Throwback Thursday: I'm An Artist

This Throwback Thursday post is one of my favorite inspirational blog posts I have ever written. It is not a very practical post, as most of my blog posts are. But I as I reread it I found it to be quite motivational, even though I was the one to write it! I hope it inspires you to explore your own creativity and rethink what it means to be "gifted" in any area of your life.

Enjoy!

"I'm An Artist" January 7, 2013

I started painting on canvas fourteen years ago at the age of ten. I was drawing and playing with Crayola watercolors long before that. Some of my first memories are of me sitting at the kitchen table scribbling away in coloring books with my mom. My dad worked his way through college and seminary as an illustrator for Sunday school curriculum. He is a talented artist in his own right and he taught me the principles of perspective and shading before I could even write my own name. I began private painting lessons when I was ten and continued to learn artistic skills on my own and in school. I even minored in art for the short period of time I was in college.

So it is safe to say that I have been artistic my whole life. I really can't say that I am a naturally brilliant artist. But I have always loved creating things and creativity was always highly encouraged in my family. My skills did not evolve over night. I have had so many people look at my work and say, "Wow, I could never do that. You are so talented!" I have to admit that that is one of the most frustrating things for me to hear as an artist. People may think they are giving me a compliment by saying such things, but really such a comment denies the amount of hard work and years of practice that went into the skills that I now have. I was not born with the ability to draw and paint. Just like I was not born with the ability to knit and sew. I was not born with the ability to ride horses or train dogs. I was not born with the ability to cook or even the ability to keep my house clean!

So many people view creative ability as this elusive lottery that some people win at birth while the rest of the world misses out. That is just not true! Yes, it is true that some people might have natural advantages over others for a particular creative skill, such as a keen sense of observation, great fine motor skills, a natural sense of rhythm, etc. But everyone is born with an imagination. Everyone is born with a creative nature. That creative nature may be expressed in different ways, such as music or dancing or interior design. But it is all based in that same raw creative potential.

Something everyone must keep in mind is that creativity is like a muscle. If it is not used and exercised it will atrophy and grow weak until it is apparently useless. Even an artist with the greatest natural talent will become rusty and regress in their skills if they do not exercise them. I am a testament to that!  There was a period of time from 2007 to 2011 where I did not touch a paintbrush and where I could count the number of complete sketches I did on one hand. Why did this happen? I got busy with life. I started a career as a horse trainer and found that I had no time for creativity. I thought I needed to focus all my time on my "real" job. At first this was by choice, but then after a while I couldn't draw anything even if I tried. Did I suddenly forget all the years of artistic training that I had? I may have forgot some techniques, but if that was truly the problem then it would have been easily remedied by reading a book or two. No, I had neglected my creative "muscles" and had chosen to believe a lie that my creativity wasn't worth expressing to the world. Once I started believing that lie I found it quite impossible to create anything at all.

Thankfully, such a state of atrophy can be remedied. In the fall of 2011 I went through a process of rediscovering my own creativity. I realized that I had greatly neglected my creative nature, an essential part of who I am. And I also recognized the lie that I was believing about my creativity. The interesting things about lies is that once you KNOW they are lies they actually can't deceive you anymore, unless you choose to let them. So I began to tell myself that my creativity was worth expressing and that what I create has value. The amazing thing is that as soon as I did this my artist blocks shattered! I was able to be creative again and right away I was producing drawings and paintings and even dabbled in techniques I had never tried before. There was a bit of an adjustment process where I had to re-acclimate myself to the many techniques I once knew (I am actually still in this process some). But there was a huge difference in how I viewed my own work and how I approached painting and drawing. When I realized that my creativity had value in of itself, apart from the finished product that came from it, my perfectionism began to melt away. Perfectionism had kept me from expressing creative freedom. Attention to detail is a gift, but perfectionism is a lie that says if you mess up and don't get things just right then whatever you create will be garbage. But that's a lie!

