Len and I are fortunate in that we live a stone’s throw from the Morrison Knudsen Nature Center. It’s open year-round, and the admission is free. I can, and do, spend hours at a time in there wandering, looking, sitting on the beautiful benches, and thinking.
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ―Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
I feel it. Do you? That itch to empty the house and scrub it from top to bottom. Only putting half of everything back in and donating the rest.
“It’s the time for plans and projects”—what’s at the top of your list?
After the Capsule Wardrobe post last week, I received a dozen emails asking:
“What does a minimalist this look like?” “What does a minimalist that look like?”
The easiest question to answer first is, What does the inside of a minimalist medicine cabinet look like?
Some of you aren’t old enough to remember the Right Guard deodorant television commercials from when I was growing up. But I assure you, I don’t see another human being when I open my medicine cabinet door!
I don’t know about other minimalists, but here’s what inside my medicine cabinet:
TOP SHELF—LEFT TO RIGHT
CeraVe AM moisturizer with SPF 30
CeraVe PM moisturizer with ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid
Boom! — The one and only makeup item that I use on my cheeks and lips for color
LaVanila, the healthy deodorant (vanilla/grapefruit)
LaVanila, the healthy fragrance (vanilla/grapefruit)
MyChelle sun protection with replenishing solar defense SPF 30 broad spectrum
BOTTOM SHELF—LEFT TO RIGHT
Toothpaste — Colgate Optic White stain fighter
Toothbrush
Tongue scraper
Honest face & body lotion
Hello mouthwash naturally healthy with aloe vera and coconut oil
You might be wondering where Len keeps his stuff. It’s in one of the bathroom vanity drawers. The other drawers contain our shared items (q-tips, floss, cotton balls, band-aids, etc.).
My friend Jane B. sent me a Facebook message saying that her yoga group was curious about my minimalist’s wardrobe. I understand that it’s hard for some people to wrap their head around, so I pulled my clothes out of the closet and hung them on a bar so you can easily see that I have 29 pieces—a capsule wardrobe. I grouped the pieces into three sections:
The LEFT side is my yoga/activewear. You’ll count 7 hangers, but we’ll call it 9 because while taking the photo I was wearing a top and bottom from that group.
The MIDDLE section comprises my casual/everyday clothing. You’ll count 12 hangers.
The RIGHT side is my dressier pieces. You’ll count 7 pieces, but I purchased a dress after this photo was taken, so we’ll call it 8.
I call my wardrobe an “abalone capsule” because the pieces that aren’t black, grey, or white (my base colors) are comprised of colors found in an abalone shell: blues, greens, teals, and turquoise.
Somewhat like Garanimals (the children’s mix-and-match clothing line), I can grab clothing from any section of my closet and know that they’ll match. The cool part? I only own and wear items that I love.
In my experience, the thing that’s vital in a successful capsule wardrobe is owning well-made pieces. If you looked at my clothing tags, you’d find Patagonia, Title Nine, Marmot, and Columbia. I own one purse (Baggallini), and my shoes are either Clarks or Keene.
The photo of my capsule wardrobe isn’t a single season of clothing, it’s all of my clothing—except for undergarments (Boody Eco Wear) and swimsuit (Speedo). On a coatrack by the front door, you’ll find my coat, vest, ear-covers, and gloves (Patagonia).
My clothing reflects my personality and lifestyle. I’m an active, outdoorsy type of gal.
What kind of relationship do you have with your closet—enjoyment or dread?
As a dyed in the wool minimalist, when Courtney Carver came to Boise on her Tiny Wardrobe Tour, you can be sure I was in the audience.
Famously coining her wardrobe lifestyle “Project 333,” Courtney wears 33 pieces of clothing (including shoes/accessories) for 3 months (a season), and then repeats the process for the next season, and so on.
I wear 25 pieces of clothing (including shoes/accessories) for 6 months (fall/winter) and then repeat the process for the next two seasons (spring/summer).
And while this certainly isn’t everyone’s ideal, for people who are interested, but leery because it sounds difficult, it’s not. In fact, it’s fun and oh so liberating! I had to laugh when Courtney explained it the way that I describe it to people, “It’s like Garanimals for adults.”
