How Organized Is Your Closet?

As beautiful as the picture is above, I don't think many people's closets are this minimalist and perfect. There do seem a decent amount of clothes here, but probably not a lot of variety. My closet houses all my clothes, including workout gear and casual clothing too. Even though this is a fantasy closet, I still aspire for mine to look like a version of this.

I've been thinking about issuing another 100 Things Challenge for myself. It's so therapeutic to count how many things you are letting go, like it's an accomplishment. I'm still working on my magazines and am proud to say I'm making a dent. I took a few bags to the thrift store last week too. I didn't count all those things but I'm willing to start over. Want to join me?

The challenge will go right along with the question of how organized your closet is. How would you like your closet to look? I'm sure most people have some piles going in the closet. I usually have something not hung up. We have a laundry basket in there. Our drawers are stuffed and get messy really fast. I put away out of season clothing so I only have the relevant pieces to look through. We are fortunate to have a nice sized closet and an organizing system from the Container Store. Our drawers are exactly like the ones in the picture in fact, which really helps to maintain tidiness.

Do you follow the rule, if you haven't worn it in a year, you throw it out? I will admit that I don't. I will put things on trial before I take the final plunge. It really has to be pretty evident that it's on it's not ever going to work for me to let it go to Goodwill. I downgrade a lot of clothes. Once nice t-shirts become workout shirts, old shoes become working or painting shoes, and old sweaters are like a sweatshirt to me since I don't wear sweatshirts. The only exception is if I know someone who will wear it, and then I will happily pass it along to them.

In order to have an organized closet goal, you have to ask yourself how much you are comfortable owning, or not owning. How would you feel with ten pairs of shoes, and three pairs of jeans for example? There is a buffer of excess that most people have that makes us feel like we are not in need. One may say they want a pared down closet, but would that put her in panic mode, and result in more shopping?

I think the answer is purely personal, but the idea is that we can be intentional. Maybe your closet is making you apprehensive because you can't find anything, or the clothes aren't "you" anymore. Just ask yourself what kind of closet person you want to be. I think we can all do with some paring down.

Answering the question, who you aren't can be just as telling as who you are. My don't would be a list like this:

1. I don't work in an office.
2. I don't go to clubs.
3. I don't wear high heels.
4. I don't live in a cold area.

I have a lot of "don'ts" and I bet you do too. What you do need is easy because you are wearing that every day. Begin your 100 Things Challenge with your "don'ts" and see if that gets you started.

When you are left with what you have, see how you can make your closet look more presentable. I love to organize my like things in baskets or boxes. Ikea has great boxes that make your closet look so tidy. Home Goods usually has some canvas lined baskets that look clean and polished too. Maybe you can hang your jewelry on some pretty hooks. But before you go buy anything, clean it out first! Before you buy, know what things you need to store.

So what is your ideal closet space? Do you have a large closet or a small armoire? Do you long for a closet like the picture, or is it a little too OCD for your taste? Are you ready for another 100 Things Challenge? Anyone want to link to a picture of their closet?

Picture from here.

Beach Cottage Bed Makeover

Our bed has had a plain white duvet cover on it for awhile now and even though I love the look of white, it wasn't working in our room.  It was too stark and the room needed something more, so lately I've been obsessing over the perfect duvet cover for our bed, one that adds color while combining masculine and feminine style.  My requirement was a blue-aqua color but I wanted it to not be too girly since I already have the inescapable pink chairs in the room.  I love creating a little cloud for us to sleep in with crisp, clean sheets, the perfect pillows and a fluffy, soft duvet.

After scouring every store in person and online I could find from Target to Overstock.com, I landed on the perfect blend I was looking for at Pottery Barn.  It's called Sausalito and is really more aqua than it looks in the photo.  It was a bonus that I found a pattern I liked in their organic line.