Before my four year artist block I was never really able to call myself an artist. I felt that in order to call myself an artist I needed to reach some standard of perfection. I was always striving towards that standard but could never quite reach it. But now because I value myself I openly call myself an artist and am experiencing creative freedom that I've never experienced before. Is my artwork like De Vinci or Van Gough? No, but it doesn't have to be. I am just as creative as De Vinci or Van Gough or Mozart  or J R R Tolkien or any other artistic person in the world because I was born with a creative nature. How I choose to exercise that nature is completely up to me.

Now, you may be thinking, "But I have NEVER used my creative muscles. Isn't it too late for me?" Not at all. You have probably been exercising the muscle in other ways and just didn't realize it. All arenas of life require creativity, and all arenas of life can be made better by increased creativity. Choose your arena and just start exercising. You were born to be creative. So just start creating. You are already amazing.

Miranda Joy

Throwback Thursday: Sentimental Value

This Throwback Thursday post comes from my retired blog, The Joy Panda. It was originally posted January 4, 2013. In light of my recent posts on Tiny Joys about simplifying and minimizing, I find this particular post to be quite interesting. I have had a problem in the past with parting with items I consider to be sentimental. This has led to me becoming a bit of a pack rat. I began a post a few months back about how to part with sentimental items, but I never finished the post. Two of the qualifications I set for keeping a sentimental item were, number one, Can and will you fix it? And number two, Will you use it? In this throwback post I talk about finding and fixing my childhood sewing box, which I am glad to say I am still using today.

I hope you enjoy this sweet sentimental piece. Maybe it will inspire you to explore your basement and attic in search for long lost treasures.

Enjoy.


"Sentimental Value" January 4, 2013

While I was at home for Christmas I was poking around in the basement and I came across my childhood sewing box. When I was five years old my parents got me and my older sister sewing boxes for Christmas. Mine was blue and my sister's was pink, they were just like the sewing box my mom had purchased for herself. They were filled with basic sewing supplies and a cross-stitch kit to make bibs for our baby sister, who was on the way. I am not sure if I ever finished that bib, but that was the start of it all for me. I have kept that box all these years and it has a lot of sentimental value to me.

So you can understand my distress when I found it in the basement with the lining falling apart inside. I brought it upstairs and sat at the kitchen table to go through the box's contents. My mom walked by at that moment. With a sigh she commented, "Oh, that old box probably isn't worth keeping at this point." "Probably not," I sadly agreed. But I still hated the thought of throwing it out. I had always imagined giving it to my own daughter one day. As I played around with the sagging satin lining, my mom watched over my shoulder. There was really no way to mend it by sewing. I could tell that the lining of this box had originally been glued in place. Then my mom made a suggestion, just as the same idea came to my mind.   "Maybe you could fix it with the glue gun?" My mom is so smart. I just so happened to find my old glue gun the night before. Happy day! I fired it up, squeezed, squeezed, squeezed and managed to reattach the satin lining while only burning myself once. I was very pleased to see my box almost as good as new. This box is not heirloom quality, to say the least, but its sentimental value makes it irreplaceable  Even though I could have easily thrown it out and bought a better made one, to me it was worth it to take the time to fix it.

As fun as rediscovering my old sewing box was, something just as fun was what I found inside it. It was like stepping back in time. I found little bits of embroidery thread and fabric from past projects and a vast array of buttons and beads which I used to diligently collect, but never use. I found a simple doll pattern that had gone unfinished, a piece of fabric that looked like the makings of a primitive Barbie dress, and a small drawstring bag that was only a few inches of stitching away from completion. The most interesting thing to me was the draw string bag. I just barely remember starting that project, though I don't remember exactly why I wanted to make it. I was an adventurous young girl that loved the thought of finding and hiding treasure. I had seen so many movies with precious little bags of gold, I am sure I wanted to make one to keep my own coins in. I can only guess I was about ten when I started it. It was made from jersey material that I had probably salvaged from an old sweatshirt. I can imagine it took me a few days to piece together a bag that would only take me 30 minutes today. It was so close to being finished, I couldn't just leave it that way. So using bits of thread I found in the bottom of my sewing box, and a few pieces of yarn I found in my old bedroom closest  I finished the drawstring bag that was 14 years in the making. What treasure did I decide to put inside it? My collection of random buttons. I think my ten year old self would be pleased.

