Birthday :)

So today was my birthday. I really didn't get too much this year. I'm not really surprised. I'm getting to that age where money just really does the trick. However what I did get was awesome. From Daniel I got a Holgawood lomography camera and film that I was really hoping for. Daniel's mom got me a $50 gift card to Forever 21 that I'm really excited about. My dad got me $40. My mom is waiting for tomorrow to give me my gift which I just asked for money. So overall a pretty minimal birthday ;) I was proud of Daniel for getting me a black and grey striped gift bag that my camera was in. That made me really happy for some reason. I guess I'm just happy he knows my style. <3

Not too much going on in the minimalist world. I went through some cds the other day and copied them onto my computer so I could get rid of them. I don't want them in my itunes, but I want them just to have. It was only like 3 cds. I also went through my cd case and took out all my playstation 1 games and put them back into their cases and into the outbox. There really weren't that many of those either. Only like 5 or 6. I couldn't decide if I wanted to get rid of it or not, but decided I wanted to. I realized that I was only keeping it for the games and there are newer versions of the games for systems I have such as Harvest Moon, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, and I think Frogger. I don't play it enough to keep it. Plus it's just really old technology. Something else I did, which I'm not completely done with but pretty much is take a picture of all my main clothing items. I didn't include things like scarves, bras, hats, underwear. Just like jeans, shirts, and jackets etc.  This is pretty much just so that I can browse through everything easier when I feel like getting rid of stuff. Kind of OCD I know, but it's something I've wanted to do for a while. Well I guess I have kind of accomplished a lot considering I've been neck deep in school work the last few weeks.

My next goal is to get everything I can scanned onto my portable hard drive. I've wanted to do this for a really long time, but there's something wrong with my scanner. I've got to get Daniel to look at it.

Minimalists pick this lifestyle because they don't want to be possessed by their possessions. However, I'm scared this is having an opposite effect on me. I'm so obsessed with getting rid of things, that I feel like I cannot fully live until it's gone. Like I'll start painting and then stop after like 15 minutes because I want to work on my room instead. I really want to get "there" and soon. I'm scared this minimalism is starting to take over my life. Well I can't say starting because it has been for some time now. Well I guess I'm done for tonight.

Not Really Sure

I've been pretty busy lately with school work and stuff so I haven't really had a chance to work on anything minimal wise. Also, I've been getting back into art lately which I'm very happy about. I think I decided that I really want to focus on water color. Acrylic paint just takes up so much space. Also whenever I paint, I tend to do a pen and watered down acrylic technique. So I figured that water color could replace that. What I'm planning on doing is painting one or two last paintings using my acrylic paint trying to use as much of it as I can and then either chuck or sell the rest. I've had a lot of it for a few years now, and obviously haven't used it. Also, I have a bunch of prisma colors (a pack of 24) that I just don't use. I've had them since like my sophmore year of high school. (close to 5 years) oh wow that's so long ago! I went to office depot and saw the same set that was sold for like $30 I believe. So they're worth a lot and I don't use them. I could sell them but who would buy them? Nobody. I really wished I used them, but I'm just more into painting. I guess we'll see what happens. Oh yeah, today I bought a set of watercolors in like the cake form if you want to call it that. Also an easel, a plastic case for brushes and a new pallet. I didn't realize until I got home that the easel is more for oil and acrylic painting but we'll see. There was some kind of deal that was going on so I got like $5 off of it (it was only like $12) but I didn't know that until I got to the register.

Oh yeah, my media thing looks a ton better. I'm so glad I bought it. It makes my room look less cluttered. Man I can't wait until I get where I'm with everything I need and love. It's taking so long unfortunately. Sometimes I feel like I'll never get there. I feel like I'll never be satisfied and that kind of scares me. Well I guess I'll stop writing for now. I have school tomorrow morning and want to get some stuff done before I head to bed.

Sometimes I really want a tiny room

I feel like my room is just too big! My room is considered a frog, above a two car garage. So yeah, pretty big. Part of me wants to be cramped! I know that's odd.


