5 Steps To Simplicity

This year, I've been focusing more than ever on helping friends and clients simplify their lives. Within that process, I've been thoughtfully distilling my own definition of simplification. In no particular order, simplification means less wasted time, a feeling of peacefulness and flow, effortless order, more time to play with my son, modeling my values and what really matters to him and others, cleanliness and a sense of pride. I've also become more conscious of all the little systems I use to achieve simplicity in my life. And in the areas where I still need help, I turn to the Martha Stewarts of the world for guidance and inspiration. Here are 5 my Top Simplification Tips, culled from my own house, from Martha and everywhere in between.


1. Lists, Lists, Everywhere: Keep a grocery list in your pantry and jot down any item you're running low on so you're always ready for your next grocery run. Keep a wardrobe list in your closet to record which pantyhose need replenishing or exactly what size and color your next sweater purchase should be. Keep an up-to-date office supply list in your desk drawer so you'll know exactly what size post-it notes you've run out of to reference on your next Staples run. (image above from www.marthstewart.com)


2. Clean As You Cook: Every meal is more enjoyable if there is not a sink full of mixing bowls, pots and wooden spoons to scrub down afterward. Try to rinse off as much as possible while cooking so that only the dinner plates and serving ware need your attention afterward.


3. Make Your Bed Easy to Make: Three rows of decorative pillows may look pretty in bedding catalogs or magazines, but are not conducive to simplicity. Making a bed should take just a few seconds every morning: 1. pull duvet up and smooth out 2. prop sleeping pillows up 3. throw a decorative pillow or two on 4. done! I often suggest to clients that they only use a fitted sheet and a good quality, covered duvet with the appropriate warmth rating because straightening and tucking a flat sheet and blankets under the duvet can make the task much more burdensome than it needs to be.


4. Mail Traffic Control: We've all heard it a million times, but it is such a time saver and clutter reducer to sort your mail as soon as you walk through the door. So I just had to mention again! Take your pile over to wherever your recycling bin is located so you can deposit the junk there immediately. Then put the rest into two different folders, boxes or bins: one that you go through once a week to take necessary actions and the other labeled "to file" (for statements, etc) that gets your monthly attention. If you can live without the beautiful J. Crew fashion spreads, get yourself off all catalog mailing lists; every item that beckons from their glossy pages is available online and then some. Catalogs waste trees and suck up your time in disposal or in "window shopping." (image above by ngoc minh ngo at www.realsimple.com)




5. Go Shoe-Free: Create a dedicated place for several pairs of shoes for each family member (we created space for up to 3 pairs each in my house, as seen in the photo above) right by the front door and then religiously remove footwear upon arrival. Swapping shoes out for "house slippers" that get stashed in this same spot is a nice luxury for those who don't wish to go barefoot. This practice will greatly reduce the amount of time you spend vacuuming or sweeping your house and that is simplification at its best!

Love Notes

In retaliation to the saccharine kitsch of the upcoming Hallmark holiday, I thought I'd share a few sophisticated (and green!) home decor accents that are sure to keep the love alive all year round.


Recycled natural wool and eco-friendly dyes up the snuggle-factor of this biodegradable LOVE Throw, available at www.bambeco.com.


This minimal and graphic &LOVE poster from Fifi Du Vie, printed with nontoxic acrylic ink, is available on Etsy.


Alone on a nightstand or in a vignette of other treasures, Amenity Home's Hearts for Haiti handcarved stone is a poignant reminder to live and give with love every day.

Seeing Colors!! (Inspiration from City Sage)

When I opened my in-box this morning, I could do nothing but swoon. Anne Sage, Executive Editor of Rue Magazine and mastermind behind one of my favorite blogs, City Sage, has done it again!! In today's City Sage post, four expertly edited groupings of color-based collections - from books to bottles - lit up my screen with their intrigue and cheer. I'm not a collector myself, but I certainly enjoy occasionally gazing at monochromatic stacks of clothbound books, vibrant enamelware and colorful curiosities. And if you're going to have collections in your home, this is certainly the most visually appealing and orderly approach. For the full post and source links, head on over to City Sage.

Fresh Nest Feature

A little press is always exciting.....so I'm thrilled to have my home included in the One Fresh Nest feature on Fresh Nest, a great site for home inspiration. Check out the interview and photos here.