So, what sentimental items do you have hidden away in your house? Is there a way you can pull them out, re-purpose them and bring them back into your everyday life? I would love to hear your ideas.

Miranda Joy

Throwback Thursday: Braided Calzones

Although Tiny Joys is a relatively new blog, I have been blogging on and off since 2007. I have had many different blogs that I have started up but have not been faithful to. It seems like every new season of my life I start a new blog that reflects my current focus. I abandon one blog in the name of starting fresh. Sometimes change is necessary, but this has left behind a grave yard of great blog posts that will probably never again see the light of day, let alone develop and internet following. 

So, I have decided to begin a new series of posts that will bring new life to these old posts. Throwback Thursday has become a popular trend, where people post photos or status updates from years gone by. I have decided to do the same thing with old posts of mine from blogs I have retired. I hope you enjoy reading some of my oldies but goodies.

My first Throwback Thursday post is from a blog I started in 2012 called The Joy Panda. This post, titled "Braided Calzones" was first published December 29, 2012. It was my first fully photographed post and I was very proud of it at the time. I look forward to cooking these calzones for my family again soon. I hope you will also give them a try. 

Enjoy!

I am a huge fan of Pinterest. If it were not for the fact that I have limited access to the internet at my apartment  then I could easily spend all my free time pinning and repinning. I especially love browsing through recipes and pinning yummy ideas away for a later day. A few months ago I found a recipe for braided calzones. The recipe used pre-made refrigerated dough, which made it super quick and easy to make. I pinned it away for later, but this week when I went to go revisit it I was disappointed to find that the page had been taken down. I wanted to make it for my family while visiting with them over Christmas break. Feeding a family of seven (plus the brother in law and nephew) can be a challenge for us at times, so we are always looking for yummy meals that are easy to make for a large family. And as Italian food lovers, calzones were sure to be a big hit with my whole family. So I decided to try my hand at making braided calzones myself. It was a raving success!

Ingredients:

• Refrigerated pizza dough

• Your favorite jarred pizza sauce 

• Favorite pizza toppings (we used pepperoni, hamburger and green olives but you can use anything you like)

• Mozzarella chesse

• 1 tbls melted butter

• Garlic salt/garlic powder to taste

• Parmesan cheese to taste

Tools:

• Pastry board

• Rolling pin (or your hands)

• Pizza cutter (you can use a knife, but it tends to stick to the dough too much)

• Baking sheet covered in foil, lightly greased (I forgot to grease it... don't do that. Will make the dough stick )

• A preheated oven (follow the preheating specifications on the packaging of your refrigerated pizza dough. Mine said 375 F.)

• A pastry brush (I couldn't find mine, so I just used a spoon to spread the melted butter)

Instructions: 

• Flour your pastry board and your hands. The dough I bought was quite sticky.

• Place the ball of dough on the pastry board and roll it out flat with the rolling pin. Your goal is to make it into a rough rectangular shape. I found that it was easiest to accomplish this by picking up the dough and stretching it into the desired shape and then placing it back on the board to smooth it back out. Be careful not to work the dough too thin. I made this mistake with my first calzone. It still turned out fine, but it stretched and tore a bit too easily for my liking. I think it's better to have it too thick than too thin.

• Transfer the dough to the baking sheet.

• Spoon the pizza sauce down the center of the dough, leaving about 1 inch without sauce on each end and three or four inches without sauce on both sides.

• Add whatever pizza toppings you want on top of the line of sauce. My family has varied tastes. We made three calzones to be split between six people. One with pepperoni and green olives, one with hamburger, and one with hamburger and pepperoni (we added olives to half of that one). The possibilities are endless. Next time, I want to try adding ricotta cheese and spinach.

