Everything I Own

 

Before last year, I never understood why women stayed in abusive relationships. I thought, why don't they just leave? Now I know. Sometimes it feels less painful to stay. After years of feeling like I finally belonged somewhere, it was a shock being back in a place and way of life I never understood or felt comfortable in. I felt like a foreigner in my own country, whereas every door was open to me in Paris (I know it's a rough and unwelcoming city for most people, but that was never my experience). I came back to the US with two suitcases; I had no credit score or job prospects. I secured several positions in my field, but these companies eliminated their sustainability departments before my scheduled start date in late November 2016. I have a new appreciation for people who come to this country with nothing and no one. At least I had good friends and my grandma, uncle, and aunt in the US, though I left most of my support system in France.

I finally get why people feel such an attachment to material things. It's not always about stuff. It feels good buying things with your own money that you alone chose after never having a say for however long. It feels powerful having something somebody else told you you'd never have or deserve. And it feels safe hanging on to something, when everything you had was lost before. I shouldn't feel this way, but I understand a little better now. The everything I own posts are my most popular ones, and people say it's because they can't believe I have so little. It feels like a lot, especially after these past few years.

 

Clothing

1. Levi's Wedgie high rise 
2. Levi's 517
3. Levi's Wedgie cuff shorts
4. L'ecole des Femmes Oui shirt
5. Black H&M tank top (similar)
6. Black Re/Done bodysuit 
7. Reformation Lozita bodysuit navy 
8. Reformation Piper top 
9. Reformation Axel bodysuit 
10. Dior black dress 
11. Dior navy dress 
12. Dior gray dress 
13. Louis Vuitton black wool skirt
14. American Apparel grey henley dress
15. Three Doen t-shirts
16. Louis Vuitton raincoat and London Undercover umbrella
17. Camel Dior coat
18. A Wool Story socks, hat, and mittens 
19. Pact Organic socks (nine pairs)
20. Christian Louboutin Simple pumps  
21. Ferragamo Vara pumps 
22. Stuart Weitzman boots (similar)
23. Nike Wedge Sky Hi's 
24. Nike Air Force 1's 
25. Longchamp Pliage
26. American Apparel swimsuit
27. Gucci sunglasses and Rayban glasses 
28. Dior Oui ring sz 7 
29. Pansy sets in rose and black (two bras plus enough briefs for the week) 
30. J Crew vintage cotton pajamas

 
 

Bathroom / Toiletries

1. One bamboo carrying case, one bamboo toothbrush holder, and six organic Brush With Bamboo toothbrushes
2. Razor and blades
3. Cup and carrying bag
4. Two Gladrags pads
5. EcoTools bamboo travel size blush and bronzer brush
6. Elate cosmetics blush and bronzer in bamboo compacts and Urb Apothecary lip and cheek tint
7. Ilia Beauty mascara
8. Eyelash curler
9. Tweezers
10. Who Gives a Crap rolls (box of 24)- I still don't use toilet paper at home, and haven't for six years now. I didn't have a bidet until two years ago, but soap and water is fine if you don't have one- I don't think we're supposed to wipe that area actually (and actually you're not really supposed to use too much soap around there either). Gentle cleansing just feels so much fresher and cleaner and I don't like the idea that conventional toilet paper is bleached and causes microtears. I know people like family cloth, but I never tried it. My family and guests need toilet paper, so I buy it, it's just taken me two years to even go through one roll.
11. Tushy bidet
12. Six bars palm oil free Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve castile soap

 

Electronics

1. IPad
2. iPhone
3. Goal Zero nomad solar charger
4. Conventional charger 

Appliances

1. Vitamix
2. Vintage GE iron

  
  

