Ah clutter! Aren’t you just the bane of all our lives? Though Vintage Housekeeping as a way of life is abundant with blessings, one really mustn’t make the mistake of confusing blessings with clutter because there is nothing quite so ugly or draining on the soul as drowning in a sea of all that you imagine might come in useful one day… You see, I am here to tell you, my Darling, that having a stash of used carrier bags won’t save your life. Starting, but never finishing many a journal before moving on to the next for a “fresh start” won’t keep divorce or disaster from your door. Hoarding clothes that fitted you when you were sixteen won’t mean you will find the incentive to slim back into them before you are sixty and owning thirty three bottles of shampoo won’t turn a bird’s nest into a bouffant. I’m sorry, but there it is. Life is cruel and cluttering up your brain with all this nonsense isn’t helping a jot. And so Housekeepers, I hereby invite you to join me on the journey to a house where there is room to breath new ideas into your day. A home where you can see the wood for the tree’s and the kitchen counter for the scrumptious loveliness that is the empty surface! You see I believe that the creative souls we dream of being are desperately stifled by all the nonsense we surround ourselves with in the name of inspiration. We fail at achieving domestic bliss because we have to navigate our way through so much domestic debris. Clutter spells neglect, neglect spells exhaustion and exhaustion my Darlings, halts creativity and the possibility of owning the kind of home we can be proud of, right there in it’s tracks. We might as well crawl under the duvet with a packet of malted milk and rot… But no more! No more I say: from today we will go to war, not just on clutter itself but on the ridiculous habits that cultivate it and the muddled old emotions that have us wrapping ourselves up in yet more of this and a whole lot more of that in an effort to avoid all kinds of yukky truths about who we are and the way our lives are shaping up… “Trash It or Treasure It” is not just a bossy missive on the path to sanity: it is a philosophy for living, for stripping back who we are and what we own until we are left with nothing more than the essence of our most authentic selves, because as Socrates said (and I can confirm): “The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” And yes I understand that authenticity sounds petrifying and the very thought of tackling the stacks of nonsense you have spent a lifetime building might make you want to cry with pre-emptive tiredness, but you won’t be alone: I am going to be right here, holding your hand, spurring you on and providing pink lemonade and a pep talk whenever the going gets tough. Make no mistake about it: every SINGLE aspect of your life is being compromised by clutter and something has got to give… It’s time to get happy Honey so join the Trash It or Treasure It Program Today! * 26 Weeks of scrumptious de-cluttery inspiration with a vintage spin. *An in-depth essay and detailed task-sheet to download weekly… * Supplementary worksheets, targets and of course, puttery treats! Yes, for the first time on BrocanteHome I am going to help you de-clutter both your home and your head and together we might just discover the link to a life less ordinary… This is the most comprehensive program I have ever offered on Brocante and I truly hope it will have life-changing impact on the homes of all Vintage Housekeepers struggling to get through the days, let alone keep the house sparkly, or stick to the routines and rituals I am usually so vehmenent about instigating… Let’s make life lovely again Housekeepers…
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
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I turned 43 last week. An impossible age surely? I turned 43 and my family and friends made sure it was a birthday to remember for all the right reasons… There was frozen cocktails at midday. A whole series of silly photos…
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Here you are Sweeties, a heartwarming, ever so slightly saucy, treat for the weekend… A short little film from the BBC Film Network telling the tale of Barry, a man who having found himself redundant, sets about filling his time by breaking…
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Oh this is Serendipity at its best! I love/need/urgently desired precisely this type of guidance and *poof* there you were in my inbox. BUT when signing up on Paypal the invoice says $5 for each 4 WEEKS, which I found a trifle confusing. It IS $5 per month, right? Signed up anyway, but just wanted to clarify it. Bliss and blessings, The goddess known as Jacqui My recent post How to Get Out of A Rut (aka Thoughts While Stuffing a Chicken)
Alison, I moved 1500 miles from home shortly after graduating from high school and a few years later, got married and then had children. Long story short, my parents would drive down to visit and bring some of my "stuff" I'd left behind. Then when my grandparents passed away, they brought me some of their stuff as well (caned chairs, antique sewing machine, dishes, 2 twin bed frames, and other various items). Then my father passed away and then my mother decided to downsize and move into a small, 2-bedroom condo. The family home was a 3 bedroom upstairs and 2 bedrooms in the basement. And the attic was full (I know, because I emptied it out for her!) This last time, an 8×5' trailer was used to bring many more items back to Texas. The thing was that a year before my dad died, both my 16 yr old son and my 39 yr old brother committed suicide (2 separate incidents) and my world fell apart. I was able to "fake" my way through life for about 2 years before totally losing it and checking myself into a hospital due to severe depression. I was in no shape to sort through things from the last trip, and most of the other things from the previous trips had been stored in the attic. Two years later, I checked myself back into the hospital, more depressed than ever. That second time of hospitalization was in Oct 2005. I am still recovering, thanks in large part to God, as well as finding the correct medicine (after a number of tries!) I am still overwhelmed by the huge volume of stuff in each room of my home. I refuse to allow anyone I know into my home. Yes, I would step outside in the pouring rain to speak to someone if it came to that, rather than allow them to see the mess. Now to the good stuff – my son married less than 2 weeks ago and I am to be a grandmother. It all happened so fast, that I just couldn't get the right room ready for my mother, so she shared a bed with me, while my husband slept on the couch. But at least I made some headway, which is great for me. I now have time to finish clearing the room my husband said would be best for a guest room (or room for the baby to stay in when he – yes, it's a boy! – comes for a visit!) I know that I won't be able to clean out the whole house in the time given, but if I get just one room cleared out, painted, & decorated with your Program, then what a success it will be! I can't wait! Leslie Anne P.S. Sorry for rambling on so, but I'm so excited for any help!