• Cover your toppings with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese. In my family, the cheesier the better (come on, it's not like we eat calzones EVERY day).

• Now for the fun part: braiding!

• Using a pizza cutter, cut slits into the sides of the dough from the outside edge to about 1/4 inch from the sauce. Space the slits about one inch apart. Do not make these tabs of dough too thin. I made this mistake on the first calzone I made and it made the tabs hard to work with and easy to tear.

• Starting at one end, take one of the tabs and lay it across the filling at a diagonal. Take the tab opposite of it and cross it over the first tab, at an angle. 

• Continue in this manner, alternating side to side, until you reach the middle of the calzone. You want to be sure to cover up as much of the filling as you can as you cross the tabs over each other. Try not to leave many gaps. 

• Switch to the opposite end of the calzone and cross the tabs over each other in the same manner.

• When done it should look kind of like a loaf of french bread.

• If the ends of the calzone are still open, pinch them shut so that the sauce does not run out when baking.

• Brush the top of the calzone with melted butter.

• Sprinkle garlic salt or garlic powder on top to taste (this made such an impact! I don't remember this step being in the original recipe I found, but I think it is what really makes the calzone).

• Put the calzone in the oven to bake. We baked three at a time, which took about 25 minutes, if you are only cooking one then it should take less time. The top of the calzone should be lightly browned. If in doubt, following the recommendations on the packaging of your refrigerated pizza dough. 

• About 5 minutes before the calzone is done baking, sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and return it to the oven. 

• Once the calzones are golden brown on top, remove them from the oven. Let them cool just a few minutes. Cut them in half and serve. For our family, half a calzone was more than enough for one person. 

 

These calzones are beyond delicious and super easy. They were an instant hit with my family. My dad even ventured to say they were the best calzones he had ever had. Well, I'm not sure about that, but I gladly receive my family's compliments. Give these braided calzones a try and let me know how they go for you.

Miranda Joy

What to do in Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado

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Where to Stay in Kremmling, Colorado: The Hotel Eastin

I have always been enchanted by old buildings, especially ones that are still being used and have maintained their original charm. I like to be able to see the history of a place when I walk into it. I love that feeling of mystery that surround such places. If only walls could talk, I would love to hear the stories they would tell. The Hotel Eastin in Kremmling, Colorado is just such a place.

A couple of weekends ago, one of my dearest friends came to visit me on her way traveling across country. Staying at the ranch with me was not an option, so we decided to rent a hotel room to optimize on our time together. I did not have high expectations for our room. I simply wanted a place for us to rest our heads so that we could then spend all Sunday exploring Arapaho National Forest together. By word of mouth I heard that the Hotel Eastin in Kremmling was inexpensive and clean, which is all I wanted. But as soon as I walked in the front door, I knew we were getting more than we expected.

We were greeted by the sound of music, as Walt sang and strummed his guitar. Other guests were seated around him in the small, but cozy lobby. My friend and I were caused to pause and soak in western melody. We were then greeted by Maryann’s smiling face, as she welcomed us to her hotel. In hushed tones, as to not disturb the the blissful music, Maryann checked us into our room and explain to us all the Eastin had to offer us during our stay. She informed us that coffee, tea, iced tea and homemade cookies were always available in the kitchenette; and that there was also fresh popcorn in the antique style popcorn machine in the corner of the lobby. She also told us about the hut tub that was open 24 hours in the garden out back. She briefly told us the history of the Eastin, how it started out as a Sarsaparilla factory that had boarding rooms on the upper floors. She then handed us our keys and invited as to explore any room with an open door to see all the renovations they had done to the place. Maryann immediately made us feel like old friends, not simply customers. Throughout our short stay at the Eastin, my friend and I shared many great conversations with Maryann.