I've been working on adding more of a coastal, crisp feel into our home, a beach cottage if that's not too much of a stretch. G is from the Caribbean so this cottage style appeals to both of us.  I love decorating with beach inspired colors and textures but I'm trying to avoid an all out beach theme.  I hate cliche and have to leave room for my own quirkiness in the mix too.  I find that the blue and tan combination is so restful and I know I can use this for years to come.  The pattern and feel reminds me of a men's dress shirt, one that I don't have to iron.  

Of course I wanted a big fluffy look like they have in the store so I searched for a down alternative comforter to replicate that look.  I finally decided to get the organic Pottery Barn one but when I went to buy it, I found out that the organic one online is not the same one they sell in the stores.  Bummer, because I had my heart set on that one, but am not willing to pay so much for shipping.  Even though the one in the store was good; if I was buying a non-organic one, I was going to pay a non-organic price.  

All was not lost though because on that trip I learned a valuable Pottery Barn insider secret.  They have TWO comforters in their duvets on the display beds.  So my original plan wasn't going to work after all because there was no way I was going to spend almost $400 on two down comforters.  With Plan B in mind, I searched again online for down alternative comforters with good reviews.  A nudge from a friend (hi Amber!) prompted me to just order two from Wal-mart.  They have great reviews, free shipping to the store and two of them was half the price of one at Pottery Barn.  Of course anyone who really knows me knows that I will return them tout de suite if I don't like them!

To complete the look of the bed, we decided that the matching Euro shams were the way to go.  Since we still have my home-made headboard while we wait for the perfect, or shall I say, perfectly priced bed, they do not disappoint.  We got the pillows at Pottery Barn to go with the shams and I love their squishy, poofy down feel as much as I love how they give the bed a facelift.    

If you study in the store how they make a bed that looks luxurious and interesting, you will always see layers of color and texture.  I plan to add more layers to my bed to do just that.  With just a couple of regular pillow cases like the ones below, I can add interest and depth to the room.  The good news is that they will definitely be on sale as summer goes by and I can get a discount.

All of our sheets are white and I don't want to change that but adding a tan blanket to an under layer or at the foot of the bed is a possibility for the colder months.  We'd  have to be crazy to add another layer in the Houston summer though so that will give me time to find one that complements the look by fall.

What do you think?  Do you put a lot of effort into wardrobing your bed?  Does matching matter?  Do you think the bed is the face of the room?  Do you like beach cottage decorating but like me think it can get too much too fast?  I have a confession that sometimes I don't even make my bed but I'm going to resolve to get better about that!

Photos from here.

What Inspires You?

"It had the beauty of austerity, the wonderful shining cleanliness and even emptiness, the simplicity of having only what is it essential, which is balm to the troubled mind."  Caryll Houselander in Born Catholics  

This quote was posted on my refrigerator about 10 years ago, and now it is sitting on my desk.  It speaks to me in a way that is so contrary to the way that shopping and our consumeristic society makes me feel.  They both draw me though and I struggle to balance between over-consumption and a too minimal life. It makes sense that the quote is referring to a convent room where if anyone's life should be focused enough to attain this simplicity, it would be a nun.


When I read this, it always reminds me of how I feel when I'm traveling with only my suitcase full of essentials.  I go to a hotel room that has very little and I feel so peaceful there.  I often try to simulate at home how I feel in that space.  The room is decorated and the bed is cozy, but no clutter anywhere except what I bring.

Even though we need more at home, I sometimes wonder how much more do we need?  The excess weighs us down and becomes a burden.  We have to buy bins to put it in, hide it when people come over, clean around it, organize it and sometimes just shuffle it from pile to pile.  Why not get a coffee and dedicate an hour to going through some piles today?

How do you bring peace into your home? Is cleaning out clutter balm to your troubled mind?  Do you need a lot to feel at home, or is minimalism your style?

Photo from a convent in Italy.

