A Collection of Just What I Love

As I soon prepare to assess my possessions and undergo a journey to simplify, organize, pay off my debt, and find myself in the process, I marinate over the thoughts I have read over in the last passages of Simple Abundance:

"...Mrs. Lindbergh's advice: 'To ask how little, not how much, can I get along with. To say--is it necessary?--when I am tempted to add one more accumulation to my life.' If I think I can't live without the object of desire and I can afford it, I'll collect it. But now I pause first. Simple Abundance is not about saying "no" to our creative impulses, whether in collecting, dressing, or decorating. It's about knowing when to say "enough" because we know that all we have is all we really need. "One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.'"

It will be an implemented process in narrowing my collection to what I love--consider it as such places like a museum or fancy boutique that house only the best ^_~

I want to train my eye to be discriminating to what I love and for my heart to be patient if what I have or come across is not completely what I wanted--satisfying, not settling :3

"What Every Woman Should Do Once"

So I have this tiny little gift book I bought awhile back that lists a few things that every woman should do once; one of them being, "try on very expensive clothes in a boutique that you know you can't afford."

After leaving a resell shop, a couple stores down from it, I passed by a fancy dress shop. There was a white dress with floral appliques on a mannequin that I noticed earlier and wanted to check out and possibly get a picture of~ Walking in, I came upon an amazing dress in a similar style--ballerina tutu with floral embroidered appliques & a pleated cumber bun tied into a bow~

I thought to myself, after looking at the price tag of three hundred fifty dollars, that this was one of those moments I should take up to try on a dress I can't afford XD

Uhh~ It was gorgeous, like a spring garden party dress that was slightly reminiscent of the Ice Capades XD

And my the sales associate was friendly! I told her I had never had an experience like this before--being asked if I needed heels or a push-up strapless bra o.o How classy :o

At first I didn't think I was going to try on any more dresses but once I walked towards the entrance, where I originally found the dress, I happened upon two extras--why not? I don't do this everyday!

Oh~pink, and just my size! The first was a 4 which she said they can take in for $25. This pink was a 0 and fit me perfectly :3

And the last... just about happen to be my favorite as the sales associate asked...

Now I would have to be utterly stupid & reckless to buy any of these dresses in my current state; tell me why the sales associate knew to inform me that they had layaway? Xp

You can't imagine... I could find the money to get this dress but it wouldn't go to the most important causes that needed it -_- And yet I'm am still and always surprised that I can get one thing over another as I have several other dresses on my wish list in that price range and/or less but I would instantly let this precede them @_@ My goodness its just too beautiful...just too unique... Which is why I love it soo much >.<

The passage in today's reading was about collecting, but how the collector has a discriminating eye only to what she loves~ and as it turns out, fashion is what I collect...

Film Noir Fatale - A 1940's Dress

WAAAAHHHHHH OH MY GOOOOSHHHH!!! :O

A vintage dress I've been watching/admiring for the past couple of weeks I had intended to some how obtain eventually. Oh my, it was gorgeous and I was star struck XP

The title it held was "FILM NOIR FATALE" 1940's Vintage Dress--they absolutely knew what image to conjure with that title ;) The seller had put up a sale until May 31. This dress was marked down from an extraordinary price of $174.99 to $59.99. I waited and let it sit there in an open tab to admire it as my current situation didn't provide the means to purchase it right away.

Today I had playfully added it to my cart, (mind you this was on Etsy), then abandoned it to give myself time to marinate on it while I focused on my more important priorities--completing the final chapters for my management final tomorrow.

After casually browsing and admiring the dress again, guess what? She MARKED IT DOWN AGAIN TO $49.99!!! Ahhhhhhhh! You can imagine my excitement XD How awesome is that? Thank you Goldmine Trash, the Lord, time, & waiting to make this dress more financially sound for me :3 Yay

The Competition for Material Wealth is Self-Destructive

I have so much that I can't even appreciate all of what I have. It drives me in circles that a lot of the times I can no longer think clearly that I'd rather not think so much into them and simply post em up for sale :/ I'm pretty sure the freedom it gives me after will be well worth more than holding on to them ever was XD I wonder though~

Some of the things I want in exchange give me a bit more motivation to...