Walt and Maryann Van Lue were originally from Indiana, but for years they managed a hotel in Estes Park, CO. For over 40 years they dreamed of owning their own hotel. Two years ago they purchased the Hotel Eastin and have been working hard to turn it into the hotel they always dreamed of. Their goal is for every room to be themed, and they are well on their way to making that happen. “I’m no spring chicken,” Maryann said to us, “We are doing this for our children and grandchildren. We want to leave something of character for them.” I found this cause to be noble and inspiring. Just by looking around the lobby, I could tell how important family is to the Van Lues. Old photographs of parents and grandparents were tastefully displayed, along with other family heirlooms, such as Maryann’s mother’s wedding dress. The dress had been shoved in a bottom drawer for years, and her mother tried to throw it away after the death of her husband. But Maryann rescued it from the garbage and now it is proudly displayed in the lobby. Stories like these are what make a place memorable, and the Eastin is full of stories. 

I have no complaints about our room. It was small and simple, but clean and charming. Ours was not one of the themed rooms, but it still had western charm. There was a large screen TV mounted on the wall, though we never switched it on. I was charmed by the old feeling of the place, and the simplicity it brought with it, but I was never left wanting for anything and the place was so clean and organized. 

That first morning, we went downstairs to get coffee and saw Maryann again. She gave us a voucher for 10% off at the Moose Lounge Restaurant down the street, which we took advantage of and had an excellent omelet breakfast. The sign outside promised it was “Clean and Friendly” and that is exactly how we found it to be.

 

After breakfast, was also stopped at my now favorite local coffee shop, Big Shooters, to get us each a blended ice coffee for the road. My favorite drink is the Growler, an iced mocha with both dark and white chocolate and an extra shot of expresso. 

We then set off to explore Arapaho National Forest. We traveled along the Ute Pass Highway, which was beautiful.

After a long day of getting lost and loving every minute of it, it felt so good to return to the Hotel Eastin and feel welcomed back like it was home. 

Our stay at the Eastin was so short, but it left a big impression on me and I do hope to return.

If you find yourself traveling across highway 40, through Grand County Colorado, and you need a place to stay, do not overlook the Hotel Eastin in Kremmling. You will not be disappointed in this charming establishment, and you might just make a couple new old friends.

http://www.hoteleastincolorado.com

Process of Piles

I wish you could see my apartment right now... actually I'm quite glad you can't see it. But if you could you would understand my organization style a little and see it is far from neat. I like to call it "Ordered Mess".  When stuff doesn't have a place it belongs, or if I am in the process of organizing, it all end up in little piles all around my house. Now I am the first to admit that a pile can become a very dangerous thing if it is allowed to grow and take up a permanent location in your house. It can become a breeding ground for disorder and a source of stress and negativity. But there can be meaning to the madness and making piles can be a valuable form of organization. I want to share with you my Process of Piles, which I am implementing heavily in this time of simplification and reduction.

This past week I have been sorting through all my clothes and getting rid of items that no longer fit or that I no longer wear. This can be a very daunting and time consuming task. I have two large drawers under my bed where I keep most of my clothes. It had become a disordered mess in there, everything had become unfolded and little used items had been pushed to the bottom or way to the back. I had been putting off organizing my drawers for awhile. It felt good to finally tackle them and because of my Process of Piles I didn't have to do everything at once.   

1. Create a work space that will get in your way. 

Yes, you read that right. When I begin an organization project, I want to work in a place where the stuff will be in my way later if I choose to leave it there. I prefer to use my bed. That way I MUST deal with the stuff before the end of the day. Other good places would be the kitchen table, or the middle of the living room floor. The temptation is going to be to set up your work space in that unused corner of your bedroom or living room. But in my experience that is the WORST place to work, because it is too easy to allow your piles of stuff to sit and not get taken care of. That unused spot can suddenly become that stuff's permanent home. As I type, there are several stacks of books staring me down from the corner of my living room. I began the organization process but never finished... at least they are not in my way, right? Wrong. Make the things you must sort through in your way. 

