"Mi Casa Es Su Casa" : Home Tour with Becky Hancock

This month Help You Dwell sat down with Becky Hancock to get her two cents about creating a home and the process of bringing old things back to life.

Steve and Becky bought their historic home in June of 2004 and have taken on several projects and renovations to make it their own.

One of their favorite projects to date is their kitchen. Using vintage 1950's metal cabinets rescued from a tear down of another building, a kitchen table that belonged to Becky's grandmother, and a light fixture that Becky found at The Salvage Shop, as the style reference, they were able to formulate a plan for a retro kitchen design. In a record breaking 7 weeks, (with front end loading) they totally redid their kitchen and ended up with an absolute gem.

Upon walking into the house you feel a mixed sense of walking back in time (or down memory lane) and feeling totally at home. No doubt, the items chosen in the Hancock home evoke a sense of nostalgia to everyone who comes by. Becky's decorating and home making philosophy stems from the fact that she is drawn to things that represent a happy memory; things that remind her of people, old times, or things that tell stories. Because of this, she is naturally drawn to vintage items. Every item I asked about during the tour had a story behind it and naturally served as a conversation starter. Along with nostalgic items, it's clear that both Steve and Becky are musicians and long time music lovers by the instruments and music paraphernalia that also adorn the home.

Dining Room built-in

Master bathroom extension

Dining room

Old family photos throughout the house create a kind of "walking photo album" cataloging multiple generations.

When asked about living in a downtown neighborhood, Becky explained that her time living in New York created in her an appreciation for living near people of all different nationalities and walks of life. The downtown neighborhoods in Knoxville provide a diversity that much of the city doesn't offer.  Becky talked fondly about getting to know many of her neighbors and the value in building community with all kinds of people. Aside from being able to walk downtown and being close to work, Becky loves old homes and loves being able to be a part of restoring the home she and Steve own.

Becky and Steve Hancock

Becky and Steve are hospitality driven and have opened their home multiple times to friends and family who need a place to call home for various seasons of life. In the spirit of hospitality, Becky says her philosophy of home is "Mi casa es su casa. I want people to feel at home when they are here, that our house is always open; a safe, welcoming, authentic space when you need it."

Thanks Becky and Steve for showing us around your beautiful home!

Why not just leave all that stuff in the attic?

People often take action on spaces or rooms that guests or family see and utilize but what about the spaces that most people don't see; the ones that internally weigh you down? Most of us have a stash hidden in our closets, attics, or basements. Why not leave it there?

Image from Sundaytimes.co.uk

The problem with accumulating things and then hiding them away is that one day they have to be dealt with by you or by the family you leave behind. Often times we carry around subconcious guilt or anxiety about those spaces. We form attachments to our stuff or maybe attachments to the idea of having access to stuff. There is a process that one must go through to mentally prepare to let go of things. Part of the decluttering process begins with a good look at how you think about your things. For many of us, holding on to things is a way to feel safe about a future need that may or may not ever occur. We encourage you to think about what it would be like to only keep items that truly give you joy? Sometimes it's simply a matter of stopping to think about the purpose you originally had behind a purchase. You may find that it's served it's purpose and can be passed along. We've found that decluttering doesn't come naturally to many people. Organizing and decluttering your home can be really overwhelming, even scary at times. On top of those things, letting go is HARD! It usually takes an outsider to help you not get stuck in your head when trying to make decisions on what to keep. It's only natural to begin thinking of all the reasons to not get rid of things when the real question (and way less time consuming question) is whether keeping it will bring you joy. Being ready to declutter doesn't happen over night, it's a personal journey that doesn't work if you've reluctantly agreed after being coerced by a friend of family member. The decluttering and ultimately the organizing process only works when you truly want to be free of your stuff.

Image by Texture Photo

Our goal is never to convince anyone to do anything they don't want to do but rather for you to be so convinced that you need freedom from your things that you make the move to call us. We want you to be the hero of your clutter problem and we are here, ready to guide you along the way.

Behind The Scenes with KARM Thrift Stores

HYD and part of KARM Thrift's team

Have you ever come to a place where you realize you have too much stuff but have a hard time letting it go? We run into this a lot and have found that letting go of things is easier when you know your items are blessing others. Now, when we are helping with a project, we can tell you more about where your donated items are going and the needs that you are meeting simply by giving away your items to people who truly need them. We are really excited to be partnering with KARM thrift and would love to share with you a few of the ways that KARM is helping people all over our community, region, and beyond.