Post Israel Post About Israel (& Shopping Too)

I have been in a fashion funk lately.  Maybe it's because my mind has been so focused on planning our trip to Israel.  For months, all our shopping trips involved Smartwool socks and moisture wicking fabrics.  At first I hated buying all these adventure clothes because they are so anti-fashionable. The first time we went to REI, I said I don't even know why they have mirrors because all these boots are ugly.  They grew on me though and now I'd wear them every day if I could because I love the sturdiness and comfort.  But don't be silly, I won't wear them every day! After all, Houston is the land of Tory Burch flats and flip flops.

On one shopping trip, I was making fun of G for his choice of button up green hiking shirts complete with venting in the back.  Despite my heckling, he bought them anyway because he thought they were super cool and so functional.  The next day we were in Banana Republic and what do I see but almost the exact same green shirt with two pockets on the front, minus the back venting.  So, what do I know about fashion anyway?  You step away for a couple months and you are completely out of the loop.

Today, I got reacquainted with the fashion world by spending a few hours at Nordstrom.  I walked around and soaked it all up with the piano music in the background as icing on the cake.  I even saw an old friend so we just cozied up on the couches in the women's department and had an hour long chat.  Usually, it takes me a long time to shop there because the shoppping budget doesn't go that far.  I must carefully select my few purchases.

Natalie, one of the sales girls took me around and gave me the tour of what's in right now.  She mentioned skinny jeans quite a bit, cargo pants, long cardigans, and lace.  I don't hop on to every trend but my wardrobe needed some CPR.  I got a a long black cardigan, a white ruffley, flowy cardigan, a purple sleeveless top, and a pair of white wedge shoes.  Well, let me show you the couple of things I could find on the site.

        

I was supposed to be shopping for summer, but I justified the cardigans because one, Natalie told me how cool they are, and two because even you need a sweater in the summer for the chilly air conditioning. I'm usually totally against white shoes and I completely forgot that until just now.  I also got lured into a Laura Mercier makeover which was fun.  I need more makeup like I need a hole in my head but I got the black turquoise eyeliner anyway.

I came home and was so excited about my new purchases that I made lots of new outfits with my purple shirts and white shoes.  I haven't done that in so long.  I basically lived in a turtleneck and jeans all winter because our house was so cold.  I'm just now getting my summer clothes into rotation so I needed to reevaluate what I have.  I know my few purchases are going to go far with perking up my existing clothes.  It's encouraging that just a couple of new and modern things can invigorate a wardrobe.

Even though I'm excited about my new purchases, I can't forget to write about the most important thing on my mind these days though!  Our trip to Israel was life changing and amazing.  I bought a few items and it transformed a lot of my outfits, but experiencing Israel has transformed my mind. This was a study trip as well as a hiking trip.  We learned so many things that allow us to see Jesus and the Bible in a new way.  There was a light that was turned on by learning about Jesus as a Jewish Rabbi, the culture and practices of Jews during his time.  Knowing the land and the specifics of the culture helps us understand the parables and metaphors he used more clearly.  If you are interested in this, read Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, to learn more about unlocking the key to understanding a new level of the Bible.

To be in the land of the Bible and walk where Moses and Jesus walked was awe inspiring.  We would hike up a mountain or down a wadi and read about what happened in that place from the Scriptures.  The picture above and below is by the dead sea.  That scarf wasn't for fashion. It had cooling beads in it that kept me from overheating on those long hikes.  Here are a couple more photos.

Tell me what has invigorated you or your wardrobe lately?  Have you taken a trip that changed your life?  Is there a trend that you are loving?  Are you cringing or smiling that the 80's are back?  When Natalie from Nordstrom told me to pinch in the bottom of my pants before rolling them up to look more tapered, it took me back to junior high and I'm not that excited about the 80's coming back.  Are you rocking the skinny jeans and flowing cardigans?  Have you been to Israel?  Got a trip planned?

Will You Do It Too?

