Wednesday 15 July 2015

Downsizing - Surprises, Upsides and Downsides

Hello!

I hope you are going well wherever you are in this world. :) Germany overcame the heatwave but apparently it is going to be pretty hot again tomorrow. I am not doing too well with all these temperatures changes but oh well, there isn't anything I can do about it.

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about how we are trying to downsize; that is, to live more minimalistic. We are still on our way... several more boxes are packed to go to Oxfam and this Monday we finally bought new living room furniture. This furniture was the last part missing in the living room as we still had my old student's shelves from IKEA. I liked them back then but they were too dark for our living room plus it really didn't fit in. Oh and there was too much space in them. So, we went shopping. Both me and the boyfriend love solid wood beech furniture - it is so pretty but also the reason why we had to save up before we got the new stuff. So, the upside of downsizing: place for new stuff which is so pretty and makes the room complete.


However it also involved a huge mess. So much stuff which had to leave the old places, go into Oxfam boxes, in the bin or the new shelves. Plus the old furniture is still there and clogs the flat. I am hoping to sell it but really if no one picks it up by Friday I will probably just give it away. So the downside of downsizing is a temporary mess!



There were some surprises involved as well, as I found UFOs, that is unfinished crochet items. Like this granny square variation. I think I talked about it in the early blog days but forgot about it soon after. Hmm. I wonder if I should just toss these squares?! What do you think?


Also there were heaps of blankets in the living room, some unfinished as they want to go to their new home soon but need some tender loving care... That is sewing in the ends.

Phew. So not that much time for crochet this week... Well, except for some owls made on the train ride to Cologne last weekend.


How are you doing at the moment and do you have more time for crafty things? 

Take care
Anne

18 comments :

  1. Such cute owls! And your we furniture looks great. Don't toss the squares, could they be made into cushion covers ? Blank and white is fairly minimalist from a colour point of view anyway lol
    Jillxo

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    1. Hm, I will come up with something for the squares. Unfortunately, I have no more of the yarn, so perhapsI should fix with other colors?

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  2. Another vote to keep the squares, perhaps you could make a bag? I have less time for crafty things at the moment, we're halfway through the school hols already though. Hx

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  3. It's always nice and satisfying to clear out, you've made me want to do some more! Love the owls :) And definitely keep the squares! If you can't repurpose them yourself I think there are charities that accept donations of squares towards blankets??

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    1. I wish there were charities like this in Germany! I know that there some in Australia but I haven't found a German one yet...

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  4. I love your owls! I hope you can find something to do with the other crochet that you found too. xx

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    1. Fingers crossed - I will search for things to do with it over the next weeks!

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  5. Well, your squares are interesting so you should keep them ! It's hard here too with the heat ... again and again. I'm fed up with it and really tired !!! Not time enough for crafting with week too because I've been very busy since 10 days ... have a lovely weekend !

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    1. It cooled down today Phewww. Is it getting any colder in France too?

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  6. The owls are gorgeous Anne. I would not throw away your squares-they will come in for a cosy blanket! I admire your destashing-it's so hard though, I always think someday I will need whatever it is...hope the move goes well xx

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    1. It was going to become a blanket in the first place but I ran of yarn (if I remember correctly). But perhaps I can mix it with other colors...

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    2. I agree with Alison - there are so many things you can do with a bunch of squares, even if they are all different colours.

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  7. Like you, little time for crafting because we are also in a household mess doing just what you are doing - sorting through things. We are getting new flooring installed so we have to pack up and move everything. That involves emptying cupboards etc. so we can move them easily and so the big clean-up and sort-out has begun. Like you, I plan to buy new shelves and we have been doing without for so long while I save up because I want to be able to buy better quality furnishings for my health's sake. Looks like you are well on your way in your quest for a less cluttered lifestyle. Well done! :-)

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    1. Seems we are on the same journey! :) Good luck with yours!

      What kind of floor will you get?

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    2. I would prefer tiles or some other natural material but the landlord is paying for it so it will be a cheaper compromise of a vinyl type of floor covering. I stipulated that the flooring could not have any endocrine disrupting chemicals in it (VOCs - volatile organic compounds) because of my immune system and we have a more expensive type that is supposed to be phthalate- and PVC-free. I am hoping that the new floor will make the indoor environment a lot healthier than the original vinyl flooring that was here when we moved in.

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  8. Your owls are really cute! And I wouldn't toss the granny squares, you may want to continue with them one day. I am also finishing a cushion at the moment that I started already last year. But now I am in the mood for finishing it. Viola

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  9. Thank you for sharing at my link up last week.
    You are welcome to join in tomorrow

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