The Coffee House

[snowbear115 46]

Hmmm I may try that. I used it once in with my dahlia tubers but it proved to be irresistible to my dog and I ended having to replant a bunch of them.

Details on the restaurant please!

Mosaic Restaurant, 31 Elm Street {US Rte 1). Mexican inspired. It's hard to see as all the stores blend in. Not cheap but we felt it was worth another trip back. It is small with bar seating and maybe a dozen tables. They apparently get busy around 6:00 but take reservations. Parking on street is 2 hours only.

 

[cgw116 141]

Going through yesterday's New York Times Magazine, I came across a magnificent series of photos illustrating an article about the lack of affordable housing in NYC. The photos are by Gail Albert Halaban, and to me conceptualization, the technical excellence and the aesthetics are wonderful. I encourage anyone with access to the March 22 issue to take a look.

I usually work thru the Sunday NYT during the week, so just got to the mag this morning. Superb shots that capture small scale living in a ridiculously expensive market. Addicted to the Australian design quarterly, "Never Too Small," that shows how to max utility from tiny apts and condos(also on YouTube). Previous Sunday(3/15) ran a good piece by Alice Cavanaugh in the Design section. "Magazines Change to Inspire Décor Enthusiasts." Real places people live in--sort of anti-Architectural Digest and the celebration of designer shrines.

 

[jeffashman9]

I've always thought our houses are too large, and that is why they can get so cluttery. The Japanese have tiny living down to an art, and I'd love to know where they hide everything, because they have "stuff", too. I see these video tours of NYC apartments on FB and IG and some of them aren't just tiny, they are awkwardly designed. One look like they had taken a walk-in closet and put an efficiency kitchen and a tiny bathroom in it. Heck, I could fit an entire one of those places in my master bedroom.

 

[nerwin]

Painted the tow looks on my truck this past weekend. Broke up the front a little. I think it looks great!

 

[SquarePeg36 7]

I've always thought our houses are too large, and that is why they can get so cluttery. The Japanese have tiny living down to an art, and I'd love to know where they hide everything, because they have "stuff", too. I see these video tours of NYC apartments on FB and IG and some of them aren't just tiny, they are awkwardly designed. One look like they had taken a walk-in closet and put an efficiency kitchen and a tiny bathroom in it. Heck, I could fit an entire one of those places in my master bedroom.

I think there’s a happy medium in there somewhere! My house is small compared to most. We’ve had to learn to be very efficient with use of space and storage, especially after we remodeled the garage into a suite for my mom and lost all that storage space. But smaller and less clutter is so much easier to clean and maintain.

It can also be very freeing mentally. I’ve been decluttering ruthlessly since retiring. The only things that are safe from my clean outs are photography equipment and art supplies!

 

[cgw116 141]

Hands down the best decluttering/heave-ho strategy is MOVING! Did it on the eve of the pandemic(1/20). Luckily, it coincided with the semi-annual curbside junk amnesty. What a pile! Looked like the Joad family truck had crashed.

I think there’s a happy medium in there somewhere! My house is small compared to most. We’ve had to learn to be very efficient with use of space and storage, especially after we remodeled the garage into a suite for my mom and lost all that storage space. But smaller and less clutter is so much easier to clean and maintain.

It can also be very freeing mentally. I’ve been decluttering ruthlessly since retiring. The only things that are safe from my clean outs are photography equipment and art supplies!

Try the ultimate decluttering solution...MOVING! Just think of it as extreme Marie Kondo!

 

[SquarePeg36 7]

Hands down the best decluttering/heave-ho strategy is MOVING! Did it on the eve of the pandemic(1/20). Luckily, it coincided with the semi-annual curbside junk amnesty. What a pile! Looked like the Joad family truck had crashed

Try the ultimate decluttering solution...MOVING! Just think of it as extreme Marie Kondo!

Ugh - moving is the absolute worst. Besides , I love my small ranch. The main house is all on one level, fenced yard, covered deck, our small downtown is a 15 minute walk, 20 minute drive to Boston, half hour to the beach, 2 hours to the lakes and mountains...

I moved more than 10 times in my younger years, before I bought this house (in 2001). I’m never moving again. They’ll have to cart me out of here.

 

[webestang6411]

I’m never moving again. They’ll have to cart me out of here.

