by Roxanne -

Simplifying Our Kitchen

Photo PizzaDirect.com.uk

If you’ve been reading this blog then you know that six items or less is the goal – for most things in my life. I have already posted about progress simplifying my wardrobe.

Now what about our kitchen? Think about knives, utensils, glassware, pots and pans, baking dishes, etc. Do I really need more than six of anything????

When I was younger, I lived with a family in Paris. While their home was large, the kitchen was a typical, tiny French kitchen. Christine cooked delectable, many-course meals for family and guests from this tiny kitchen with one cabinet, 2 feet of counter space and a small European refrigerator. She had almost no gadgets, using two good knives and a whisk for just about everything. What did I learn?  I learned French cooking and I learned that great meals are not about having a big kitchen or lots of gadgets.

Consider the components of the “kitchen-in-a-box” in the picture. Before first moving into this townhouse I had purchased a collection similar to this from Target. If I remember correctly it had about 50 pieces in total. It even had things like a paper towel holder, S&P shakers and plastic storage containers. Basically it had just what I needed – and nothing I didn’t. It worked really well.

So where did all this other stuff come from???

Looking around our kitchen we generally use the same three pans for most of our cooking: a small sauce pan, a 2 qt. soup pan, a 3 qt. pan for cooking pasta, a saute pan and a larger fry pan. I also use my blue & white soup pot. That’s it. Other pots and pans are rarely, if ever, used. So why not pass them along to someone who needs them? So we did.

Next we donated the toaster, food processor, mixer and other small electrics that we didn’t use or used rarely. We do have a hand blender, coffee grinder, coffee maker and hand mixer (which may be the next to go).

Knives & utensils are the same story. Too many that are never used. They are simply taking up space — which we don’t have. Others can use them. Three stainless cylinders on the counter by the stove hold utensils we use now. Still too many though. . .

Lastly, it would be nice to display beautiful items that we use everyday. Currently I do keep my white low bowls on my counter in an unused corner. Silverware too.

But what about awkward pots and pans? They suck cabinet space. My wish: store them in a way that is both space saving and attractive. Is it possible to achieve both??? Find out in my next post.

You may also like The Richness of Simplicity and Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.

by Roxanne -

Romantic Dining Area Before & After

So why shouldn’t I give the same romantic treatment to our dining area as I did to the bedroom? Afterall, this is the space where we share food and wine with friends, conversations over espresso, and dinners for just the two of us.

We have moved our dining table around the townhouse. Sometimes it is placed near the server, but not always. It has been next to the fireplace – this was very romantic. It has also been near the living room window which was lovely on warm summer nights. Last year we took it down and used my desk as both a work place and a dining table when necessary. With my desk now in the bedroom, the dining table is currently under the chandelier where you actually might expect it 😉

But what to do now??? Romance calls for layers, varied textures and a punch of unexpected color. So that’s what I attempted to do here.

Here’s the uninspiring before photo from two years ago:

Photo R. Meshar

Here’s the more romantic after:

Photo R. Meshar

Again, I only used what we already had. I anchored the space with the server. It also provides a platform for adding additional textures and color in the glass bowls, metal lamp and picture frame. The lamp adds another level of lighting which also warms the space. Adding layers of textures such as metal, glass and flowing fabric along with a punch of color makes it much more romantic and inviting. The space just seems more lively – but not cluttered.

What do you think?

Soon I will post on the bathroom re-do, before and after. Stay tuned . . .

You may also like Romantic Bedroom Before & After.

by Roxanne -

The Jewelry We Keep

It’s interesting to reflect on the jewelry we keep. Heart-shaped earrings and a “diamond” necklace were given to me by my oldest daughter when she was about ten years old. They always stay in my jewelry box. She also gave me a pink art pin that I keep. Her gifts remind me of her giving nature, how excited she was to give them to me and how fond I am of those memories of her from that time. If you have children you most likely keep any jewelry they gave you too.

One of the oldest necklaces I have is a silver cross given to me by my grandfather for my First Communion – but I have never worn it.

Photo Brighton.com

My friend T has given me many beautiful pieces of jewelry over the years. I often wear an elegant gold leaf necklace she recently gave me. But more often than not I wear the Brighton charm bracelet she gave me that was created to support Breast Cancer Research. It reminds me of her but also of women whose lives have been changed by this disease.

When they were young, my daughters each received a charm bracelet from me. Over the years many charms were added from various family vacations and trips.

Another good friend gave me a necklace hand-crafted with beach glass. This reminds me of our search for a beach house and a life on the beach. It also helps me remember to be grateful that I already live a “beachy” life. And still another pair of earrings made from Venetian glass, keep me close to a good friend when I wear them.

Of course I treasure my wedding ring. My husband has given me some other pieces I enjoy, including a black coin pearl necklace and earrings. At Gooseberry Falls he gave me earrings from local artists that still remind me of our time there.

Time and time pieces . . . Do you wear a watch? Most of my adult life I wore gold Citizen watch. But ten years ago, when it broke, I bought a replacement watch on clearance for $3.99 and it’s still going strong. I wear it every day. Interestingly, it stopped when we were in Costa Rica. Great – now I could finally get a better watch. But then, it started working once we returned home. Evidently I wasn’t supposed to keep track of time during our travels there – live in kairos time not chronos time. Lose track of time. Then we are truly present.

Amulets, crystals and charms always attract my attention. They often have rich symbolism and good energy. Do you wear crystals or stones for their energy or healing properties? What stones attract you? When do you wear them?

Do you ever purchase jewelry hand-made or crafted by local artisans?

