Soo..

I'm super happy, because I was asked to stay past seasonal at work! I was one of only two cashiers. The other girl is in high school, but will soon be out for the summer. So really there's only going to be like 3 cashiers. I'm so, so happy. Hard work is worth it. The other girl that's staying is interested in horticulture as well. However, she wants to go to school for floral design. In a way I'm a little jealous, because I wish I would've known what I wanted to do in high school. Well, I guess I kind of knew. For most of my high school career, I thought I wanted to do graphic design. Until I took a graphic design class. I didn't hate it, but I could tell I probably didn't want to take that career path.

So Daniel and I had a to heart to heart yesterday. Our plan has been to open a home brew supply store. Although really, it was more his dream than mine. Don't get me wrong, I love beer, but I feel like I've kind of lost my passion for it a little bit. I still absolutely love it, but it isn't the healthiest. Especially to make a career out of it. I expressed to him that it's his dream, but not necessarily mine. So it's possible I may go back to school for horticulture. There's a technical school basically down the street from me. It's funny it's the same school I was going to go to for hair, but got talked out of. Anyway, since I've already taken all my core classes (when I went for business) I would be able to transfer a lot of classes and finish very quickly. I should still have my HOPE scholarship too. I already have Daniel's blessing that he actually gave me pretty quickly. I want to do more research and be sure I'll actually be able to find a job in this field paying well enough before I pursue it. I'm just happy that I have my foot in the door at a very big and reputable nursery.

Also, I had the idea of selling terrariums in an Etsy store on the side. Start up wouldn't cost too much. I would just need to be able to find someone who will sell plants in bulk to someone that isn't a nursery. I've done very light research on it as far as finding suppliers. But I think it would be a cool way to put my hobby into making money. It's everything I love: plants, design, small spaces. Who knows if I'll actually do it or not, but I definitely like the idea.

Oh yeah I'm happy to report that I actually have been trying to get my health under control. I've lost 15 pounds from my heaviest. My heaviest being 150. I just weighed myself and I'm 135.2 I'm not even entirely sure how I did it. I guess working full time, lifting stuff, and working in the yard has to do with it. Also, I've been trying to eat better. Not snack as much or if I do, it'll be a healthier snack. Also, I've been trying not eat super late. I try not to eat anything else after dinner. My goal weight is 120. Or my ultimate goal weight being 115. I would accept higher if I have muscle. I'm just happy my weight has finally started moving down. For the longest time it wouldn't budge.

I got my hair cut yesterday by the girl who's work I really love. I used to go to her before I started hair school. She does such a good job. I asked for a long bob with lots of layers, but I wasn't really able to do it since I'm still working on growing out a giant chunk of hair. But she still managed to do exactly what I wanted. My layers were wayy too long and heavy.

"Packing Party"

So this an idea first coined by one of the writers over at "The Minimalists." The idea is pack up all your belongings, as if you're moving, and only pull out what you need. That way you can see what you really need and use. I'm going to try this, but not with all my belongings. Mainly clothes, shoes, accessories. I haven't decided if I'm going to do it with anything else yet or not. I've started the process, but I'm using trash bags instead since it's a little easier and I don't have any boxes. My clothes are where I have my hardest time being minimal.

I really don't know how I can "feel" like a minimalist, but have so much stuff. I know there's people who aren't minimalists that have less than I do without even trying. I think it's because I'm such a design oriented person. It doesn't help that I also get tired of stuff very easily. It's definitely a struggle. Although, I guess I've been better about buying things lately (well not plant related anyway). It's mostly just stuff I've accumulated while in hair school. By the way, it's amazing how much less laundry I have now. It's decreased by like 75%.

I think my goal is to get down to having a little more than I might have in a tiny house. There's no point in getting quite low enough to live in a tiny house, because I'm not going to live in one. I would love to though. Maybe not one on a trailer, but a little bigger.

stale and stagnant

That's kind of my feeling on life right now. I've felt very bored lately and can't seem to entertain myself. I'm working close to full time and still feel bored somehow. When I come home I really don't do much besides drink and sit outside. Nothing's been interesting lately. In one of my favorite songs, the lyrics are, "we must turn our boredom to gratitude." I should be trying, but it's hard! I'm the kind of person that needs to be stimulated. I need adventure. I don't know where to get that anymore.

On another note, I think it would be nice to live in a tiny house on some land in the mountains. It's kind of funny, because I feel like even though I own more stuff now than I used to when I was "super minimal," I'm more on board for living in a tiny house. I could make it work. I'm just tired of dealing with all the extra work associated with a house. Mold, leaks, edging, dealing with non-carpet floors.

