February's Dynamic Declutter, 2014

[Ivy]

Booksaver, I looked at the Carnival Depression Glass. It's similar to my oval bowl, but my oval bowl is much darker, richer-looking, yet beautiful, too. The one you showed seemed to be a bit brighter in color with more of the iridescence contrast showing. I think mine is the real deal, not Carnival, but I'm not an authority, so would need to ask an antique dealer or someone who knows. I'm afraid if I took my bowl in, to ask if it's Carnival or not, they might charge me for an appraisal. I could look on-line some more, to see if I can find my piece someplace there, and look at the bottom. Perhaps there is a designer, company or date on it, which I'm not aware of. All I know is, both my pieces are beautiful. ♥ AND I love them, too.

This a.m., I was setting out to find instructions on how to sanitize a top-loading washer machine which has front-loader technology. I gave my old front-loader book of instructions to the person who purchased it or took it in trade. Can't recall, but since I always send old books along with appliances, to new owners, to be helpful, it's probably what happened. My new washer (2005) instruction book didn't have sanitizing directions. I tried to remember. I cleaned the entire insides, the rubber parts, metal and plastic parts, and I put bleach and soap in those particular dispensers. I washed on hot, twice, rinsed twice, and did a soak, too. It smells and looks so nice!

My declutter for today:
1- About a dozen or more paper towels, wet and dry, while scrubbing the washer.
2- 1 pair of footies I don't wear, nor need.
3- 1 Blue Bunny gallon ice cream bucket, which DH took off the handle on, I put recycle in it, and he dumped it into the recycle bin outdoors.

My other sorting/decluttering has been washing/drying underwear, rearranging my bra/undies drawer, to get order in the drawer. Now, once I lose about 10 - 15 Lbs. more, I'll be decluttering bras. I've got new-bought-on-sale bras in a smaller size than I now wear, so I won't be hurting for bras until I've probably lost 30 Lbs. or more. At least I prepared myself ahead of time! Also, I have panties down to smaller sizes, which will come in helpful "someday" to wear. I'll need to continue to declutter clothes, as some are getting mighty loose on me.

[Ivy]

Booksaver, I searched on-line and what I have IS Carnival Glass! It has no identifying marks of any maker or company either, like Depression Glass does. So I have 2 Carnival Glass pieces. I have another deep aqua clear footed bowl with a lid, and DH's great-grandmother had powder and a powder puff in it. It's an antique, but once again, there is no identifying company stamp on it. It is from (guessing) about 1920, or earlier or later. It's very pretty, but isn't iridescent. It has only the 1 solid color. I wonder if it may be Depression Glass?

I decluttered 1 mailer, which 2 complimentary magazines came in today, junk mail, and DH took out garbage, too. He decluttered the potty box for the kitty cat, I'm decluttering to do lists, when I write new ones, and dryer sheets, as I empty out the lint filter with them. They help scoop up the lint easier when you run the sheet across the lint filter or trap.

[Ivy]

I decluttered:
1- our bedroom by hanging up all my clothes.
2- my small office, by tidying it, dusting it, etc...
3- the household trash from waste baskets got dumped into the kitchen tall garbage bag, to go out to the curb tomorrow.

Thursday is garbage pick-up day.

[Harriet]

Ivy, I enjoyed reading about your bunny room!

BookSaver, thank you for putting a correct name to that glassware - we have a rather large bowl, slightly chipped, which HRH's dm found at a yard sale.

Moving a few paragraphs over here from PWYC. I had found the new BBC Britain's Biggest Hoarders program on youtube and gave a link in PWYC and told a little about it.

dd15 worries about me watching this type of program for enjoyment - she thinks I'm wasting my time on "depressing" tv when there's so much wonderful Sci-Fi, for instance. I see it as anything but depressing - so uplifting to me to see people helped, surfaces emerge, new space for families to reclaim, although I'm usually disappointed there's not much scrubbing-up on camera.

So why do I watch these?
1) possibly I see in these people someone that, by rights, I would be, but I learned early enough. Hmmm... ... that's not quite it.
2) Possibly I see my parents in these people and remember my own struggles as a teen to get my parents to detour from hoarding ways and avoid embarrassment. (Great admiration for my parents in the community, but their stacks of various containers would start teetering at about 3 feet high each. I have seen the newspapers at 6 feet.) Their beautifully decorated LR was completely cluttered by the time I started courting. I would desperately move stacks from here to there to try to hide them around corners not seen from the front rooms, and hope my visitor would not cross a certain imaginary line in the living areas, where the stacks might be visible down the hall.
3) Perhaps I am looking for inspiration to get back into the fight. Decluttering is tough - you can get a little burned out. I often get busy on a project after watching for a while.

One thing I do NOT think it is is taking any enjoyment from others being "worse" than I am, or than my house is. I do use it as a reality check (for instance, learned that water condensation in the AC can cause roaches to start - did not know that - so I need to be watchful to call a repairman if I suspect that problem). But I never find myself saying, "aha, I am better than that person". I cheer for the best outcome, armchair-quarterback the organizers' plans, and will pause the program to get dd or HRH to come look at the before and afters! LOL! HRH will say, "I'm eating, here!" LOL!