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Minimalist Inspiration from Istanbul

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to Istanbul – a gorgeous city, though not one you’d ever describe as “minimalist.” In contrast to the cool, refined grandeur of many Northern European cities, Istanbul is colorful and exotic, full of history, intrigue, and arabesques. (And all the more beautiful for it.)

Yet even in such lush and embellished surrounds, I managed to dig out a few minimalist nuggets for your appreciation. When I travel, I enjoy soaking up the décor and cuisine and traditions of other cultures, and pondering how I might incorporate some tidbits into my own lifestyle. Here’s what inspired me in Istanbul:

1.… {Read more}

A Year Ago on miss minimalist

Minimalist Strategy: Don’t Organize Your Clutter: I used to be a big fan of organizational items. Although I wasn’t much of a shopper, a trip to The Container Store or Organized Living never failed to excite me. The idea of corralling hundreds of loose bits and bobs into sleek, perfectly-matched containers had great appeal.  I truly thought that by putting all my stuff into various bins, I could maintain a sense of order in my life…{read more}

Minimalist Office: Downsizing Supplies: Back in our former house, we had a plastic bin filled with office supplies. I can’t begin to recount all the contents, but know it included more envelopes, rubber bands, paperclips, staples, pens, pencils, markers, and sticky notes than we would ever use or need.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Kelly

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details. (Note: the schedule is now full until March — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)

Today we have a wonderful submission from Kelly, who’s adopted a minimalist lifestyle in anticipation of her little bundle of joy. Check out her blog, Frugal Vegan Mom, to learn more!

Kelly writes:

My name is Kelly and I’d probably be considered a middle-of-the-road minimalist. My husband and I live more simply and spend less money than most everyone we know, but have never taken any extreme measures such as purging our possessions or quitting our jobs to travel around the world with one suitcase (although it does sound tempting!).… {Read more}

The Quick and Easy Guide to Coming Out as a Minimalist

“So, I hear you’re a minimalist. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

Last week, a reader emailed me for advice on how to “come out” as a minimalist. She wanted to explain to friends and family her desire to live simply—in a way they would understand, and without sounding judgmental of their lifestyles.

I think it’s a fabulous question, and imagine she’s not the only one struggling with this issue. For outside the cozy confines of the blogosphere, a declaration of “I’m a minimalist” may very well be met with, “You’re a minima-WHAT?” Smirks, raised eyebrows, and quizzical looks are not out of the realm of possibility, either.… {Read more}

Minimalist Holiday: Gifting Kindle Books

Good news for minimalists this holiday season: you can now gift Kindle books on Amazon.com. Woo-hoo!

As most of you know, I’m a huge fan of ebooks. They save trees, they save energy, and they save space in our homes.

You can imagine, then, how excited I was to learn about this feature. I come from a family of readers, and we’ve always enjoyed giving each other books. However, most of us have given up physical books in favor of digital ones, so our book gifting days had drawn to a close…until now. :-)

Here’s how it works:

1. Click the “Give as a Gift” button (pictured above) on the book’s Kindle page.… {Read more}

A Year Ago on miss minimalist

Minimalist Wardrobe: How Many Shoes are Enough?: Every once in awhile, I like to analyze a category of my possessions. I list what I own, and the reasons I own it. This exercise helps me gain perspective on exactly what I have—and more importantly, why I have it. This week, I decided to take a look at my shoe wardrobe… {read more}

Minimalist Confession: I’m an Empty Space Junkie: This week the New York Post ran an article about a couple that lives in the city’s smallest apartment. Their “microstudio” measures a wee 175 square feet—only 10 feet wide, and just under 15 feet long.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Lena Wetherbee

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details. (Note: the schedule is now full until March — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)

This week, I’m excited to present Lena Wetherbee’s story. I love her garbaj project — what a fabulous and creative way to declutter!

Lena writes:

I recently started a blog, www.garbaj.com, on which I am giving away 1,000 things that are cluttering up my house. You can read the full history of gar•baj on the blog (see “history, or how it came to this”), but here’s the abbreviated version:

Once upon a time I was a vagabond.… {Read more}

To be thingless is to possess the world

A few weeks ago, I attended the John Pawson exhibition at the Design Museum here in London. For those unfamiliar with his work, he is the minimalist architect extraordinaire. I adore his aesthetic: white walls, open spaces, and minimum adornment, combined with natural materials like wood, marble, onyx, bronze, and granite. Simplicity, purity, grace, clarity – these are the words that come to mind when looking at his spaces.

At the exhibition was a long table, displaying the architect’s notes, articles, architectural renderings and models. This page of Pawson’s typewritten notes was the first thing I laid eyes on:

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“To be thingless is to possess the world.” The words struck me like a lightning bolt and burned themselves into my brain.… {Read more}

The Joy of Less Named to Amazon’s Best Books of 2010

Wow! I just received an email from a reader, congratulating me on my book being named to Amazon’s “Best Books of 2010.” To be honest, I had no idea what she was talking about – but oh my goodness, it’s true!

The Joy of Less has been chosen as one of the “Top 10 Books” of 2010 in the Home & Garden category. If you scroll down, you’ll see it at #6. I never hoped, nor dreamed, of receiving such an honor—not to mention being in the same company as the likes of Bill Bryson. :-)

I’m pretty shy when it comes to self-promotion, so I hope you’ll excuse my little happy dance here.… {Read more}

A Year Ago on miss minimalist

What’s in a Minimalist Kitchen?: When we sold our house and purged almost everything we had, we discovered that the majority of our “stuff” came out of the kitchen. We had never realized just how many plates, pots, pans, glasses, utensils, and other cooking implements we had accumulated over the years… {read more}

I’m Dreaming of a Minimalist Christmas: From the time I was young, I’ve had mixed feelings about the holidays. While I love the excitement, the festivity, and the gatherings with family and friends, I’ve always dreaded the “stuff” that seems to come along with it… {read more}

Top Ten Gifts for a Minimalist: Ask any minimalist what they want for Christmas, and I guarantee they’ll say “nothing.” However, if you’re set on buying something anyway, I’ve compiled a list of gift ideas in keeping with their lifestyle.… {Read more}