I started to work on my bedroom today by taking all my heavier clothes out of the drawers and putting them into 2 bins which fit under the bed. Then I finished putting all my lighter clothes into the drawers, folded KonMari style, and taking inventory.
Shorts, pants and swimwear
Once I buy a pair of shorts they seem to become part of my life- there are a couple pair I’ve had for over 5 years and I plan to keep them till they fall apart. I don’t think I bought any last year and don’t need any this year. T-shirts seem to wear out much more quickly, so I replace them nearly every year, but I also never spend much on them. I’m on the hunt for a very basic navy t-shirt and a not-too-skimpy black tank top or sleeveless tee and it’s been hard to find exactly what I want. I’m not picky about most things but t-shirts are an exception, which is kind of sad because they never seem to last. Maybe I should let Emma lose in Target and buy whatever she finds, provided the size is right.
This morning I was looking for photos from previous July 4th events and found this photo of my bedroom, from about five years ago.
A little cluttered, but not terrible.
The timing was good because it helped motivate me a little today. I like to decorate, but I’ve let the bedroom décor go, not intentionally. Emma likes to throw little parties for her dolls and likes to source the house for decorations. Using items from the shelves is a little unconventional, but it’s fun to see her creativity at work. Sometimes I feel a bit annoyed but when she outgrows this phase I know I will miss it so I don’t complain to her.
While going through my clothes before, I found myself wondering again if my wardrobe is excessive. I’ve seen HGTV shows where people walk into closets twice the size of my bathroom and deem them too small, and I wish I could climb into the tv and ask, “Are you for real?” I don’t think I have too much. I have pared it way, way down, but I want to get rid of more. A few readers have mentioned Project 333 in the comments, and I’ve decided to try it when I get back from vacation. I also found this blog post, which was helpful.
I need to deal with my jewelry. I have a lot of fashion jewelry and it seems like I gravitate to the same few pieces, leaving much of it unworn. Since jewelry’s part of Project 333 I’ll have to begin making some decisions. During past purges I’ve skipped over it because it’s all pretty well stored, though I need to break my habit of leaving my jewelry all over the house. I don’t like to wear any when I am home so I remove whatever I’m wearing as soon as I get in the door, which means it’s all over the place. I will need to pare through all my lovely scarves too. This might be harder than I anticipated!
I’d like to wish all my U.S. readers a happy and safe Independence Day weekend!
I’m curious to see how you work through clothes, jewelry, and scarves. Enjoy your vacation.
I’m a P333-er, and I don’t count jewelry… mostly because I wear so little. Don’t be afraid to bend the rules a bit when you start — at first, I didn’t count shoes or scarves, although I do now.
And don’t be disappointed if you can’t get it down to 33 on your first go. It’s less about the number and more about figuring out what you like and what you need.
I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes! It’s an eyeopener, that’s for sure.
I don’t know how you feel about shopping second hand. I do the Compact, and buy nothing new (with some personal exceptions, like underwear) and have had great luck with inexpensive t-shirts from Gap or DKNY lasting a long time.