Remains of the Day

...My Wedding Day, that is.

Baskets with our little chalkboard signs, jars, and programs from the ceremony

We had the most amazing wedding planner, Stefanie.  One of the coolest things she did was take all of our decor and personal items from the reception and took them back to our house at the end of the night.  When we got home the next day, all of our stuff was sitting in our living room and we didn't have to lift a finger.  Thanks, Stefanie!!  

My bins of crafting supplies and folders with To-Do lists

But that also meant that EVERYTHING WAS IN OUR LIVING ROOM!! 

Including all the bins of markers, spray paint, ribbon, and stamps.  

So, my lovely readers, what should I do with all of this stuff??  How much should I keep for memorabilia and how much should I toss?  Should I try to give some stuff to friends for their weddings or parties?  Should I just toss it since I can always look at the photos??  

An organizer friend of mine gave me some good advice yesterday: put the stuff in the guest room and leave it for a while.  Come back to it when you have had a little time to breathe and it won't seem as overwhelming.  It will be fun to look through it again. 

Okay, I'm going to do that!  Into the guest room it goes... 

In the meantime, I will just focus on thank you notes. :-)

~Leah

Busy, busy

Hello!!!  I am so sorry for my absence lately...

I have been busy working with some lovely clients, 

one of them being my incredible grandmother.

The gate to my grandmother's personal vineyard

We spent a few days going through her memorabilia and photos together.  

It was truly amazing to see all the things she has kept, including her war rationing booklet,

love letters from my grandfather when they were in their 20's, and original photos of our 

large Italian family.  We also giggled and reminisced... 

Some cool things I got to take home

Three generations... my great-great grandfather is in the middle

I was so glad that I could spend that time with her and assist her with some of her most 

treasured possessions.  I sometimes have to pinch myself that this is what I get paid to do!!

And now I am home and ready to share many more organizing stories 

and confessions with all of you. 

Please, catch me up on what you have been up to! 

~Leah

Confession

I get very attached to clothes.  

Ever since I was a little girl, I have become emotionally connected to certain clothes and it makes it very hard to part with them.  With some items, I am immediately brought right back into the moment that I was wearing it.  All the memories come rushing in and I can't bear to let go of that ridiculous pair of jeans or neon t-shirt!  

Well, here are some of the culprits:

Age 6

My Mikey Mouse bathing suit.  (Newspaper hat made by Grandpa)

7th grade dance

That velvet dress came with a little bolero jacket- It was the 90's.  

8th grade graduation

I loved that dress.  I still have it in my garage, in a labeled bin of course.  

So, are any of you holding on to clothing and the memories that come along with them?  Any tips for letting some of the clothing go?

~Leah

Confession

As of last week, my parents' garage was filled with my childhood memorabilia.  

I know that this is not completely abnormal, but after years of having my own garage and no more excuses, it was time to go through my memories and take my stuff to my own house.

Going through a bin from the "high school years"

My mom helped me by providing emotional support and beverages whenever I needed a break.  We put on our gloves and dug in!

One proud sister!

I found so many fun things, including an adorable t-shirt that I used to wear when I was about 3 years old... my brother had "Leah's Big Brother" and we were so friggin' cute together!  



I also found all the glass figurines that my grandmother gave me from when I was six months old until I was about 14, letters from my friends in middle school (folded into little triangles), my birth announcement that my mom made from scratch with a potato stamp (such a hippie!) and a whole box of papers and tests from high school (I forgot how good I used to be at French!) 




I left my parents' house with only enough bins to fill my trunk... I was able to let go of six bins of stuff!  I now have only the things that I loved the most and that bring back the best memories.

My packed trunk

And my mom is thrilled with all the extra room in her own garage!  Happy Mother's Day, Mama! 

~Leah