Sunday, March 08, 2009

Spring Cleaning of a Different Sort.

I think of this venture as "cleaning the soul." I've been on a great purge. In the past month I've ditched seven pairs of shoes, countless shirts, pants, and all kinds of clothing items. I've been pretty ruthless and it's easier because some things just don't FIT me because I'm now so skinny! Tee hee.

That's not quite the truth. My weight loss goal deadline was Feb. 28 and I still had three pounds to lose. I'm sad to say I've made little progress there but I've also taken most of this week off from the gym, due to an all-consuming head cold which started small and has now taken over my life.

Example: Yesterday, I was at T. J. Maxx looking for a pair of pants that might actually fit me (pleased to say everything I tried on was one size smaller than what I've worn for the past decade). As I wandered the store I was coughing and sneezing (trying to avoid people in general) and then the nasal drip started. For some reason I didn't have any tissues in my purse and so I resorted to the back of my hand technique to avoid looking some drippy nosed 6 year old. This went on for awhile until I happened to really look at my hands. I'd mistaken a nose bleed for nasal drip and now it was all "Out, damn'd spot! out, I say!" When I looked in the bathroom mirror I was aghast--blood on my cheek and chin, a little on my shirt, all over my hands... Oh my. I can't imagine what other customers might have thought. I wonder if anyone shooed their children away from the crazy lady and I just missed it. Cold meds always leave me in a bit of a fog.

Pardon the digression. Where was I? Oh yes. My clothing purge began a month ago and this weekend, as I started to do my seasonal shift in my closet, I managed to weed out another huge stack of goodies. I hate my closet and I hate that I have too many clothes to fit in it, that I have a tiny dresser that is more decoration than useful and that I have other nooks and crannies throughout the apt where I have various clothing stashed away. Swimsuits in a box in the closet. Work out clothes in my craft room. And it was soon to be all my fall & wintery sweaters stuffed in under-the-bed storage bags.

That's when I snapped. At least 1/3 of my crappy closet was filled with items I never wear (old bridesmaid dresses and the like) I had a plastic container filled with pantyhose. I don't remember the last time I wore pantyhose. Do people still wear such things? I threw them all away. If I need a pair, I'll buy them. I pretty much went through all my clothing, item by item and made some tough decisions. The bridesmaid dresses are stashed in the craft room closet and now my transitional clothing and spring/summer stuff is side by side. I set all my wintery stuff aside and created a stackable unit for the top shelf of the closet and now those items can rest up high until they are needed again. I reorganized my workout gear and now that's all easily accessible in shelf system that hangs from the closet bar. By shifting things in the closet to the dresser and some things from the dresser to the closet, I have a system that makes sense to me. I feel much MUCH better about the whole affair and I actually have every last lick of normal clothing I own (as opposed to costume, and bridesmaid dresses) in my closet or in my dresser and it's all in my bedroom. I'm pretty excited.

I would take a picture and post it, but that seems a bit silly and also I am going back to Target today to pick up a small 2 drawer unit for the floor of the closet so I'm not QUITE done, but I will be today, at least until the next purge. (think: purses, jewelry, swimsuits, summer shorts... )


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UPDATED: added links with pictures of my too small (still somewhat messy looking) closet... though it's organized perfectly to suit my needs.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I had a plastic container filled with pantyhose. I don't remember the last time I wore pantyhose. Do people still wear such things? I threw them all away. If I need a pair, I'll buy them"

I wear them everyday no matter what the weather is Hot or cold. Pantyhose have come a long way since the 60, 70, and even 80's they are much more comfortable to wear. I wear the higher end hose, and they don't run as easy, and are more comfortable today then in the 70's & 80's with the new fibers.
Think of hose as make-up for the legs. If you take a 10 - 30 minutes in the morning to makeup your face and do your hair, and pick an outfit, then why not take an extra 5 minutes to makeup your legs.
I know I get lots of compliments for men, and from some woman on how nice my legs look.
To prove my point I went to the local mall with my husband (who loves to see me and other lady in hose) and walked thru with skirt and bare legs, and not one person made a remark or gave me a second look. The next day we went back to the same mall, and this time I had Tan color silky hose on, and a skirt, (I wear shorts with hose as well.) and my husband walked a few steps back, and men kept doing double takes my husband told me. On guy turned to get another look at me, and the girl he was with smacked him. When we went to the food court, 2 different guys came up and asked for my name and phone #. Now you tell me ladies, what was the reason for the 2 different reactions? ANSWER- Men like to see ladies made up, and they love to see hose on them. Most men are afraid to tell there girlfriends or wives about this. So I say find a brand of hose you like the feel and fit, and start showing your legs in hose. Hollywood is starting to wear hose again, and they are showing up on runways as well. Also, Annie Duke one of the females on the Apprentice also wore shorts and Hose on 3/8
Donna From Philly

Carm said...

Thanks for the fun anecdote Donna. (maybe this is a good time to confess I rarely wear make-up! Sounds like I should start making the effort!)

I guess part of my problem with hose relates to how so many of my shoes are open toed or sandals. I am sure my days of wearing them aren't done, but I figure if I hadn't looked in that box in the past five years I might want to invest in new ones anyway!

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