We did it.  It was really hard and I realized something about myself.  I have an aversion to dying.  I don't like to talk about it and I certainly don't like to think about people going through my stuff when I am not around.  I don't like to think about Gustavo dying before me, or me dying before him.  I'd just really rather not know what happens after I die before I die. Regardless of all this avoidance and denial, we finally did our will.

We used an attorney here in Houston that I can certainly recommend to you. She was very thorough and patient as we discussed how we would go about dispersing our estates.  I am so indecisive and she even worked through that with me.  Her name is Mary Beth Cameron and you can contact her here. She can actually do all kinds of lawyering stuff so if you need something else, call her for that too.

We did something kind of fun with our wills.  Instead of just only giving money to family members, we will also each be setting up two scholarship funds, one for the children in our families and one for our high schools.  We both strongly believe in education and thought it was a great way to keep a legacy of that belief going.

My scholarship trust for my high school will be for a student who was just like me, enthusiastic and active, made good grades but wasn't the top top student and didn't qualify for financial aid.  There are so many worthy students who are in the middle area and that is who I want to help. Eventually we will set up this scholarship fund while we are still alive so we can have fun picking the student too.  Gustavo is setting one up for his high school in Puerto Rico, a specialized boarding school for future engineers called CROEM.

Maybe you have something that you strongly believe in and want to help with too.  If you do, it's not as complicated as it sounds.  You don't have to set it up now so there's nothing to do really except put it in your will and appoint the trustees.  When you die a "springing trust" will be created and you have already named the trustees in your will.  You have to pick three people in case some of those people are already gone.  Wouldn't it be fun to have a scholarship named after you in your high school?  I seriously thought about only giving it for students who want to study abroad since I had a hard time paying for my study abroad programs.  (I went to Spain and Wales.) Why not pick someone who was just like you and play favorites like I did?

If you haven't done your will yet, just make an appointment and do it.  It won't be fun and I'm not even sure you will feel better after all these thoughts about dying, but it is a necessary evil.  If you have children, you especially need to think about who will raise your children by appointing a guardian.  Depending on your state there are different consequences to not having a will.  There may be financial consequences or it will just be harder on your spouse or family.  Believe me, when there is a death you have enough paper work to deal with without having to fight the court.  I learned that having a will written partly in ink and partly typed is not valid in places.  There are actually a lot of rules and if you are going through the trouble to make one, make sure you find out from an attorney if it will be valid.  The kits at Office Depot for $20 are probably not be worth it.

I bet you are all ahead of me and took care of this already.  Who has a will and did you do something special in it?  Did you know that you aren't allowed to leave money to your dog?  Are you like me, and avoided it like the plague?  Does it creep you out to think about people going through your stuff?  What better reason to go clean out your closet right now!

Picture from here.

Make Your Own Must-Have List

In the spirit of daylight savings time and 70 degree weather, G and I exchanged out our summer and winter wardrobes this past weekend.  As we were taking out and putting away, we also took the opportunity to clean out some things in the process.  It was really fun, especially pointing all the things G should throw out, and our closet looks so much tidier.

G doesn't usually have an opinion about my clothes but he did intervene on some items for me this time.  There were some pointy toed heels with love written on them that he slowly reached in, took out and placed in the to go bag.  I only slightly flinched as I watched them go.  The same happened with the strappy, rhinestone buckle heels that I bought for our first date. They will be much prettier in memory when I tell the story to our kids, rather than their grubby reality.  The green Theory pants and the candy cane striped velvet Theory pants are in there too.  Bye bye faithful friends, I hope that you make someone else smile too!   The back of the car is full and headed to KCM, our local charity store, this week.

As I was sitting on the floor gathering up my winter socks into their bag for another year in hibernation, I looked up at my slightly stuffed side and thought "I still have too many clothes."   I had preserved some winter items until the heat is here for good, but I still have too many clothes.

