closet clean-up, phase one

I got a little crazy last night.

10:45pm on a Friday night. Matt was out with the boys. I was talking on-line with some friends about my previous blog post - Project 333.

Before I knew it, I had emptied the contents of my closet onto our bed.

I haven't decided if I am going to go as extreme as the Project 333 people, but I did decide to only put back the items that I loved, served a purpose, and fit really well.

I also cleared out my four drawers in the dresser and my one drawer in our built-in along with sorting through my shoes that are spread throughout the house.

I'm partway through the process and I would say so far I have only put back about half of the items.

I still have a stack of items that need to be tried on - I think that will help make the final decision on those. I have one bag of trash, one pile in the hall of things-i-found-in-my-closet-that-don't-belong-there (weirdest thing I found: knitting needles), and one really big pile of items to donate, sell or give away (see below).

Matt came home at midnight and looked at me like I was slightly crazy, but then handed me a couple items from his closet that he no longer wanted.

Items that were easy to part with:

• Anything with holes and stains
• Nylons. Seriously. Does anyone still wear those?
• Old Navy flip flops that have served their $2.50 purpose well.

Items that were harder to part with:

• Ann Taylor dresses I got a fabulous deal on before Dylan was even toddling around (I think I paid about $10 each for them). I tried them on, and they are beautiful dresses but don't quite fit the same and I don't have anywhere to wear them. Hoping they will make someone else out there happy.
• A couple of shirts that still have their tags on them. In a moment of honest, I realized that if they have been hanging in my closet for 2+ years and I haven't worn them yet, I probably never will.
• Skirts. I want to be a skirt person because they look so cute on other people but something about my body shape means I will really never be a skirt person. Letting that dream go now...

Happy things:

• A dress Matt got me from H&M last summer actually fits now and looks cute (thank you, workout challenge). Tuck that one away for the 10-year anniversary trip later this year.
• Got rid of three giant bulky hooded sweatshirts that were hogging precious closet real estate. They seem comfortable at first glance but the bulkiness and hoods on them actually drive me nuts (I have a thing with my neck...also in the giveaway pile, a couple of turtlenecks). Holding on to three zip-up sweatshirts that make me much happier - these are the ones I always reach for anyway.
• Consolidating my pants drawer down to just a few items - a pair of Big Star bootleg jeans (paid more for these then I ever have for a pair of jeans in my life but I wear them all the time), a pair of skinny jeans that I love, a pair of black leggings, a pair of work-in-the-yard jeans. That's it. So simple. (I am hoping to add one more pair of jeans to this collection once I get the chance to go shopping along...probably something straight-leg and dressier).

This morning it was quite a revelation to get dressed. I knew everything in there were things that I liked and that I had worn recently. No flipping past things wondering if I would (or should) be wearing that.

Phase two consists of buying new hangers, possibly adding some cute storage accessories (it's a girl's closet after all), and sorting through some photo/keepsake items.

(I do store a few boxes of those things in there...old photos, negatives and the kids keepsakes, artwork, etc. It works for me because I can put those things on the highest shelves and know they are safe from little hands and the humidity that lives in the basement).

By the way, I think this counts towards resolution #9: Surround myself with less stuff. Simplify.

I'm trying to create more space in my life - literally and figuratively - to make room for all the important stuff that usually gets pushed to the sides. Phase two post coming soon.