Mah Closet, Let Me Show it to You
February 7, 2008
For the past two weeks, on my weekly to-do list I have listed going through my closet and cleaning it out. To the casual observer, this would appear to be a simple task.
You would be wrong.
Exhibit A: Mah Closet
Hi, my name is Shash and I’m a pack rat.
So here’s my plan. Once I gather up the motivation (which could happen as early as tomorrow morning when I’m frantically searching for a pair of shoes and can’t find them); I will gut my closet and put it back together in an organized fashion (Probably this weekend). This will mean some purging will have to happen. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this? I mean, besides just tossing things out willy-nilly. I need guidance, people. I will offer a sweet prize (read: a gift card to Target) to anyone who can help me tackle this project correctly so I’m not throwing away clothes that I need or keeping clothes that I can no longer wear. Please, HELP!!!
P.S. Where’s Tim Gunn when you (read: I) need him?!?
February 7th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
test.
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February 8th, 2008 at 5:55 am
Hey, you’re redoing your blog and your closet at the same time — good going! The blog looks great; I love the shots at the top of the page.
I can’t give you good advice about throwing stuff out till I do it myself! I have a fridge magnet that says, “I’m not a packrat, I’m an archivist.”
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February 8th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Hmm maybe you need Ty Pennington of Home Makeover to re-do it? My walk in closet is still neat! THANK GAWD!
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February 8th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I’ve been listening to Peter Walsh’s book It’s All Too Much and I love his approach. He challenges you to honour and respect things that are important by displaying them or giving them to someone else who will. I think you could transfer this to your closet and say if something is worth keeping, it’s worth wearing. His closet tips are too purge what you haven’t worn in a year and then put what gets to stay back in with the hook of the hanger backwards. As you wear something, you turn the hanger around and after 6 months you get rid of the clothes on the hangers that are still backwards. He recommends grouping common colours of clothing/shoes together and then keeping only one or two pairs of black denims or one pair each of black pumps, sandals, and flats. I’m cleaning my closet to find what I want to wear and also to explain to hubby why I need a few new things (hard to believe with a full closet). I’m taking next Friday off to clean my closet and some other things, I work better with a deadline.
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February 9th, 2008 at 1:24 am
I like the above (bakwards hangar) technique. Another option is the “temporary storage” trick. Put anything you haven’t worn recently in a box or Rubbermaid storage container. Keep it, but not too conveniently. After a year’s time, look through it again. Chances are you’ll realize that you really didn’t need those items after all.
Assuages the guilt muscles a bit.
The other solution: Sell the best no-longer-needed pieces at a consignment store and get a few bucks for them.
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February 9th, 2008 at 2:51 am
Just found your blog–love it! I especially love the clean clothes that are on hangers.
It’s like you’ve given me a little piece of guiltless enjoyment. Thank you!
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February 10th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
You can totally do this, but don’t try and do it all at once. I want to win the contest, but the idea is not mine, Check out flylady.net that is how I have gotten more organized. It teaches you to de-clutter in baby steps. Grab a bag and toss 27 things you no longer wear and put the bag in your car. The next time you swing by a Goodwill, drop it off. Then go through and do another 27 fling boogie another day. The mess wasn’t made in a day and it will not be finished in a day. And letting it buid up and doing a marathon 5 hour cleaning and organizing will only wear you out. Baby steps.
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February 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Anything I haven’t worn in more than six months get tossed. Anything I am saving for when I lose weight, etc, gets tossed. Anything with holes gets tossed. Anything that sat in the dry cleaning pile for six months gets tossed.
It feels so good to be lighter. Good luck!
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