KARM Thrift Clearance Center

Last week we took a tour of KARM's clearance center and learned about what KARM does with items that don't sell or items that are too damaged to sell. KARM Thrift operates 17 thrift stores and the Clearance Center. The clearance center is the last stop for items that didn't sell in a thrift store, or are slightly damaged but could be fixed. Everything at the clearance center is sold at a deep discount. The Clearance Center is the general hub of all KARM thrift operations.

Caring for the community: The team at the clearance center works with a number of non profits and ministries in town to provide for people with no means. They do an incredible job of efficiently and effectively making good use of every donation possible. Below are a few of the ways KARM is giving back.

• Assist with clothing for kids entering the foster care system

• Create move in baskets for elderly individuals moving out of homelessness & into housing

• Provide clothing for babies born at Fort Sanders Hospital whose families don't have resources

• Provide household and toiletry items for people living in poverty in rural Appalachia

• Provide clothing for men coming out of prison and working with Focus Ministries.

• Invite teachers from public schools to come get free art supplies

Sized clothing for kids entering foster care and stock of baby clothing for Fort Sanders babies

The green side of KARM Thrift: All garments & textiles that cycle through the clearance center end up in one of 3 groups. Group A are items that didn't sell but don't have any defeciencies. They are then sold to thrift stores in cities that don't have a donation base large enough to stock a thrift store year round. Group B are items which are slightly damaged be it a stain or a tear or a missing button. These items are sent to third world countries. Some of these clothes are used as is, while others are remade into clothing to fit the appropriate culture. Group C is made up of more heavily damaged items. These are put through a compressor and sold in bales to buyers who then remove buttons and zippers to be sold and separate the clothing by color. White fabrics are cut out and sold to paint companies as rags, colored fabric is sold to auto shops and mechanics, while still others are sold and shredded to become insulation in cars.

Bales ready to be shipped to buyers

KARM uses sheets to wrap bales so that the items inside don't get too damaged to use

We are so excited to be a community partner of KARM Thrift and are even more excited to be able to assist you in the donation process. Check out their website for locations, hours, and to learn more about KARM Thrift and their mission.

How to Organize Your Car

Let's be real...most of us do not have a car that looks immaculate all the time. While I wish mine did, on a very practical level.. I just really will never be vacuuming my car weekly or have a file folder with color coordinated tabs for each car service I ever receive. I've read blogs with crazy long check lists and others with some really helpful tips but here we want to give you the basics.

I'm learning with you so in the spirit of transparency, here are some pictures of my car in it's typical state.

I recently moved from a two door to a four door car and I'm LOVING it! However, I've found that it's easy to just keep piling things in because I have more room now.

I've come up with a plan to keep my car more organized and I'm excited to share a few tips with you.

1. The center console is your friend! Having never had a center console before, I'm super pumped about making good use of it. The lower compartment is ideal for chargers, wet ones, and umbrellas. The upper compartment is the perfect place to keep a few pens, spare change and business cards. Living in a downtown neighborhood, I park on meters frequently and the change slots are super handy so I don't have to fish through my purse to find quarters. Am I the only person that actually uses this feature? Maybe, but I love it!

2. Door pockets and seat pockets: I try to keep these empty other than an umbrella. I never think to check seat pockets so anything that goes in will probably never come out.

3. The trunk is tricky-- it's out of sight which is good, but can also turn into a dark pit. My goal is to only keep car trouble necessities (ex. jumper cables, tire pump) a yoga mat, and a picnic blanket in it. A crate or basket works well to contain those items so they aren't rolling around when you drive. One other idea I had was to keep another box in the trunk to collect items I don't need that are thrift store bound. If I can get the items into my car, I'm way more likely to drop them off in passing instead of letting them sit in the corner of my kitchen for months.

4. Rule of Thumb: I've been trying to create the habit of taking everything in to the house at the end of the day rather than telling myself I'll do it later. So far it's been working fairly well. My trending exception is when it's raining. I don't have a garage so it's not practical to lug things through the rain rather than taking them inside the next day.

Practical things to keep in the car:

• Umbrella

• Bobby pins and hair ties

• hand sanitizer

• chap stick

• wet ones

• miniture accordian file for coupons

• reusable shopping bags

Check out The Container Store if you are looking for containers specifically for cars and travel. Their foldable boxes look pretty handy!

