I knew adding to our house would make this more than cozy, but what I didn't count on was all the stuff that would continually be brought into my home. Everyday, more pops up. Stuff, stuff and more stuff.
I am discerning when it comes to stuff. I'd rather have just a few very nice things than a lot of crap. I understand that this makes my house seem a little bare, apart from the treasures I already have. One person's bare is another's minimalist, anyway. I don't mind minimalism; I embrace it, actually.
Less stuff, less to clean up, less to dust, and more anticipation each Christmas when my mother-in-law hands me that one impractical treasure neatly tied up with a bow fit for a princess. My mother-in-law's taste is impeccable and very much in sync with my own. There's always a gem among the oranges, toothbrushes, socks and deodorant. A gift whose value will appreciate over the years, become an heirloom and be able to passed onto one of our 3 collective children.
My mother has found a niche in great the stuff she sends me on holidays and birthdays. She's figured out that her daughter is a stuff snob of her creating. I have a good bit of artwork waiting to framed thanks to her and my jewelry over-floweth with interesting and precious baubles.
But alas, my perfect plan of aquiring quality stuff has met resistance. You see, my sis and my DN don't have the patience I do. They want stuff now and they'll settle for anything.
Like the knife set my husband pulled out of storage. It's a cheap knife set, your first apartment kind where you're flat broke and its all you can afford? My sis said "Hey, we can use these knives!"
N-O! No. I've spent 33 years with crap knives, until my mother-in-law introduced me to the real deal. When I open my untensil drawer, angels sing, and a halo of golden light pours off this knife and out through the darkness, into my kitchen almost blinding me. My mother-in-law and I discussed how great the knife she got me for my birthday is and she figured out exactly what to get me for the next 13 gift-giving occassions, which made us both thrilled. Until then, I'm more than happy using what I have.
Please don't put more stuff into my untensil drawer.
DN keeps bringing home gifts from the Family Dollar. Now, I'm not oppossed to shopping there as you can score some real bargains. (I personally love my Mean Green All Purpose Cleaner) Yet, I need another trinket or votive holder like I need another hole in my head. The most recent gift was a whore red, well, gift set with candle holder, candle and catch-all. The thought was sweet, so I thanked her and then quickly put the box in my room, where it remains still.
Why did I put in my room? Because if I hadn't, she'd set it up next to my sculpture in the round. My husband's old bachelor pad stuff that he recently retrieved from his parents house keeps making it up there. My husband knows better, but DN does not. I don't want those novelty tiki cups next to the gorgeous portraits of our kids. I've worked long and hard to not make my home look like frat house. Tastefully combining his and hers prized possesions is a challenge. Let's leave out the tikis, please? Not to mention it makes things look cluttered. I HATE clutter.
Please stop "decorating" my house with crap, okay?
I don't want to be rude, but I have an eye for quality. Its a curse, really. I don't settle; I was raised with the philosophy that you shouldn't settle. It took every fiber of my being to keep myself from saying thanks but no thanks. Do you see anything whore red in my house? Do you see anything that would be sold at the dollar store here? (besides our swear jar, but that doesn't look like dollar store stuff). Can you see how cheaply made this is? Look at the hot glue bubble there!
I was also raised to be polite. I'm sure I'll open up that box, pull out the items, display them for a short time and pack 'em back up. I appreciate gifts given by kids, but at 19, you're pretty much not a kid anymore. Of course, this is the same girl who believes that the ring some kid bought her at 16 is really an emerald and white gold ring. Its very obviously not. Its maybe silver (plated most likely) and cubic zarconia (maybe a semi precious stone like topaz).
I know because I've laid eyes many on real and lab created emeralds, owning a couple myself, and when you are dealing in precious gems, you generally see them in high quality settings. Jewelry is a hobby of mine. I can spot a fake a mile away. The dead give away is the setting's craftmanship. Not to mention, I've seen the same ring a 100 times before and its worth about 5.00 maybe... Some guy gave her a line and she bought it because she doesn't know quality, but she likes stuff, any stuff.
The other thing that DN brings home on a regular basis is pamphelets. I have every peice of literature for Delaware known to man around my living room and kitchen. Every business card. Every flyer. Every advertisement for anything. Its all strewn about my house. Just when I think there could not possibly be anymore, another twenty pop up. Just because its free, doesn't mean you have to bring it home.
And just a few minutes ago, DN gave my son a key chain. Tell me what an 8 year old boy has keys for? I'm hope its a key for a safe deposit box filled with diamonds and tea bills. Why did she bring it home? Because it was... FREE.
Free doesn't mean you HAVE to take it. You can simply say "no thank you".
So, now I have to figure out how to unclutter my house and how to approach the stuff issue with tact. Please stop bringing stuff home for us. We appreciate the thought, but we already have stuff. If you'd like stuff for your room, yourself or what have you, that's fine. I don't need stuff, my boy doesn't need stuff and my husband doesn't need stuff. We also don't need kitchen stuff. The apple corer was cool, but chances are, we aren't missing anything else besides a pizza cutter. I certainly don't need ANOTHER set of used measuring cups. (I have 4 or 5 now thanks to my stuff collectors) I don't like plastic cups. We don't need another pitcher or candle holder. I don't want another throw pillow.
Want to get something? How about a light bulb (figuratively and literally)? How about dishwashing detergent? Want to be nice? Clean something from start to finish, without leaving stuff out. Or even better, put all your stuff away. Offer to cook a meal.
Anything but buying more stuff for us. Pretty please?
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