Yesterday I spent most of the cold January day indoors working upstairs in the combination office/craft/sewing room. Like so many other people I am trying to organize my home this month. The hot trend right now is the Japanese method of tidying up. The KonMari method believes that you should hold each item in your hands and if it does not “Spark Joy” then you should get rid of it. If the author, Marie Kondo, ever came into this space to assist me in organizing she might run screaming out of the house. Forget the KonMari Method Share The Love Valentine.
Here is how the scenario would play out:
Kondo would ask, “Does this antique lace spark joy?”
To which I would reply, with complete joy, clutching the lace to my heart, “YES! Yes, it does.”
Again and again, she would ask me this about the vintage valentines, glitter, doilies and every single other item that is stored in overflowing bins, drawers and closets and I would not be able to DISCARD one thing.
However…
…yesterday I started making piles of random bits of bliss.
Forget the KonMari Method Share The Love Valentine
Stacks of vintage doilies, antique valentines, satin roses and many other lovely things were all tied up with pretty ribbons and lace.
I then slid each of the dozen stacks I had made into a cellophane bag with a note that said:
“I have handpicked every single one of these items from my collection of treasures. Each little thing feels a bit like my heart. I am now sending my heart, onto you, with love.
I would like you to make a Valentine or two, or three, with these things. The catch is, you cannot send the Valentine to me. You must send the love on to someone new.
Share the love, Laura”
It’s never easy to discard anything you love. But it sure can “spark joy” to share the love.
Happy Sunday dear friends,
Laura
“Do everything in love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 16:14
LOVE this!!!!!!!
What a sweet idea. 🙂
I would be answering in the same manner, btw – everything I have, I keep for a purpose. I have scaled back but we still have so much stuff. It's hard for me to part with sentimental things especially and so I often don't and our little house swells. Attended the memorial service for my 62 year-old beautiful cousin yesterday and I have such a mix of thoughts about life in general right now that I'm afraid I will hang onto as much as I can.
Love, Linda
That is a lovely way to look at decluttering. It's so much nicer to think of it as passing on the love than letting go of something. I'll try to keep that thought in mind as I sort through my craft supplies.
This is such a sweet idea! Not only do the bits and baubles mean something to you, now they will be cherished by someone else!
Oh that's funny. This method of sorting things out just came up in a conversation yesterday with my old college roommate who was gifted the book on this way of looking at “things” we've accumulated. I think I can I think I can…one room at a time!
Thank you for sharing your lovely idea and photos! One of my favorite things as a Pre-K/Kindergarten teacher was setting up a Valentine making center in the classroom every February. I loved watching the kids make creations for their friends and families. They would learn so much about cutting, writing, etc. while spreading joy!
Just the most precious idea! You've really inspired me with your craftiness lately. I'm going to attempt to make Valentine's. 🙂
What an awesome idea!
Oh my. I love this. So fun.
I am hopelessly nostalgic and so it is difficult for me to part with “things. The idea of releasing the joy you feel when holding these items in order to pass the joy on to another is a beautiful way of letting them go! Thanks for sharing this, Laura!
This is a delightful idea! I've been doing KonMari in my home, and the truly wonderful thing about her method is that it actually has nothing to do with minimalism or discarding items- it's all about what you choose to keep. I saw an interview with Marie Kondo in which a guy asked her something like, “But my roommate has so much stuff! How do I get him to get rid of it?” She smiled and said, “If it brings him joy to keep it, then he should keep it, as long as he treats it with respect by having it organized.”
The idea is that you can keep as much- or as little- as you want, as long as you treat it with respect. Judging from what I've seen on your blog, you're doing just fine! I don't think she would run screaming from your home at all- she would probably be very pleased to see what a healthy relationship you have with the items in your home. 🙂
Your little bits of Valentine love are darling. I love the way you have done them up. You should ask the recipients to send you a picture of what they create with it. 🙂
what a lovely idea