A Community Shopping Event

Help You Dwell cordially invites you to join us for a boutique clothing pop up shop from 2-5pm on Sunday August 23rd at 854 North Central Street! For all of the details check out the facebook event page. We are partnering with Angie Hamstead, curator of Colettes Closet for a unique (one day only) shopping experience. Bring your friends and come out for an afternoon of light refreshments and top of the line brands of clothing at consignment prices.

You can expect to find the following brands: Parker, Joie, Elizabeth & James, Anthropologie, Rebecca Taylor, BCBGMaxazaria and more. The images below are a few of the items available to purchase at the pop up.

Angie has an eye for clothing and for styling outfits. We are so excited to offer an exclusive shopping experience. Colette's Closet includes a wide range of styles including "not your typical" orange clothing for the stylish vol fan, stylish work attire, fun casual pieces, funky jewelry, and unique dresses.

A note from Angie...

"Colette's Closet began two years ago as a way to honor my mom. I am blessed to be the daughter of Mary Colette Thompson Scott. She is a beautiful person with a nurturing, caring soul and loving spirit. As her only daughter, we have logged many hours of shopping together over the years. Over the past decade we have grown a special love for consignment shopping. We have so much fun "treasure shopping" for great finds at awesome prices. We have always had champagne taste on a beer budget! In February, 2013 my mom had an unexpected heart attack that resulted in a six bypass surgery. We are so blessed that she came through the surgery and recovery with flying colors. The inspiration for Colette's Closet came to me while sitting in the ICU waiting room the day after her surgery. Colette's Closet has proved to be a great avenue for spreading the love for consignment shopping and the thrill of finding designer clothing at affordable prices. Last year I had the privilege of hearing the Dalai Lama speak in Birmingham, Alabama. He told the audience that "when one has, one shares." In that spirit and in honor of my mom, I donate 10% of all proceeds to an organization that benefits women or children. Smile Train was my charity of focus last year. I am proud to support Thistle Farms this year."

If you aren't familiar with Thistle Farms, it is "A community of women who have survived prostitution, trafficking and addiction. They believe that in the end, love is the strongest force in the world for change."

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Downtown Knoxville's "Elvis Artist" Dwelling : Home Tour with Mark Burns

If you have ever taken a walk down Gay Street in Knoxville, Tennessee, you have probably noticed the larger than life mural of Elvis. We had the opportunity to sit down with the artist, Mark Burns, and his wife Lorraine to talk with them about downtown dwelling and what home means to them.

Mark and Lorraine always told themselves that once the kids grew up and the dog moved along, they would make the move to downtown living. Three years ago they jumped on the opportunity and haven’t looked back. Lorraine says they have never regretted the move.
When we walked into the Burns home we immediately felt at ease. No doubt a combination of easy going personalities and a tasteful yet casual atmosphere create that feeling.

We began our conversation wondering what their decorating process looks like. We so appreciated Lorraine’s practicality when she started off talking about making wise purchases and not jumping on the trends. Lorraine describes their style as more traditional. With Mark’s art thrown into the mix, the space takes on a personality of it’s own. The Burns’ loft has tons of beautiful exposed brick with large windows giving them a great eastern view. Lorraine pointed out several pieces in their home that have been passed down from multiple generations of family. “Changing up your accessories and rearranging furniture makes it easier to feel like you have freshened up your space without going out and spending tons of money on new things.”

One of the things the Burns love most about downtown living is the community they have found. They love being able to walk out the door and run into friends. The Burns specifically love the diverse group of people that live in their building: The Phoenix. Mark and Lorraine spoke of spontaneous “porch parties” where residents congregate on the patio right outside the lobby on Gay Street. Mark describes downtown living as a different kind of social opportunity. “Lorraine and I will take a few drinks down to the patio and before you know it, 8 more people have joined us.”

The original Elvis Eyes

“My art has always been about “speaking community. There has always been debate about the purpose of art. Many people think art is about making a statement but to me, I just love hearing the conversation that art sparks. I don’t care about making a statement, I just paint what I like and watch how it impacts people differently.”