I hear ya sister. I feel the same way once I was handed the keys to my house.

 

[MartinCrabtree107 1]

If I don't die here at least they'll know where to find my stuff. Said I'd never own a home. Now that I do I'll never move again short of things I can imagine but ain't happening. I'm under 1000 square feet on three approaching vertical acres that are useless for any development in my time.

 

[snowbear115 46]

Same here, This is my last home. When I go, cremate me and sprinkle the ashes about back

 

[limr29 2]

Hands down the best decluttering/heave-ho strategy is MOVING! Did it on the eve of the pandemic(1/20). Luckily, it coincided with the semi-annual curbside junk amnesty. What a pile! Looked like the Joad family truck had crashed.

Try the ultimate decluttering solution...MOVING! Just think of it as extreme Marie Kondo!

I moved 18 times in 15 years. Finally started slowing down in my late 30s and only moved maybe twice in that time. I moved into my small house (1K sq ft) about 5 1/2 years ago. Man, am I out of practice! In the grand scheme of things, I don't have a lot of stuff, but I feel like I am waaaaaay too cluttered. Going to Marie Kondo the ever-loving crap out of this house now that I finally submitted my promotion portfolio today (won't hear until summer - academia ain't exactly efficient.)

I have lived in small spaces my whole life. One of my apartments in Istanbul was so small that I had to enter the kitchen sideways. As a result, I am very good at creative storage.

 

[cgw116 141]

I moved 18 times in 15 years. Finally started slowing down in my late 30s and only moved maybe twice in that time. I moved into my small house (1K sq ft) about 5 1/2 years ago. Man, am I out of practice! In the grand scheme of things, I don't have a lot of stuff, but I feel like I am waaaaaay too cluttered. Going to Marie Kondo the ever-loving crap out of this house now that I finally submitted my promotion portfolio today (won't hear until summer - academia ain't exactly efficient.)

I have lived in small spaces my whole life. One of my apartments in Istanbul was so small that I had to enter the kitchen sideways. As a result, I am very good at creative storage.

Know the pain as a long-term nomad. Moving truly is a character-building exercise. But there's a limit to how much self-improvement anyone can take--or needs! Hoping the promo process is just a formality.

 

[CherylL]

I love to de-clutter. Feels freeing! My MIL had knick-knacks 5 deep everywhere and my Mom was a minimalist. It was a learning curve when we had to empty out their homes. I don't want to leave my kids with a bunch of junk.

I haven't taken hardly any photos this year. I hurt my arm last December and thought it would get better. Went to doc and said frozen shoulder. I start PT next week. Fortunately it isn't my dominate arm, but sleeping is a bear.

 

[cgw116 141]

I love to de-clutter. Feels freeing! My MIL had knick-knacks 5 deep everywhere and my Mom was a minimalist. It was a learning curve when we had to empty out their homes. I don't want to leave my kids with a bunch of junk.

I haven't taken hardly any photos this year. I hurt my arm last December and thought it would get better. Went to doc and said frozen shoulder. I start PT next week. Fortunately it isn't my dominate arm, but sleeping is a bear.

Long cold winter in S.Ontario that's refusing to leave town. First year I didn't hit the ice doing a quick 3-5k walk most mornings. Last year I took several dives and nursed a stiff shoulder for months. Things finally loosened up later. Don't bounce quite like I once did! Still, I have to maintain my bad-a$$ image! Hope it loosens up. Meantime, shoot what's comfortable but keep shooting! Miss your stuff!

 

[limr29 2]

I love to de-clutter. Feels freeing! My MIL had knick-knacks 5 deep everywhere and my Mom was a minimalist. It was a learning curve when we had to empty out their homes. I don't want to leave my kids with a bunch of junk.

That's the lesson from the Swedish "death cleaning" practice: don't leave a mess for others to clean up (I suppose that also depends on how much you like the folks who would be cleaning up the mess ).

I don't have kids, so I don't have to worry about leaving a mess for them, but it's still an approach that resonates with me more than the whole Marie Kondo "sparking joy" approach. I don't want people who don't know me making decisions about the stuff that was important enough to me to keep around me in life. So let me pare down to manageable levels and leave instructions. Hopefully I am decades ahead of the necessity, but it's still something to just keep as an ongoing process.