of me soooo wanted that bag and I wanted it now.  I gave it 15 minutes, and saw there were some things that didn't fit with my personality on that bag, gold chains..not for me.  God's voice..Go look in your closet Missie...  Yep, I had a very nice sage green bag that will be fine for months to come.  I saved almost $30!

I saw a $20. sewing book I really wanted bad. Right-now, right-now... It contained neat patterns in it... God says: ...Look at the library Missie.  It took ten minutes or so but guess what?  The library has it,  I held it and now I can hold the book in my hands to see if it's what I want before purchasing.

New fabrics are an enjoyment to me, I was trying to figure out how to wrack up $35. of new fabric to get free shipping. I know... dummy, dummy, dummy right?   Jem suggested I look through my stash, Don't you already have fabric? he asks...and ya know he was exactly right.  My retro pattern only requires a yard of material. How hard is that?  


I'll close now with a good word from Tozer and a beautiful retro painting that says way more than words:

.

Christ our Pilot

We have to be still to hear His Still Small Voice, more simplicity more time to reflect and listen.

Have a sweet eve,   Amelia