— Mark Burns

Mark uses the patio space as more than a social gathering spot, he frequently sets up shop to paint or sketch on the patio in the open air. In late high school, Mark was offered both a football and an art scholarship to the University of Tennessee. Mark accepted the football scholarship and majored in art. After an illustrating job in Atlanta and some freelance work, Mark found that he preferred the freedom of making art on his own time and picking his own subjects. He has made art for his own enjoyment rather than as his full time job for the past several years. Mark has gravitated towards pop art for as long as he can remember. He commented that he started out airbrushing t shirts the night before the Worlds Fair opened in Knoxville and over the next several weeks and months became quite accomplished. After putting art away for many years, he has, in more recent years been enjoying creating art for the public. “The Elvis mural really seemed to connect with people. I love seeing people stop to take pictures with the mural. Outside art is communal, it brings people together. My art has always been about “speaking community”. There has always been a debate about the purpose of art. Many people think art is about making a statement but to me, I just love hearing the conversation that art sparks. I don’t care about making a statement, I just paint what I like and watch how it impacts people differently.”

Mark painting out on the patio in front of the original Elvis mural

In the same way that Mark creates art, we love the idea of creating a home that you like,  and not being concerned with making some kind of statement. If you love the space you live in every day, you’ve created a home that is rightfully a work of art.

How to Hang a Gallery Wall

In my dining room lives a sad wall. It's sad because it's windowless, goes on for days, and is screaming for attention. Currently it is stark white and has nothing on it but that's all about to change. If you follow us on facebook or instagram you know what I'm talking about.

I came home from Home Depot with approximately 4,000 paint color cards and finally landed on one over the weekend. The ol' sad wall is getting a coat of Behr's Vintage Coral Paint from their Marquee Odyssey Collection. The lighting in the two pictures is kind of wonky but the one I picked is the bottom option in the first picture.

But that's not all. I have big plans for this wall. It's going to be adorned with an array of art. If you have never installed a gallery wall it's pretty simple. Follow these steps to create one of your own.

1. Search your house, garage, parents attic, thrift stores etc and collect a group of wall hangings. Think outside of the box and get varying shapes, sizes, frames, etc. Consider hanging actual objects as part of this gallery as well. Don't be afraid to mix wood frames with metal etc. Some people prefer a color theme but it's not necessary.

2. Gallery Walls work best at eye level. You don't want things too high or too low. If your wall is shared by furniture, make sure you leave several inches between the top of the furniture piece and the bottom of your lowest hung art. You don't want your gallery to look crammed onto the wall. Smaller pieces need to be hung lower or at eye level while your larger pieces can be hung higher.

3. Arrange all of your art on the floor in front of your wall to figure out the order and spacing before you hang. Don't get too hung up on perfectly re-creating your floor arrangement but use it as a guide. I usually snap a picture of the arrangement on the floor just to refer back to as I'm hanging.

4. This will make some people cringe but I hardly ever measure before hanging things. If you are fine with a few imperfections I highly recommend eyeballing it. It helps if you have someone helping you so you can have them hold each piece up while you step back and evaluate before nailing it in. 

5. Hang the big stuff first. Smaller pictures or paintings can be moved around more easily. The larger pieces will inform the whole collage.

6. Step back and enjoy your work and the awesome art you have collected and can now display in your home.

A Home That Serves: Home Tour with Travetta Johnson

We sat down this week to chat with our friend Travetta Johnson about the concept of making a home and her ideology on decorating. Travetta and her husband own a beautiful Victorian home in a downtown Knoxville neighborhood. 

When you walk into the Johnson's home you immediately feel like you can breathe a little easier. I've always loved Travetta's ability to create beautiful spaces that somehow feel like home to everyone that comes through the door. Walking through their house is almost like reading a book. Travetta loves art, objects and pieces of furniture that tell a story.

I asked Travetta to tell me about how she decorated and chose the pieces in her home.

I love mixing old and new styles. I'm drawn to items that have history. There is something really sweet about your grandchildren being able to use the highchair that you used as a child or reading the same books over the span of generations. Pairing the older more antique items with more modern, clean lined pieces creates a really nice contrast. One concept that I have found really helpful when decorating an eclectic home is to mix things from different time periods keeping in mind that pieces that were made at least 50 years apart tend to be more cohesive. In general I focus on simple beauty by using things that invite people in, like flowers from the garden, a bowl of fruit, a photograph. To keep things interesting, I consider contrasting texture, color and shape when I curate a space. Establishing a natural flow between our home and the outdoors helps create a comfortable feel throughout the house. There is something nostalgic about porches, open windows and the hum of house fans.

Tell me about what roles your home has taken on in various stages of your life.

