PURGE!!

It all started innocently enough.   My friend Tracie just had a baby a month ago and she was saying how she's an awkward size and too small for maternity clothes but too big for her old clothes.  She was going to go shopping and I said "wait, I have so many clothes, I'll find something for you".  I have four wardrobes.  One might think spring, summer, winter, fall but it's more like 10, 12, 14, 16 and a mishmash of seasons.  Now, I have been meaning to go through my closets (yes two single closets) for ages and had done a little bit here and there.  I knew I only wore about 10% of what I had.  So I started, at first I was just looking for stuff for her but then I started literally, trying on every item and making many decisions, do I wear it? will it be good for Tracie?  does it fit?  do I love it?  if it ever does fit again would I really wear it?  I got ruthless and I couldn't be happier!!!

It started off looking like this at one point (and this isn't even everything)

And ended up looking like this

It didn't stop there either.  I went through EVERYTHING.  In the end, I dropped one big moving box full of clothing at my friend's place.  And 5 big moving boxes at the Salvation Army, mostly clothes, some housewares etc.  There's a 7th box half full in my living room and I keep adding to it.  I can't even explain what a weight has been lifted.  I feel like I had SO MUCH stuff.  What's crazy is that I can't believe all that stuff actually fit in my closets.  I can't imagine how much stuff is in a house on Hoarders considering what was actually in those closets.  I also made two jewelry organizers.  One for post earrings and one for hanging stuff.  The earrings one just sits on my dresser and the other is hanging behind my bedroom door.  It's just a box from the dollar store and in it, I cut strips of grey foam insulation and stuffed them in there and glued them in place.  The hanging one is just an IKEA frame I had that the glass was broken form.  I used chain from the hardware store and leftover square hooks from my running medals/bibs display.

In the end, here's a list of clothes that went bye bye.  It's crazy.  Unbelievable.  And it feels so good.

23 t shirts

27 summer tops

25 sweaters

3 pairs of shorts

3 button down tops

5 dressy tops

5 pairs of jeans

1 pair of cords

1 pair of dress pants

2 pair of yoga pants

3 jackets

And that's just the clothes.  There were some bags, hats, etc as well.

It's incredible how much easier it is to find things, get ready for work etc.  I've always wanted a wardrobe with simple pieces that I can mix & match and that is not what I had.  I had a mess.  I did find a few items that I now fit into that I had in my "smaller clothes" closet so I've added those to my good closet.  I also know that there is very little that I need at the moment and I most definitely do not need any workout wear.  Holy crap is there a lot of it!!  

And with all the trying on of clothes, I got brave and finally finally finally wore skinny jeans and boots.  With one of the tops and one of the sweaters that I found in the other closet. :)

Please forgive the terrible picture.

found sweater, macy's t shirt, old navy bootcut jeans

my new jacket, the skinny jeans and boots.

I need a proper wall mirror so I can stop taking pictures in divided mirrored closet doors. :)

Do you tend to hang onto things or get rid of them as soon as they are no longer useful to you?  I think I've turned over a new leaf.  I keep finding things that can go and I have to say, it is so much easier to stay clean & organized now!