living simply // a swell motto

-be gone piled up magazines, otherwise known as our giant, non-efficient, paper coasters. 

-be gone stale artichoke dip seasoning hiding in the back of our pantry.  i don't even know where you came from...

-be gone ‘a few sizes too small’ faded/worn/never-cute jeans, circa 2005.  you were even too small in high school.

-be gone twin sized mattress sheet for the mattress i used to have...in college.

-be gone random, dusty wine corks acting as "décor" on the top of our cupboards.  you were cute before you started growing fur.

-be gone orange-tinted face stain...errr..."moisturizer" {most likely from victoria’s secret} bought back when i turned 16.  you are runny and nasty and so good riddance!

-be gone lonely earring without a mate. so sorry to say this, but i don’t think he's ever gonna show...

-be gone old birthday cards just stating “happy birthday” in my memory box.   

-be gone awkwardly non-perishable teriyaki sauce chllin’ in side door of our fridge.  and you thought i forgot about cha!

and so it begins...the always difficult task of getting rid of the old, the outdated, and the obsolete...the purging of unwanted and no-longer needed items from our home. 

there has been talk of simplification in our home lately as a means to 'get back to the basics' if you will.  over the colder winter months, andrew and i find it is so easy to accumulate odds and ends in drawers, cupboards, and closets.  now that summer is almost here, we are eager to de-clutter our space and instill a deeper sense of calm in our surroundings at home.  life is just always so hectic outside, why not make it as serene as possible inside our haven? 

andrew and i have decided that we only want things in our home that have a purpose, aka: items that we use on a daily basis {essentials}, or that make us feel good {pretties}.  we are ready to clear the counter space and simplify our stock.  after all, things upon things just weigh us down and ultimately get in the way.  the task at hand will be hard, seeing as we feel like we are throwing away our hard earned money when we get rid of our "things" during cleanings like this, but i think we can do it.  wish us luck!