This is a picture of my side of the closet and you can see that for the average American woman my wardrobe is really pared down and small, although it's kind of stuffed in there at the moment. 

Even though my wardrobe is smaller than the average bear, I still sat there contemplating this, as only a Closet Therapist would do and I had a thought.

What if I started over with nothing?  

How many clothes would I need?

Hmmmmm.  First I asked Gustavo because guys are simpler to organize.  We both agreed that 10 shirts and 5-8 pairs of pants would be a good place to start for him.  But women tend to be more complicated.  Our closets consist of items that have organically grown over the years, through sizes and trends and phases.  As we exit one phase, we don't automatically let go of the previous one but what would we choose if we started over today? 

I am a stay at home wife and I have a pretty basic uniform that I wear everyday yet my wardrobe is still filled with many unnecessary items because some of those clothes are work clothes.  I don't work outside the home but if I did for a time I wouldn't want to go shopping.  Obviously I would need to earn money and not spend it shopping for new clothes. Everyone has their reasons for keeping items that don't work for them at the moment.  Maybe you are getting back into pre-baby clothes, or holding on to a smaller size because you are determined to lose weight.  I've decided to put those work clothes away so that they are there if I need them but I don't have to look at the extra clothes every day stuffed in my closet.  

Why does this even matter?  Let's just all stuff our closets full and not worry about it.   The truth is that a simplified wardrobe that works for us presently is important to all areas of our life.  It affects our confidence, how appropriate we dress and how comfortable we are working in our daily lives.  

I don't have an answer for how much you need, but if you ask yourself I bet you'll find an answer.  There are tons of must-have wardrobe staples lists but really you should make your own.  Those famous must-have lists are not for everyone.  Why does every list have a trench coat and why don't I see anyone walking around in one?

Why not put in a box the clothes that you don't wear?  They say we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time.  Is that true for you?  What would happen if you had less clothes in your closet?  Would you feel rested or start to panic? What would your wardrobe look like if you started over?  Tell me what is in your "Must-Have List".  

How My Wallet Went on a Diet

Recently I bought a new wallet from Rue La La.  It's by Chocolat Blu and just a clean, crisp black.  I usually would have gone for a color but decided to be conservative and classic in my choice this time.  I eagerly awaited it in the mail, and when I got it was delighted at the leathery smell and clean design.  Then I put all my stuff in it and to my dismay, it looked so stuffed and fat that I took everything out and considered sending it back.  I mean, it wasn't going to work for me, was it?

After some inward thought about my wallet full of cards, I started thinking it was time to declutter this area of my life too.  Why is it necessary to be dragging around all these things with me?  In the spirit of full disclosure and shame, I'm going to list what was in my wallet.

Chase credit card
Chase debit card
Banana Republic Luxe credit card
Banana Republic $10 gift card
Banana Republic $10 gift card (yes, another one)
Banana Republic choose a day to get 15% off card
Banana Republic February 23 30% card
Banana Republic February 18-28 25% card
Wachovia debit card
Nordstrom card
Drivers License
Starbucks Registered Card (1)
Starbucks Registered Card (2)
Starbucks Registered Card (3)
Insurance Card
Prescription Card
Whole Foods vitamin card
Whole Foods vitamin card (yes, two)
Water machine card
Talbots credit card
Ann Taylor credit card
AAA card
Hertz AAA discount card
Home Depot gift card (well earned for listening to Rain Soft presentation)
Pottery Barn merchandise credit (for pillows I took back without receipt)
Anthropologie customer card
AT&T debit card (was gift for signing up with them & has .57 on it)
Coupon for free pair of Victoria's Secret panties
Checkbook
Checkbook register
Coffee card from Lenoir, NC (drive thru coffee when I visit my family)
Coffee card from Lenoir, NC (internet & coffee when I visit my family)
CVS card
Library card from Houston
Library card from Katy
Business card for hairdresser
Money
Coins

Can you believe this?  Is this a Dave Ramsey nightmare?  We don't carry any debt on any of these credit cards, but I had to ask myself why it is necessary to have all these on me at all times.  I am not often unprepared when asked to produce something as you can imagine and, believe it or not, I'm having a hard time whittling this list down to fit all neat and tidy in my new wallet.