I read a book when I was in my 20's that changed the way I thought about my home. The book focused on the difference between entertaining versus hospitality. I want my home to be less about making impressions and more about making people feel welcome. Home is a place for people.

I've found that the role of my home has changed in different seasons of life. In early marriage our home was based around that concept of hospitality. We often hosted potlucks, game nights, and bible studies. When we had young children, home evolved into more of a place of retreat and nurturing. As our kids got older the hospitality theme resurfaced and now with grown children, grandchildren, and aging parents our house has served as more of a care-taking and provisional refuge again.

How do you find the balance of creating beautiful spaces without becoming obsessed with the appearance of your home?

The phrase "Man was not created for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was created for man." comes to mind. In this same way, we are not created to serve our homes but rather our homes are created to serve us. Homes feel ordered when they revolve around people and not vice versa. I've found that my taste and style has developed over time. I no longer feel the pressure to constantly redecorate in order to stay on top of the trends. There is a really sweet balance of creating beauty and comfort in your home and yet being content with it once it is settled.

Real Life Capsule Wardrobe

Before: Disregard the top half of the closet in both pictures. It belongs to my honey and he isn't quite sold on the idea of a capsule wardrobe.

After

Yall.....things got really real over here last week.

Let me begin by saying that I probably purge more than 80% of the population and thought a capsule wardrobe would be a cinch for me. It was wayyyy harder than I imagined.

Through the process I realized several things.

1. It's somewhat easy to purge your own closet of things that you don't like anymore, never liked and kept out of guilt, or things that are (let's face it) NEVER GOING TO FIT again. I did this kind of purging before I brought out the big guns.

2. An extra set of eyes is super helpful. I called in reinforcements and tried on almost every article of clothing I had (an embarrassing number) and said "fire away" to two amazing humans who said "please don't wear that in public" or "you should definitely keep that" to each item I tried on.

3. I realized that I was keeping several things that I loved and wore almost the entire summer (4 years ago) and just hadn't stopped to realize that I don't love anymore.

4. I filled up 3 laundry baskets of clothing/shoes to get rid of or sell and don't regret any of it. I was honestly shocked that was able to let them go so easily after I had a second party agree they were past their prime or unflattering.

5. I might have a shoe and shirt problem. You guys... it's bad.

Here are a few pictures during the process. My room was totally clean pre-capsule making and this is what it looked like after about 30 minutes. YIKES!

The hardest part was the final narrowing down to the smallest amount of clothing I could manage --we are talking a total number of 40 items including pants, shorts, skirts, dresses (not fancy ones--just everyday ones), shoes, and shirts. NOT EASY YALL!

My capsule broken down contains 5 pairs of pants, 2 shorts, 3 skirts, 1 dress, 2 vests, 19 shirts, and 8 pairs of shoes.

The only purchases I made were two pairs of shoes for my summer capsule. Both from Target. I've been wanting a pair of more stylish tennis shoes to wear for the summer and I spotted these and couldn't resist.

I'm only a few days in but I'm totally sold already! My mornings are drastically less chaotic because I have so much less to weed through. I love how open my closet feels now. I even went out and treated myself to some new wooden hangers.

We would love to hear from you! Would you ever try doing a capsule wardrobe for a season? Have you done it before? We want to hear about it!

Capsule Wardrobe: A Help You Dwell Challenge

I'm taking the plunge and I'm inviting you to join me.

If you aren't familiar with the concept of a capsule wardrobe, essentially, it is a simplified wardrobe of versatile pieces that you love wearing. In other words, for each season, you pick a certain number of items and wear only those. For the Summer season, I will be picking 37 items (including tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, and shoes) and donating, or packing away the rest.

I have a closet and a dresser full of clothes that don't often get worn. I gravitate towards a handful of clothes that are my favorites. I love clothes but I hate my tendency to try on 85 different outfits only to go back to those favorite pieces that make me feel awesome. In an effort to practice what I preach when it comes to an organized and decluttered life style, I am committing to a capsule wardrobe plan for my summer.

One of my 2 closets currently

Why am I doing this?

1. I want to buy less but buy better quality.

2. I want my mornings to be more simplified

3. I'm interested to see whether I get bored wearing the same items in various combinations or whether it's freeing to have less to choose from.

4.My closet space is limited and not designed well. I want to be able to see clearly what I have and currently I have too many clothes for my space.

So, over the course of the next week I"ll be narrowing down my wardrobe and will report back in 2 weeks to let you know what items I chose for my Summer Capsule and how it's all going.