Monday Color: Ivory

I have long been drawn to the serenity of white but sometimes in its purest form, true white can be a little cold. Ivory is the slightly warmer and more dynamic neutral alternative, no less serene than its white sister hue. It is the inherent color of many pure, un-dyed fibers like wool and cotton, and appears in countless natural forms such as fans of white coral, flowing sand dunes, dozens of flower varieties and wholesome grains.


















Images above:

1. I love this modern ivory living room, found on www.decorpad.com. Texture and form replace any need for color.

2. An ingeniously simple idea - removing shade fabric to reveal the white lampshade wire silhouette underneath - from Musie. Parchmont, old paper and ivory clothbound books are another way to celebrate the hue.

3. A palette of wood tones and textured ivory fabrics and linens makes a soothing bedroom retreat in this Manhattan apartment I designed.

4. This monochromatic lounge space feels calm yet special with the wall detail and soft ivory tones.

5. Natural linen upholstery and cream slipcovers set the stage for this dramatic white-on-white collection found on www.countryliving.com. (Photo by Bjorn Walkunder)

6. The essence of the color is befitting for this Ivory Organic Cotton Cable Knit Throw from Viva Terra.

7. Metallics are a gorgeous way to spice up an all-ivory decor. Sheesha throw pillow in Ivory from John Robshaw, available in a Euro Sham or 20x20 pillow.

8. Master of pure serenity, Donna Karan nails the look with her organic cotton Pure Comfort bedding (available in Cloud, as shown, and four other spa-like colors).

Auggie Love

It was love at first sight for me. As a nursery designer, I have perused countless lines of crib bedding. But the new line from Canadian sisters Cristina and Genevieve Burgess called Auggie that I spotted at last week's NYIGF gave me butterflies like none other. The delicate embroidery and sweet prints on fields of soft white cotton is whimsical and fresh. Complementary to any decor style from contemporary to country chic, the line includes crib separates, quilts, duvets and twin bedding that can all be mixed and matched. My heart is all aflutter. (Available this month at Yoya in NYC.)

NYIGF Eco-Highlights

Twice a year, the New York International Gift Fair takes over Manhattan's West Side. Despite the slushy streets and gray early-February skies outside, the colorful mecca of home accessories, gift items, furniture, linens and crafts was buzzing indoors. I braved the ice (and the $40 event parking lot fee) to scour the aisles for new eco-friendly housewares and accessories. I was delighted to see more offerings than ever before. Here are a few of my favorite:

Images above:

1. Cork Fabric Bowls from Bambu. They are tough enough to hold a bushel of lemons and soft enough to scrunch down for compact storage. Plus, they can be thrown right in the laundry machine for easy cleaning. (Available in March 2011.)

2 & 3. Peacock Alley's booth was definitely the show stopper. Their beautiful linens were draped over custom hammocks outside a - gasp! - fully renovated 1977 Airstream! They use the trailer, also bedecked in their fabulous wares, for outdoor trunk shows around the nation. A cozy cocoon of neutral fabrics and retro kitsch beckons warmly inside; I didn't want to leave. Peacock Alley has several organic cotton bathrobes, a line of Adriana Matelasse organic cotton bedding and bamboo/cotton towels in their collections to complement their conventional cotton and linen styles.

4. For years, Coyuchi has been one of my go-to resources for certified 100% organic cotton bedding, especially since launching their adorable embroidered George crib line many moons ago. They have since added several other baby collections and greatly expanded their adult lines of bedding, towels, blankets and more. At the recent gift fair, I was struck by their new, incredibly modern charcoal Seersucker Bumper Cover. Sophisticated, and a bit daring, I was pleased to find out that this gray has become one of their best sellers.

5. Michigan-based K Studio has been making pillows and accessories from eco-friendly fabrics like hemp and linen since 2004, each year stitching up even cuter designs than the last. Furthering their green mission, they have added Mod Green Pod's organic cotton patterns to their charming House Pillows. (Photo above is from the awesome home accessories site www.theaccessorator.com)

6. Molla Space unveiled a new, innovative, reusable beverage container simply called My PLA Drinking Can. The can is made from an eco-friendly, corn starch-based material called PLA, bearing the benefits of plastics, but without the negative effects of petroleum components on us and our planet. It is Dishwasher and Microwave safe, retains beverage temperature with double-wall construction, and as the name suggests, will biodegrade rather than adding to our landfill waste.

