In order to protect ourselves from the swarms of Paparazzi that were sure to hound us once our blog went public, Lilly suggested that we use pseudonyms to hide our true identities. So naturally, being the Twi-hard that I am, I chose the name Bella.
Hi, I'm Bella. 29 years old, married, and living in sunny California. My simple living journey started a few years ago when, inspired by the changes that my friend Lilly was making to simplify her life, I began reading Leo Bautista's blog - Zen Habits. I loved reading Leo's story about how he was able to simplify his life by getting rid of the excess, and decided that for my New Year's resolution I would start simplifying my life too. So that weekend I went through every drawer, closet, and box in our apartment and piled up two carloads of stuff to give away. That was the weekend that my decluttering addiction began.
Now, three years later and 15+ carloads of stuff lighter, I am a certified decluttersimplifyminimalist-aholic. My walls are mostly empty, my rooms are half bare, and there is always a semi-full Goodwill bag by the door. While I definitely own more than 100 things, I am constantly on the lookout for more stuff to give away. If you come to my house, you can bet that you will not leave empty-handed.
Both my parents and my in-laws have banned me from helping them declutter. Probably because I am a ruthless, take no prisoners, decluttering zealot, hell-bent on ridding myself and the world of useless tchotchkes and knickknacks in the quest for a happier, simpler life for all!!!!
Just kidding. I'm not that intense.
Admittedly, one of the first things that I zero in on when I walk into someone's home is the amount of excess stuff they're housing. And I have been known to organize my friends' apartments while they sleep...and I do regularly volunteer to help people move in a veiled attempt to locate their clutter and convince them that they don't need it... But "decluttering zealot?" That's grossly exaggerated. I prefer to be known as a passionate minimalist.
But you can just call me Bella. =)
