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SIMPLE LIVING
A vintage linen tablecloth edged with cotton lace. A set of crystal glasses, a wedding present from an Aunt. A soft scarf knitted by your mum, in gorgeous Autumn colours. The collection of fallen leaves your son found in the park.
Home grown flowers in a glass vase, a treasure from an op shop. A pantry shelf full of jars of homegrown and homemade preserves. Black and white photos, framed and displayed with pride. A handmade patchwork quilt over the back of your lounge.
‘Simple living’ is about getting back to basics, decluttering your life to embrace a slower lifestyle, living more frugally, seeking contentment within what you do, and finding the beauty in your world.
When we first started living a fairly frugal and eco-friendly lifestyle, I felt beauty was something I should deny myself, or that I didn’t need. I thought I should buy only practical, useful, long lasting, preloved or ‘green’ items.
I rarely indulged in items which were purely decorative, pretty or trendy. It’s not like I was wearing hessian sacks or our home was bare, more that I made do with what we had, or did without unless there was a practical component to purchases, and the things I did.
I think I came to associate beauty, or style, with unnecessary use of resources and energy. I saw the fashion and beauty industries as wasteful, and not helping the state our planet is in. That was years ago now, and these days there are better options and choices within both those industries. Of course, you can find beauty in many ways outside of them too.
I also thought I was too busy to bother with beauty, or the nice things in life. My husband and I had set about creating an urban homestead in our house and gardens, to reduce the impact of our lifestyle on the planet, to be prepared for the future, and to create a ‘simple life’ now (though we have found simple is a misnomer!)
We wanted to learn ‘old style’ skills, so I was reading reference books, not fashion magazines. We invested in useful equipment, not designer shoes. We were planning for chickens and bees, not renovations or redecorating. Instead of buying new season clothes, we spent money on fruit trees and rainwater tanks. Instead of mud packs at the spa, we were getting dirty growing organic produce, and making compost!
What I’ve come to realise lately is that by not allowing beauty into my life, I am denying myself one of the pleasures of living on this planet that I was so busy trying to save!
Beauty, of course, doesn’t have to come in a jar or bottle, it doesn’t have to be draped across the frame of a model, it doesn’t have to feature in the latest glossy decorating magazine, and it doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. Beauty is in many things: in nature, in relationships, in rituals and in the way we see the wonderful things all around us. It’s all about your perspective really, and it doesn’t have to cost the Earth.
So, I have been digging out the vintage doilies, napkins and linens that I had tucked away, those from my grandma, or finds from op shops and markets. Taking time to set the table, or even just have a nice centrepiece can not only beautify your home, but welcomes the ritual of family dinner time at the table.
I have silver photo frames, special glassware and pieces that I collected from my travel overseas years ago, that would be far better displayed in our house, than collecting dust in removalist boxes in our garage. I am putting in bulbs and flowers, because it attracts the bees to help pollinate our produce, but also because it looks nice (and, ahem, helps hide the weeds!)
I am making the effort to fill a vase or bowl with pieces from the garden, to bring the beauty of nature inside. Arranging homegrown pumpkins and squash in my woven basket makes me feel happy when I see them, and adds a touch of Australian Country Style to my house!
There are many simple, easy, eco-friendly ways to create something special for your house, your life and your self, I just need to take them time to do it, and not feel guilty about it either!
Of course, my idea of style is possible very different to yours! My house or style tips are not going to feature in any glossy magazines; even those that celebrate country style, shabby chic or homestyle trends!
You’ll still see me digging in the garden (or, ahem, doing school drop off) in my daggy old clothes, and having no idea how to style my own new hairstyle (headscarf anyone?!) This isn’t a makeover show where the unfashionable wannabe urban homesteader gets transformed into an uber-chic upmarket, eco-designer wearing greenie! I am not aiming to have a show house or life, this is still a lived in home and we are just a regular family, but I can bring something special into my life, by adding a little simple living beauty.
This is a lovely article that I connect with completely. I’m just myself discovering the joys of jam making (having moved just over a year ago into a house with 5 plum trees in the garden).
I think trying to live more frugally gives you a far better appreciation of the wonders of nature. Having three small children helps with that too.
How lucky Nina to have 5 plum trees, though they could have planted a bit more variety… that’s alot of jam! Yes, little kids are great for pointing out and providing the simple pleasures in life, aren’t they!
Lovely post. I too am wanting to connect with more old, practical skills as part of our slow, slow move to a more “simple” (ha!) and sustainable lifestyle. My kids go to the Steiner school here in Canberra, so my eldest can now knit as well as I can and crochet far better (not that that’s saying a lot), but in the past few years I have learned to make my own jam, bread and beanies, so I feel like I am getting there.
In Steiner ideology it’s very important for the young child to be surrounded by beauty and order – actually maybe I just added the order myself, but without order it’s very hard fir children to find what they need to play contentedly, and it’s hard really to maintain that beauty. Which is a very rambly way of saying that I do think beauty is important and that is why 2011 is the year I am focussing on Decluttering!
Decluttering, something we seem to do all the time, and I wonder where does this stuff keep coming from! I am SO over the stuff everywhere, and think it’s time for my kids to watch “The Story of Stuff”, and for my husband and I to make changes… ie. on birthday invites this year & we’ll ask Grandma’s too, that Little Miss-going-to-be-6 would like some ‘craft things’ to put in her new craft box (she is a mad crafter!) and hopefully that will help. Even though a lot of our toys and homewares are preloved, I still feel we have too much ‘stuff’… maybe it’s just wishful thinking when you have kids, but I’d like to have a system of nothing ‘new’ (or preloved) comes in, unless something is going out (preferably to an op shop or donated, not out to landfill)…
How are you tackling your decluttering Kirsten?
Hi guys, thank you for your comments!