Project 333 – Goodbye Summer

We are now into March and it is officially autumn here in the Southern Hemisphere.

I was reading this post over at Extra Organised where Kim posed the question, “Have you worn all of your summer clothes yet?  If not, why not?”

This was just the reminder I needed.  My wardrobe is now sufficiently streamlined, that when I read this I could confidently answer to myself that everything had been worn except one item.

These board shorts.

I had previously identified that they probably would not survive as a long-term addition to my wardrobe but the thing that finally prompted me to move them to the op shop bag is the fact that they are much too big for me now.  So, out they go.

My summer collection will continue to be curated and upgraded but it is a good feeling to know that the number and type of clothes that I have suits my current lifestyle.

I wonder if I will be able to say the same about my winter clothes at the beginning of spring?

And The Winner Is…………

Thanks to everyone who took the time to follow my blog and comment on the Fabulous 500 post in order to be in the running.  The draw has been done and I am pleased to announce that the winner is SarahN.

Although the actual comment had no bearing on the outcome, I would like to post Sarah’s comment (in part) here.

“500 posts – that’s inspirational! I’m curious about this mystery give away business – only cause I’m committed to being uncluttered – so I’m always assessing things to see if they suit my life etc.”

That is so ironic because it is the very reason that I am wary about lots of giveaways!  However, I am sure that the gift will fit with Sarah’s goals (and mine) of an uncluttered home.

Sarah, could you please contact me with a postal address so that I can arrange delivery?

When Sarah has received her gift I will reveal it here on the blog as well.

Once again, I would like to thank you all for participating and I look forward to your thoughtful and engaging comments as I head towards the next 500 posts.

 

Stop the Sabotage

It occurred to me recently that many people are constantly sabotaging their own decluttering efforts.

They are hauling garbags of ‘stuff’ to the op shop, filling the rubbish bin each week and trying to find time list items on eBay in a vain attempt to claw back some of the money they have spent on unwanted items.  Yet, these same people are often using every strategy possible to score a good deal on clothes, shoes, bedding, magazines, cosmetics and anything else that comes their way.  It is only a bargain if you truly need it.

I feel that cheap or bargain-priced items are the nemesis of decluttering and minimalism.  If you need to outlay a significant amount of money on an item you are more likely to stop and think twice about whether it is really worthy of a place in your home.

So, how do you resist the plethora of bargains?

• Unsubscribe from all of the emails from shops and shopping sites – this is a continuous process and you need to be vigilant
• Make sure you have a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker on your letterbox
• Do not buy magazines
• Do not buy newspapers
• Limit viewing of commercial television
• Deactivate your eBay account
• Set financial goals that require you to limit your discretionary spending in order to achieve them
• Remember that shopping malls are not entertainment venues
• Take things to the op shop – do not bring more stuff home
• Shop with a list (and stick to it)
• Send someone else to do your essential shopping
• Buy 1 or 2 good quality items instead of 10 cheap versions – t-shirts are a perfect example

Do you have any other ideas for keeping the clutter at bay and the money in the wallet?

 

Project 333 – A New Dress For Christmas

Do you remember the excitement of getting a new dress for Christmas or your birthday?  It was really exciting because it was a rare occurrence.  Now it is relatively cheap and easy to buy a new outfit whenever you please and I feel that this detracts from the excitement.  Is it the fact that we are trying to recreate that excitement that sends people back to the shops to buy more and more clothes and shoes?

Actually, I did not get a new dress for Christmas, in fact I did not receive any gifts of clothing nor did I buy any clothes during the Christmas season.  This is the only dress I currently own.  It is about 3 years old and I wear it at least once a week for about 8 months of the year.

I did not feel any need to rush out and buy something new for a special occasion.  I have enough clothes at the moment to cover my needs which are the same as they were a few months ago.  I did make this skirt before Christmas and wore it to a Christmas lunch with my work colleagues as well as on Christmas Day with my family.

One of my sewing projects is to make a new lining for a skirt so that I can wear the skirt to a wedding in March.  The wedding is in Canberra so it could be quite cool so I want to make a jacket, probably black velvet and my sister has offered to lend me her black pashmina as well.

Although I am not strictly participating in Project 333 at the moment, I am constantly reviewing the clothes I own and deciding what may be the next thing to go and whether or not it needs to be replaced.  Even though we still have the hottest part of the summer ahead of us, I am already considering what I will need for winter.  I have lost weight in the last 6 months and I am managing to continue to wear most of my existing clothes but one of the first casualties was the one pair of grey trousers which I wore to work.  I had been wearing them for several seasons and they were looking a little past their prime.  I sent them to the op shop when I discovered that I could pull them down over my hips without undoing the fly.  I must admit that they were always a little on the large side.

Shopping is definitely not a pastime for me but I will have to make a concerted effort to find some nice fitting trousers.  I would like 2 pairs, perhaps a charcoal grey and a lighter grey.

