Quick Closet Redo!!!

I belong to a Facebook group called 365 Days of Eliminating Crap. They motivated me to do something I have wanted to do for a long time--identify the clothes I don't wear and remove them from my closet. My closet was mostly full of clothes I have to lose weight to fit in and items needing some kind of tweaking (as in sewing). This daily reminder of not being the size I want to be was just too depressing. Time to purge! (Bear with me--there is a redo!) I decided to document the event:

I gave myself a 40 minute time limit, which did not allow for trying stuff on or eenie meenie miney mo, or anything! Here is the result:

 

 

 

Seven bags of clothes, and later I added a bag of shoes and purses! All got donated!

After seeing the photo I took of my closet, I was pretty horrified! What a mess! Now that a third of the contents was gone, I decided it was time for a quick redo! I headed to Michael's and Bed Bath & Beyond, coupons clutched in hand. Here is the result:

Now, I smile when I walk into my closet! All it needed was some baskets and new hangers. I chose black for it's ability to disappear. The hangers are the flocked kind and don't leave little points sticking out the shoulder of all my shirts. You can buy them in bulk (packs of 50, seen here) and in several styles. I bought the suit ones, because you can hang either a shirt or pants or both on the same hanger.


The baskets came from Michael's. I have purses and hats in mine, but if you intend to use it for sweaters or lingerie, make sure you get a material that won't snag. These are made from a cloth webbing.

 

 

 

 

Simple changes, big results!

 

 

One more thing! I used a tension rod in the back of one side to hold scarves. So convenient to see them all at once when deciding which to wear.

 

 

I hope this motivates you to think about your closet. Have I regretted anything I got rid of? Quite the opposite--twice I've pulled something out and thought "How did YOU make the cut?"

 

I will be joining:

 

Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday 

Thrifty Décor Chick for Before & After

The Big "O"!

I am always in pursuit of the big "O" but it doesn't come naturally. Of course, I'm talking about ORGANIZATION. And, I'm sure not getting better as I get older. Combine a bad memory with too much stuff to keep track of, and you have one big mess!

I knew I needed some help! This will give you an idea of what I was dealing with.

This started out as my staging inventory. Then I discovered tablescaping, and things grew out of hand. And, I have another five complete sets of dishes elsewhere in my house. The deciding moment for me was when I bought the same dishes twice! I knew I needed some way to get ORGANIZED!!!

I created this for my tablescaping, but it certainly would work for any obsession hobby! The first step was buying a photo album. These are not as easy to find as they used to be. I didn't want anything fancy. I found this one at OfficeMax for $12.

I loved that I could slip a tablescape photo in the cover!

I always choose black because I have two black dogs and two black cats, and well, you get it.

It's very important to put something in the album that identifies who it belongs to, in case you leave it someplace. A phone number is all you need. I never lose things in stores. Just in my own house!

Now, you just add the information you need. Eventually, I will add more, but this just gives you an idea!

I took photos of my dishes and glasses, and did that ever give me an idea of how many I have! I will eventually add candlesticks, centerpieces, colors and sizes of tablecloths and napkins, etc.

And, then I printed them, and cut them out!

They are organized by dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, etc.

I write in how many I have and where I bought them. As I start to use this book, I will write down prices, too.

You can even include fabric samples! See if a smart phone can do THIS!

I think this will definitely prevent me from buying the same thing twice, and I feel good and ORGANIZED!!!

Thank you to Between Naps On The Porch for hosting this Metamorphosis Monday! I also need to thank Mr. Wonderful, who is still waiting for the Italian dinner I promised to cook for him tonight!

Be sure to visit my sister's blog at Robin Flies South...

And, you are always welcome to visit Elaine's Wonderful World!