Almost Amish. . Wood Family. . . Step 1

Key the music. . . DUM! DUM! DUM!
Welcome to our attic!

Throughout my new endeavor to become "Almost Amish", one chapter convicted me about keeping clutter. And where do I keep it? You guessed it. . .  .MY ATTIC! Everything is in our attic. In May 2009, we got married, bought a house, moved from Jackson to Tupelo, traveled Europe for a month, and came back 2 days before Arthur started his new job. During that time our parents moved our stuff. And my parents moved EVERYTHING I ever owned from t-ball trophies to cheerleading uniforms into the dining room and guest room of our new house. I had no clue this was coming, and when we got home, I was a little overwhelmed to find boxes from my parents' attic in our floor. So guess where they went?..... To my attic. I did not have time to sort through it all. I had a house to move into, furniture to purchase, wedding thank-you notes to write, school to start, and SO MUCH more. So it's all be accumulating up there for 3 years. We continue to add to it.

The Amish don't keep clutter. Obviously t-ball trophies aren't collecting dust in their attic. Yes, I believe in sentimental items, and don't worry, I didn't trash it all. BUT, do I need the beaded curtain that hung on my bedroom door when I was 13 or the Atlanta braves baseball hat (that I'm not sure ever belonged to me)? No! So. . . I cleaned! And there are TONS of boxes in my garage now trying to decide if they want to go to Salvation Army or participate in a garage sale after I clean out the entire house. . . We're doing what I call a "storage downsize" in houses. Our new house (yes, we bought a house in Waynesboro. . . more to come soon) is limited in closet and storage space. Somehow it's bigger than our house (I don't believe it), but has less than half the closet/laundry/storage space we have now! I can't admit I'm excited about this. Project Patty here won't have anywhere to hide her junk crafts.


 Why yes! That is a box full of old flowers. I had to hold my nose to take the picture. Who keeps dried flowers from high school? Apparently at one point in my life, I did!

 All of my wedding gift bows. Yes, it's sweet, but what was the point in keeping them?

 A box full of every letter my grandma wrote me in college. I kept a few, but I don't think I need everyone. I was hoping to run across a few buck in the process. She mailed me $30 every week. I guess I didn't look over any of that cash back when cash meant not eating in the caf!

 So here is everything that came out of the attic. . . . meaning it's no longer enslaved to our storage!

 O yes! I found a canister with 2 teeth I had pulled before I got braces. . . . GROSS!

Wow! It is one scary place I have been avoiding for 3 years, but someone really enjoyed the 117 beanie babies she got out of the deal. . . . don't worry, I'm not keeping them all!