I like good quality clothes that are a flattering cut and colour for me but I do not feel the need to have a bulging wardrobe.  I am getting closer to my goal of only having items that I wear regularly and being able to mix and match most, if not all of the pieces.

If you haven’t heard of Project 333 then here might be the place to start.  You can also check out some of my earlier posts on the subject by typing 333 into the search function on the right-hand side of the page.

Do you have any hints or suggestions for minimising the contents of your wardrobe?

A Pile of Clothes & Something For Me

I am gradually working my way through a pile of clothes that I brought home from Missy’s place nearly 2 weeks ago.  I was helping her to sort and declutter in preparation for her interstate relocation.

Some items were deemed not suitable, too old, worn out or simply no longer loved.  Most would suitable for someone else so they went to the local op shop.

I did score a scarf which Missy no longer wanted.  I am not usually a huge scarf fan but this was a small lightweight one in turquoise, black and beige/gold colours  which caught my eye.  I have worn it twice in less than a week.  The first time was out to dinner when I had a black skirt and 3/4 sleeve top of the same turquoise colour.  The top has a v-neck and no collar so the scarf really finished it off nicely.  Secondly, I wore white 3/4 trousers and a black camisole with a gold tie-up 3/4 sleeve mesh top.  I used the scarf as a belt for the trousers and it added a bit of colour and brought the whole outfit together.  I certainly had not gone out looking for a scarf like this but once I saw the opportunity it fits really well with my existing wardrobe.

Like most people she had some items lurking amongst her clothes which were not wearable for a variety of reasons.  We assessed the viability of each piece and I brought some home for some alteration/mending to return them to fully functional pieces.

The handiwork has included replacing buttons, letting down hems and a multitude of minor adjustments that enhance the wearability of a garment.

One dress gaped where the bodice crossed over but since it was a stretch fabric I just permanently sewed the crossover section.  Another top had fold back cuffs on the armholes which needed to be pressed into place each time before wearing so I stitched them so that it stays in place.  These adjustments are no usually evident at the time of purchase and it is not until you wear an item a few times that you realise that it is not as ‘easy’ to wear as you would like.  Sometimes there is a simple solution that can make all of the difference.

This is the pile that I have finished.  There were some other maintenance jobs like trimming off loose threads and pilled fabric.  All of this combined with washing has created a pile of items with a new lease of life.

I still have a bit left to do but it is not as bad as it looks spread over the ironing board.  Soon it will be a neat pile of wearable clothes.

One of the things that I have learned from my involvement in Project 333 is that nothing deserves a place in your wardrobe unless it is wearable and you love it.

Do you find yourself with a cupboard full of clothes and ‘nothing to wear’?  Perhaps it is time to check out what is lurking in the cupboard.

 

Back Again

Blogging has taken a back seat this last week as my ‘real’ life has been rather busy.

We have been away for the weekend to catch up with friends and celebrate a ‘milestone’ birthday for my girlfriend.  We had a fabulous time and I have returned refreshed and with renewed enthusiasm after our short break.

I am working through a pile of mending/alterations of clothes for Missy which I have promised I will finish before she moves interstate in a couple of weeks.  I have spent some time helping her declutter and sort some things prior to her move as it is an ideal time to rationalise exactly what you have and what you ned.  There is no point in paying to move things that you really do not want to keep.

Speaking of things you do not want to keep, this is a pile of fabric that a friend offered to me last week as she did not see the possibility of using it any time soon.  I have accepted it and have space to store it until I start creating.  I think that may be next year as the next 7 weeks are looking pretty busy in the lead-up to Christmas.  However, I already have some plans for some of the fabric and am looking forward to using it.  Thanks, Sandra.

I mentioned that it is 7 weeks until Christmas but my busyness is not really related to a crazy shopping frenzy or significant over-indulgence in food.  It is more about a self-imposed deadline for projects that I want to complete both at home and at work before the end of the year.  More about that in tomorrow’s post.

In The Dark

Here is a test to see how organised your bedroom and wardrobe are.

Try getting ready for bed – remove clothes/jewellery, put away shoes, put on night attire and get into bed without turning on the light.

Can you confidently move around the room and place things in their right position because there is no clutter and everything has a home?

Think about how visually impaired people manage.

I regularly do this and realised that it is because there is the bare minimum in our bedroom and it is always in the same place.

This is my dressing table and I can easily locate the box for my earrings when I remove them.  For years I had heaps of clutter on my dressing table and I yearned to have it clear and tidy and once I achieved that goal I have never let it go.

If you are overwhelmed by your stuff, try setting small goals and then achieve and maintain one thing before moving onto something bigger.

Do You Really Need That?

Decluttering, downsizing,  affluenza – words that most of us had never heard of, even a decade ago, are suddenly the catchcry of much of the Western world.

Why??  Because we have more ‘stuff’ than is good for us.  Yet still we keep consuming.  We need it………..or do we?

Think about what you really need.