2. Prepare to Pile

In this process there are going to be piles and sub-piles. This can be as orderly or as chaotic as you want but remember this one thing: every pile must have a purpose. We will get into this more in a bit. To begin, prepare spots for four basic piles. Throw Away, Give Away, Not Sure, and Keep. For Throw Away I don't bother with a pile, I just grab a trash bag for that. I have a canvas bin I use for Give Away so that's not really a pile either, but it is still important for me to keep it orderly. One rule I have is that once something goes into the Throw Away or Give Away pile I am NOT allowed to remove it. Sorry, count it as incinerated. The Not Sure pile is for any item that will take a little longer for you to decided if you want to keep it or not. If at any time during the sorting process you find yourself lingering on one item for more than a few seconds, "Should I keep this or not?" just put it in the Not Sure pile and come back to it later. I usually put my Not Sure pile right in the middle of my floor so that I still have to deal with it before the day is up. Your Keep pile will consist of anything that you still like, but by the end of the day you may not actually be keeping everything in your Keep pile. This pile is actually going to be many sub-piles, more on that in a bit. 

3. Unfold and refold everything. 

Obviously, this step only applies to clothes. In the example of my drawers I completely emptied them. Most things were unfolded already, but the things that were by some miracle still folded I unfolded. Why? So that I could get a good look at each item. Trust your gut in this moment. If you know you are never going to wear that item again put it straight in the Give Away or Throw Away pile. If it is an item you would like to try on first then put it in the Not Sure pile. The other day when I did this I was home alone. So I just closed the blinds and tried on the clothes as I organized. There is no shame folding clothes in your underwear. But if you would rather try on clothes later, that is what the Not Sure pile is for. The things that are going into your Keep pile, fold neatly.

4. Create piles with purpose.

This is where Ordered Mess becomes a beautiful thing. Begin to sort everything in your Keep pile into sub-piles (with clothes, I begin this process as I am folding them). Every pile must have a purpose. Give it a name. I talk to myself as I am doing this, talk about the items you are sorting, why you like them and how you use them, this will actually help you categorize them. Don't just sort shirts, pants, and underwear, get even more specific than that. For example, yesterday I was sorting through all my T-shirts. I have over 15 T-shirts. Instead of just making a T-shirt pile I made sub-piles of "comfy", "work day", "cute" and "sentimental." Why bother doing this? Because even though all those shirts are in the same category of "T-shirt" I use them all for very different purposes. The ones that I consider to be cute I will never wear during a work day where they might get dirty or torn. I'll never wear a strictly comfy T-shirt in public if I don't think it's cute (unless I REALLY don't care that day, but I have days like that maybe once or twice a year), and I will hardly ever wear a work day shirt when I want to be comfy because it just feels like mixing work with rest (I know, it's a mental thing). And with my sentimental pile I usually don't actually like those T-shirts except for the memories they bring back to me, so I just need to decided if the nostalgia factor is worth keeping them. When you sort things out in this way you are able to ask yourself, "How many comfy t-shirts do I really need?" "How many of these cute T-shirts will I actually wear?", Etc. This will help you reduce your items down to what is really necessary. In my case I've reduced my T-shirts from 15 to 10. Not a huge reduction, but it is a start. Other sub-pile examples would be favorites vs. rarely-worn, books according to authors or genres, casual vs. dressy, etc.

5. Take an honest look.

Once you are satisfied with your piles it is time to take an honest look at what you have. How many of these things do you REALLY need? How many of these things do you REALLY use? How many of these things do you REALLY like? Figure out how many you need, pick out your favorites, and then get rid of the rest. Ask yourself honest questions (again, talk to yourself as you work). "Do I REALLY need 25 pairs of underwear? I wear about 10 of those consistently, can I ditch the rest?" "These two shirts are very similar, can I do away with one of them?" "I really enjoyed this book, but will I ever read it again?" "I love my grandmother and she gave me this tea pot, but will I ever actually display it?" You'll be surprised how much you can reduce your stuff just by being brutally honest. 

