simplicity Tag

January 29, 2019 In Uncategorized

downsize-o-rama

For anyone who thinks working for yourself would be awesome, you’re right. If you think after you start, you’ll also:

Get rich

Have easy as pie days

Always wear pretty things

Feel glamorous

Sleep 8+ hours a night

Actually be done when you walk out the door

…you’re crazy.

I’m on a 10 day straight run of work like mad, time crunch, let’s get this house on the market now, I’ll sleep later, run. Just 2 more days before break time.

Have it any other way? No, thanks. As my friend Aaron says, I’d rather work 80 for myself any week, before I work 40 for someone else.

AMEN! (And also, we spent the holidays in the Caribbean, so being the boss means you get to choose when to burn the candle at both ends at work, then relax while you light one on the table next to you at the beach as you sip on a corona:)

We finished up a 5,000 square foot purge, organize, and stage to sell in Charlotte, NC last week, then Team BLR directly road tripped up to VA for a much smaller 1,700 square foot home project, filled with lots more than the bigger one had. (Yes! We LOVE to travel to clients. From Texas to Tokyo…we can do it! Call us. We will come to YOU anywhere.) Let the open all drawers and closets, and SEE everything, begin! You’ve got to make a mess, before you make it better. (That’s with everything in life, right?)

(In case you missed above, yes, this is the glamorous uniform I sport in my “office” each day.)

Whoa. Lots of stuff! Intimidated? Never. We aren’t done with this current project yet, but here’s a good idea of a before and after:

This is only just taking off/out/away the piles, and coverings, and repurposing furniture around the house. We snapped this quick photo before we ran out the door tonight, and might change things around another 10 times, but oh the freedom of light, space, and what’s already there to stage if you don’t have the money/time/need to stage with furniture brought in!

Yay.

The best feeling is that we know this client we are working with on this downsize, will soon move closer to her grown kids, grand kids, have less to maintain/less work to keep up with around her next smaller space, and she’ll be able to relax and have more time to do what she loves.

Less stuff. More freedom. Happy life.

YAHTZEE!

Are you ready to get unstuck?

Ok, better hop in the shower and put on something other than my BLR sweatshirt and old jeans so I can get out for date night dinner, all fresh and clean, with my partner in crime. I’m not sure he’s seen me in anything but that uniform in quite some time…

#LiveSimpleDoMore #LoveYourWork #TodayIsTheDay

January 18, 2019 In Uncategorized

less stuff. more freedom. happy 2019

I had a BlackBerry Pearl when everyone else had an iPhone, until I moved Charlotte because I loved it. (Nerd!) I don’t look nearly as cool as the other girls and guys in their all matching ultra planned out fresh new get ups at the gym because I still wear old soccer, and other favorite shirts I love that I’ve hacked up with scissors:

…and I drive a car that’s 15 years old and has 260k on it, because I love, love, love it. I’ve never thought of myself as way ahead of the curve or super trendy, but turns out I am! I’ve only and always ever kept/owned things that I love and make me happy.

This Marie Kondo life-changing trend of joy and magic sweeping the universe since her book a few years back and the tidal wave obsession her advice has created over the last couple weeks since her show Tidying Up starting airing on Netflix has me saying, REALLY!?! like Seth & Amy. When was it EVER a good decision to keep/have any things (or people) in our lives that don’t bring us joy? I thought everyone got that memo long ago.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to think this make sure joy sparks when you see/touch/feel everything you own mayhem happening will have me seeing less eye rolls from clients when I remind them you only have only 4 burners on your stove so how many frying pans can you really use?! and more high-fives & fist pumps as we purge, baby, purge the excess crap that’s burying them, en route to their freedom. But! For a gal like me who’s been living on her bright blue lollipop soapbox proudly labeled LESS STUFF, MORE FREEDOM, HAPPY LIFE…for years, I’m starting to wonder if I need to morph myself into an adorable tiny zen Japanese woman to get people to truly tune in.

Seriously though, if this cute little doll faced woman is what it takes for the world to start thinking about how they actually feel each day, and what they really want out of life, then address those most important to-do’s…I shall bow to the queen of “tidying.” Keep it up, sister!

While Marie jet sets the globe sparking joy in homes rolling t-shirts and filing papers, I’m going to keep lighting fires under asses of people that are ready to start fresh by setting their whole “place” up in controlled burn style flames.

