When I first decided on my 2013 resolution I knew I needed to pick up and organize my closet. It looked like WWIII up in this hiz-house...okay not the whole house, but the closet for sure. I usually get home from work, head straight to the closet and change into my lounge clothes. I throw (literally) my shoes in a huge pile, throw my clothes in another pile, and head to the kitchen to make dinner. After a while it truly seems like a war zone in that space.
Staying organized is one of the biggest components of staying focused on a goal. I have a whole year of no shopping and I don't want to be in a cluttered closet thinking "I have nothing to wear!" all because my space is not organized. My goal this year it to actually wear every piece in my closet. Every.single.piece.
I don't have any fancy-schmancy hangers (although tossing the wire ones are on my to-do list!! so annoying) or plastic contraptions that spit out my outfits for each day. My dream is Cher's closet on Clueless! Anyone agree? Just to be able to push a button and wa-laaa! Ah, I sure am a dreamer lately :)
First things first was to get my shoes in order. Chris, if you are reading this, no I don't want to get rid of any shoes. I like, and wear, them all, honey! Shoes are my weakness. They are like icing on the cake. An outfit can be so blah, then when the perfect shoe is put on (much like in Cinderella) it transforms you into an instant state of happiness. Can I get an amen?!
Everyone is different when organizing their shoes. For me, I need to be able to see all my shoes if I am going to wear all of them. If they are thrown on the ground in a large pile (as they were ten minutes prior to this clean up) it is hard to get a feel for all of your shoes and you end up wearing the same shoes over...forgetting about the gems hidden in the back! It was like Christmas morning finding all the shoes I had forgotten about!
Every morning I would be stressed out searching through this pile looking for a shoe's mate. When you are early already 10 minutes late for work and you can't find your (bleeping!) shoe it makes you want to start your whole outfit over!! I have been guilty of that, but alas, not anymore!
Doesn't this make you instantly happier for me and my stress levels?! Ahhhh...
Chris calls this my hooker heel section. He obviously has no idea what is fashionable these days. He can't simply see that fact that I just want to be taller, ehhhh closer to heaven :)
Sometimes he specifically requests me NOT to wear those shoes with the coral on them if we are going on a date. I can't say that I always grant his wishes!! Hey, I won't be able to rock those babies forever! Plus, it makes me giggle when I get compliments on them and I look at Chris and he rolls his eyes as I say, "Told you they were cute!"
This trusty tub has been with me for yearsss. My poor Dad would complain every time I moved about having to lug this thing around. Thanks, Dad, you da best!! In college all of my shoes were smashed in here and I neglected 99.9% of them. Poor shoes. Luckily, playing softball in college meant we were in tennis shoes or cleats all day everyday, so half of my shoes never made their debut until I stopped playing!
Since there are no true seasons here in good 'ol Texas, I have no reason to store away my "winter" shoes. Yesterday I was wearing sandals and today I am back to boots with the furrr a jacket. Kinda annoying when you dress for the 70's in January (yes, yesterday was 77 and today it is 50), only to walk to your car after work and be met by an arctic freeze.
Now onto how I organized my clothes for the year!
I decided the way to get through the year without DYING to have new clothes is to ACTUALLY wear ALL the clothes I already own. Some of the pieces may not be my favorite, but as long as I don't go to work naked, I can bear the thought of not having a super-cute outfit for one day. Two days in a row, and I might lose it ;)
I separated a row in my closet for "clothes that have been worn this year" and "clothes to be worn." It is described in the picture below. Basically, I wear a shirt, wash it, and hang it back up on the left side. I don't do the same for pants because I am obviously going to have to repeat those. There are over 50 shirts on the right side! Yikes! Some of them have only been worn once. Plus I can pair them with cardigans, or layer them for different looks. This "separation" system has been working great so far! If I am going to run to the grocery store really fast, or to church, I try to grab from the "already worn" side, just so I can make sure I get full use out of all my items.
The way the right side is organized is by color, and then it separates to sleeveless. Black, black patterned, brown, brown patterned, blue, yellow, white, etc. It really helps sorting my shirts by color category and makes for an easy morning of getting ready.
Opposite of the shirts is my winter coats and fancier dresses. Basically items of clothing that are only brought out once in a blue moon. I always thought I HAD to have a new dress for an event. I am embarrassed to say that at least five of the dresses hanging here have only been worn once. Ahhh I am ashamed. Good thing we have numerous weddings, my MBA graduation, my
little brother's high school graduation, and my SIL's college graduation all coming up this year! These dresses will finally get some use! Plus, my SIL is awesome about letting me borrow the numerous dresses she bought for her sorority events. She's the best SIL ever. Seriously, sorry, she takes the cake.
To the left of the coats, and the right of the shirts, we have the jeans, skirts, and casual dresses area. I will be honest, I need to get rid of half my jeans. The reason I can't budge is because a lot of them are Seven's and it is like a punch in the gut 1) that I spent that much on jeans, and 2) to just giveaway expensive jeans like that. Some of them I have had since high school! They still fit, but I am definitely curvier than I was so they just look awkward. Pretty soon I am going to have a jeans-try-on day and whatever doesn't fit is going. End of story. There are three adorable girls that live a couple doors down who range in age from 6-18, so I know they would be happy to take them off my hands!
