love your video! obsessed with your mini cooper. At one point i got rid of all my books and moved to reading on my phone but since i got sober I've been collecting them again for some reason. i find them comforting. I'm also inexplicably starting to get into antiques so we'll see where this goes 😬 I'm so glad you're feeling like you can settle into your home. congrats on the new shelves!
Thank you! I couldn't possibly read on my phone on a regular basis. I really don't like reading on my iPad or phone. There's nothing like holding a book in your hands. There's so much art that goes into making a book, the design choices, and fonts, the weight and color of the paper used, deckle-edged or not? French flaps, and the smell of the paper. It's completely visceral and in a way, somewhat sacred to me. And I'm obsessed with my Mini Cooper too. That is a pic of my first one. The new/old one is blue with white roof and side mirrors. It's very sweet. And it's a stick! Had to score one before they all disappear. I can't imaging why anyone would want a little sportscar like this and not want a stick. It's part of the joy of driving! xo
Nan, I concur with your list, except for dark chocolate for me.
I also completely relate to minimalism and the carting around of far too many books for the spaces I often inhabit. But I have a funny relationship with stuff. Maybe I will write about it someday.
Thanks. I only wish the prescriptions didn't need updating! I bought them somewhat gradually from an online retailer and they were reasonably priced, but not all of them were terrific for me vision-wise. Now, I'm down to two pair that work for me. Maybe I'll up my game this year! xo
Loved the essay. Books do have their own category. They are intelligent clutter and comforting. There's a great Spanish word for junk that doesn't really apply to you as a minimalist, but the essay made me think about it. It's cachivache (cachi-bachee) . If you collect a lot of junk you are a cachivachera (cachi-bah-chair-a). It rolls off the tongue like dust blown from a pile of books. :-)
This is the best sentence: "It rolls off the tongue like dust blown from a pile of books." Cachibavachera! I kind of wish I were, so I could call myself that. So good. Love you, Marguerite! Thank you for reading and commenting. xo
Nan, there is so much to love here; a peek inside your life, your past, your minimalist outlook/lifestyle today and especially your love for books; oh, and chocolate too. I can relate to your relationship to books - I'm there! My books are one of the most important tactile things I own and have let go of some over the years only to re-acquire them at a later point. And this – yes! “what I care about the most is my relationship with you. That’s something I can keep forever and the space it takes up resides in my heart. I never run out of room there.” Ditto! xx
My close friend is a milk chocolate lover and I'm a dark chocolate lover. But it doesn't stop me from searching for the best milk chocolate money can buy. I aim to share it with her always...
That's lovely, Tess, and not surprising to me in the least. Because you're that kind of friend. We should all be so lucky to have a Tess in our lives. xo
Nan, I love that you don't love stuff. I don't love stuff that much either, but I sure do seem to have a lot of it. Agree that books are the most seductive. I'm about to give away about 100. Yet there are still books on the floor and double-shelved on the shelves.
I have been in your house and everything was beautiful. I can SEE beauty but can't create it in a home. Such an enviable talent.
After writing this essay, all I can do is look around my house and SEE way too much stuff! I'm suddenly overwhelmed. I keep thinking if my readers saw it they'd call me a liar! But you're the proof I need! I definitely need to do some tidying up, and I definitely want to buy bookshelves. I just have to get past my resistance to having to assemble them! Hey, are there any books I'd like in that 100? Thank you for the compliment on my house. It hasn't changed much since your visit. Maybe the next time you come, the shelves will be up and filled and I'll be building new floor piles! xoxo
Nan, I have books in every room. AND I read them. I vowed as a little girl to read every book in our Brooklyn Library on Eastern Parkway.
When I get into bed I stack lots of pillows behind my head, get comfy and turn the pages that are often stuck together. I check out the page numbers to make sure I don’t miss a sentence. Lately I have been reading Isabel Allende’s fantastical stories about life in South America. Most of all I love reading and listening to your essays.
My Mom collected turtles too. Our whole house was full of little and big turtle figurines. Friends and family gave her turtles from all around the world. Little kids would come to the house and their challenge was to find and count all the turtles. It was a good distraction and entertainment for hours as they were tucked into every nook of the house. When I moved my folks into an assisted living home, we had to give most of them away, except the most special ones (hard to choose!) Then when she passed on, the inevitable paring down even further. I still have one of my favorites on my desk and several others in special spots in the house.