6. Put away the piles 

This is one reason I actually love piles. If they are kept small they are actually really easy to move and put away. After I cleared out my drawers and sorted everything into piles I did not have time to really ask honest questions about each pile. But I was able to put each pile back in the draws and every day since then I have pulled out one pile and sorted through it. I've turned my drawers into an active workstation. In another day or two the project will be complete. Another option would be to get large plastic or canvas bins to put your piles in. BUT make sure this does not become an "out of sight out of mind" matter. Put the bin somewhere prominent, in the middle of the room even, so that you will be reminded that the job is not done. 

This Process of Piles is not beautiful while you are doing it, but sometimes you need to make a little mess in order to reduce your mess. Working in this way will help you be aware of the purpose of every item you have. If something doesn't have a purpose, it shouldn't have a place in your house. Get rid of it. Embrace the Ordered Mess, it can be a beautiful thing. 

Bonus Tip: Use the Process of Piles to quickly help organize any mess in your house, even if you do not have a lot of time to commit to a full blown project. Is stuff starting to accumulate on your table or counter space? Is your living room getting cluttered with objects casually placed down? Put things into purposeful piles and they will be so much easier to take care of later. 

This way of organizing may not be for everyone, but I wanted to share how my brain works. Maybe this will help bring some Method to your Madness.

Miranda Joy        

3 Bag Challenge

Right now I am in a hyper-reduction mode. I am preparing to move out of my apartment at the end of April and for a couple weeks I will be staying with my parents until I go off to Colorado for the summer. I will be working as a horse wrangler at a guest ranch, living in shared accommodations. After this summer I am not sure yet what I will be doing exactly, but there is a good chance that I may get to go off to Northern Ireland for a few months. So, it looks like I may be living out of suitcases for the next six months to a year. This is the perfect motivation for me to simplify my possessions.

If you are looking to undergo a big transition in your life- such as moving off to college, transferring to a new town, or traveling the world- I invite you to join me on the 3 Bag Challenge. 

Can you reduce your possessions down to three bags? Why three bags? Because that is the number of bags I am able to comfortably travel with by myself. I am choosing to limit myself to one large suitcase that will have to be checked on a plane, one small suitcase that will fit in an overhead compartment and one carry on bag that will fit under the chair in front of me when I fly. I will let you interpret this challenge however you wish. 

Seems a little radical, I know. To be fair, I should probably call this the 3 Bag 2 Bin challenge. I have two large plastic bins to store away anything I won't need this next year. Items such as my sewing machine, dishes and cutlery, books, and sentimental items I'm not willing to part with. Thankfully, my parents are willing to store some of my stuff while I am abroad. They would be willing to store more, but I want to try to reduce all of my stuff down to what could easily be shipped or transported in one car. That means I will be selling all my furniture and will be getting rid of any item that could be easily replaced later on. 

Reducing my possessions down in this way forces me to keep only the things that are useful and meaningful to me. How much STUFF do I have that I don't even use or think about? And by limiting my stuff to three bags, all the items I need will be close at hand and could be moved at a moments notice. This may not be important or even appealing to someone who is already settled down with a career and family. But for someone like me who has the itch to travel, simplifying my life in this way feels like a dream. 

I will be posting updates as I wrestle this challenge. Follow me on Instagram @themirandajoy and if you decide to take on the challenge, please hashtag #3bagchallenge

Miranda Joy

The American Dream

I am a fairly patriotic person. I love living in America and I believe in the American Dream: For every man and woman to own their own home, live in a safe and harmonious community, support a family, live in good health, take vacations and have a dog. But I do not like what the American Dream has become. Since when did living in freedom and happiness become about how big your house is and how much stuff you own? Along with that naturally comes large amounts of debt, which in essence is bondage, not freedom. It's more like the American Nightmare. 

I do want to own my own house, I do want to have a family, I want to live in good health, I want to be able to take amazing vacations and I will always have a dog (and birds). But I want to do it without the debt and without the stress that seems so common these days. 