But just money in general, and stuff in general, is not good busy work to occupy one's self with--it's self-generated stress x_x Just plain retarded >_>

Weight On My Mind

So yesterday I realized that I tend to get so confused because I don't have a plan. A lot of my fashion and decorating is pretty random. I also remembered learning in my Management - Organizational Behavior class that artistic people tend to be unstructured. How true this is; I've met so many artistic people who have piles of unfinished projects waiting to be finished. Getting excited with so many ideas that after starting one, get bored and initiate something else XP

I told myself this as comfort to be understanding with myself :3 But of course, I wondered, isn't there still a way to become more structured and balanced eventually? o.o Just doesn't seem the right kind of lifestyle to be living, and I wonder if its something to come to accept or just a change of habit to nurture and support with time?

Anyways, the reading for today helped me define my thoughts from the night before. When bringing order and organization to a room, it shouldn't be done all in one shot because it will become overwhelming and there will be no sense of success and accomplishment~ It's exactly what was going on with me yesterday. I spent the entire weekend prepping and posting sales online that I overwhelmed myself and couldn't think clearly anymore, getting myself lost and not gaining any sense of accomplishment x_x

"...each successful attempt at organizing only reinforces your feelings of taking back control of your life. I had never really considered how being disorganized beneath the surface had weighed upon my mind. ...it had cost me only time (to plan), courage (to show up for work), and creative energy (to do it)."

My disorganization beneath the surface very much weighs on my mind, this is what I would like to tackle during my summer vacation :3

Yet Another Questionable Item...

I've often questioned this item wondering how the heck to use it/wear it, as it went from my rack of clothes to sell, to hanging it on my wall as the image was simply too nice to wear & was overtaking the whole scarf that there wasn't a way to wear it and see its full beauty... :/

On and off I'd constantly think whether to sell it or hold on to it for future uses as a lovely wall display.

I would get a decent profit from it considering my financial circumstances & goals... As I thought to carry on with the preparations of selling this piece, I wasn't satisfied with the first set of pictures I took, it just wouldn't capture the audience with them, so I took another~ And look at the results, its so beautiful that it gives me ideas and feelings to hold on to it >.<>_>

I had thought to myself earlier, before writing this, 'if I question it so much, maybe I shouldn't keep it'. I had tried to put into action, & keep in mind, the reading for today, questioning the item if it was beautiful, useful, or sentimental, also to write out my thoughts so I can make better decisions :3

I thought to myself that if I had this hung up as a decorative display, I don't think I'd enjoy its beauty well enough to keep it because I question it so much. I am trying to narrow down my collection to things I love. Sometimes I factor in an item's use as display in my own store~ But then I remember that I wanted to do online retail XP Ah, you never know -_- But maybe I shouldn't factor in the future too much in my decisions @_@

Bah! I still don't know x_x

In Exchange for That

So last night, surveying my room, after a day of posting sales online, I looked to things I could give up and to my wish board with pictures of the items I deeply want to obtain, and said to myself, 'I would trade these in for those'~

And how ironic, but incredibly helpful, that today's daily read from Sarah Ban Breathnach's "Simple Abundance" should discuss that topic :3

"Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful." - William Morris

She referred to it as the "aesthetic alchemy of beauty and function in the home"--I really liked that XD

'While surveying your home "let the Divine spirits of simplicity, order, harmony, and beauty accompany you".' Considering last night, I was doing this already. I was allowing my authentic self to speak to me and trust her wisdom in selecting items that didn't justly serve me and would greatly serve another ^.^

She created three categories: beautiful, useful, & sentimental. 'Does it tug at your heartstrings or on someone else? If it does so on another, put it in their room.'

"Think on paper before you act..." I realized this yesterday from my last blog, how much it helped for me to write & consider my thoughts before I act :3

*"There is an ancient metaphysical law that says if we desire more abundance in our lives we must create a vacuum to allow ourselves to receive the good we seek. How can more good come into our lives if there is no room for it? We create the vacuum by giving away what we no longer need or desire but what can serve others."

This was the best visual description she could give me, and it's what I'm gonna do and live by. Everything that's been happening lately has lead up to this definition. I very much find joy in finding a happy home for the things I own that someone else finds great pleasure in :D And what's more, I'm making room for the greater things I do want to come into my life ^0^