AND we have a pingpong table we are letting go of. Would you like to have it? :)
OH! I love everything about this comment, Mary Anne. I'd love to have the ping pong table, but I'm afraid, that like the other one, it'll overwhelm my house unless it's not regulation-sized. What I need is a BIGGER house! Thank you so much for the offer though! I do miss playing. xo And the turtles! Wow. Are you letting go of any bookshelves?!?
Fountain pens, turtles, and candles snuffers! Loved seeing this post today, Nan. I wish it hadn’t taken me 40 years to realize my minimalist heart. I had to go through some heavy collecting years before I got there, and then it’s hard to get back to even ground. I had to laugh at the ways in which having a house changed things a bit — the ping pong table is a fun moment. I wish for your tidy sensibilities. But the books….yes. I don’t buy books anymore, but I am always surrounded by books. I love that your boxes were organized and alphabetized. Happy Hanukkah (a day early).
Thank you, Amy! Alphabetizing for moving...oh boy. I'm settling in for the next couple of days to read, write, and shop for bookshelves online...no assembly required is preferable! xo Happy Holidays to you, my friend. sending you love. xo
This is lovely, Nan. Curious the choices that you and your brother made. And about those books, I put up some shelves but I must've been delusional that they'd be sufficient. I have books crawling everywhere. And towers of them on my desk leaving just enough room for the laptop. Oy!
Your newsletter is a template for directness. I love that. And eyeglasses. And books. I'm good at the book and eyeglass stuff. The frankness... I'll keep reading and keep working on it. Happiest of Holidays to you, Nan.
Books are my exception to the rule, too. I donated soooo many of them when we moved to our fifth wheel, and now that we’re moving to a house again, I’m full of regret for letting them go. But I’ll buy my way back into excess again soon enough. Also, I can’t get into an unmade bed. It’s just my thing. A made bed = happiness and peace. Also, that Mini Cooper is adorbs. 🥰
It's fun getting NEW books! Our tastes change as we grow. You're going to have such a good time making new picks. My new Mini is really cute too, it's just in need of a wash already. Snow. Salt. Slush. UGH. xo
Once I lived the conceit that I could be a turtle with my house on my back, moving whenever I pleased too. But then I bought a house and the market got tight but also into my street wandered a baby desert tortoise who now lives with me and will probably outlive me. So I can’t move again. And so things have piled up too. Though I am not as tidy as you are— partly why I need to keep less stuff—I related so much to this, especially books without shelves. Let’s fix that!
I'm totally in. I'm even excited about it, though I'll admit that I want to find old local bookshelves so I don't have to go through an IKEA meltdown, assembling them and not finding all the parts needed! I love the name of your newsletter! Perfect. xo
I fantasize about finding a carpenter to build one to my exact wall specifications. We’re not moving. And then I won’t need a truck… I am with you, assembly is maddening.
I've become a minimalist, too, as I've gotten older. It sprang out of me having to clean out my parent's house, and they were borderline hoarders. I don't want my kids to be burdened with that task.
I beg my husband and children not to buy me anything for birthdays and holidays, but they rarely listen. I've decided that I'm not keeping anything that's given to me that I don't like. It will either be trashed or donated ASAP.
I hear you. I also understand how frustrating it can be for someone who loves us to step out of the way of their need to gift, and hear our request and know that there's more than one way to show love. xo
love your video! obsessed with your mini cooper. At one point i got rid of all my books and moved to reading on my phone but since i got sober I've been collecting them again for some reason. i find them comforting. I'm also inexplicably starting to get into antiques so we'll see where this goes 😬 I'm so glad you're feeling like you can settle into your home. congrats on the new shelves!