Photo Bead For Life

Ten Thousand Villages sells Fair Trade jewelry that I like. If you have a store near you, support them or order through the link above in their catalog. Another option is Bead for Life jewelry hand-crafted by African women from recycled magazines.

What about simplifying my life and jewelry? As far as buying expensive jewelry, diamonds and most pricey gemstones are off my list because of all the pain and suffering of the workers, especially children, enslaved to mine them. Watch the movie Blood Diamond to learn more. Besides, I’d rather use the money as a donation to Mary’s Pence.

Looking through my costume jewelry, I donated everything not used that had no sentimental value. Again, the idea was to keep what works with clothes I wear now. In this way someone else can enjoy them.

What pieces of jewelry do you keep? What has meaning for you?

You may also like Simplifying My Wardrobe.

by Roxanne -

Simplifying My Wardrobe

Photo Savvima

In this year of not buying clothes, I’ve been trying to simplify my wardrobe. Much has already been accomplished. Clothes I rarely wore or that didn’t fit comfortably (read didn’t fit flatteringly) were donated. That freed up tons of space in my closet. Then I looked at color. Colors that worked together and looked good on me, I kept. Items in colors that worked with only one or two other items were banished from my closet.

Next I took a good hard look at maintenance. In the apparel industry almost all beautiful fabrics can be made to be machine washable. Even cashmere is now combined with cotton to retain the luxury feel but allow for machine washing. The same goes for wool and silk. So items that need dry cleaning or ironing are really not worth it for me anymore.

So a maintenance view of my closet allowed me to remove items that required dry cleaning or absolutely needed ironing. There are a couple of linen blouses that I sometimes iron. However, they still look good and are wearable even in the “washed linen” state – so I kept them.

Then I took a close look at blazers, dresses and skirts. Basically, I almost never wear them. Recently we went to a wedding – and even then I wore dressy wide-leg slacks. So blazers, dresses and skirts were donated. Without dresses and skirts you really don’t need hosiery, slips and high heels. If I don’t wear them why have them?

Where to shop? I look for local clothing stores and Fair Trade whenever possible. Trade Winds is a shop I like on Grand Ave. in St. Paul. Beautiful clothing AND Fair Trade. Nearby is Ten Thousand Villages – also Fair Trade.

(As the commenter below mentioned, consider consignment stores and reuse clothing stores. Encore and Elite Repeat in St. Paul carry a nice selection of current women’s clothing.)

Currently I don’t worry about purses or handbags. I simply don’t use them. It’s easier to carry a small wallet and my phone in my pocket. Ta da! That eliminates shopping or maintaining a wardrobe of purses.

Numerous pairs of shoes are off my list too. I really only wear the negative heel of Earth shoes because as a professor I am on my feet for three to six hours at a time. They keep my back feeling great. So great, in fact, that I wanted to wear them all the time. In the end about six to eight pairs of shoes (boots, sandals, oxfords, dress, mules and beach sandals) cover +95% of my life. Leather items will be the next place where I take a good, hard, look.

What did I keep were scarves. I adopted the idea of wearing scarves when I lived in Paris many years ago. French women make excellent use of scarves as they have high quality – but limited item wardrobes. Scarves are a great way to add the latest color or look to any wardrobe inexpensively. They can work as a necklace or around your waist or over slacks as a sarong. They protect my neck and shoulders from the sun in the summer. As a fair-skinned person this is VERY important. And of course if you saw my furoshiki post, you know that scarves can even be pressed into service as a shopping bag or evening bag.

The end result of all of this is that getting dressed has become really easy. I enjoy what I wear and feel good in it. It looks good too. Space and time have been added to my life. I like that!

Maybe my next post on simplifying my wardrobe I will post an actual picture of my closet. It’s getting to the point where I really could!

So this is what I’ve accomplished so far. These ideas work for me – but certainly won’t work for everyone. What do you think? Do any of these ideas work for you? Do you have other suggestions or ideas?

You may also like Simplify, Simplify, Simplify, Closet Check and Easy, Summer Travel Wardrobe.

by Roxanne -

Spend Less on Groceries – Eat Better

The other day I noticed that there are a lot of places I don’t go to in the grocery store anymore. I don’t go down the bottled water aisle, for example. I haven’t been down the frozen food aisle for more than a decade now.

Making our own no-knead artisan bread and homemade pitas, we never have occasion to visit the bread aisle. Likewise, the bakery aisle is visited only on rare occasions. Bagels are an occasional treat.

Since we only purchase muesli, cut oats and kasha, the cereal aisle is a 30 second trip. About four years ago we stopped buying soda pop and snacks – so that aisle isn’t on my list anymore.

Basically we purchase fresh fruits & veggies, eggs and cheese, a little meat and fish, coffee and tea along with nuts, dried beans, spices, flour and some pasta. We try to cook with fresh ingredients almost every day.

In fact the cleaning aisle and paper products section only see limited visits from us these days. We use cloth. We clean with vinegar (makes a great dishwasher rinse agent) and baking soda most of the time. Lemon or lime juice is one of the strongest disinfectants you can use. After juicing one for a recipe rub it on cutting boards, sinks or knives.

Of course, none of these are absolutes. When a guest is coming who enjoys sparkling water I will purchase it. The same is true of crackers or other items. However, they are no longer a weekly item on my grocery list.

A couple of years ago my cousin and I purchased a soy milk machine. Now we make our own rich, creamy soy milk for pennies – and share the machine.

In the summer the farmer’s market gets most of our attention. Over time we continue to adjust and change what we purchase and how we cook.

All in all, it’s interesting to notice where I don’t go in the grocery store these days.

You may also like Christmas Craziness or Christmas Spirit? and Kowalski’s Grocery Store and Fiji Water.