Comments on: Detritus. Gone.

By: Aphra Behn

Aphra Behn — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 07:55:17 +0000

How fabulous.

I suspect that coloured pencils, in your case, don’t have a half-life so much as a double-life – the number doubles every five years.

I’ve escaped the curse of the coloured pencils, but I have three jars for three different kinds of coloured pens, one for whiteboard markers, one for highlighters and one for gel pens. The only reason I don’t have a fourth jar for permanent markers is because I’ve only got one permanent marker and it sneaks in among the whiteboard markers, like a wolf in a nice wooly jumper.

By: bloglily

bloglily — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 23:28:45 +0000

I love it — it’s made by a great San Francisco company called Timbuk2 and I’m pretty sure I ordered it from the apple website. (It’s a laptop bag and comes in a lot of colors.) And, best of all, not very expensive.

By: S.

S. — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 23:17:44 +0000

that purse on the left hand there is SO GORGEOUS.

I followed a link from midtown lunch. best to you!

By: bloglily

bloglily — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 01:36:57 +0000

LK — That pink thermos comes from right around the corner from us — Koreana Plaza at 25th & Telegraph, one of the most terrific houseware shops in the east bay. (There’s a really good Korean grocery store next door.)

Edwin — Ah, I see you have a bit of … stuff…. in that room E!

Sure Ella — books? You have arrived at the right place. xxoo, BL

By: Ella

Ella — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 23:53:41 +0000

Hey, Bloglily, could you send me an email? I can’t find your email on here – anyway, I have some books that need a home, and I’m wondering if you’d like them. Let me know!

By: Edwinek

Edwinek — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 21:41:13 +0000

Wow, congrats. Good thing you can’t see my room at the moment…

By: LK

LK — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 15:59:13 +0000

Hi, congratulations! The pink thermos must make it all worthwhile!

By: bloglily

bloglily — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 20:06:37 +0000

Yes, Ms. Mandarine, You are absolutely right — no one big clear out means a thing if you don’t have a filter for the detritus. Your stalinian purge sounds strict and, thus, very good. I cannot imagine having a zero stuff office — my own is sort of baroque — but I can imagine knowing what stuff must be kept, and kept in circulation, and having a home for each of those things and a way of keeping the unnecessary out.

By: mandarine

mandarine — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 19:20:22 +0000

Cleaning one’s office is an endless task. Your feat is impressive; unfortunately, I am afraid you will have to muster such courage over and over again, unless you find a really good system to filter incoming stuff. As a rule, I do not allow anything in my office — which means that occasionally the odd book, or a really fine piece of stationery find their way through. Even this is too much and I still have to clean from time to time.
This year, I have moved four times. Moving my office repeatedly was quite a stalinian purge, what with splitting my work-time between two places. I am beginning to believe I may soon reach my ultimate goal: a zero-stuff office. My office will be where my laptop is, with paper and pencil as backup when said laptop or associated wi-fi connection are unavailable.

That way, I can make my dream come true: when it is finished, I want to use the room under the roof as my office (it should look like your splendid attic office, by the way), but I know it will have to be a spare bedroom for guests. With a zero-stuff office, It can be both.

By: bloglily

bloglily — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 19:35:32 +0000

Hi Ella, I’ve been admiring your clearing up efforts, as a matter of fact. (Those letters in your post were sweet.) Danielle, The Three Musketeers is really, really thick! I hadn’t expected that. But when I opened it, I saw why: it’s printed like a real story, with decent sized print and a lot of white space. So I expect the reading of it will be leisurely. I might even try it on my boys. (That feather quill pen looks like fun to use. I have some jars of ink, come to think of it, now that I’ve cleaned things up.)

Welcome Kristin, Yes, I think you’re quite right: when the only thing an object does is act as a burden and an obligation, then out it should go. Now if only we could accomplish that with humans. Without getting into trouble, I mean.

By: Kristin Ohlson

Kristin Ohlson — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 17:26:23 +0000

I love all that airy white space you’ve got now! I just finished cleaning out my office– there was so much stuff that I’d been saving that I might be able to use one day, but all it did was make me feel burdened and obligated. I realized that some of it had already survived several other cleanings– that the only time, in fact, I ever touched it was when deliberating whether to throw it out. So I finally did.

Love your solution with the cards. I hate to throw those away, too.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:57:38 +0000

What a lovely room!! I am trying to decide whether or not to get the new Dumas translation. You’ll have to let us know what you think! And I swear I have the same feather quill pen (and mine has a little jar of ink) that you have in that basket! My mom brought it back from Virginia just a week ago! I haven’t tried it out yet.

By: Ella

Ella — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 23:51:19 +0000

Heavens, what a great office. I am covetous of everything from the windows to the colored pencils. Even better to hear about the gift card discovery – like a little reward from the Organizing Fairy, isn’t it?

By: bloglily

bloglily — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 21:03:41 +0000

Uccellina, I’m guessing pink, of which I happen to have several shades. (I did so like your recent knitting project!) And yes indeed litlove, you could plant little treasures all over that room, or have someone do it while you’re sleeping. Books with nice covers, a gift certificate and … colored pencils? xxoo, BL

By: litlove

litlove — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 19:24:52 +0000

Fantastic! Phew, I feel like I lived through that one with you, bloglily! And you have much more interesting things amongst the junk than I ever find. It’s very clever to leave an incentive for cleaning up amongst the rubbish. I must remember to throw something thrilling into the spare room before I close the door on it next time…