7. I love pretty much everything from the Urban Infant line, but I thought the Skip Rope was particularly ingenious. Constructed from 100% reclaimed mountain climbing rope that would have otherwise ended up in landfills, with soft handles also made from reclaimed materials, they prove that playtime and eco-responsibility belong in the same game!!

8. Once again, the sweetest organic cotton tees were blowing in the breeze at the Zebi booth, making my longing for another baby to clothe even stronger (like it takes much!!). Here are a few of their adorable appliqued tops available at Kitsel.

Gratitude

Just a quick post to thank everyone for their votes in The Homies!! Baby Green racked up nearly 60 votes, which I consider to be a victory in itself considering that it's a brand new blog and the competition was stiff. It was an honor just to be nominated and recognized for my cyber contribution to the green movement. As my son said about the Jets' playoff defeat and our loss in this contest: "there's always next year!!"

All love,
Amanda

Before & After: Mudroom De-Junked!!

One of the services my company Baby Green offers is home organization, but sometimes I wonder if the more accurate label would simply be home purging. As the trash bags fill up with JUNK, the organization naturally follows. I have seen countless clients, friends and family members attempt to get organized without eliminating unneeded objects first. I suppose it's possible in the short term to skip de-junking and tastefully arrange your trash in your home. But staying organized without the essential de-cluttering is nearly impossible.

I wasn't born an organized minimalist. I, too, had to undergo the process of throwing out, recycling and donating about half of my possessions when I relocated from Manhattan to Long Beach. (See my now minimally material home in my recent Mi Casa blog post.) I think my clients like that I can relate to their struggles of letting go with my own firsthand experiences. It's logical that we spent a portion of our lives collecting and amassing both treasures and trash, but that a second phase comes when elimination is called for.

To inspire those of you on a similar journey, I will periodically post before and after photos from my organizational work. These first images are from a local project in which the homeowner has made astounding progress with detachment, which was first rooted in simply becoming aware that her spaces weren't flowing and that she was storing nothing more than garbage in many of her closets and cabinets. An avid meditator and an energy healer, my client radiates a sense of peace and calm, but her home was not matching this. She now feels that what's on the inside is reflected on the outside and that "each room no longer feels like a to-do list of 50 tasks calling out at her." We all can relate to that. We tackled her mudroom in one session, a secondary entry into her home that you could barely walk through. All the junk is gone, systems are in place, access to needed items has been created and legs are no longer bruised trying to navigate through the room. And peace has been restored.

"To become learned, each day add something. To become enlightened, each day drop something." Lao Tzu

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." Hans Hoffman

BEFORE:





AFTER:

Vote for Baby Green!

I know it's not flashy. I know I've got a lot to learn. Baby Green is still, well, a baby.

You see, as a novice blogger, I've focused only on regularly infusing these posts with ecologically-conscious design information and ideas. I have neglected to learn how to upgrade the appearance of my blog, add advertising and punchy navigational widgets, and I really ought to post my story of how all this came about and the resulting mission, but right now I'm taking it one post at a time. And that's it.

As the evolution unfolds, it's been heartwarming to have your support with a few inquisitive comment postings, some loving pats on the backs, a Homies Award nomination, and a solid amount of votes. But we're waaay behind. So please show your support for the new kid on the block, the less-established but well-intentioned, the stumbling baby trying to pull herself up onto standing legs for the first time.....and vote for Baby Green by Thursday Feb 3 6pm EST. If you've already voted, please get your like-minded friends and colleagues to do the same.

I'll resume normal posting tomorrow, including some inspiring and innovative new products from my swing through the New York International Gift Fair.

For now, I leave you with a manipulatively sweet photo of my son and 6 reasons why you should take 1 minute and vote for Baby Green in The Homies:

1. Because you like my blog
2. Because you are my friend, relative, neighbor, co-worker or secret admirer
3. Because you love a good comeback story: In 2010 I was near-bankruptcy, but I stayed in the ring determined to embody any timeworn adage about never giving up
4. Because you like to cheer for the underdog: Baby Green is David to a half dozen Goliath blogs
5. Because you care about our earth's well-being and want to be active in a massive cultural shift on how we consume, think, live, design and raise our children like I do
6. Because I told my son, Ryder, he could have the $50 prize if we won but he, without thinking, said "No that's OK, we can find someone who needs it more and give it to them"



VOTING IS EASY!

