i only own 139 things so do i know what is a minimalist now?

Why the hell did I try to become a minimalist anyway? I can barely remember when I was diagnosed. Just as text messages really do seem like a good idea while colorfully inebriated, so too did minimalism seem like a good idea to try at the time. Somewhere in between becoming a vegetarian, for like, the third time, and wanting to be the next Adele (my shower voice sounds like doves crying...and I imagine that's a good thing) it seemed like a logical next step in my quarter-life crisis.

But doesn't this minimal style thing seem like a co*kblocker to the good life? I mean lezzbehonest, a house isn't a home unless it wreaks of shit you don't need. Hoarding and conspicuous consumption extends way beyond granny's attic. Who doesn't love a good sale? You know the ones, where you come home with yet another set of glassware, two pairs of ballerina flats, and a gift bag filled with deluxe beauty samples that will sit and expire before your eyes. The linens upon linens, because well, just in case is much better than having only an adequate amount. Life isn't about adequacy, its about excess! Like at Thanksgiving when you go in for a fourth serving because you CAN, and the unjustifiable gassiness and burping is not sexy but who gives a damn, because you just conquered life in that moment, you showed life whose boss, all while gaining five pounds unnecessarily. The freedom of choice is to be abused, duh. All hail materialism! The real religion of this country. Except. Mama didn't raise no fool. I pride myself on intellect and having it be upstaged by peer pressure, cultural norms, media, propaganda, and down right clever advertising campaigns would be such a shame. What kind of legacy would I leave behind if 70% of my time is spent consuming?? Think about it...

It's not rocket science. And you need not be immersed in the fashion industry so densely as I am to come to. Minimalism and the fashion world's never-ending “seasonal looks” can seem like opposite ends of a warped spectrum that dictates our daily consumer-driven choices. As someone that loves the individualistic self expression that can be cultivated through clothing and accessories, I still find myself constantly plagued by the little voices inside my head that pluck on the heart strings of my insecurities. 

Do I look frumpy or out of date? Will people take me seriously if I wear this? 

And all other forms of superficial bullshit that, at times, has dragged me down into a money sucking hole of needless spending. Like no joke. Though, I am unequivocally not alone in the scenario of unpacking at a new apartment and wondering why on Earth I still had my food processor and black mini skirt from 1998, since neither fit my life after a decade because my ass only gets bigger and blades can't travel on planes now. So can I blame the fashion industry for my personal spending habits? No. But let's not pretend that every product or company has my best interests in mind when they drop down their new set of “must haves” for the coming months or execute subliminal messaging via radioactive television sets so masterfully, Picasso himself would be jealous, (remember when Macy's hired Martha Stewart to invite her friends Diddy and Jessica Simpson to persuade us to buy more crap every December? Good times!) It's the reason my own personal RSS feed of blogs no longer includes tall skinny hangers who sell themselves to fashion brands without an original thought to share worth a grain of salt, and instead has limited space for Jess, Kali, Anuschka, and Ivania among a few others. Don't believe me? What was the last fashion blog you read that did not feature that Zara skirt? See, don't even have to describe it because you know exactly which slutty little skirt I mean. It got around.

Embracing minimalism was one of the many things I did to reduce my mental and physical clutter - and it is a choice that I still have to remake every single day like a recovering heavy metal addict. Starting a minimalistic lifestyle is not easy, but weeding out your possessions, taking care of the things you love, and saving your hard earned cash for experiences over material objects is definitely a life-affirming confidence booster. Truly, less is more. Think of it this way - you may have less items in the house but that also means you have more space, more time to do the things you love; a hassle-free closet and effortless style.  

If I still haven't convinced you to seek out a minimalist lifestyle just for kicks and giggles, can I at least offer you a challenge? Grab a notebook, a pen, and start counting. 

You heard me. 

Count the items in your home. 

Count everything- shoes, books, coffee cups, office supplies. If you are anything like me, you are quickly going to realize that you own WAY MORE than you ever thought was possible for such a tiny post-college-cant-get-a-worthy-job-enter-hustle-city-name-here apartment. As I looked over pages and pages of possessions, I started to realize why I felt so burdened at times. I started to cross items off and circle my essentials. A few days later, with packed boxes and garbage bags full of donations and giveaways- I could finally see the floor at the bottom of my closet and now I own much less. Dorky as it sounds, it became a metaphor for the new life I wanted to lead. And by the way, my closet floor was mad dusty. Small details like this are eye openers, because I yearn for a wardrobe that is meticulously coddled in a closet as precious as a Chanel boutique. When you own twenty one tees from Forever21, its easy to not give a flying squirrel about the state of your closet. #justsayin

Here, I will start with my count excluding my boyfriend's. You little lazy bee you.

LIFE TOOLS
29 items. Notebooks, pens, iron, bedding, random nonsense like umbrella and wrapping paper and tons of books.

BATHROOM ITEMS
56 items. All my makeup, hair tools, cleaners, bathing goodies, skincare, and good old fashion toilet paper.

ELECTRONICS
8 items. Printer with cords, macbook with cords, iPhone, internet boxes, mouse and a power surge protector.

FURNITURE
7 items. Pared down to just a folding table, couch, kitchen island, sewing table, chair, hamper, and bed.

KITCHEN
I chose not to count this because I'm too American, my kitchen is my Achilles heel, more so than fashion, and by living with someone else, the count wouldn't reflect my desired minimalist kitchen. Let' just say I suspect the pantry and fridge and island have over 300 items of mostly my boyfriend's collectibles. Good God.

CLOTHING
40 items which surprisingly includes all my knickers, shoes, tops, bottoms, dresses and socks. I'm in heat. Clearly. Yes I still do laundry bi-weekly. No, its not impossible to create enough combinations of outfits, so close your gaping mouth.

Now, don't get me wrong - minimalism didn't change everything about who I was or who I wanted to be in the future. I still LOVE beautiful clothes the way other women love Ryan Gosling, as well as flipping through fashion magazines, and visiting my favorite local boutiques. But, I reconciled my new and lighter lifestyle with the fact that this all could actually work in my favor. In fact, if I wanted to be a more mindful person, my clothing choices were the perfect place for me to start. 

Adapting my new “less is more” motto went hand in hand with my new project - building a capsule wardrobe. Much like a recipe has key ingredients, capsule wardrobes build off key items you love that can be interchanged to create outfits that express your personal style. Sound difficult? In theory, it can sound overwhelming but in practice it will totally simplify your life. To start, ask yourself: 

• Form and Function- what types of clothes do I need and what sorts of ascetics do I like? 
• Size- How many items do I need to get through my week/month? 
• Inventory- what can I get rid of and what is going to stay? 
• Uniform- what outfit could I wear every day that expresses my personal style? How can I create variety off this concept? 
• Laundry- how do the clothes get washed and can I afford dry cleaning? 

Delusional is the word that people often use when I tell them about my wardrobe vision right after they sigh with empathy. They say that its crazy to think so “small” or work so hard to have less. And to them I say, “Beats being a statistic.” My possessions have stopped defining me and, because of that, I am the only one that drives my creativity. It's not easy and lord knows I am not perfect, but taking a physical inventory of my life has not only kept me honest, but in a newfound state of happiness and gratitude. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to free yourself up as well.

are you up for the count? tell me in the comments! and please feel free to share this post to challenge some hoarding friends of yours