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Weekend reading: decluttering tips, homemade cleaners, rhinestones, and Italian fashion
You guys, I am so excited for this weekend.
My parents are coming into town, and my dad and I are going to run a 10K together! My mom and a couple of her friends here are also going to walk the 8K at the same time. I’m hoping for good weather, though it looks like rain.
Hope you all enjoy this Spring weekend. Here are some good reads you might peruse with your morning coffee:
- Related to my other post today on decluttering your closet, Design*Sponge has some good articles on letting go of things and decluttering tips and tools.
- Recipes for making your own natural cleaning products.
- This New York Times article explores the fascinating finding that humans want to accumulate more than they can even use, even if it negatively affects our quality of life.
- Maddie has created this guide to rhinestones and beading.
- What does it mean to be a rich entrepreneur? Oh man, I relate to this article so much.
- The guardian on the rebirth of Italian fashion.
- KCET sent me this interesting article about the Institute 4 Labor Generosity Workers & Uniforms, right in the city of my birth (Long Beach, CA).
- Is the first world’s biggest addiction actually… just about anything that distracts us? Why are we so uncomfortable so much of the time?
- Does an interest in style and fashion mean that you are taken less seriously as a woman? Sadly, I’ve found this to be true in some circles.
Comments
stacy
April 4, 2014 #
thanks for your weekend reading suggestions! I always look forward to them!
Kat
April 4, 2014 #
Oh wow, can I ever relate to that last one. I used to be a scientist and felt that I was taken less seriously or treated as less smart if I cared about fashion. The attention I received was often uncomfortable and because of that, I often dressed down. I wonder, are there so few of us who are smart and love fashion or are we all just hiding out? :)
Sarai
April 4, 2014 #
This was a very common thing I heard when I worked in tech. Female engineers in particular would say that they enjoy dressing up, looking nice, or wearing skirts or makeup. But they felt that it caused them to be perceived as an outsider, not “one of the guys.” Not only does it draw attention to your femininity itself, but it makes you look like part of a more female-dominated group instead of the male-dominated engineering group (e.g. sales, marketing, design). And geeks can be very insular and distrustful.
Being perceived as an outsider is a real threat to a woman’s career in that kind of position.
Aimee
April 4, 2014 #
Sarai, I have lurked around your blog for a while– I don’t even sew (yet!)– and I always find something amazing and mind-expanding in your reading suggestions. Thank you for sharing!
Sarai
April 4, 2014 #
Thanks for commenting, Aimee! I’m glad you like them.
Samina
April 4, 2014 #
Good luck with your race! I’m on week 8 of my C25K program & I just cannot finish that 28 minute run without having to walk for a minute near the end. It’s killing me!
Sarai
April 4, 2014 #
I’ve done some pretty long distances, and my favorite mantra when you are working on running longer distances is “there’s no such thing as too slow.”
maddie
April 4, 2014 #
Thanks for the shout out, Sarai. I loved putting the post together, but more than that, I loved learning about rhinestones and beading. I overbought and am now left with approximately 2-3 gross’ of rhinestones, so expect to see more sparkles on my work in the future!
Rebecca
April 4, 2014 #
Hope you have a great race- love that you’re running with your family! Great weekend reading. I especially liked the articles on Italian fashion and “rich” entrepreneurs! I always look forward to these posts-Thanks!
Pilar
April 5, 2014 #
I’ve read most of the posts now and I found that the New York Times article and “What does it mean to be a rich entrepreneur” post go very well together. I really like the conclusion of the latter one. Read one after the other if you get the chance.
And I also need to do some de-cluttering this weekend!
Christianne
April 5, 2014 #
I have always hated clutter. When I married my husband, I had no idea he would turn out to be more of a neatnik than me. We live in a one bedroom apartment, with plenty of storage..IF you take clearing out seriously. We empty closets and throw stuff away about twice a year, and I go through my stashes and clothes more often than that. Every Christmas I pay attention to the things I don’t put out on display, and if it also is set aside the next year, it goes to Goodwill. We would never be able to live in this apartment if we didn’t constantly go through all the bits and pieces; if something comes in, another goes out. It also means I’m surrounded by only my favorite things that I love.
Jill
April 6, 2014 #
Isn’t that an interesting article on the lady in Long Beach? I didn’t realize you were from LB, that’s where I live now :)