Thank you! I couldn't possibly read on my phone on a regular basis. I really don't like reading on my iPad or phone. There's nothing like holding a book in your hands. There's so much art that goes into making a book, the design choices, and fonts, the weight and color of the paper used, deckle-edged or not? French flaps, and the smell of the paper. It's completely visceral and in a way, somewhat sacred to me. And I'm obsessed with my Mini Cooper too. That is a pic of my first one. The new/old one is blue with white roof and side mirrors. It's very sweet. And it's a stick! Had to score one before they all disappear. I can't imaging why anyone would want a little sportscar like this and not want a stick. It's part of the joy of driving! xo
Nan, I concur with your list, except for dark chocolate for me.
I also completely relate to minimalism and the carting around of far too many books for the spaces I often inhabit. But I have a funny relationship with stuff. Maybe I will write about it someday.
Happy holidays, dear friend.
Happy holidays, lovely Holly. I'll send you any dark that comes my way...if I knew where to send it, road warrior! xo
I’m glad you are giving your glasses collection its due. I love the way those look on the wall. Great inspiration!
Thanks. I only wish the prescriptions didn't need updating! I bought them somewhat gradually from an online retailer and they were reasonably priced, but not all of them were terrific for me vision-wise. Now, I'm down to two pair that work for me. Maybe I'll up my game this year! xo
Hey Nan,
Loved the essay. Books do have their own category. They are intelligent clutter and comforting. There's a great Spanish word for junk that doesn't really apply to you as a minimalist, but the essay made me think about it. It's cachivache (cachi-bachee) . If you collect a lot of junk you are a cachivachera (cachi-bah-chair-a). It rolls off the tongue like dust blown from a pile of books. :-)
This is the best sentence: "It rolls off the tongue like dust blown from a pile of books." Cachibavachera! I kind of wish I were, so I could call myself that. So good. Love you, Marguerite! Thank you for reading and commenting. xo
Nan, there is so much to love here; a peek inside your life, your past, your minimalist outlook/lifestyle today and especially your love for books; oh, and chocolate too. I can relate to your relationship to books - I'm there! My books are one of the most important tactile things I own and have let go of some over the years only to re-acquire them at a later point. And this – yes! “what I care about the most is my relationship with you. That’s something I can keep forever and the space it takes up resides in my heart. I never run out of room there.” Ditto! xx
Love you, Rhaine! Books and chocolate. What else does a girl need? Oh. Dogs, cats, and friends. xoxoxoxo
My close friend is a milk chocolate lover and I'm a dark chocolate lover. But it doesn't stop me from searching for the best milk chocolate money can buy. I aim to share it with her always...
That's lovely, Tess, and not surprising to me in the least. Because you're that kind of friend. We should all be so lucky to have a Tess in our lives. xo
I'm lucky to have her as my friend--and yes to minimalism.
My only area of concern is "komono" ...all the little uncategorized clutter. They are purposely in drawers. I have to purge monthly.
I should probably get into that habit. It would serve my aesthetic well. xo
I need to stop buying pens!
WHY? xoxo
Ok - getting rid of the ones that don't spark function or joy!
Nan, I love that you don't love stuff. I don't love stuff that much either, but I sure do seem to have a lot of it. Agree that books are the most seductive. I'm about to give away about 100. Yet there are still books on the floor and double-shelved on the shelves.
I have been in your house and everything was beautiful. I can SEE beauty but can't create it in a home. Such an enviable talent.
After writing this essay, all I can do is look around my house and SEE way too much stuff! I'm suddenly overwhelmed. I keep thinking if my readers saw it they'd call me a liar! But you're the proof I need! I definitely need to do some tidying up, and I definitely want to buy bookshelves. I just have to get past my resistance to having to assemble them! Hey, are there any books I'd like in that 100? Thank you for the compliment on my house. It hasn't changed much since your visit. Maybe the next time you come, the shelves will be up and filled and I'll be building new floor piles! xoxo
Nan, I have books in every room. AND I read them. I vowed as a little girl to read every book in our Brooklyn Library on Eastern Parkway.
When I get into bed I stack lots of pillows behind my head, get comfy and turn the pages that are often stuck together. I check out the page numbers to make sure I don’t miss a sentence. Lately I have been reading Isabel Allende’s fantastical stories about life in South America. Most of all I love reading and listening to your essays.
XO, Mom
Reading's the best. I'm so glad you enjoy the stories! I sometimes fall asleep with several books next to me. Perfect bedmates. xo
Happy Everything Nan!
