June clutter

• Books I’m reading this month - ‘The Idiot’s guide to Tantric Sex’, ‘Something So Strong – the Crowded House Story’ Chris Bourke, (still) ‘ Picture of Dorian Gray’ Oscar Wilde, ‘Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde’, ‘The Year of Yes’ Maria Headley, ‘Elegance’ Kathleen Tessaro, ‘Niche and Grow Rich’ Jennifer Sander, ‘Mom Spa’ Jennifer Sander et al, ‘What Not to Wear for all Occasions’ Trinny Woodall & Susannah Constantine.

1st – Material swatches gathered up for outfits for the now defunct ‘Gemstone’ girl group I was a member of for about a week. We were all enthusiastic and ready to take over the world with our stunning harmonies and well coordinated wardrobes and then we never somehow got together for our 2nd meeting.
2nd – Wick for a glass lamp that broke ages ago.
3rd – Old uni bag. It’s still in good enough nick, but I suppose by throwing it out, I’m finally letting go of my ill fated and long suffering BA in Ancient History that I secretly suspected would only be completed when I had one foot in the grave, or finally found that rich husband who would enable me to give up full time slavery, er, work, and concentrate on my mental stimulation. I think I have come to terms with the fact that I never really started the degree with the intention on getting a job out of it, it was merely one of my scanner projects and I loved the learning side of it, I just hated the examination side of it. On the good side, I found 2 really nice black pens that were tucked into the bag and I’d forgotten all about. SCORE!
4th – document case with broken elastic.
5th – a pair of suspender stockings I’ve had for years that are still in their packet unopened – I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that my legs are not built to wear suspenders.
6th – A lantern that Mum gave me “just in case” of a blackout. It’s a huge camping one that I’ve never used and so far we haven’t had that blackout. Besides, I’ve kept it under my bed, so if that blackout did actually happen, I’d have to stumble my way to the bedroom, get down on my knees, slide under the bed and grope around for the lantern. Was never going to happen so it’s going back to Mumsy.
7th – Two sets of lingerie that no longer fit. Oh to have a B cup again, or even a C cup. (Donating)
8th – two pairs of ‘Fat’ shorts, that I whenever I yoyo and get fat again I fit back into – I’m giving them away so hopefully I won’t get big enough for them again. (Wishful thinking)
9th – I finally got a print I’ve had for years framed! I bought it a Byron Bay from a local artist probably five years ago and it’s been in my car for 2 year and under my bed for at least another 2. I picked it up today and hung it up in the lounge room and it looks beautiful! It replaced a painting that my ex boyfriend gave me for Valentine’s Day. Instead of roses (or even a single rose) I got a cutsie-pie painting and hand painted mirror. I loved them both but I was a tad disappointed with the lack of floral arrangements on that most important of days. Anyway, taking it down is a step towards making the ex boyfriend really ex.
10th – Four books I’ve either never read or have no intention of re-reading (donating)
11th – My old Knuckles (not from my hands) that I played with as a kid (and sometimes as a teenager). I was contemplating giving them to a friend with a daughter, but they’re old and she’d probably either have her own knuckles, or buy nice new ones. (Donated)
12th – Two really pale pink lipsticks – God knows why I had them anyway, I’m not blonde with blue eyes. (Only in my dreams)
13th – an old red jumper with lots of moth holes and pilling all over it – ugly you say, yes! But it was one of my old faves and SOOOOO warm and comfy.
14th – Three pairs of old shoes. Giving them to Mum. As an aside, I also polished up 5 pairs of still good shoes and gave them a new lease on life!
15th – Woven leather bag an ex ex ex ex ex Boyfriend gave me years ago. It’s been hanging up in the wardrobe for years ‘just in case’ the perfect matching outfit came along but I really doubt it exists.
16th – Fluoro Pink board shorts (donated)
17th – Used up two balls of wool on a rug for Misty. I was saving the wool for projects and hopefully am able to sell some of it but it was horrible to knit with so good riddance I say…
18th – a tatty old beach bag (donated)
19th – huge crocheted rug I made years ago – giving it to Mum to clutter up her house up with, and have the cat to sleep on…
20th – I cleared my fridge of a bit of clutter – taking off take away menus and price lists of massage places I no longer go to. Hopefully, the removal of the menu from the Indian restaurant down the road will help me to de clutter my hips of the results of too many tikka masalas.
21st – 20 or so cardboard boxes in the boot of my car. I was planning on moving back in April so I saved up cartons from HMV and didn’t end up moving. Seeing as I probably won’t move for ages and I now work in a shoe shop I don’t think I’ll be short of cartons.
22nd – ‘Melrose’ style hair clip (donated)
23rd – 2 pairs of hot pink shoelaces – one pair came with my joggers; Lord knows why I have 2 pairs… (Donated)
24th – A paper Lei I used as a part of a costume in a musical. Jonah Frederick Goeths born today yay! – This has nothing to do with de-cluttering, just thought I’d share!
25th – Kid’s water pistol (donated)
26th – HMV ‘Share Your Passion’ medal!!! How dorky is that, not sure how I ended up with it, but it was duly binned.
27th – Old brown hat and HMV cap. I wasn’t sure whether I should have kept it or not for old time’s sake (but that’s the point of clearing out old crap really isn’t it?), but a girlfriend was over and took them off my hands for me.
28th – A leather shoulder strap for a bag that got thrown out ages ago. I don’t know how I end up with all this stuff some days!
29th – I deleted a whole pile of phone numbers out of the memory of my mobile. It’s just as easy to accumulate clutter of names and numbers, as it is actual clutter you can hold. Some of the people in my phone I haven’t seen in years and seriously doubt I ever will, one of them was an ex boyfriend (no, not THE ex…), and so it was not really healthy to still have all of his numbers in there (THE ex’s numbers still are in there as we still sms every now and then, sometimes… L)
30th – My nails! No, not Chinese torture style removal of them, the last of the acrylic covering them came off today. When I quit HMV I had to give up a few little luxuries, one of which was my nails. Being a tight arse, I didn’t get them professionally soaked off, I’ve let them grow out and have filed them down and picked them off bit by bit. Now although I have a job, I just can’t be bothered with them anymore, so it looks like I’ve gotten rid of them both literally and figuratively.
Tax time!!! I wonder this year if I’ll end up paying Mr Taxman money again? HMV didn’t take out the correct tax, probably because I was getting paid monthly, year after year and I always got slugged with a bill so I hope this year will be different. Yes, I called payroll each year and was promptly told that the correct tax was being taken out! It probably wont be this year, as I’ve only just changed jobs and I got my L/S payout, but I hope at least this year it’s not a bill for $400 L I cleared out my receipt draw today too. It’s not getting included in the de-cluttering log, as it’s something I do every year at tax time, and then start filling it up soon after.