Marbles and Baubles

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Did you know that humans are wired to scan for danger and problems first, pushing beauty and pleasure to the back burner? Our brains are constantly looking for what might go wrong, which means it’s up to us to intentionally bring the beautiful things back to the forefront, to train ourselves to slow down, notice what we love, and enjoy the little glimpses of beauty wherever we find them.

I absolutely love waking up to beautiful things. Sparkles, baubles, colorful treasures, bring them all on! And if someone says “costume jewelry,” I say, “Yes, please!” I’m a sucker for a cheap bauble necklace, a colorful bangle, or an oversized ring that might otherwise be considered a little too gaudy. I love it all.

So when I say I’m a maximalist, I’m not kidding.

I’ve also referred to myself as an “organized hoarder,” but that phrase has such a negative connotation that I’ve decided to embrace the much more flattering title of maximalist. It sounds intentional. Stylish, even. 

The problem is that my recent mission to deep-clean and reorganize the house is forcing me to thin things out a bit. I’ve been bagging up unworn clothes by the dozens, getting rid of things I no longer need, and finally parting with anything broken, forgotten, or completely unused. It’s a daunting task for a woman who seems to find a reason to love every silly little thing she comes across.

Case in point: If you notice the photo, yes, that is a crystal bowl filled with large marbles sitting on my dresser.

Doesn’t everyone need a bowl of marbles?

Okay, maybe I’m not getting rid of everything that would make logical sense to someone else. But somehow, all of my “keepers” make perfect sense to me. That’s the beauty of surrounding yourself with things you love, they don’t always have to be practical to have value.

They say the amount of beauty we see depends on our ability to notice it. I think I may just have a heightened awareness for random beauty. A sparkle catches my eye. A colorful object makes me smile. A quirky little treasure somehow finds its way home with me. And before I know it, I’m surrounded by a collection of things that make my home feel like me.

So, as I continue moving from room to room on my fall cleaning mission, wish me luck. I’m trying to create a little more space without accidentally decluttering away all the things that make me happy. It’s a delicate balance for a maximalist!

And speaking of things that make me happy, I’m still absolutely loving my new bed. I’m sleeping like a baby and feeling completely spoiled as I raise my head with the push of a button, turn on the massage feature, or admire the under-bed lighting as I step out in the morning. Tim isn’t quite as thrilled with the crack that divides us, but other than that, we’re very happy sleepers.

Maybe that’s really what this whole cleaning adventure is about: making room for what matters while still leaving plenty of space for the things that bring us joy. Because life is too short to overlook the beauty, or to get rid of a perfectly good bowl of marbles...never let it be said that I've lost my marbles.....not yet anyway!

“The details are not the details. They make the design.” ~ Charles Eames