I Like That Dress

As I have started this journey of decluttering my life, the weekends will serve as the best time to begin this process since I have Saturdays and Sundays off from work. I paced around my apartment trying to think of where to begin. The books I don't read anymore? The art supplies that are probably dried out and ruined? All things that seemed really daunting to begin at this moment in time especially while I had two loads of laundry already going. Then it hit me that the best place to start was with clothes. Especially with fall right around the corner it might be a good time to figure out if I'm actually going to wear anything from last season. 

Now if you know me, you know I love fashion. I LOVE shopping, even if I go and buy one shirt, it brings a joy to my life that is probably ridiculous but I don't care. That gray sweater is cozy and will comfort me when I drink tea, watch movies, run errands, and be with me for all the things I do in life. That one sweater has great value to me. HOWEVER I have acquired a lot of sweaters and other clothing items that are essentially the exact same things. It's time to sift through the clones and find the originals!

 This is my closet: a small portion of my clothing resides here. I have 6 other drawers that serve their own organizational purposes:

1. Socks, intimates, tank tops
2. T-shirts and blouses
3. Shorts and pants
4. Workout clothes
5. Scarfs and belts
6. Pajamas 

SOUNDS PRETTY RIDICULOUS but I went through all those first and got rid of A TON of t-shirts from summer camps, random events, and other nonsense. That, I will admit, wasn't that hard. Half those things I would wear when I paint, clean, just crappy T-shirts. 

THE REAL CHALLENGE is attacking the closet. As you can see, my closet is crammed with clothing. My half is to the right and it is extended to the right more than the picture shows. It's obnoxious. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE CLOTHES the way Kyle loves his video games. So how do I detach myself from the clothes I presumable "can't live without". 

This is the question I asked myself with every piece I pulled out of my closet. BUT THEN something absolutely AMAZING happened. Every piece of clothing I own in my closet magically had some sort of great meaning in my life! 

LITERALLY THIS WAS MY LIFE FOR THE PAST HOUR 

I kept asking myself "would I buy this right now" but then I said "well I already have it, and I would wear it here if this scenario ever happened"etc. etc. I was justifying my clothes as if they were being judged. 

Batman understands. 

Finally I pulled it together and just pulled out all the stuff I haven't worn in the past 6 months or at least that I can remember. Some were easier to throw in the pile than others, but by the end, I was a champion of the closet de-cluttering. 

Here it is: in all it's 25% cut down glory! It even just LOOKS BETTER! 

I stood there, hands on my waist smiling at the first step to not caring so much. I now only had clothes that I truly enjoy wearing, that aren't just taking up unnecessary space in my closet. AND I can actually spread them out and see what I have now! 

It is also so wonderful to know that I am giving away some wonderful clothes to those who need it far more than I do. (I won't be donating the junky T's, just the good ones)

Let's Admire This Beaut:

It doesn't look as big as it actually is in person but I promise you, that's probably MORE than 25% of my wardrobe! I sent this picture to my husband (he is currently working) because I was SO proud of the progress that I made tonight! EVEN SHOES! I forgot to mention the amount of SHOES I am getting rid of! So when I sent him this picture, the first thing he asked me was if that was the "getting rid of pile." I replied yes and he said "I like that dress". INSTANTLY I knew what dress he was referring to. It was a dress I was on the fence about getting rid of: the dress I wore on our honeymoon.

GUESS IT'S KIND OF ROMANTIC that it was the dress I wore on our honeymoon, and the fact that he likes it, so I pulled back ONE THING from the mound. Still got a lot accomplished and it's a small start BUT at least I got something STARTED!

Now I have to wear that dress somewhere!