PURGE and don't feel guilty about it!

Here it is, my final push to get rid of the BIG stuff.  The emotional baggage that we let ourselves attach to some items is simply ridiculous! Even I am guilty of this very thing I tell people to "get over".  So here it is, I'll lay it on the line...I'm guilty of carrying around things such as dishes (our wedding china) that I never liked and rarely ever used. Every time I pulled them out and thought about sticking them on e-bay or Craigslist I felt this crushing guilt wash over me. Part of me was saying "Sandie, this was a wedding gift" and the realistic side of my brain would retort "Yeah and you never liked it, it wasn't what you registered for and you don't ever use it. It's taking up space just get rid of it". It was like Good Angel versus Bad Angel on my shoulders. Can you guess which side was the Good Angel? It wasn't until recently that I realized that it was the side telling me to purge and the Bad Angel made me feel guilty. For the longest time though, I thought that it was the other way around. 

Now I've got this new felt freedom surging through my veins and I'm going through things in the basement looking for MORE things to purge! It doesn't matter how much something cost 20 years ago or the fact that something came from your great grandmother or your best friend- if you never use it then it's simply taking up valuable space!  Over time peoples tastes change, it's a natural occurrence and nothing to be ashamed of. We do it with clothing, shoes and handbags and even furniture so why not our dishes and artwork? The counted cross stitch pictures of the nursery and birth announcements of my children will stay stored in the basement for future generations. But the rest, well I've already got a good selection of framed prints and even some paintings that are going to be list for sale on the internet. Now if you happen to know of anyone looking for a service for 8 of Noritake Greenbreir, complete with a large platter, serving bowl along with a creamer, sugar bowl and a teapot let me know!