* First, go to Re-Nest's voting page for The Homies contest and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page where you are directed to "register" or "sign in" in relatively small text If you are not a member of Apartment Therapy or Re-Nest, you will need to click "register" and create an account, inputting your email address, a user name and a password. Don't check next to the daily email boxes if you don't want to receive any future mailings from the sites. The only email they will generate will be one you'll receive immediately to confirm your registration.
* Once you receive the email, click the imbedded link back to Re-Nest. Click on The Homies 2011 link toward the top of the page and you'll be sent back to the voting page.
* Click the circle next to Baby Green and then click "Answer Survey" to have your vote counted. And that's it!! Easy!!
* For the true democratic experience, you can come back to the page anytime and click "Show Results" to see how Baby Green is doing.


All love,

Amanda

(Anti)Bag Lady

Last year, I made a commitment to going completely bagless, employing reusable shopping bags at the farmer's market, grocery store, drug store and shopping mall, anywhere I made purchases that would ordinarily be thrown into a bag for my convenience. I met the goal about 90% of the time, so I renewed my commitment on January 1st and am delighted to have rejected every bag offer this year so far as the first month of 2011 comes to a close. This is a small environmental act of awareness that has now become second nature. My son has joined in the mission, telling people in line behind us at the supermarket that plastic bags are icky and paper bags kill trees. If you're considering going bagless too, there are a few small helpful tips that you should consider:

1. Don't worry about the awkward looks. I didn't get these as much when I lived in Manhattan, but in my not-so-progressive new home in Long Island, furrowed brows and confirmations of "are you sure?" follow most every "I don't need a bag, thank you."

2. In addition to the pouch of reusable bags I've been packing for years (like the convenient Planet Green Environsax 5-in-1 Pouch, their new RPET 100% recycled Slingsax or line of hemp bags, all pictured above), I keep a small number of produce bags that I've gathered from past purchases conveniently tucked inside the pouch. Most fruits and veggies can go in the cart without a bag, but string beans, cherries and such definitely need a vessel.

3. I'm pretty vigilant about my mission: if I forget my reusable bags, I take my purchases out in my hands and just plop them on the front seat of my car until I unload them at home. This wouldn't have worked as well in my city days, but whether you're a driver or an urbanite on foot, keeping lightweight reusable bags on you at all times (see #2) becomes an easy habit with some practice, especially if you find yourself cradling a drugstore's run worth of purchases once or twice.

4. Know the facts. According to cleanair.org, Americans use approximately 1 billion shopping bags each year. The state of California spends about 25 million dollars sending plastic bags to landfills and another 8.5 million dollars removing littered plastic bags from streets. Recycling one ton of plastic bags costs roughly $4000 and produces recycled product that can be sold for only $32. There are a long list of other downers that might make you consider joining me in my bagless quest.

Monday Color: Turquoise

Happy Monday!! It's time to feature another color and today I chose turquoise. Likely influenced by my winter daydreams of tropical blue waters, cheery aqua tones are showing up everywhere on my design radar right now. It was a hit color of 2010 but I feel its lure is timeless, a unique blue that is both sophisticated and uplifting. The turquoise stone has long been believed to draw out negativity and help you stay in a place of love and connectedness with others. Glancing at the rooms below, it seems like the hue itself has some of these same uplifting powers.





















Images above:

1. image from www.houseofturquoise.com

2. image from inspirebohemia.blogspot.com

3. a room I designed in a Manhattan apartment in 2010 featuring bold turquoise and subdued grays and creams

4. a living/dining room from a 2005 design project showing just how much my love of this color has certainly endured!!

5. image from www.apartmenttherapy.com

6. photo by Lisa Romerein, from www.coastalliving.com

7. Lamp Works Recycled Glass Table Lamp from www.rugsusa.com

8. Handmade Moroccan Poof in turquoise from John Derian.

9. 100% organic cotton Thick & Thirsty Towels in Lagoon from Gaiam.