 I was part of the moving crew to help my daughter move last week...Part way through the unloading, she turned to me and asked, "Do you think we have too much stuff? You'd tell me, right?"
Here's how you know if you have too much stuff:
Here's what to do about it: Plan ahead! Start at least 6 months ahead of your move to downsize your items. For some people it's easiest to work on one room at a time. Other people like to choose a category, like books, and go through the whole house plucking out books that they no longer read or that no longer delight them. Give yourself time to sort through and edit everything before you even think about packing. It's way too much to do all at the same time. Ask yourself the hard questions, and EDIT ruthlessly! "Do I want to carry it?" (Even if you're not actually going to carry the boxes yourself, use that as a measuring tool and figuratively ask, "Do I want to carry this ______ with me into my new life?") "Does it serve the future me?" "Do I get excited at the thought of unpacking it?" "Do I Love it? Need it?" "Will I ever miss it if it's gone, or does it thrill me that someone else will love it?" Give back! Many of us are keeping items for others, and this is often well intentioned, done out of a spirit of helping, love and kindness. What I often see, however, is that these items become a burden. They are items that belong to our children, our parents, or our long-gone relatives. We are the ones that keep this stuff because we have a basement, an attic, a storage locker. I am here to tell you that the time is now! If you are contemplating a move...send out the word to the relatives: YOU HAVE 3 MONTHS, (UNTIL {3 months from date...}) TO CLAIM YOUR ITEMS! AFTER SUCH TIME, THEY WILL BE DONATED AND SENT BACK OUT INTO THE WORLD TO ENCHANT SOMEONE ELSE. I WILL NOT DRAG THEM WITH ME INTO MY NEW LIFE! (or something like that...) Blame me, Blame the blog, Feel the pinch and do it anyway. (If you must, try a nicer approach first...nice does not usually convey a sense of urgency.) A move is such a big transition and if you happen to also be downsizing, this is a crucial step. Now, unpack, enjoy, CELEBRATE! You did all of the hard work, enjoy the beginning of your new life feeling lighter, sparkly, and spacious. If you are NOT moving, apply the above principles to your current location and have the sparkly and spacious feeling right now! If you are headed for a move, let me know how I can support you, I have helped dozens of people get real about what to pack and move. I would love to help you, too! Lots of love, Jane
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So, you’ve decided to tackle your clothes, huh? Would you like a few tips? Here’s the exact process I use when working with clients and their clothes.
And by the way, this is how we tackled a client’s closet last Friday. We go through her closet yearly so now it’s a breeze...so easy, in fact, that we had time to GO SHOPPING! First, start with the dresser. I would recommend going one drawer at a time so that the job does not become overwhelming! Or pick a category like shoes, sweaters, workout gear. Remember start small and manageable, build your editing muscle without overwhelming yourself. Take everything out (of the drawer, shelf, or section of closet) and give the drawer or shelf a cleaning. (I LOVE Thieves Cleaner, smells like cinnamon and cloves. I’m looking forward to a scratch/sniff app someday, then you can smell for yourself). Then the FUN begins...EDITING! This is where you sort out what to keep, donate, or mend. Some things to keep in mind when working on EDITING For each item:
This step may involve trying on and taking a very objective look in the mirror, it may also involve support from someone who knows you well and can be honest :) Be RUTHLESS!!! Someone would LOVE to find this stuff at the Goodwill OR take it to a consignment shop (if you have time) and get back some cash $$$ for your cast-offs. During this process, it can be helpful to make a list of items to buy…Do you need to replace the jeans, sweaters, or shoes you just bagged up for donation? Are you starting a new phase of life, do you need a wardrobe upgrade? What staples are missing from your closet? Are you in need of neutrals? Color? Texture? Lots to consider! Psssst...you might even want new hangers, all the same, beautiful, luxurious! Putting things away should be no sweat now that there’s plenty of space! Ahhhhhh, space for a couple of new things maybe, but just SPACE so that the drawer shuts and the clothes aren’t jammed into the closet and feels really, really good! It makes getting dressed and finding outfits a cinch! Maybe in the try-on phase, you have even discovered a few NEW combinations! Now, CELEBRATE! Sit down with a cup of tea, a piece of dark chocolate, talk a walk in the sun, or (my favorite) do a happy dance...enjoy your success and PLEEEEEEEASE send me a picture or video… (I am starting a collection of happy dance videos. Wouldn’t you love to share?) Good luck and let me know how it goes for you in the comments section below! XOXO Jane THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!!!!!
Editing the items from Marie's closet was the next step as we get ready for the new closet to be installed. ~First was the very exciting, (for Princess, the Kitty) throw-everything-on-the-bed stage. The items pictured here are only dresser drawer items which included her workout clothes, sweaters, t-shirts, tank tops, pajamas, bathing suits, and scarves. (We repeated the process for shoes, handbags, and hanging things.) ~Second, we sorted her clothes into categories: items to keep, donate, dry-clean or have tailored. **When deciding to keep clothing or not, always ask the question, "Do I choose it?" This question seems to ease the decision-making process and the editing can go a little more smoothly. Who wants a closet full of stuff that you never choose?** Try using this technique and let me know how it goes for you... ~Third, we put everything back so that when the closet installation happens, it will be easy to take it out and return it to the new, beautiful space. Back to THE CLOSET today at Marie's! Today we worked with Julee Barnett, owner of Tailored Living (jtbarnett@tailored living.com) to address the details of how the new closet will be configured. Julee had previously measured the walk-in closet space, the hanging items, the sweaters and counted the shoes...she's thorough! She brought her laptop with the CAD closet program and we got to work. It took us a couple of hours of putting our heads together, playing with the program (really, really fun) and many trips back and forth to the closet for measuring and VOILA...we all agreed that this rendition was very close to perfect for Marie's needs. She will have cabinets around the top for seasonal items and all the rest of what she needs will be at her fingertips. The third wall will have a HUGE (almost wall sized) mirror and there will be space for art prominently displayed as she enters her closet. Marie decided to use a soft gray for the closet pieces and moulding. We will pick out paint, hardware and a fabulous chandelier next. Keep you posted!
Ok, teensy confession...this was my closet top shelf and it stayed this way for a couple of weeks. I was pulling down what I wanted for an event and they all came tumbling down on my head. So, I threw them all back up there, and went about my life for awhile. Here's what happened...every time I went into the closet, my energy went down, and usually I let out an audible "ughhhh". After a couple of weeks, I got inspired...I had 2 bamboo pot lid organizers (ordered from Kitchen & Company)left over from a previous re-work of a client's kitchen. They worked beautifully to hold the smaller clutches and bags upright and made them soooo accessible. Bonus...there is space (ahhhhhh) AND, in the process, I got rid of two clutches I no longer wanted. :)
Let's just call this project: THE CLOSET. I will be updating you as we work together. Let's just call this client, Anne (cuz her name is Anne and she is happy to share her story). I have been working with Anne for many years. We started working together in her old house and the first thing she did was bring me to her clothes! At that time, the clothes that didn't fit in the closet were hanging on rolling clothes racks (two or three of them) in her bedroom. Since that day, we not only have edited her clothes many times (she lost A LOT of weight!) we also kept going, working on her kitchen, office and basement. Not long ago, she and her husband moved to Fitchburg and we have started the process all over again. Next week, we meet with the closet designer to look at options for building out this fabulous walk-in closet space! I can just see it! GORGEOUS! ***As we change, so do our needs for hanging on and letting go of our stuff.***
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Jane Antonovich
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