For more information about what a capsule wardrobe is, check out this description. Want to know how to build one? Here is a guide.

Mothers Day Gift Guide

Mothers Day is this Sunday and we wanted to offer a few last minute suggestions if you are looking for gift ideas. We picked items that are usable and won't take up long term residence on a counter or a shelf. Keeping in mind that we are trying not to add clutter, we have come up with 5 items that any mom would love to receive.

1. K. Hall Peony Candle : This candle looks and smells like Spring and has a 130 hour burn time. Extra bonus: the tin is definitely worth repurposing once the candle is used up. We would use it to store tea. 

2. Seed Packet Notecard Set: These vintage seed packet note cards are to die for. 20 come in each set.

3. Blue Chair Tomato Jam & 7 Citrus Marmalade: Summer in a jar. Enough said.

4. A potted plant. Perfect pick me up inside or could be replanted in the yard!

5. Yoga classes: Or any other kind of class or event. We love giving gifts that include an experience.

The Slow Life : Home Tour with Ashley Addair

Help You Dwell sat down with Ashley Addair this week to talk about simple living. Ashley is an established artist living in Knoxville with her husband, two children, the occasional dog, and sporadic out of town guests. To give you a bit of background, Ashley and family have spent the last year or so living a bit nomadic-ally while her husband gutted and rebuilt their home. (Which incidentally used to be a neighborhood grocery store) Their newly finished home is truly a work of art in itself. Ashley is a wonderful thinker and writer and one of her recent blog entries about her entry way inspired us to ask her about her approach to her home and lifestyle.

Tell me a little bit about what simple living means to you.

A: In this season I'm learning a lot about letting things be as they are. I'm trying to live out the tension of facilitating change and evolving but at the same time, accepting things as they are; not fighting the chaos of life. I'm trying to posture myself in a way that allows for finding beauty in that chaos and letting that be enough. 

That is such a refreshing answer. On a practical level, do you have any habits or routines that help you accomplish and maintain that simple posture?

A: I recently read a haiku that said "To make a home, start in one corner- Make that yours. Work outwards, slowly." I'm trying to take that and practice "looking smaller". I'm picking little things, small corners that I can work on and letting the rest go. I'm endeavoring to let things evolve without me and it's helping me notice natural rhythms and the beauty of observing from a distance. Basically, I'm working on becoming increasingly slow: on letting life wash over me and recognizing that slow is the gift of this season. I'm becoming more okay with embracing limitations. In a very literal sense, I've picked one corner of the yard and one corner of the kitchen to focus on and I'm venturing to let the rest go. 

One of the hardest parts of simplifying is letting go of all the "stuff". You seem to have a really healthy detachment to "things". Tell me about that.

A: I have moved around a lot over the course of my life. I've found that there is a gift in traveling light. Honestly, at this point having kids has forced me to recon with the fact that things will get messed up and broken. In general, I try to let things be meaningful without being attached to them.

You can meet Ashley and purchase her art at our pop up market on May 3rd from 11-6. We hope to see you there!

Caroline & Taryn

'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' Quick Guide

www.tidyingup.com

If you receive our weekly emails, you may remember us mentioning that we recently read "the life-changing magic of tidying up: the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing" by marie kondo. We highly recommend the book if you need to psych yourself up to get organized. Marie offers so many great tips that we couldn't possibly cover them all in one blog post but we wanted to give you the "Help You Dwell Quick Guide" to the book if you don't have time to read it yourself.

1. Many organizing books and experts suggest tidying or decluttering a little bit a day over the span of one's life. The fact of the matter is, a little at a time is usually not a dramatic enough change to motivate you to purge the way most of us need to.  "A dramatic reorganization of the [entire] home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective."

2. Always begin with thoroughly eliminating clutter. "If you can see the dramatic results, you will be empowered to keep your space in order ever after."

3. "Storage methods do not solve the problem of clutter." Hence the reason that tip #2 is so very important. You can have a house busting at the seams of very organized things but organization alone doesn't make your home a peaceful, welcoming place.

4. Think in concrete terms so that you can vividly picture what it would be like to live in a clutter-free space. Next, identify why you want to live life that. Why do you want to tidy? Finally, examine what you own.

5. When going through your items ask yourself, "does this item give me joy?" If it doesn't.... away it goes! Think of the process as deciding what to keep rather than deciding what to give/throw away. Imagine your home with only things that you love.

