I was once called a maximizer by an old friend and I had to think about that comment for a bit after she said it. I guess this is one of the benefits of really embracing City life– you maximize your time. You learn how to multi-task while tuning out the noise. You read and listen to music while you commute (or used to), text while you walk, do errands during lunch on your way to a meeting, keep extra shoes or ties at the office, store umbrellas in every conceivable shape and size in every bag you own, and plan grocery store deliveries to arrive just as you’re finishing your grueling workout. (See, I’m giving you points for working out!) You’ve got it covered.
Apartment life has taught me how to maximize the use of my space while maintaining an uncluttered feel. I don’t own a storage unit in the basement, and I certainly don’t rent a shelf, cubby, room, or locker at one of those Schlep My Stuff For Free And I Promise To Never Visit Again places. All my worldly possessions are stacked up neatly in this 1228 square foot oasis... for now.
I am fairly vigilant about what items cohabitate with me. If they have outlived their usefulness, they no longer fit, I can’t stand to look at them one minute longer because I’ve worn them skatey eight times (I’m talking to you black Lululemon cropped Align tights) they’re out. You, too? I know!
Depending on the item and the condition it’s in, it will be repurposed by my son to cut and sew into something amazing (I’m still waiting to see what he does with an Exacto knife and my Louis Vuitton card case from the late 80s), given to my niece Sydney to sell on Poshmark (thanks for the whopping $7 last week, Syd!), passed to a friend, donated to charity, or stuffed into a double garbage bag (to avoid the obvious embarrassment) and tossed (like the porters in my building really care that there’s a gaping hole under the arm of my nine year old red turtleneck).
For me, the most fun part of being a maximizer revolves around food. I strive for full coverage when I’m dunking gorgeous strawberries into a glossy pool of warm chocolate. (I of course eat the ones that aren’t perfect too, but sometimes I send them back into the pool for another dip. Yep, I’m a double dipper.)
I remember my friend Jen used to bake gingerbread cookies around the holidays and she would bring the defects into work– the one-armed cookies or the fellas that accidentally were decapitated when she was removing them from the baking sheet. (They all tasted great to Helen, Jon, Brad, Heather, Box, and me.) I like the frosting on a cupcake to go end to end. And I’m all about nachos that have every single ingredient on every single chip. So what’s with the stack? Clearly you need an SLS (Single Layer Scatter) in order to achieve maximum topping triangulation. (Hashtag SINGLE LAYER SCATTER!)
jenslittleblackbook.com 