Leslie Anne,I logged on to comment to Alison and I read this,I feel like weeping,you have had the worst time ever,I know a little of how you feel,I had a family member take his own life too,but I absolutely applaud you for moving forward and its wonderful news that a new life is coming into your family! I am going to join this one also,before the clutter in here threatens to take over! infact today I am going to photograph ten items that I dont want and put them on ebay! sending you hugs and lets both see if we can make some room!!!! xxx
Thank you Alison! I need this! It is my dining room that is the problem,it has become a dumping ground and I have had several attempts to de clutter,but it just ends up the same,I know open the door,look in,close the door and walk away! not good.xx
Your timing is indeed serendipitous for me too Alison! We have just sold our house, so I'm now in the process of facing sorting out 12 years of 'stuff', what we don't need to move with us, and what I can finally find pride of place for in our new house. This will be perfect to help me through the process, thank you!
I'm wondering if there is anything in this program that would help also with saving too many things on the computer, you know, "for later". Heh. And Goddess Jacqui, I believe the program is $35 therefore that would be $5 per 4 weeks. I would also be interested to know if there is an option to pay all at once. Thanks.
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Oh this is Serendipity at its best! I love/need/urgently desired precisely this type of guidance and *poof* there you were in my inbox.
BUT when signing up on Paypal the invoice says $5 for each 4 WEEKS, which I found a trifle confusing.
It IS $5 per month, right?
Signed up anyway, but just wanted to clarify it.
Bliss and blessings,
The goddess known as Jacqui
My recent post How to Get Out of A Rut (aka Thoughts While Stuffing a Chicken)
Alison, I moved 1500 miles from home shortly after graduating from high school and a few years later, got married and then had children. Long story short, my parents would drive down to visit and bring some of my "stuff" I'd left behind. Then when my grandparents passed away, they brought me some of their stuff as well (caned chairs, antique sewing machine, dishes, 2 twin bed frames, and other various items). Then my father passed away and then my mother decided to downsize and move into a small, 2-bedroom condo. The family home was a 3 bedroom upstairs and 2 bedrooms in the basement. And the attic was full (I know, because I emptied it out for her!) This last time, an 8×5' trailer was used to bring many more items back to Texas.
The thing was that a year before my dad died, both my 16 yr old son and my 39 yr old brother committed suicide (2 separate incidents) and my world fell apart. I was able to "fake" my way through life for about 2 years before totally losing it and checking myself into a hospital due to severe depression. I was in no shape to sort through things from the last trip, and most of the other things from the previous trips had been stored in the attic. Two years later, I checked myself back into the hospital, more depressed than ever. That second time of hospitalization was in Oct 2005. I am still recovering, thanks in large part to God, as well as finding the correct medicine (after a number of tries!)
I am still overwhelmed by the huge volume of stuff in each room of my home. I refuse to allow anyone I know into my home. Yes, I would step outside in the pouring rain to speak to someone if it came to that, rather than allow them to see the mess.
Now to the good stuff – my son married less than 2 weeks ago and I am to be a grandmother. It all happened so fast, that I just couldn't get the right room ready for my mother, so she shared a bed with me, while my husband slept on the couch. But at least I made some headway, which is great for me. I now have time to finish clearing the room my husband said would be best for a guest room (or room for the baby to stay in when he – yes, it's a boy! – comes for a visit!)
I know that I won't be able to clean out the whole house in the time given, but if I get just one room cleared out, painted, & decorated with your Program, then what a success it will be! I can't wait!
Leslie Anne
P.S. Sorry for rambling on so, but I'm so excited for any help!
Leslie Anne,I logged on to comment to Alison and I read this,I feel like weeping,you have had the worst time ever,I know a little of how you feel,I had a family member take his own life too,but I absolutely applaud you for moving forward and its wonderful news that a new life is coming into your family! I am going to join this one also,before the clutter in here threatens to take over! infact today I am going to photograph ten items that I dont want and put them on ebay! sending you hugs and lets both see if we can make some room!!!! xxx
Thank you Alison! I need this! It is my dining room that is the problem,it has become a dumping ground and I have had several attempts to de clutter,but it just ends up the same,I know open the door,look in,close the door and walk away! not good.xx
Hi Alison,
Is it possibe to pay for the whole course with one payment?
Your timing is indeed serendipitous for me too Alison! We have just sold our house, so I'm now in the process of facing sorting out 12 years of 'stuff', what we don't need to move with us, and what I can finally find pride of place for in our new house. This will be perfect to help me through the process, thank you!
I'm wondering if there is anything in this program that would help also with saving too many things on the computer, you know, "for later". Heh.
And Goddess Jacqui, I believe the program is $35 therefore that would be $5 per 4 weeks.
I would also be interested to know if there is an option to pay all at once.
Thanks.