Day 5, LL Bean and the 80's

2/3/16 Day 5 of Tidying up with Marie Kondo.
Totes, Bags, Coats, purses, shoes, hats, gloves, and scarves.

Wow! I have way more bags then I thought, and collecting them all from around the house was the key to seeing just how many I own.  I don't have that many pocketbooks, but I have too many reusable grocery bags and totes, so I donated several of those.  one bag that I thought would be hard to part with is my leather bag from the 80's.  I traveled all around with this leather friend on lot's of great adventures and it has served me well.  I thanked God for it's service and stability and put it in the donate bin hoping some college student will see that it's still functional and love it some more.  The canvas bag from LL Bean is a treasure! Even though it's stained and faded, I can't part with it till I get a replacement for $45.  This wonderful tote has carried beach toys and towels all up and down the east coast.  Sturdy, trusty, and dependable, I love my beach bag and it brings me such joy! 

This coat (above)is also from LL Bean and also from the 80's.  The 80's was when I was in High School and College, so I guess that's why I've kept so many special items from that decade.  My grandmother had given me money to buy a new coat and this wonderful treasure is what I picked.  It's a size medium which barely zips for me now, and it does have some stains, but once again I'm thankful for my Gammy, for her generosity, and for the coat that gave me warmth and kept me dry all these years.

This coat was my mom's.  This one still fits, however it's made of wool, and wool makes me itch.  I love how this coat makes me feel like an actress, it's creative and has a flowing style; but again when it touches my neck or my arms I get all red and itchy.  Even though this is a memento, I'm able to let it go because like Marie suggests to hold the item and ask "does this bring me joy?"and clearly, this item does not.

 This bag was a gift maybe from a friend of my mother's maybe for graduation (again the 80's!).  I tried using it, but always felt like it was too masculine for me.  It's too bad, because it's a great bag and made very well.  I could have re-gifted it or tried to sell it at a yard sale, but it's monogrammed.  So I've held onto it for decades, but thanks to Marie, today I'm letting it go to the thrift store.  My scarves, hats, shoes, and gloves had no significance and I kept only those that still serve me well and bring me joy.  

Tomorrow is books!  I've already gone through 99% of my books this past summer and sold them at a yard sale.  I kept a large box full in the garage for another yard sale and the rest will be donated.

  I welcome your comments, and if you need encouragement and support to start let me know, and we can do this journey together!