GO TEAM DIANE MARIE! (Marie is actually my middle name:)

It’s a new year, and high time to sort out, kick out, or throw out any and all that makes you feel stuck, suffocated, or like crap. If you need someone to light your ass on fire, call me! (Seriously…call me at 804.339.6514, email Diane(@)bluelollipoproad.com, or send a message on my contact page.) I will Marie Kondo (ahem, Diane Peacock), the flip out of your life.

No more waiting.

We chose to spend the holidays in the Caribbean, because we’ve committed to wasting as little time, space, and money as possible, so we can do things like this.

How are you going to find more freedom in 2019?

#LessStuffMoreFreedomHappyLife #LiveSimpleDoMore #BLRLifestyle

*I was asked to host another downsizing seminar here February 9th, so if you’ll be in the in the Charlotte, NC area, please join us! More info. to come soon!

February 15, 2017 In Freedom, Photos

live simple do more

Nerd alert! This text just came in from a client, unsolicited, and it made me jump and dance around my living room:

THIS is what Blue Lollipop Road is all about…

FREEDOM!

I didn’t ask this client how she felt tonight, I didn’t tell her that she and her boyfriend should watch the Minimalism documentary (even though I dig the film and Minimalist podcast), I didn’t mention anything about the size of house they should buy (they’re currently house shopping), but she sent the above note anyway, and after only a half day of working together.

Thank you’s from my clients like this never get old. They make my heart so full it wants to burst open. Knowing I actually help people transition from suffocation to feeling like they can breathe in their lives and in their spaces is pretty much a dream come true for me in my work life.

LESS STUFF = MORE FREEDOM = HAPPY LIFE.

Yahoo!

Thank you client B, you made my night and then some. I can’t wait to tackle the next project with you!

#TheLifeUnstuck #TodayIsTheDay #Freedom

December 7, 2016 In Articles, Links, North Carolina

gettin’ hitched

I went to a lot of weddings this year. My sister recently teased me, “Mom and I think you’ve been to more weddings than anyone else we know!”

Probably true. I love weddings. I love, love. I am a love geek.

So yes, I love weddings, and I’m a huge, huge schmoopy (thanks, Goette!) love geek, but I’ve never wanted my own big wedding. Read this piece from today’s Charlotte Agenda about getting married at the courthouse. Yeah! Perfection. Katie & Nick are my kind of peeps with their simple but sweet wedding plan and execution.

In 2015 as invites to weddings kept coming into my mailbox, I was thrilled for 2016 travel; Napa, Tahoe, Aspen, Charlotte…hello awesome celebration spots! Lucky me to have amazing friends living in fabulous places. I had a blast. If you catch me on a good day I might share details about the 6 hours straight I spent on the dance floor after Aspen nuptials wearing my animal print stilettos every second thankyouverymuch. (Thanks, Ronnie!) Lets just say I’m still giggling from that one. Misbehaving is sometimes fun, much deserved, and completely necessary.

Some people like big parties, some like small. I like a dance party. However you like to plan and do your party, do it. I will be there every time. Celebrating love and knowing there is plenty out there is all that matters:

You might see me at a courthouse soon, at a fountain in Madrid, or just on another dance floor. Life certainly does take turns we don’t expect.

Here’s to love in every shape/color/size/place. Cheers my friends!

(Of course It’s a blue martini!)

#OnlyTheBeginning #LessStuffMoreLoveHappyLife #Celebration

*Have you scrolled to the bottom of my web page and signed up to get these blog posts in your email inbox yet? Please do! Feel the love:)

November 25, 2016 In Books to read, Freedom, Links

the absolute reality of black friday…

…and all “shopping,” really:

YOU CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH OF WHAT YOU DON’T NEED.

Funny that I’m finishing this book today, on Black Friday? More like perfect, as these now underlined words keep jumping out at me with the same passionate madness that Tom Cruise had that time he jumped on Oprah’s couch.

Have I mentioned how much I abhor Black Friday? A day like this fuels the giant denial fire that so many of us live in everyday. It fuels the debt fire, the stuff fire, the fire of pushing down and hiding away our real lives…because if we get more, more, more…we will be better.

Wrong.

The less “stuff” we have in, on, and around us, the happier life is. Period. This is not my opinion, it is a fact. I would like to be proven wrong, but I have a feeling I’d be hard pressed to find a guy out there with a few hundred thousand in debt, a house full of crap, and a bunch of personal baggage from growing up he’s never faced, who lives in pure true bliss. It’s just not possible. We as humans weigh ourselves down with such an enormous amount of what we don’t need, we actually break ourselves. Ever thought about that?

