Did I mention I have magical powers? I didn’t? Oh, well, I have magical powers. Any time I decide to like something, it suddenly becomes popular. When I think of someone, they will usually call or email. If I need money, somehow it shows up just in the nick of time. Some people call it law of attraction, other people call it God, and other people call it damn lucky. Don’t be fooled; it’s magic. Abracadabra!
Exhibit A:
In 1986, I thought it might be cool to wear leggings under a skirt. I was a bit chicken to do something so fashion forward, but I convinced Kara to do it with me. Next thing we know, all of California is doing it.
Exhibit B:
In 2003, I think I might love the color aqua. That’s how analytical I can be, by the way. I construct decision matrices to determine whether a color should get promoted. I make them in my head but, still, it’s weird. Anyway, I decide (via matrix) that I am not willing to part with chocolate-brown, despite my new love for aqua. I decide to love them equally, and then get the great idea to shop for chocolate-brown and aqua accessories for the house. I stop by Crate and Barrel and ask if they have any rugs in this colorway (fancy!) and the salesperson says she’s never seen those two colors combined (i.e., it sucks). Joke’s on you, sister. 2005, if you recall, became the year of brown and aqua. It’s all good, because yellow stole my heart in 2007.
Exhibit C:
In 2010 (okay, two weeks ago) I’m worried about cash. Specifically, I need cash to buy a writing tablet at Mikey’s school. They don’t accept ATM cards and I know I’m going to forget to go to the bank. (I’m magical, not perfect.) I’m on the phone with my sister in-law when I put on an old pair of jeans. In the back pocket is $5.
I could go on, but I don’t want to show off. Also, I don’t want to draw attention to the fact that I haven’t been able to make my student loans magically disappear. My theory is that I am magical on a small scale.
The point–and there is one–is that six months ago I decided (again with the decisions) to simplify my life a bit, and that maybe suffocating under a pile of meaningless possessions wasn’t the way to go. Coincidentally, this is also the time we get rid of our cleaning service. Two weeks into putting things in their proper place on top of cleaning toilets and mopping floors I conclude, “This blows.” I also conclude that the less clutter I have, the less I have to clean. I’m intrigued.
I turn to my lover, Google. I read well known blogs like mnmlist, Zen Habits and Unclutterer, and then move on to newer blogs like Becoming Minimalist. Finally, I bring on the big guns: books I own but have never read. Specifically, The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs. A few months go by and I am actually doing a darn fine job at keeping the house clean without the threat of company coming. I decide that, yes, living simply is the way to go.
That’s when my magic kicked in. I swear, I can’t control it.
Abbey wrote about uncluttering in the spring. Amy Beth wrote about the Slow Home Movement over the summer around the time Lydia wondered how much is enough. I would link to many more bloggers but I’m sure you get the picture. I’m not alone and, if my magical powers are doing their job, you’ve been feeling the urge to simplify your life, too.
Because I don’t have enough uncluttering to do at my house, I volunteered to clear out and empty my parents’s storage unit once and for all. That’s where Japan Girl, the lovely lady at the top of this post, comes in. Her name is Japan Girl because that is where she was made. She has a friend I call Japan Girl Wearing a Red Kerchief. I have no idea where they came from. Maybe my grandmother? My mom says my grandmother bought them for me because she knew I collected dolls.
I’ve never collected dolls. Talky Tina made sure of that, thanks.
So Japan Girl and Japan Girl Wearing a Red Kerchief are off to the mother of all garages sales, along with a Sports Illustrated shoe phone, a step aerobics platform, clothing for an army of toddler boys, and a clock hat.
I can’t wait to show you the clock hat.
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