Mysteries of the Universe

One of the great mysteries is how the utensil drawers get so grubby when the utensils are clean when they are put away.  If anyone can throw some light on this I would appreciate it, but in the meantime two of my kitchen drawers are clean again after a blitz yesterday.

I decluttered this drawer a few months ago so everything in it stayed, even though there are a couple of things that only rarely get used.  The contents include:

Electric knife
Rolling pin
BBQ tool
Tongs
Cleaning brush (for the juicer)
Avocado slicer
Chip cutter
Garlic press
Cherry stoner
Apple corer
Pineapple peeler/corer
Scone cutter
Cheese slicer
Jar opener
Ice-cream scoop
Vegetable peeler
Grapefruit knife
Fine bladed knife
Citrus zester
Tea strainer
Tea infuser
Knife sharpener
Spaghetti measure
Egg rings
Measuring spoons
Corn cob holders
Wine aerator
Wine vacuum seal
Corkscrews x 2
Can openers x 2 different styles

This is in addition to the knives in the knife block and 2 jars of utensils which are on the bench.  Everything in the utensil jars gets used at least once per week.

This is what could probably be described as a ‘junk’ drawer, although nothing in here is junk – it is all useful.

Matches
Notepaper (an old desk calendar)
String tin
Jar of rubber bands
Black felt-tipped pens x 2
Wind-up torches x 2
Set of small screwdrivers
Compass
Calculator
Scissors x 2
Sticky labels
Brown paper
Zip-lock bags (rewashed)
Muslin
Worn-out tea towels (for covering defrosting food etc)
Bag of twist ties
Bread bags (rewashed)
Cling wrap                   }
Alfoil                            } – these have been sitting here for at least 10 years
Freezer go-between  }    will not be replaced whenever I use them up
Baking paper – I bought this last week as it is apparently essential when
baking grain-free
Cut milk container of bits – homemade plant labels, spare O-ring for the breadmaker, labels for homemade cordial etc.

I regularly clean a drawer/cupboard or two each week, so although it seems like a never-ending merry-go-round it is never a huge job.

Project Streamline – Summer Tops/Shirts

I am getting close to the end of cataloging the categories of clothing in my wardrobe.  Naturally, I have left the most difficult till last.  Even so, I have split the tops into a couple of groups.  Today I am looking at the summer (short-sleeved and sleeveless ) tops that I have.

SUMMER TOPS

As usual this includes the full range from old polo shirts that I use for painting to tops I wear to social events.

2 T-shirts in good condition that I wear regularly though not frequently
They are both ‘souvenirs’ that I will happily keep and use until they wear out.  I probably will not buy any more of this style in the future.

2 polo shirts – the darker one is actually a corporate freebie but the logo is reasonably discreet so I do wear it.  The lighter shirt  is quite faded and whilst still wearable is probably not required so I think it will go to the op shop where someone may get some use from it.  In the following photos you will see that I have more than enough shirts to wear when I am painting/gardening etc.

These tops are identical and are a simple scoop-neck top with a cap sleeve.  You can see my penchant for buying more than 1 of the same style when I find something that I like.

I have had these tops for over 10 years and they are a permanent fixture in my wardrobe.  They are not identical but very similar.  They have a short sleeve which is quite fitted and are perfect for travelling and suitable for wearing under a rugby top.  They feature in almost all of my holiday photos and will be going to the USA with me in a couple of months.

These 4 paint-spattered polo shirts belonged to my daughters when they were at high school (10-15 years ago).  They are hold every colour paint that we have used in 3 different houses!  I wear them when gardening or painting and will continue to do so as they are no use for anything else – not even as rags as they are polyester cotton and have no absorbency.  One day I will throw them out.

These are 3 shirts which are suitable for wearing at home but have not descended to the level of the previous selection.  I will probably get rid of the green one and keep the others.

Just in case you thought that I don’t have any presentable tops – here is a sleeveless linen one I made last year.  I have 2 more in the same style that are partly made so they will be new for next summer.

2 basic cotton/lycra camisoles for wearing under shirts/cardigans

3 cotton shirts that I have made.  The red/white definitely stays but the others are looking past their best so I might move them along.  I will reserve my judgement on that for a bit longer.

This is a loose cotton shirt that I made many years ago and it is excellent for those really hot days as it is 100% cotton.  Not the fanciest style or pattern but definitely a keeper.

This black collared top is well-worn but super comfy and goes with anything.  It stays.

As usual, I am forced to make some decisions, simply by virtue of having to put in writing why I own some of these pieces.

I will throw 2 of the ‘painting shirts’ in the bin.  The faded navy polo shirt and the green t-shirt will go to the op shop.  I will decide the fate of a couple of others when the warmer weather returns.

Next week will be my 3/4 and long-sleeve tops and then that should be almost the end of Project Streamline.

It has been an enlightening exercise to list all of my clothes here week by week.  I can now see where I have an excess and what I need to replace or add to.