cleanin' out my closet

If there is one place I love to be its in my closet. It has all my treasures in the form of fashion. I try to keep it in top shape, but sometimes fashion crises happen causing skirts and shoes to fly through the air. It's a dangerous place to be sometimes. Do not enter that closet if I am running late to meet my girls or if I have a date. There is a mighty good chance you will get knocked out by a stiletto.

Unfortunately, the crises caught up with my closet and it started looking a bit disheveled. I dedicated today to organization, clean-up, and (Dun! Dun! Dun) the dreaded donation piles. It feels amazing to donate to those less fortunate, but it's a little hard to "break up" with some items. I used to hold onto everything, but have gotten better over time. I thank Lauren Conrad for helping me master my closet. Her Style book has a chapter on cleaning out your closet. Here are some of her tips...

TRY EVERYTHING ON:

a) If you try on anything that's ripped or stained beyond repair, it goes in a trash bag.
b) If you try on something and you're over it at first glance, place it in a second, separate trash bag, which will go to a charity.
c) If you try on something that's ill-fitting but cool, put it in a tote bag, which is destined for a visit the the tailor's.
d) If you try on something and it's not great on you, but would be perfect on a friend, place it a second, separate tote bag to pass on to a lucky gal.
e) If you try on something you haven't worn in at least a year, but don't feel quite ready to part with it, place it in a duffel bag.

So what's with option e)? That duffel bag will go under your bed for a few months, until you open it again to see if you actually noticed anything was missing. Most likely you won't even realize the items were absent from your closet, which is when you know it's time to part ways.

Here's my happy closet, which makes for a happy, stress-free me...