In late September I had the pleasure of reuniting with several people I’d gone to high school with. It wasn’t a formal reunion. Rather, it was a gathering of individuals who’d attended Orange Glen High School in Escondido, California, who now reside in the Pacific Northwest.
It was an enjoyable visit. In talking with people, I learned that in addition to our age, shared school, and the fact that we live in the Pacific Northwest, we have another common denominator. Without exception, the people Len and I spoke with are contemplating, or in the process of downsizing.
Within this collective mindset, it turns out that less is more, and that “he who dies with the most toys” doesn’t win.
It’s hard to shop for a minimalist. After all, we don’t want anything. So for my milestone birthday (I turn 60 on Sept 28), I received the coolest gift from my sister—1,500 live ladybugs!
Following the instructions to the letter, we waited until dusk, used a mister to spray the leaves with water, lightly dusted the accompanying ladybug food on the damp leaves, and then ever so carefully, released the ladybugs—a few here, a few there, until they were all free from the shavings in the mesh bag they’d arrived in.
GARDEN FRIENDLY “Gardeners greatly appreciate ladybugs as they eat aphids (each ladybug eats up to 5,000 aphids during its six-week life-cycle), mealybugs, mites, and scale bugs. These are all insects that destroy the habitat of the garden. Ladybug adults and larvae feed on pests they will eat the harmful bugs so your flowering plants can flourish.”
SYMBOLISM “A ladybug is the perfect symbol for lady luck. The ladybug brings luck and abundance wherever she goes. When you see a ladybug, make a wish, and when you see her fly away, you’ll know she’s off to grant it.”
A minimalist, not only do I live light, I pack light too. For my three-month sabbatical I brought two pairs of jeans, four 3/4-length sleeve shirts, a down vest, a down jacket, jammies, and under clothing—including woolly pulleys.
My footwear consists of snow boots, snow shoes, and slippers. Serious slippers!
Hint #8 — From in the state, and out, people travel from all over to enjoy the year-round outdoor recreational offerings in my sabbatical location. Good thing I brought snow boots, because hiking (trails are prevalent) is great for clearing the cobwebs in one’s mind before writing.
While hiking, it wouldn’t be surprising to see these types of tracks: mule deer, grizzly bear, elk, wolf, fox, coyote, and raccoon.
My boots leave tracks too, but my goal is to leave the slightest footprint on the planet, while at the same time making a lasting impression on its inhabitants—one that’s positive, uplifting, constructive, and healing.
What type of tracks do you leave?
Reminder, the caveat of the Looking for Laurie game stipulates: “The first person to type the accurate city and state of my sabbatical location into the comments section of the Mar 28 post will receive a personalized copy of Note to Self: A Seven-Step Path to Gratitude and Growth for themselves or as a gift to someone else.”
You’d think that as a tree-hugging minimalist, I’d prefer an online calendar. And while I use one for back-up and electronic reminders, I love my paper calendar.
What I don’t enjoy is having my weekends split—with Sundays on the left side of the page and Saturdays on the right. I don’t live split weekends, so it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around them, even on paper.
After a bit of research, I found a paper calendar that leaves the weekends intact—Saturday and Sunday together on the right-hand side of the page—at the end of the week. Hence, weekend. I’m giddy with delight!
When we saw this trailer overflowing with bicycles galore, I thought, Holy cow, that’s a lot of bicycles! I don’t know who owns them or why they have so many, but clearly their “cup runneth over.”
For the rest of the walk I wondered, what do I have a lot of? Certainly nothing tangible in that quantity. But I have a heckofa lot of intangibles to be grateful for: peace, joy, and whole health—body, mind, and spirit. In fact, my cup runneth over!
In our neck of the woods the squirrels are hurrying and scurrying in fat-cheeked ernest as they gather, stock, and store in preparation for winter. These industrious little fellows click, chatter, and scold as we walk by, warning each other with staccato-like tail flicks of potential danger — “Duck and cover, there’s humans and dogs!”
Considered to be in the “autumn” of my life, I recently enjoyed my 57th birthday. Unlike squirrels, as a dyed-in-the-wool minimalist I have not amassed a collection of things. I have, however, accumulated great memories—with many more to come!
Tuesdays with Laurie 