6. When you start the decluttering process, start with things that do not tend to hold sentimental value like clothing, books/media, papers etc.

7. If you are having a hard time making a decision about an item try to cut out the rational circular thinking ex: "I might need this later, or it's a waste to get rid of this". Try instead, to ask yourself why you have the item- when did you get it and what meaning did it have for you when you got it. "To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose."

8. "Letting go is even more important than adding." "When we really delve into the reasons for why we can't let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future." "The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don't."

9. There are three approaches we can take toward our possessions: face them now, face them sometime, or avoid them until the day we die.

10. "Tidying ought to be the act of restoring balance among people, their possessions, and the house they live in."

Spring Cleaning Giveaway Winner Announced

Thank you all for participating in our Spring giveaway. We are excited to announce that our winner is Terri L.

A big thank you to Stanley's Greenhouse for sponsoring this giveaway. If you have never been to Stanleys, you are truly missing out. It is a locally and family owned and operated greenhouse and plant farm in South Knoxville. For the Spring season they also run a "Secret Garden located in West Knoxville right off of Kingston Pike at Northshore. Check out their website and stop by the store or the garden to see what they have in stock.

The weekly planner featured in our giveaway is from Rala which is an awesome shop right off of Market Square on Union Avenue. They have a great selection of local and regional art and hand made goods along with Knoxville's best selection of cards for any occasion you could think of. Check out their blog or their facebook page  and stop by the store if you are looking for a gift or just need a pick me up.

Spring Cleaning Challenge Week 3

Now that the weather is getting nicer we have been finding it hard to stay motivated to be inside all day. Often organizing can be time consuming but we have come up with a few more ways to declutter in quick spurts so you don't waste your day away. I often find that the kitchen is the easiest part of the house to purge. Offices are hard because of the surplus of paper, closets are hard due to the volume of items that get crammed in so they aren't seen, kitchens, however, are really easy to purge in a timely manner.

image:designsponge

1. Take a quick scan through all of your kitchen cabinets and drawers and remove anything that you haven't used in the past year. We all have those random items that someone gave us, or we found in the car etc that somehow end up in our cabinets and never come out. We all have duplicates and half working items as well. Now is the time. You have our permission to give away the mismatched plastic cups, the chipped mugs, and the really unfortunate serving platter from your great aunt. When you have room in your kitchen cabinets to clearly see the things you love, you will be more likely to use them.

We have found this article to be helpful when we feel like we need permission to purge.

image: goodhousekeeping.com

2. Purge your fridge.  Maybe it's just me but I always seem to accrue salad dressings and condiments and promptly forget about them. Take 5 minutes to check the expiration dates on items in your fridge that you typically don't think about. While your at it, a quick scan of your pantry can't hurt either. Pay attention to canned and bottled items that we tell ourselves "last forever". I promise they don't.

Spring Cleaning Challenge

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“That’s what decluttering is: taking time to decide what’s important enough to remain in your life. It’s not about getting rid of everything, or emptying your life completely. It’s about figuring out what matters to you. And then getting rid of what doesn’t.”

— Leo Babauta

For the month of March our blog entries will be centered around Spring Cleaning. Rather than overwhelming you with long detailed lists of things to do each week, we will give you two quick ideas to break up your work into manageable weekly to-do’s. We want to keep it simple and to the point while giving you helpful tips to stay motivated.

This week’s challenge:

1. Take a trash bag to your bathroom and fill it with anything you don’t use or anything that has expired. For items that haven’t expired but you don’t use, think about donating to a homeless shelter (The Volunteer Ministry Center or KARM) or giving them to a friend. Let yourself off the hook and don’t guilt yourself into keeping a bottle of face wash that you hate just because you used it once and didn’t like the result. In the future, look for small bottles when trying out a new product or do some online research and read customer ratings before buying.

2. Go through your email and open up any email that you didn’t sign up for or always delete before reading and unsubscribe yourself. One less piece of junk mail clogging up your brain and your inbox. * https://unroll.me/ makes it easier to unsubscribe from multiple emails at a time

Routines

Recently I've been really interested in learning about peoples routines. Specifically,  morning and nightly routines. I'm one of those weird hybrid gals who loves order but is somehow still free spirited. This usually means that I love the concept and idea of having rhythms in life but sometimes find it hard to commit to them.