My Mom collected turtles too. Our whole house was full of little and big turtle figurines. Friends and family gave her turtles from all around the world. Little kids would come to the house and their challenge was to find and count all the turtles. It was a good distraction and entertainment for hours as they were tucked into every nook of the house. When I moved my folks into an assisted living home, we had to give most of them away, except the most special ones (hard to choose!) Then when she passed on, the inevitable paring down even further. I still have one of my favorites on my desk and several others in special spots in the house.
AND we have a pingpong table we are letting go of. Would you like to have it? :)
OH! I love everything about this comment, Mary Anne. I'd love to have the ping pong table, but I'm afraid, that like the other one, it'll overwhelm my house unless it's not regulation-sized. What I need is a BIGGER house! Thank you so much for the offer though! I do miss playing. xo And the turtles! Wow. Are you letting go of any bookshelves?!?
Fountain pens, turtles, and candles snuffers! Loved seeing this post today, Nan. I wish it hadn’t taken me 40 years to realize my minimalist heart. I had to go through some heavy collecting years before I got there, and then it’s hard to get back to even ground. I had to laugh at the ways in which having a house changed things a bit — the ping pong table is a fun moment. I wish for your tidy sensibilities. But the books….yes. I don’t buy books anymore, but I am always surrounded by books. I love that your boxes were organized and alphabetized. Happy Hanukkah (a day early).
Thank you, Amy! Alphabetizing for moving...oh boy. I'm settling in for the next couple of days to read, write, and shop for bookshelves online...no assembly required is preferable! xo Happy Holidays to you, my friend. sending you love. xo
This is lovely, Nan. Curious the choices that you and your brother made. And about those books, I put up some shelves but I must've been delusional that they'd be sufficient. I have books crawling everywhere. And towers of them on my desk leaving just enough room for the laptop. Oy!
Exactly. I was just looking online for bookshelves...Arrrgghhhh. xo
Your newsletter is a template for directness. I love that. And eyeglasses. And books. I'm good at the book and eyeglass stuff. The frankness... I'll keep reading and keep working on it. Happiest of Holidays to you, Nan.
That's funny! I can be blunt, for sure. I do try to inject some humor, though. Happy Holidays to you, too, Kim. xoxo
Books are my exception to the rule, too. I donated soooo many of them when we moved to our fifth wheel, and now that we’re moving to a house again, I’m full of regret for letting them go. But I’ll buy my way back into excess again soon enough. Also, I can’t get into an unmade bed. It’s just my thing. A made bed = happiness and peace. Also, that Mini Cooper is adorbs. 🥰
It's fun getting NEW books! Our tastes change as we grow. You're going to have such a good time making new picks. My new Mini is really cute too, it's just in need of a wash already. Snow. Salt. Slush. UGH. xo
Love the video. Also agree no gifts, but a gift card to buy books always welcome.
Right? It's so much easier. Just get me what I'd like the most. I don't need more scarves and hats and gloves. I don't wear them! xo
Once I lived the conceit that I could be a turtle with my house on my back, moving whenever I pleased too. But then I bought a house and the market got tight but also into my street wandered a baby desert tortoise who now lives with me and will probably outlive me. So I can’t move again. And so things have piled up too. Though I am not as tidy as you are— partly why I need to keep less stuff—I related so much to this, especially books without shelves. Let’s fix that!
I'm totally in. I'm even excited about it, though I'll admit that I want to find old local bookshelves so I don't have to go through an IKEA meltdown, assembling them and not finding all the parts needed! I love the name of your newsletter! Perfect. xo
I fantasize about finding a carpenter to build one to my exact wall specifications. We’re not moving. And then I won’t need a truck… I am with you, assembly is maddening.
AAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!
I've become a minimalist, too, as I've gotten older. It sprang out of me having to clean out my parent's house, and they were borderline hoarders. I don't want my kids to be burdened with that task.
I beg my husband and children not to buy me anything for birthdays and holidays, but they rarely listen. I've decided that I'm not keeping anything that's given to me that I don't like. It will either be trashed or donated ASAP.
I hear you. I also understand how frustrating it can be for someone who loves us to step out of the way of their need to gift, and hear our request and know that there's more than one way to show love. xo