Oh yeah so I did end up buying that entertainment center/tv stand thing and it looks sooooo much better :) unfortunately, my stereo is completely throwing it. I would really just like an ihome. I do actually use my stereo a lot, but I just think I'd be happier with a small music device. I also gave my brother my record player. Which is somehow mysteriously missing the needle now. It worked perfectly the last time I used it. Then I gave it to my brother (without checking it) and somehow it disappeared. Oh yeah I left out that I heard my brother drop something pretty loud when I brought it in there -____- so I'm pretty sure I know where the needle is: on his bedroom floor somewhere.

Hmm I wish I had more time to write because it's almost 3am here. I know the time I posted it says differently, but I can't figure out how to change it. I need to sleep.

When will I get there?

I think that's a question a lot of minimalist's ponder. I'm really confused, because I feel like I have stuff to get rid of, but when I look at what I think I need to get rid of, it's stuff that I use. That makes me sad. Mostly because I think of most teens. Most teens don't have enough stuff to fill about a quarter of a small room (in excess, not stuff I'm using). Just on random websites I've been on, for example fashion websites where girls post pictures of their outfits, there will be girls taking pictures in their rooms, and it never seems like they have that much stuff! I just can't figure it out. I mean I'm trying really hard to live with what I need and love and yet these people who don't even try have less than I do. It's frustrating.

I've only come up with two reasons this seems to be. My room is big. I have a queen sized bed and there's still a ton of room. Still enough room to do yoga or something. Everything is really spaced out so it feels like I have a lot. I think this is mostly it. Because when I lived in my house before this, my room was much smaller and I had about twice the stuff I have now, but it felt like I had less. I really miss that house.

The other thing is my media cabinet thing. Most girls don't have that. I have a huge tv. I think it's 32" but I'm not sure. It's up really high especially for my bed being on the floor. I don't even think it's supposed to be a media cabinet. I think it's supposed to be a desk because it has a keyboard shelf (that isn't on it currently). It has a ton of stuff in it. I really don't want my stereo. I'd much rather an iHome. Also, I'm thinking of giving my record player to my little brother. I only have two albums and never listen to them, and he wanted one a while back. I just don't think I'll ever use it. I never want to buy albums for it. If I get one in the future it would be a modern one that's thinner. The one I have is just too big.

So yeah. Kind of at a stand still. I'm thinking of buying a shorter tv stand. They had some at walmart for like $24 or $20. Yeah I know it's crappy quality, but the thing I have now is made out of particle board so it wouldn't really make a difference. It would make me happier though and be a lot easier to  watch tv.

Totally Inspired :)

So my favorite show is House Hunters International on HGTV. The episode that was just on was about a girl who lived in New Orleans and moved to Paris. Soooo jealous. I knew Parisians lived in tiny apartments, but I didn't realize they were that small! I believe the one she ended up getting was under 200 sq. ft. for 160,000 I believe. But man, was that apartment cute. So tiny and in the city. It had a lofted bed. An actual bathroom. The bed area was so cool though. I would love to get an apartment like her.

From seeing that I think about how I live now. I am still so far from being a minimalist. I look around and see so much stuff. Mostly furniture. That and electronics. My media cabinet thing has so much in it. I mean if I were to move to Paris, hypothetically, I think I could give up a lot. Everything in it probably. I'd like a TV and something to play my iPod. But that's it. But the way I live now is that I would need my TV. I spend so much time watching tv, but what else am I going to do? Computer? Attempt to paint? That's about it. I'm not close enough to anything to walk. Ahh suburbs :/

Why are people looked at so oddly for wanting to live in small spaces in the U.S.? Oh wait you don't want to be in debt? You're not trying to keep up with the Jones's? You don't want a giant gas guzzling SUV? No. Yes I've been given a lot of opportunities being born in this country, but most of the people in this country drive me crazy. How big your house is does not equal how good of a person you are. Sorry to be ranting, but I just see so much of that in the city I live in where it's not uncommon to see Porches driving down the road. It's actually fairly common. I probably see about 5-6 a week. Probably more. 

Anyway, that episode made me very happy. I loved the apartment, it was close to perfect. I want to go to Europe so badly.