I don't have that many skirts and all of them have got great use. I have a couple pencil shirts from LOFT for work days when I need to be fancy, and then I have around five other casual skirts that I have gathered over the years.
The casual dresses are my favorite! I can wear them in the summer with flats, and in the winter with leggings and boots! Not dirtying a pair of jeans is always a win in my book!
To the left of the jeans starts my cardigans and blazers. I fold all my cardigans over the hanger to prevent those weird shoulder bubbles. You know what I am talking about? These items are sort-of tucked away in the corner because once summer hits, we can kiss all these babies goodbye until abouttt November. Seriously, there is never a reason for a cardigan in the summer in Texas. Never-evereverever.
Tee shirts. Oh the insane amount of tee shirts I own. Having gone to the same camp for 14 years, playing college softball, having a SIL that is a Pi Phi, and going on a ski vacation every year since I was six adds up to a lot of tee shirts. I also have a drawer in my dresser stocked full. Ugh. This area could really use a clean out as well, but tee shirts are my weekend go-to, so I don't feel bad for keeping them.
Up next is the stupid number of tennis shoes I have. And I only wear one pair. The rattiest pair. Typical.
I wore these Asics when training for my half marathon back in 2010. I honestly hate them. They are not that comfortable, but everyone insisted I get a pair. I wear them probably three times a year. But since I can't buy a new pair this year, and my favorite pair is on the verge of falling apart, these blue-babies might just weasel their way back to the top.
Mint condition Nike's that have only been slightly worn. I don't mind these, but they just aren't my favorite.
These were my first pair of "running shoes." Not "cross-training" shoes, running shoes. Superrrrr comfortable, but I ran in them so much they are only good for sporadic workouts. I need to buy a new insole for them. I'll put that on my to-do list :) For as long as I have had them (probably five years) they are in great physical shape, just a bit worn on the inside.
The old school Newbs. Not exactly a "workout" shoe. Everyone in college had them. They were great for walking to class in my fashionable softball sweats and over sized softball sweatshirt. Also, if I ever wandered into the gym, not with intentions of working out, but then randomly decided to play a game of racquetball or something, I was prepared.
These were my FAVORITE pair until I got the grey ones below. I wore them to workouts for softball in college and continued to use the heck out of them after that. They finally have a hole in the top...but that doesn't stop me from wearing them! Although, Sarah, you shouldn't be afraid to give these beauts a good cleaning...
And onto my faves. I bought these in March of 2010 and they have been my go-to-shoes ever since. I just love them. No particular reason, but I just do. The left shoe is about to get a hole in the top of the mesh where my big toe hits when I run. Don't think that will stop me from wearing these! You be trippin'! This may be the first pair of tennis shoes I actually wear until they fall apart!
One last pair I have are in my car. I keep them there just in case I have to fill in for a flag football game, or need to run from the cops. Just kidding, kind of :)
They are these:
These are another pair of my favorites! Of course mine are much dirtyier than these, but basically the same.
As you can see, I have enough shoes to last a life time. Seven pairs of okay to great tennis shoes. God is really opening my eyes and allowing me to see all that I have. If my grey shoes crumble, guess what?, I have six other pairs in perfect condition that will get me though my bi-yearly workouts!
Speaking of bi-yearly workouts...I signed up for a gym membership last week. I am on hold from working out for the time being because of a possible bulging disk in my neck from the
Jog'r Egg Nog'r compiled with a
ski wipe out that I experienced a couple weeks ago. I hadn't fallen in probably 6+ years, took one bad fall, and now my disks are bulging. I am getting old.
Speaking of getting old, my day of birth is next Friday...for all of you planning on getting me a present. Totally kidding, kinda :) Chris this is your warning, my BIRTHDAY IS NEXT FRIDAY.
Back to closet talk.
Ever since I did the closet clean up a couple weeks ago I have been keeping up with the shoe organization and separation of clothes. It is doing wonders for my resolution. Anytime I think I want something new I just look in my closet and think, "Now look at all the clothes you haven't even worn this year!" Eye-opener.
I will conclude this post with a couple other pictures and a shot of my jewelry organization. My jewelry is hung behind out closet door, which is perfect!
You can read all about the jewelry organizer
here. It is so nice to have your jewels on display. You wear everything so much more!
Shoes...
...and shoes...
...and more shoes.
Thanks so much for sticking with me thought that whole post! Whew, clothes and shoes overload!
God is really working with me and I honestly have no desire to go shopping. Weird, but true. I have walked by stores ranging from Ross to Neimans and have not had one ounce of urge to go in. Truly a blessing and I know God is stirring in my heart and teaching me a lesson that will last a lifetime.
Looking at all I have is enough to thank God everyday. I have too many clothes, and too many shoes, and too much of a lot of things, and I am now realizing that. There are more important things to life than a closet full of clothes.
Can't wait to continue to see the changes taking place in my heart!
Have a perfect Thursday, everyone :)
PS: I am super giddy because I get to pick up my darling hubs from the airport tonight! Alone time is good, but I miss my best friend! Plus, getting his daily pictures of the beach is kinda unfair!
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