My solution? My house is not going to look like this:

It will be more like this:

And eventually, when my family grows, like this:

(Last two images courtesy of www.tumbleweedhouses.com)

Living in a Tiny Home will essentially force me to keep my life simple, but will also allow me to focus my time and resources on what I really care about. 

One can build a nice tiny home for about the same cost of a down payment on a typical American home. This will do away with the 30 year mortgage that most Americans are enslaved to. Also, the cost of utilities is significantly less. Utilities will depend on what climate one lives in and how one intends to heat and power the home. One man I saw interviewed on relaxshacks.com said his electricity bill was in the single digits for the whole YEAR! And when your space is that small, going off the grid with solar, wood burning or gas is extremely simple. All that money saved can go into enriching one's life with what they really care about and investing in their family and community. 

Tiny homes are not for everyone. If your idea of a happy life is not complete without a large 4 bedroom home with vaulted ceilings, that is perfectly ok. Investing your time and money into your large home may be worth it to you. But for me, my idea of a happy life has far less to do with the size of my house and much more to do with the freedom to go on adventures and create lasting memories with my friends and family. I want a safe and comfortable home where my future family can thrive, but I can do that in less space. 

Of course, I don't live in a tiny home yet. I am still in my second floor 2 bedroom, 870 square apartment with too much stuff, too much wasted space and too little order. I'm paying $800 a month plus utilities, which I know is great for some areas of the country, but it's just not working for me. 

This summer I will be working at a dude ranch in Colorado. I will be sharing a room and will basically be living out of a suitcase. So, as it is I need to simplify my things for this temporary arrangement. Then, in the fall I hope to move into a much smaller studio apartment. It still won't be the same as having my own tiny home, but it will be an exciting step in the right direction. 

This will be an interesting learning experience for me. I am not a naturally organized person, though I do crave order. I am a sappy sentimentalist, and I hate waste as if it were sin. These too things have contributed to me being a bit of a pack rat. Thankfully I've not ever reached hoarder status. The next couple months I will be ruthlessly reducing my stuff, downsizing my furniture and preparing to move into a tiny lifestyle. I appreciate any knowledge you wish to share. Maybe we can all learn something together. 

I really do want to see every American own a home if they want to. I believe that if people can simply change their mindset of what a prosperous life looks like and more people embrace a tiny lifestyle, the American Dream will stop being a nightmare wrapped in wishful thinking and return to being a happy reality. 

Miranda Joy 

Tiny Joys. Rich Life. Simple Living.

"What will I do with what I've been given?" I believe this is one of the greatest questions any person can ask themselves. Time, money, resources, friends, family, health, intellect. These are all gifts -or if you'd rather, responsibilities- that are bestowed upon us. When my time on planet Earth comes to a close I want to be able to say that I have stewarded everything I have had well and that I have created something of value to pass onto the next generation.

I am still a young woman. I have only been alive a short twenty-five years, my life has barely begun. I realize that this sort of thinking is more characteristic of people twice my age, those in their mid-life or later. People often look back at what they have or have not accomplished and wonder frantically what things of value they can still create in the years they have remaining. Call it, the mid life crisis. During such a "crisis" people often make drastic changes in order to remedy what they may consider to have been wasted years. 

I am completely uninterested in undergoing such a crisis. Out of a desire to prevent such stress and drama, I am wanting to significantly simplify my life. I want to minimalize my possessions, downsize my living space and maximize the simple pleasures that make my life such a joy. 

This blog is going to be about that: filling my life with less stuff and more joys. You can expect posts about orginization, minimizing, and downsizing. But also expect posts about maximizing on this amazing adventure called life. I am an equestrian by profession, so beautiful animals and the great outdoors are bound to find their way into this blog. And you can also be sure to see a lot of the little beings that I share my life with. Those that I love are what make my life rich. I am also an artist and a crafter. Although I do not intend to make this blog about my art, it will be present. And of course, there will be samplings of recipes. After all, isn't great food half of what enjoying life is all about?

Thank you for joining me on this adventure. 

Miranda Joy