A LIFE LESSON: Burn your candles and use your good china

Erma Bombeck wrote in her last book, If I Had My Life To Live Over –

“I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage”.

As an organizer, I probably spend 75% of my time coaching clients on how and when to let go of their stuff. I teach them that things they no longer love, use or wear are merely taking up both physical and mental space. In the midst of a large down-size move-out/move-in project this week I realized something... a lot of the things that people tell me they love are also being kept for special occasions. After packing and moving two china cabinets full of crystal and entertaining china, I realized that something that had taken up 18 boxes was only going to be used at Christmas or when an event came along that was considered a special occasion. I think it’s time to use the china. Why do we wait to use something that is so beautiful for a special day? Aren’t we special? Shouldn’t we surround ourselves with things that we love, evoke fond memories and look way better than the chipped plate we’re currently using? And what about those candles? You know the ones, filling those drawers. It’s time. Tonight – order a pizza, get out the china, fill up a crystal glass with some wine and light those candles! Live in the moment, for today is a special occasion.

SHOP: Organizing just got easier... and better looking!

Vancouverites just got lucky in the modern organizing tools department. We can now forfeit the long trek to the Container Store near Seattle and make our way downtown to ROOM IN ORDER on Davie Street in the West End. This new concept store specializing in home organization is a dream come true to a professional organizer; as well, confirms the fact that ‘getting and being organized’ is here to stay. The store is clean, bright, colourful, fresh, simple... and of course, organized. All those organizing tools that have been teasing us in home magazines over the years are now found is this fabulous new store. Organize, Declutter & Simplify are the words found on their business card – the basis for MODERN ORDER. Check it out, it will definitely inspire you to get organized.

1055 Davie Street, Vancouver, B.C.
www.roominorder.com (website coming soon)

THOUGHT

“Order is the shape upon which beauty depends.”
Pearl S. Buck

TREASURE HUNTING: As Is

Every week I drop off boxes of things from my client’s homes to various charities throughout Vancouver and very often the Salvation Army (better known as the Sally Ann). After today's drop-off, I decided to venture in to see what I could find. If you’ve never been before, it’s very organized and categorized (love it) into the various groups – furniture, books, clothing, etc. I made my way around the main floor and within 15 minutes I was holding a brand new design book and a black beaded cashmere vintage cardigan. I have heard talk of the “As Is” department but I had never made the trek down the stairs before. I now know what happens to all those boxes I drop off filled with the ‘this and thats’ of people’s homes - the single coffee mug, the few steak knives, the standard flower vase, etc. In the basement are tables and shelves filled with these boxes and items. I made my way around cautiously and shyly at first but finally dug into a few boxes. From the bottom of one of the boxes I emerged with a beautiful, simple glass soap dish from England – the perfect thing to hold my watches in my top drawer. A stop at the cash register told me my new soap dish/watch holder was being sold today for 50¢. The nice man rang up my three treasures and totalled them to a mere $8.99! Life ‘as is’ was fun, inexpensive and certainly worth the dig.