21 Days of Downsizing – Day 9

Welcome to my 21 day series of downsizing my NYC shoebox apartment for a move to Australia! Alex + I have already downsized about 70% of our belongings, but I’ve got some “on the fence” items from my closet and I could use a bit of help!

If you know me well, you know that while I’ve come around on downsizing my fashuun, I will *gulp* NEVER downsize my stuffed animals. Cuz #crazystuffedanimallady

So, tune in to help me decide what closet items to keep or not to keep! Simultaneously, I’ll introduce you to one of my stuffed animal friends, cuz I could NEVER downsize them!

Day 9 – Once In a Blue Moon

Meet Kawaii.

Kawaii saw all sorts of people at the Floridian shopping mall. From her spot on a shelf near but not part of the front window display, she spotted many shopping personalities: the browser, the shopaholic, the tag-along, the get-in-and-get-outer, the bag carrier and much more.

Then there was the mall walker.

A curious subset of mall goers, typically traveling with one companion, often dodging others…and not really paying attention to store fronts.

Nor next-to-store-fronts, for that matter. Not paying attention to a lovable, cuddly koala sitting on a side shelf in Florida wishing to go home with a new owner who’d teach her why she never heard anyone say “g’day” anymore.

Christina’s dad and stepmom were regular mall walkers at Kawaii’s mall. She had seen them numerous times and often thought they were an even more curious subset of a subset of mall goers.

Why did Christina’s dad walk so quickly, seemingly ahead of Christina’s stepmom, who was always trying to catch up?

Why did Christina’s dad stretch out his arms into semi circular movements all while pacing about?

And most curiously, why did these two choose the mall (the mall!) as their exercise race track?

Kawaii didn’t understand it all, but she watched and often thought maybe a shopaholic type would pick her up. Nope, too busy buying trendy items.

Would a browser type see her one day and give her a new home? Nope, they always reached for the golden retriever near her. She had already met over 15 golden retrievers in her time at the mall.

Would a tag-along spot her and would this be her day? Nope, the tag-along was always looking at what his or her friend was looking at, and that friend was usually a shopaholic type, not interested in her.

Sigh. Kawaii felt her destiny would be to stay seated watching all her short-lived friends voyage away as she dreamt of eucalyptus and as her heart ached for vegemite toast.

“Those funny mall walkers. They probably glance my way the least,” thought Kawaii.

Just then, she spotted the usual suspects, that curious duo of mall walkers, pacing quickly almost in a walking sprint.

But wait, there was a third!

An even more curious one. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was a mall walker. No, it was a tag along. Wait, she seems like a shopaholic! What? It couldn’t be.

The mall walker approached Kawaii with wide eyes, her heart stirring and a song-song voice that called out, “It’s a koala! Dad, 阿姨, WAIT! Look!!”

And so Kawaii was discovered by a tag-along mall walker shopaholic that day. A curious breed of mall goer who tagged along to accompany a pair of regular mall walkers for their walk but whose shopaholic tendencies stopped her tracks at the very site of a cuddly cute koala perched on a side shelf.

Christina’s dad sensed right away his daughter was missing Alex who was still in Australia, paused from his mall walking and got Kawaii for her.

Kawaii didn’t know it at the time, but she would be sharing many avocado toasts with another fellow Aussie soon.

Now For Fashuun: To Keep or Not To Keep

On the fence about the below items. To keep or not to keep? Comment below!

  • this blue puffer coat that is so tired but I still love the fit and am reluctant to let it go
  • a striped hat with a poof on top lined with fleece but also quite tired 
  • a pair of grey and tan tennies that are easy to match…just trying to downsize shoes in general 

Stay tuned for day ten…