If you break down my list into categories, it would look like this:

Major Credit Cards
Banking Debit Cards
Store Credit Cards
Customer Loyalty Cards (not credit but you give when you shop)
Coupons
Store Credit (they have money on them)
Misc. but important like insurance and drivers license

In an effort to become who my wallet wants me to be, I have been evaluating all these categories and making decisions to simplify my financial life.  I found there are sentimental attachments to these cards, just like everything else we try to declutter.  There are personal associations that I feel by having cards to certain stores.  That is how they want us to feel!  I have been sure that there is an advantage to being a part of this store by having their credit card because they send me catalogs and coupons.  As far as Talbots and Ann Taylor, I hardly ever shop there.

I have already taken action to reduce this credit clutter.  I canceled my Ann Taylor card with the touch of a few buttons.  Yesterday I said bye bye to my Wachovia checking account and debit card which I never use.  It was my first checking account in college which is probably what kept my loyalty all these years.  G had a Saks card that he canceled but wasn't in my wallet.  Yay for progress!

We have the Chase Freedom card which gives you cash back, and used to make all our purchases on that card.  For the last 8 months or so we have been weaning ourself off of using it because it June they will start charging an annual fee.  I don't have any problem canceling a card that charges me just for having it!  Even though we paid it off every month, using a credit card still makes you spend more money.  There is something very real about using cash to pay for things.  You don't let go of it as easily and may think twice about a purchase.

On Sunday, we were at the Columbia store looking for outdoorsy clothes for our trip to Israel coming up.  I had four things that I was going to buy and they came to $130.  I asked G how we were going to pay for it and he said we should try to not use the credit card.  That means that I have to use my allowance for these clothes.  I ended up putting one jacket back, using the cash I had in my wallet and then writing a check for the rest.  We definitely reconsidered every item right there at the cash register when I realized I wouldn't be using the credit card.

One card that we won't be canceling is the Banana Republic.  We shop there a lot and find a lot of value in it.  We get free hemming alterations on all our pants we buy, free shipping with online shopping, and a lot of promotions for cardholders.  Gustavo is so slim that their clothes fit him best and I love dressing him from there.

The customer loyalty cards are quite bulky and when it comes down to it, you can give them your phone number.  The CVS card, I had on my key chain and in my wallet.  It's just amazing to me how I comply with these marketing strategies.  Because of this CVS card, I certainly shop there rather than Walgreens.

There are other reasons to not be carrying around all these items in your wallet, financial reasons and logistical ones.  If my wallet got stolen, I would have to remember all these things were in my wallet, and make a ton of phone calls to cancel and replace.  What if I forgot one that I rarely used like my Wachovia debit card?  I think that making changes like these have to happen from time to time.  What used to work for us may not be working anymore.  Sometimes just leaving it alone seems easier which was certainly the case for me.

I'm so happy that this little wallet has come into my life to expedite these changes.  I'm not sure I would have done it otherwise.  I will think twice about accepting a 10% discount to open a store charge card.  Sometimes it really isn't worth the complication that it causes.  It's another bill that you have to remember to pay.  Hey, sometimes it is worth it but that's not for me to decide.  Sometimes 10% is a lot!  Maybe cancel the card after you get the discount.  Then again, you have to consider that your credit is being hit by opening the card, so if you are buying a house or need your credit score to be high, it's not worth it.

What do you think about simplifying your finances?  What do you do to make your life less complicated.  Is your wallet fat and stuffed like mine, or mainstreamed and uncluttered?  Want to send me a picture for inspiration or share in my shame?  Do tell!

Picture from here.  This is not my wallet by the way!