by Roxanne -

Our Furniture Moves Around

Our furniture moves around – often. The pieces we have are multi-purpose and we use them for many purposes. Sometimes my desk is in the dining room being used as the dining table. Other times it may be found in the living room working as a desk or in the bedroom functioning as a beside table.

The same can be said of our sofa table, server, bookshelves or the two square tables that are currently serving as a coffee table. Our futon sofa is also a guest bed. Guest linens and down comforter are stored in a zipped quilted bag behind it.

Most of our furniture is lighter weight so I can easily move it without help. Depending on what is happening we may need more room in the living area. I like that we can open our home to women’s spirituality groups, our small Christian community or Mary’s Pence gatherings.

Our living room is small, like those shown in these pictures. It serves as a living room, dining room, guest room, office and meeting space. It must be flexible and open.

Movable, multi-purpose furniture keeps it easy and simply. Most of our furniture is medium toned wood – so it doesn’t show dust. Another way to simplify my life.

Image Southern Living.com

The furniture industry has a real opportunity here.

What about inexpensive, lightweight upholstered chairs on wheels that could be used separately or combined into a love seat, sofa or sectional?

West Elm tries with their Tillary sofa but it is very low to the ground (at only 15 inches high for the base) making it arduous to sit down and get up. Also the back and arm rests don’t stay where you put them – not even in the store – very annoying! Also who wants to bend to the floor for the coffee table in this photo?

Many of West Elm’s coffee tables sit only a foot off the ground. The one below is only 13 inches high -really a foot high? Again, why do I want to bend over that much just to reach something on the coffee table? – and it’s not adjustable. It’s not only West Elm – other makers have the same problems, but West Elm had the promise of adjustable, flexible furniture.

Why not make tables that easily adjust height? Wouldn’t it be great to have a 40-inch diameter, round pedestal table that could be adjusted from coffee table height to chat height to end table height to dining height? Round tables make it easy to add additional seating. There’s always room for one more.

Or how about a 30-inch high dresser on wheels that could be used as a server, buffet, bedroom dresser, TV stand, or sofa table?

What about packaging ready-to-assemble furniture that fits in a vehicle smaller than an SUV or minivan? Why should I have to pay for expensive delivery or rent a small truck?

Lastly, when will someone make an attractive, inexpensive, lightweight futon??? You’ve all seen this “lovely number” 🙁  and this 🙁

and let’s not overlook this classic (which looks similar to ours, BTW):

Of course there are the Klik Klak versions which look slightly better but feel like cardboard.

The furniture industry is deeply asleep.

You may also like Simplifying Our Kitchen, A Year Without Buying Clothes and why Home Prices Free Fall.


by Roxanne -

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Around our small townhouse these days, simplicity looks like this:

Eliminate an entire set of dishes. Just because retailers and manufacturers try to get us to buy entire sets of dinnerware doesn’t mean we have to. Buy only those dishes that work for you. We have discovered that using these plain, white, porcelain low bowls replaces dinner plates, salad plates and soup bowls. At 10″ diameter, they are durable and inexpensive at $2 to $3 each. You can find them at IKEA, Pottery Barn, West Elm or Crate & Barrel. This clears out an entire shelf in my kitchen cabinet. There is an added benefit. If we eat in the living room or serve many buffet style, the scooped edges keep food and sauces in the bowl and off your lap or napkin. We stack six of them in the corner of our kitchen counter for easy access. This corner is otherwise wasted space. Best of all, because they are inexpensive, if one breaks it’s not a disaster. Simply buy one more.

Right now I am looking for thick-walled clear glass tumblers to use for both hot and cold drinks. Hopefully with a wider base than the picture above so they won’t tip easily. This would eliminate a miriad of mugs, wine glasses, cold drink glasses, etc. If you use cups with saucers, it would eliminate those too. Again one item, many uses. Kitchen shelves with space here we come!

Similar to this picture, we are using three tall glasses to hold forks, spoons and knives for quick use on our counter top. This makes our ONE large kitchen drawer available for knives and other utensils. Of course jam jars, canning jars or even antique tea tins could serve the same purpose.

These sturdy, but beautiful cotton dish towels in bright, seasonal colors function as kitchen towels but also as cloth dinner napkins. Look for a flat weave or jacquard weave. One item, two uses. They are often on sale this time of year.

