Clean up on aisle A

   It's almost time. I found and purchased candy corn pumpkins today! I am so ready to decorate for Halloween. As soon as the carpet is done I think I will. Bathroom is almost there. No pictures yet though because I am determined to show you all a finished product.

   I did work on another project though which made me feel awesome. I read a blurb on CNN online about cleaning out your closet. I decided that on Labor Day, that would be my task. Just yesterday I checked in with one of my fave blogs twentynine and Michelle had just done the same exact thing too! Except she bought the book. I did not...

   This author, Jill Martin, got me to notice how much unwanted, ill fitting clothing I had in my closets and drawers. After just one skim of her article on CNN I knew she was right.  "I feel like you should always look like you're about to run into your ex-boyfriend," Martin said. "When you can avoid it, you should never be a mess." When you have too much in your closet, most of which you never even pull out as an outfit option, why hold onto it? I knew I was guilty as charged. I'm the queen of saving things for the right weather, or a different sized item that I "may" fit into again. Forget all of that.

   Why do I have 15 pairs of sweats/yoga pants and 30 sweatshirts? Why do I feel the need to get a new Cape Cod shirt every year that I go when I really only wear these tees to bed?Not only did I need a serious clean out, but I have to reevaluate how I shop. I couldn't wear every item I have over the course of a year. Enough is enough!

   I started hacking into the closet. I began with the jeans. I started with about 15-20 pairs ranging in 3 different sizes. I could remember having convos with myself over whether or not I should wear a specific pair on a day. Trash them. If I couldn't recall the last time I wore them or if they had a bad quality (ie., hate how the pockets lay, fit loose in the waist, too short) I deemed them unfit and into the pile they went. I wear suits every day. I don't need this many pairs of jeans. I have about 5 pairs that fit well that are my "go to" pairs. That's all I need.

   An old dress that I "hung onto" in case I need a casual dress. I had this dress since I was 19. I equate it with my 19th birthday because it's what I have on in all the pictures. I am most certainly not going to be wearing this again. I haven't in YEARS. Stop hoarding, Autumn.

   The pile continued to grow as I got more realistic about why I was keeping these items.

   "Because it fit me once" or "because I wore that to a rehearsal dinner" isn't a good reason. It just added to clutter. In the end I filled 4 garbage bags up and brought them all to my mom and sister to pick through. I will do a second round once the spare bedroom is more accessible (post-bathroom!). The "after" left me feeling like I had less choices to dig through. I shouldn't allow myself to feel guilty that I bought a shirt and never wore it. I shouldn't keep it!

  I even went through my "in case I paint" drawer of clothing. Nothing left! Because I almost never paint! lol You may want to consider doing this. It felt amazing!