Consolidation

Lately I have done a lot of early spring cleaning. Do you ever get that feeling that your place is just packed to the gills? I do. I finally had enough of things falling on me when I opened closets and decided to pare down. This amazing post, Mindfulness at Home: Letting Go on Design*Sponge is a great read if you are thinking about de-cluttering. 

I gave away bags and bags (around eight I think) to the Goodwill and I feel so much lighter! I had to be ruthless at times; giving things away that someone gifted you can be an uncomfortable feeling and parting with emotional items is tough. However, I will be moving later this year and the less 'stuff' I have the easier the move will be.

I did the big purge a few weeks ago, but I find myself still looking around for ways to consolidate and minimize. Enter these little contenders:

As you can see the guy on the right isn't doing so hot. Also, what is with that thimble the other one is in? These were both gifts, the sad looking one from many years ago. They are really easy to care for but I find myself totally forgetting about them. They are tucked away in the corner of a window and frankly I think they look messy. I was thinking of re-homing them, but I do like small plants around my apartment.

I was browsing Michael's the other night and found the solution (they have some super cute Spring stuff by the way! It took massive self control and minimalism mantra repetition not to just buy a little jar or vase). What I did end up going home with was just this small white pot and a bag of decorative smooth rocks.

I washed the stones first, just in case they had something on them. Since they are 'decorative' you never know. I put a handful into the new white pot to make a good base for the roots to grow down. I gently pulled each plant out of its pot, shook any attached stones or gravel from their roots into the trash and bundled them together. Then surrounded with the remainder of the stones.

Bam! I real plant! It looks fuller and the pot is way more my style than the other two brown pots- which will be donated to Goodwill; the Pfaltzgraff will go on to hold food like it's meant to. I pruned the dead leaves off and put this back on the window sill, but since it's looking like a real plant now it's front and center. Nobody puts Bamboo in the corner! Eh, eh? ;)