Sometimes I feel like I see through people. Like I can tell who they are just by listening to them talk. Who knows if I'm accurate, but I feel like I have a pretty good idea. I kind of wish I didn't though. I like the mystery.

Well, I think it's pretty obvious that I've had too many to drink. It's a Friday night though, so at least I've got an excuse.

I kind of just feel like writing. I've been watching House Hunters: Tiny House, and it's been inspiring to me. So I've gone through all of my personal belongings, and did a rough to medium rake through. I have stuff in a pile in the dining room for a garage sale. I definitely want to keep making rounds through my stuff until I'm as close to satisfied as I can be. I am a perfectionist after all.

Since, I've been working in the nursery, I've been buying even more plants than usual. However, I haven't put any of them in the ground. Daniel gave me a good idea though which is to make an asymmetrical semi-circle around my vegetable garden with a stepping stone path. I like the idea of keeping all my plants contained to one area. The idea of planning the entire yard really overwhelms me, and we wouldn't be able to afford it anyway.  I really want to fill it in with some sort of moss or mossy-ish ground cover.

Man, that show just makes me long for the tiny cabin in the woods with a nice garden. One day I'll have it.

Man

This is the most happy I've been in a very long time. I had my last day at the salon today. I also had my orientation at the nursery. It went really well! Even though I haven't had my first day yet, (I start Monday) I feel so good about this. My life feels "right" again. It's crazy how big of an impact a job can have on your emotional well being. I keep trying to put it out of my mind that I was hired as seasonal staff. But I made it clear in my interview that my goal is to work there long-term. I'm just going to work my butt off and see where that gets me. She did say that they do hire some seasonal staff permanently based on how hard you work. The lady who presented the orientation made me feel like I definitely have a chance. She was saying that most of the people they have now started as seasonal staff. I'm still just like in shock that this is happening. It's so crazy that for every other job I've had when I get my first schedule I've got a nervous/anxious feeling. This time I didn't get that at all. I was excited to get my schedule. I was even excited for orientation.

It's such a good feeling to imagine something in your mind that you want and then make it happen. I'm realizing I'm a very goal oriented person.

My next goal is probably my health. I really don't take care of myself. This one is going to be very hard for me, because I've "kind of" been trying to work on it, but there's very little evidence of that. I feel like I have been working at this, but I can't seem to take it seriously despite knowing I can do it. I've done it before. My biggest hang up is seriously beer. I love beer so much, but it's so, so bad for you. I just can't stop. It's such a big part of Daniel and I's life. I've tried telling myself only on the weekends, special occasions or when we hang out with friends, but I can't stick to it! I know if I could get my drinking under control everything else will fall into place. Because I really haven't been eating bad lately, I just can't stop drinking. I guess we'll see what the future holds!

More Difficult

I feel like I'm having a much harder time getting rid of things recently. I guess it's because its all things that I've bought within the last year or two. Most of them I paid full price for. I'm really mad at myself for straying from this lifestyle, and I'm not entirely sure why I did. I mean don't get me wrong, I still tried to kind of stick to being a minimalist, but I didn't try that hard. So since my last post, I emptied out the contents of the closet I actually use as well. Yes, everything is on my floor right now. The way I'm personally wired is that I need to have everything emptied from an area then put back what I want to keep. I feel like one of the issues I'm struggling with is not having space to put the things I'm thinking about getting rid of. Right now, they're in the hallway, which I'm sure Daniel isn't too happy about. But I really don't have anywhere else to put it. Also, this time around I don't have as much "useless" stuff.  I have a lot of hair tools, as well as extra make-up, hair products, jewelry, clothes that I won't be using now that I've decided not to do hair.  Last time, I had a lot of thrifted things that I didn't pay much for. Mostly clothes and decorations. So I'm thinking I'm going to need to have a garage sale.

It's very frustrating because as soon as I start trying to go through things, I keep stopping because I like or feel I "need" the item. I don't. It's so frustrating. I'm just going to have to keep working on it, little by little.

One Youtuber that I just discovered today, who is very inspirational to me is Jenny Mustard. She's Swedish, which everyone knows I'm a sucker for. She is also vegan, feminist and minimalist. I really appreciate her style.

Minimalism

 

So I'm going to start my decluttering process again. Since we've been in the house for, I'm just gonna say a year, I've started accumulating possessions again. Now that we have a house it's so easy to buy things, and forget about it. It isn't until you lay it all out that you realize how much you've actually accumulated.  I've been getting more into being environmentally friendly, and I feel like minimalism goes hand in hand with that. This has been my inspiration for getting back into minimalism. Now that I have a different job at a plant nursery (I haven't started yet though), I seriously already feel happier! I feel inspired to do things again. I'm excited to see what the future brings!