Furnishings

1. CNC cut platform bed with two pillows, wool duvet, and mattress
2. CNC dining table
3. Knoll Bertoia white chairs, secondhand (four)
4. Modernica white shell chair (I think I don't want this anymore, I really like the Knoll chairs)
5. Plywood sofa and mattress
6. Five Caroline Z Hurley cushions 
7. Floyd side table, white legs
8. Copper pipe garment rack and 12 wooden hangers
9. DIY copper pipe coffee table
10. DIY copper curtain rods (with Caroline Z Hurley throws as curtains and copper clips)

  

Linens

1. Four Fog Linen bath towels
2. Four Fog Linen hand towels
3. Seven washcloths
4. 1 set linen sheets- secondhand Fog Linen flat sheet with duvet cover and two pillowcases
5. Six Ambatalia bento bags, various sizes
6. Two Turkish towels (for the beach, picnics, travel, throws)
7. Four Fog Linen dish towels
8. 12 Caroline Z Hurley napkins
9. Two Redecker cleaning cloths cut into twelve 
10. Three recycled linen rugs / mats (Fog Linen and Caroline Z Hurley, the Fog Linen one might have to go) 

 

Kitchen / Garden

1. Eight sets Arne Jacobsen Georg Jensen cutlery, secondhand (fork, knife, spoon)
2. Arne Jacobsen salad serving set (fork and spoon), and cake / pizza server
3. 1 All Clad (I chose All Clad for all my pans because I could buy them 40% off from the factory in Pittsburgh and talk directly to the people who made the pans) long handled saucepan
4. 1 long handled pan
5. 1 stock pot
6. 1 Duralex glass baking dish (these are indestructible, I brought mine from France)
7. 1 Duralex mixing bowl
8. 1 set measuring cups
9. 1 colander
10. Sori-yanagi metal ladle, metal spatula, metal spoon
11. 2 Opinel knives (1 chef, 1 paring)
12. Maple cutting board-  mine is handmade by a friend - and Jacob Bromwell baking sheet
13. 36 glass Ball jars- 8 for drinking, the rest for storage, all secondhand. I break glasses, so I prefer drinking from jars
14. 2 mini Weck jars for my travel toiletries
15. 8 Helen Levi mugs / cups, various models - I bought one every time I went to New York during her seconds sales
16. 3 reused kombucha dark amber bottles, used for propagation / clippings
17. 8 Settle Ceramics plates and 4 each Settle / Colleen Hennessy bowls
18. Redecker dish brush, pot brush, and veggie brush
19. Glass sprayer bottle (reused kombucha bottle and black sprayer)
20. 1 bamboo dish rack
21. Stainless steel Ecolunchbox bento
22. Terracotta planters, made in the US from a local shop (I have a lot of plants now that I don't have cats, all grown from cuttings or seed sharing)

  
  

Other

1. Wooden ironing board
2. Wooden clothes drying rack from the Amish in Pennsylvania (local wood)
3. Twelve vintage handkerchiefs
4. Four large art pieces (maybe I'll do a post on this later but not right now- I was happy to be friends with amazing artists in Paris whose names you'll recognize)
5. One passport with holder, three credit cards, one debit card, one driver's license, one AAA card lol
6. One Kerfcase phone case and wallet (thanks Kristy)
7. Cork ipad case (similar)
8. 30 books and magazines (vintage books and some books and magazines I'm in, yes I organize by color)
9. One notebook (Lamali makes the best ones)
10. Redecker snow brush
11. Redecker cleaning brush
12. One folder from when I was Cavs Full Court Press
13. One black Caran d'Ache refillable pen (mine was not this expensive- I got this pen when I was in France and have just been using it for years, but there are American made ones)
14. Two Rimowa suitcases
15. Two textile wall hangings
16. A dozen needles and vintage spools of cotton thread
17. Personal set of keys and spares
18. Wooden trunk

Starting over this time, I vowed there would be nothing in my home I didn't love or find useful and beautiful. Everything is a joy to look at- there's nothing from my wardrobe to my cleaning supplies and toiletries that I wouldn't mind people seeing- and I enjoyed choosing each item, because everything told a story about me alone. These are just things I use personally. For a master list of zero waste recommendations, click here.