I'm finding that leading an ordered life doesn't mean I have to be the most disciplined person on the planet but it does mean that I tend to be most at peace when I'm practicing a few choice routines. I know myself well enough to know that I'm more likely to stick with something if I make it as simple as possible. Lately, I've been inspired to adopt a few simple routines in my own life. Here they are:

Be Nice To My Skin: Witch-hazel to remove makeup and clean pores and Argan oil to moisturize. Every night, people. Every. Night. (I've been known to wake up in yesterdays makeup in the past)

Drink more water: I always forget, but two things have been helping me remember to stay hydrated. 1. I bought a pretty water bottle that I like taking with me places and that I like drinking out of.  2. I must say yes anytime anyone offers me water-- I never noticed how often I am offered water until I started following this rule. 

Monthly closet purge: This probably sounds crazy to most people but I go through my closet monthly and try to be reasonable about what needs to go. For me, the hardest things to let go of are the items that "I haven't worn in a year but would be perfect for that one random occasion with that one pair of pants that I also haven't worn in a year." I'm really trying to pare down and only keep things that I love wearing and that make me feel confident.

Weekly Bath: Don't worry, I shower in between :)  but I've recently rediscovered how flipping amazing a bath can be. Think candles, books, and floral scented soap.

Soaking in the Morning Quiet: This one is the hardest for me during the winter because the bed is just so warm. I have a comfy chair by a sunny window that is my morning spot. I'm attempting to make it routine to sit there for 30 minutes each morning with a cup of tea to read, think, be still, pray, or journal.

Sweat a little:  Pilates classes at 9:00am Tuesdays and Thursdays at the East Knoxville YMCA are my favorite. Anne is a great teacher and I feel more motivated in a class than by myself.  I'm starting realistically and trying to make 2 days a week at the gym a routine.

I'm super curious... Do you like routines? What are some of yours?

C

The House and Gardens Show 2015

We are so excited to be presenting at The Dogwood Arts House and Gardens Show this weekend!

 Our talk "The Ordered Home: How to De-clutter and Organize your Space" will be on Friday (2/13) at 11:00am. We will be manning a booth all weekend and we would LOVE to see you! The event hours are Friday 10am-9pm, Saturday 10-6pm, Sunday 11-5pm.

We are giving away a free closet makeover so come by and enter our drawing!

Closet Purging 101

February is a great time to go through your closet. Purging your closet prior to switching out seasonal clothes makes it easier to see what you have and see what you need next winter when you transition again. We have come up with a few suggestions on how to get started and questions to ask yourself when you get stuck.

One of the most helpful things is to closet purge with someone who you can trust to tell you the truth about what's flattering and what's not, what looks dingy, and what is outdated.

We always suggest pulling everything out and categorizing by type of item. For example, shoes, belts, t shirts, nicer shirts, skirts, sweaters, jackets etc. Pick a category and go through each item and decide whether to keep it, give it away, return it to someone, or trash it. Once you are done with the category, put the items you are keeping back into the closet.

Often times when organizing you will end up with a "maybe" pile or those items that are just really hard to make decisions on. The following 4 questions may help you figure out why you are hesitant to let it go which may help you make a decision.

1. Do you feel good about yourself when you wear it?

2. Have you worn it in the past year?

3. Do you have other clothing items that look very similar or serve the same purpose?

4. Are you holding onto it for sentimental reasons or out of guilt? (We often recommend photographing beloved clothing items that you know you won't wear again so that you can have a visual memory to hold onto that won't take up place in your closet. Trying to keep your closet limited to items that you actually wear will make getting dressed a lot easier.)

 BONUS- A great resource article for you… Second Chances: Renovate Your Wardrobe Instead of Buying New!

Life Resolutions

Because I'm an avid list maker I must admit that I have always loved making New Years Resolutions. In the past I've made lists of practical things I would like to do differently during the year. This year, however, I decided to make a life list. I chose things that I will more than likely work on and work towards until the day I die. These phrases are not my own words but are lines that stuck with me over the course of the year--things I read, things that were shared with me, things that I saw in other people. More than anything I want to be less consumed with my stuff and myself.

1. Buy less, choose well.

2. Collect moments, not things.

3. Be ware of hurry.

4. Live more from intention and less from habit.

5. Wherever you are, be all there.

6. Remember: The grass is greener where you water it.

7. Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.

8. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy.

9. Drive less, bike/walk more.

10. Do small things with great love.

We would love to hear from you all! What do you think about New Years Resolutions? Do you have any for this year? For life?