The holiday craze isn't here yet, but the days are finally getting cooler, crisp, and full of change. It's the beginning of returning home, of tending to the house to make it not just livable, but beautiful, loving, and resplendent with the season. It's a chance to watch fall envelope the leaves from green to auburns and golds; to grasp the season as it cools our nights and mornings.
Autumn means the return to slow living.
Not that summer isn't full of slower moments, but in reality, many families are trying to squeak in the last vacation, and there are pool parties to go to, outdoor concerts, and beach days. It's a busy season. And it's also one that tends to bring in a lot of stuff.
As far as I'm concerned, as a minimalist, there is "spring cleaning," but there should also be a "fall refresh." And I don't mean refresh in the way of new pillows for the sofa or candles for the tables (although, I did just bring out my pumpkin spice candle and it's all that I thought it would be: wonderful). I'm talking about a refresh in the home and purging a lot of what you just brought in (or things that didn't leave during the spring cleaning).
Here are a few ways to refresh your home this fall.
Wardrobe Rework: If you switch your clothes and box up spring and summer clothes to bring in fall and winter clothes, now is your chance to assess your wardrobe. Again. I'm pretty uber minimalist with my clothing, so all four seasons sit in my closet year-round. I know what I own fits me, and they're all things I wear. Can you say the same for your wardrobe? Before you put away the shorts and t-shirts, the skirts and tanks, and find the pieces you didn't wear. Can you say you'd wear it next year? If you didn't wear it this year, odds are high you won't next year. Set it aside for donation. Do this for every bit of your spring and summer wardrobe.
Summer Switcheroo: Vacations always bring in "stuff" for me. There are random souvenirs to buy (I do buy less now - I prefer the experience over a tchotchke), and yet, I often want the t-shirt, or a mug, or a magnet to remind me of the trip. What this means is I'm already thinking about the item at home that this tchotchke will replace. I've got other t-shirts that I once got from a vacation that would work better as a rag. Or that chipped mug I bought ten years ago can now be gently discarded for the new mug. One in, one out. Always a great rule, even for vacations, do-dads you (or I) just have to have.
Decorative Details: As a minimalist, there are only so many wreaths I want to buy, or decor I need for the house, without cluttering it up. So, I've decided to decorate (the little I do for fall) with natural items; things I can find just outside my door. I have a neighbor with a tree that is literally shedding acorns all day. I'm picking up the sweet acorns and piling them into pottery bowls. One for the coffee table, and one for the kitchen. It's natural, it's beautiful, and it didn't cost me a penny. We have wild turkeys roaming our neighborhood. They only molt once a year, and usually in late summer to early fall. That's right now! I have a small "bouquet" of turkey feathers in a vase on my bookshelf. It's unique and beautiful and fits right in with my vintage pieces. Look around: what does your neighborhood have that you can use decoratively?
We all need a little refresh once in a while. But often, it doesn't have to refresh us in the costly or material way we usually think of. Get rid of the excess to make room for more time. Time to bake, read, walk, play music, and drink hot autumnal drinks, all while watching the leaves change color right before our eyes.
They say the best things in life are free. Why don't you see if it's true for you, too? Refresh your home for fall by keeping only what is needed and eliminating the rest. Then, enjoy the season for all that it has to give you.
Happy fall.
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