I hope during this holiday season you take a look around your space and think about what you can get rid of to make room for an extra hour with your friends. I hope you stop and think before going into Target, about what you really need at Target. I bet you’re not nearly out of that soap, lip liner, or rolls of 86 paper towels you’re about to buy. Think about that extra awesome hour you could have playing in the backyard with your kids, that you were about to spend at Target in line getting pissed off about how long they are, just so you could buy a bunch of things that you don’t even need yet. Target is open tomorrow, dooms day is not coming, and imagine- just imagine, actually finishing off one bottle of something before buying another. Imagine putting that “I can never get out of Target for less than $200!”, $200, towards an extra credit card payment that will help pave your road to debt freedom.

Victory!

Do you remember how great it was “doing nothing” yesterday playing football with your sons, watching the parade with your cousins, sipping wine with friends as you chopped and chopped? Do you remember snuggling up having coffee on the couch listening to granny’s stories about that time she burned the turkey? Do you remember laughing until your stomach hurt between dinner and dessert reminiscing with your sister about those really crappy guys you both used to date? Do you remember what you said when you were all going around the table sharing what you were thankful for? Do you remember really missing that person who was no longer around to sit next to and feast with? Do you remember how yesterday was (even in varying degrees of friend and family chaos and drama), all about simplicity and time together? Did we already forget, less than 24 hours later, about the things that really matter?

What kind of gifts are really important for us to give each other, and everyday, not just during the holiday season? I think the answer is time and truth. I encourage us to stop and think about this before we rev our engines and speed off to the rat race of Black (hole) Friday shopping.

#LessStuffMoreFreedomHappyLife #LiveSimpleDoMore #LiveSimpleLiveMore

*If you like this post please share, and or scroll down to the bottom of my home page and sign up for email notifications. If you don’t like this post that’s Ok, you can still scroll to the bottom of my home page and sign up for email notifications. You’ll like me eventually:) If you need someone to kick you in the ass and get a problem or project started or finished that you just can’t seem to tackle alone, you can hire me! I promise I will save you loads of time and lots of money. Wahoo! Magical…

September 2, 2016 In Articles, Links, North Carolina, People, Travel Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized

tiny me up, scotty!

Thanks to Charlotte Agenda for this little (get it, little?!:) nugget of info. today about tiny houses for rent around my neck of the woods.

When I lived in Wilmington in 2009, I rented a brand spanking newly finished tiny house, (before anyone called them tiny houses) in the back yard of a sweet young couple who had a brick ranch and a cute 2 year old son. My tiny house was actually a converted shed and I only paid $525/month. The hubby, Zack had done all the work himself, complete with chalkboard wall in kitchen, pullout drawer dishwasher, modern rectangular bathroom sink, loft bed, high ceilings, and skylight. It was AWESOME.

I sure wish I still had that place!

This is where minimalists like me have an occasional DOH! moment:

I just looked for a few photos I took of my fab mini space to share with you here, and sure enough found that I have deleted them in one of my 7 million photo purging fiestas over the years. You will just have to envision the scene of my bike parked right outside white-trimmed french doors on the patio leading into my beach happy home that was light blue. I did find this summer of 2009 ocean shot of my feet during that time:

Ahhh…

What can you do to simplify your space so you’re able to live more?

#LessStuffMoreFreedomHappyLife #Simplicity #GetTinyLiveBig

May 11, 2016 In Freedom, Inspiration, Links, Live the life you want to live, Videos

live simple, do more

This video will be just one example in the gazilllion that are coming here on BLR about how living simply and less wasteful is not only good for the environment and your soul, but your pocket, too!

Why do we think things like traveling or using/eating homemade or local products is so unaffordable? Not true! Moving forward, I’ll be sharing a whole bunch on how to live big on a minimal budget. (And how to get yourself unburied from all those bills.) Blue Lollipop Road is all about LESS STUFF. MORE FREEDOM. HAPPY LIFE. It’s not about deprivation, It’s about choices, and being conscious about how, when, and where you spend your hard-earned loot!

Do you want more freedom from personal, physical, and financial “stuff” so you can do more of what you love?

Yes, please!

Awesome. Keep following along here, and sign up to get these blog posts in your inbox. Just scroll to the bottom of the home page and “SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG VIA EMAIL.”

Life is way to short to waste so much of our time, energy, or money…on all that stuff that’s weighing us down.

Ready to make some changes? Yeah! I love working with clients who are sick of feeling buried. Drop me a line:

Diane(@)bluelollipoproad.com

804.339.6514

#StopWastingStartLiving #LessStuffMoreExperiencesHappyLife #LiveBigSpendLess