NET: avoid single-use items.

For other voluntary simplicity ideas watch Annie Leonard’s video Story of Stuff here or read: How Much is Enough?, Simpler Living, Compassionate Life or Deep Economy.

Please pass along your ideas. Leave a comment.

You may also like Simplifying My Wardrobe and Simplifying the Kitchen and The Jewelry We Keep.

by Roxanne -

Winter Comfort Food

This time of year is the time for soups, stews, chilies. But it is also the time of year for other comfort foods that might not so readily come to mind like corn cakes. The world’s ultimate corn cakes can be enjoyed at Maria’s Cafe on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. But if you can’t get there you can make your own that taste nearly as good.

Into a bowl put 1 cup flour, 1/2 corn meal, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 egg and  1 14 oz can corn – liquid too and mix with a whisk. Add milk to desired consistency. Ladle onto a medium hot skillet that has been lightly seasoned with a little vegetable oil. Flip when the pancake bubbles. Serve steaming with a dollop of Greek yogurt sprinkled with sunflower seeds. Mm mm.

You can improvise by adding grated orange rind & cinnamon, jalapenos or cayenne to the flour before adding the wet ingredients.

And top your hot corn cakes with your own rich and creamy Greek yogurt. An easy yogurt recipe (and great photos) can be found at this post over at A Beach Cottage. It is similar to other yogurt recipes I have used. For Greek yogurt modify this recipe by beginning with a single serving container of Greek yogurt and a quart of milk (whole or 2%).

Pour the milk into a pan and heat until just simmering. Cool for 40 minutes. Blend in 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt at room temperature. Cover and place in a warm space. I use my electric oven with the light on inside. Leave overnight. That’s it.

Voila! Delicious Greek yogurt. Be sure to reserve the last 3 tbsp so you can make another batch. Top the corncakes above with a spoonful.

Use it in place of sour cream or half & half in gravy and soups. It also works in place of whipped cream on desserts.

by Roxanne -

Romantic Winter Mantelscape

With seasonal and Christmas decorations put away I spent a few minutes to do a winter arrangement on the mantel. I kept it simple and continued using the large pine cone and giant cinnamon sticks because they speak to me of the lack of greenery this time of year. Then I decided to break out the romantic treatment here as well. Again, layers of texture showed up in sliver, pewter, wood and glass candlesticks. What’s more romantic than candlelight? I kept the muted print in a metal frame and added white and cream colored candles.

Remember the autumn mantel decor before:

Photo A. Meshar

And here’s the romantic winter version:

Photo A. Meshar

This took less than ten minutes, used what I already had, looks clean and fresh AND it’s romantic!

by Roxanne -

What Is Your Story?

Photo PuzzleHouse.com

Each of us has a story that we tell ourselves and others about our lives. Our story may include the roles we have played in relationships such as a spouse, child, sibling, parent, grandparent or step-parent for example. The part we play in our story may be determined by our occupation or education. Often the story includes events we encountered and how we overcame them or failed to. Take time to think about your story.

Recently I learned that my life story, as told by my family of origin, is completely different from the story that I (and others) know about my life. Since I never knew about the story being told, it didn’t affect my own life choices. However, I’m sure the story I told myself sometimes limited the choices I saw in my life – as all stories will.

The Judeo-Christian tradition offers a number of healing archetypal life stories. Many identify with the story of Exodus in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is a story of leaving a life of enslavement to the dominant culture (Egypt) and escaping to a new life. Others may resonate with the story of Jesus. Jesus was falsely accused, scapegoated, tortured and killed – but he was resurrected as a new creation, no longer constrained by who he used to be. In both stories, the world is an enchanted place. God can do for us what we can not imagine for ourselves. In my own life, I truly feel that God “resurrected” me into a new life.

You are not your story. I am not my story. We can change our story to change our future. We can create a new story. We can choose no story at all.

Do you have a story? Consider its components. Are you the victim or the hero in your story? Does this expand or limit the possibilities you see for yourself? Ask yourself this question, “If this was not my story, how would my life be different going forward?” Or consider this, “What would be my ideal story?” Using magazine pictures create a collage using key elements of your new life story. Or find a picture or object that represents your ideal story. Place it where you can see it easily. Now live as if that story was already true!

You may also like Happiness is a Choice and Tiny Silver Spoons.