Category: Simple Home

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Decluttering: Where To Start When You’re Overwhelmed

Posted on by Joy

The question I’m most frequently asked about decluttering is “Where do I start?” I understand how easy it is to become overwhelmed by all the stuff. We want to throw our hands up and say, “It’s too much! I don’t even know where to begin.” I’ve been there. But there is a path forward, and it starts with that first step. As Dave Ramsey often says, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Here are a few ideas to help you decide where to start: Start for a reason. If you have a desire to declutter Read more…

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Tween Boy Bedroom Update

Posted on by Joy

When you’re updating a house one room at a time, finishing a project is so satisfying! Our house has a lot of work in progress right now, but I’m happy to report that my tween son’s bedroom is finished. Fortunately, we didn’t have to do any construction in this room. It just needed some paint, furniture, and accessories. Here’s how it looked when we moved in:   We started by painting the walls with Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter, which seemed appropriate since my son requested an Americana theme. Once I had a fresh “canvas” to work with, I decorated with Read more…

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Decluttering Layer by Layer

Posted on by Joy

If you’ve resolved to declutter your home this year, this post is for you. I’m going to share how I decluttered my home and reduced the stress that “stuff” was adding to my life. About five years ago, I began a journey into minimalism. I walked the path slowly, reducing the clutter in my home and my life gradually. I read several books about how to declutter, but none of their methods met my need to minimize in a slow, cyclical manner that would produce new habits and lasting results. To borrow some weight-loss terminology: Fad diets didn’t work for Read more…

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The Minimalist Challenge

Posted on by Joy

I participated in a minimalist challenge in September. Every month, The Minimalists invite their followers to play the 30-Day Minimalism Game. On the first day of the month, you get rid of one thing. On the second day, two things. This continues day after day, and becomes more difficult when you’re releasing 15 items, then 16, then 17…you get the idea. The goal is to remove 465 items from your home in 30 days. I’ve considered accepting this challenge in the past, but I didn’t think I could do it. “This is for hard-core minimalists,” I thought, “not someone like Read more…

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Minimalist Concepts Anyone Can Use To De-clutter

Posted on by Joy

“We’re out sharing a recipe. You know, we’re not out here trying to proselytize. We’re not trying to convert anyone to minimalism. But I do want to share a recipe and see if there are ingredients that other people can get value from and apply those ingredients to their own life.” – Joshua Fields Millburn, Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things Over the past few years, I’ve read countless books, articles, and blog posts on minimalism. I also enjoyed watching Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things on Netflix. I don’t claim to be a minimalist (yet), but I’ve begun Read more…

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Progress in Our Family Room

Posted on by Joy

Our family room is looking a bit more up-to-date these days. Like everything else in our home, it’s a work in progress! I’m going for a “collected” look throughout the house, and curating takes time. The changes are happening slowly, but they are happening! Remember what it looked like when we moved in? Eventually, I want to paint the family room (and foyer and hallways) light gray to match my home office, but I have to hire a professional painter for that job. The ceiling needs to be painted, and it’s about twenty feet high. This girl is not climbing Read more…

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Christmas Decorating in Four Simple Steps

Posted on by Joy

Have you started decorating for Christmas yet? It seems like the holiday season comes earlier and earlier each year. The stores have Christmas decor on the shelves by October! I enjoy looking at the merchandise, and part of me gets so excited for this time of year. But on the other hand, I feel the stress of it all creeping into my life before I even buy our Thanksgiving turkey. So how can we avoid some of that stress? We can’t put our lives on hold for the whole month of December. Bills still have to be paid, homework has Read more…

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My Home Office Update

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My home office is ready for its first appearance on the blog! Transforming it took longer than I expected, which I admit was entirely my fault. For one thing, I’m much better at starting a project than finishing one! Also, I really took my time choosing the paint color because I’m planning  to carry the same neutral color throughout most of the house. Here’s what the office looked like before we started painting: After trying a few neutral colors on the walls, I selected Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl. I found it to be the perfect warm gray tone, but it Read more…

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How Artist Deane V. Bowers Turns Junk into Joy

Posted on by Joy

What comes to mind when I mention “recycled art?” If you had asked me that question a few months ago, I would have said, “Giant pieces of rusty metal.” But then I met Deane Valentine Bowers. She transforms trash into colorful symbols of coastal Carolina charm. Her environmental folk art is a vibrant mix of materials that come together in an intricate feast for the eyes. If you have a piece of her work in your home, you’ll notice something new about it every time you look. Deane walks the Charleston streets and lowcountry beaches, collecting items to be reused. Read more…

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Paint Colors: My Boys’ Bedrooms

Posted on by Joy

The first item on our new house to-do list was painting our boys’ bedrooms. I was excited to begin making the house our own, but I was a bit stressed about choosing paint colors on a deadline. We wanted to paint B’s room before we moved his bunk beds in, so I only had a few days to test colors, and it rained every day. I don’t recommend choosing paint colors without the sun! B wanted blue walls, and I wanted a color that would play nicely with the blonde wood tone of his furniture, so I decided to go Read more…