Taking Stock

Last week I talked about cleaning out my closet and purging all the clothing that didn’t make me look or feel good. It wasn’t an easy process, but I really believe it was necessary for me to start with a clean slate so I can build a wardrobe I love and truly reflects me. 

After living with my almost bare closet for nearly two weeks, I was itching to go shopping. It seems reasonable right? I gave away so much (as you can see here), so going on a shopping trip seemed like a natural next step. The problem with rushing out to shop is; my budget is really tight (almost non-existent right now), and I don’t want to end up with a closet full of average choices once again. The solution? A shopping trip in my own, newly cleaned closet.

I went through and played with different outfit ideas, tried on things that I’d never worn together, and was surprised to find some great outfits in there! While I was playing dress-up, I also inventoried my closet and this is what I came up with:

Jeans	2
Dress Pants	2
Shorts	1
Skirts (knee-length, pleated)	2
Skirts (a line)	7
Dresses (everyday)	8
Dresses (formal)	3
Tees (short sleeve)	6
Tees (long sleeve)	8
Button Down Shirts (long sleeve)	1
Button Down Shirt (short sleeve)	4
Tops (any occasion)	4
Cardigans	6
Blazers	1
Sweaters	3
Coats (spring)	1
Trench Coats	2
Jackets	3
Shoes	12 pairs

As you can see, there is an obvious imbalance of tops to bottoms in my closet. Yep, I’m a little bottom heavy (stop snickering, those are my post-baby hips). This was really surprising to me since I always feel like I have too many tops and not enough bottoms. Funny how an over-flowing closet clouds our judgement.

Now that I know exactly what is in my wardrobe, I was able to create a “shopping list” of sorts. Basically, I sat down and made a huge list of all the things I would like to add to my closet, and then I edited it down to the essentials that I really need. You can view my current needs list by clicking here.

I know it looks long and overwhelming, keep in mind that I have no particular time frame in which to make all those purchases. The idea here isn’t to rush out and buy everything on your list. It’s more about saving yourself from making poor shopping decisions when you are on a limited budget or re-building your entire wardrobe.

Do you have any suggestions for must-have pieces for my new wardrobe? Please share a comment below!

Making The Cut

Skirt: Thrifted (handmade), Shirt: Banana Republic, Sweater: Wal-Mart, Shoes: Payless

Today’s outfit is made up of three of the very few pieces that survived my massive closet clean out this month. Not surprisingly, all three of these items were purchased within the last few months. Going through my closet with a fine toothed comb brought many revelations about myself and my personal style that I never imagined de-cluttering could do. Like every other woman out there, I’d curated quite a collection of hits and misses over the years. But from every phase of my life there were some particular pieces that I had held on to, whether they fit or not, and more importantly whether looking at them made me feel happy or not. There are some articles of clothing that just make me giddy to look at (like the navy blue pyjamas I wore right after both my kids were born), and others that make me sick to my stomach (the olive-green pencil skirt that hasn’t fit me since my first pregnancy in 2004.)

The million dollar question of course is, why do we  hang on to those negative associations? Why not just purge them out of our lives? I’m sure that I’m not alone in my struggle to donate clothing with an emotional attachment, but somehow that didn’t make me feel better when approaching the big closet purge. Now that I’ve made it through to the other side, here are my tips for cleaning out your closet and starting with a clean slate:

1. Go through every piece in your wardrobe, and take your time:

This may go against traditional wisdom and everything that I’ve ever seen on HGTV organizing shows, but I really took my time. Over the course of three weeks I tried on every piece of clothing in my closet. Then I looked at it from different angles, even tried it with different shoes, to make sure I really loved it. Sometimes I even wore something around the house for an hour or two to see how it felt “in action”. This probably seems very extreme to some of you, but for me it was a necessity. I’m determined to fill my home only with things I absolutely love, so the acceptance procedure was quite rigorous.

2. Give away the “easy” pieces:

During the sorting process I started two piles; definitely give away, and should giveaway. The first pile was easy-peasy. Things that don’t fit, I didn’t like anymore, or looked way to worn to wear in public (does that make sense?) This is where most of my shrunken tees and really bad footwear choices ended up. I had no problem giving these away.

3. Tackle the emotions:

This is where it get’s ugly. I’m not the kind of person that attaches sentiment to things. However, I do attach  guilt to things. And it’s not just guilt; it’s makes you sick to your stomach, all-consuming, serious, massive guilt. For example; the dress I bought for way too much 6 years ago and only wore once, or the pink blazer I bought for full retail because it was so pretty and never wore. Every time I look at a purchase like that and think about getting rid of it I’m overcome by guilt. This painful feeling that if I hadn’t bought that item I could have got something for the kids, or we could have gone to Disneyland, all the while knowing how crazy that thought is. And this is the point where I usually give up and walk away.

Luckily, that’s not how it ended this time. As I was trying to squeeze all of those “guilty” clothes into my tiny closet I had an AHA! moment. Over the last 4 years we’ve had to move 5 times for various reasons, and every time we moved, I packed, carried, unpacked, and wrestled with this guilt everywhere we went. Now that we’ve made the decision to stay where we are until we buy a home of our own it seems ridiculous to give precious space to such a horrible feeling. And just like that, it became easy to give away all those impulse buys, pre-baby dresses, and just plain ugly clothes. (To see how much stuff I gave away click here)

4. Put it all away:

Before you run out and buy an expensive organizer and loads of little bins, just put away what you have left and live with it for a few days. I did end up buying some better hangers for my pants and skirts but other than that I haven’t done anything major. Just by grouping like items together and clearing out the unnecessary fillers, my closet has become more functional and approachable.

Over the next few weeks I’ll share some of the ideas I’ve put in to place for organizing specific items. Before that though, I’ll be posting next week about the new “shopping list” that I’ve started to create after assessing my current wardrobe inventory.

If you’ve found this post helpful, or if you have any questions please leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Noisy Reading & Closet Purging

 

 

I finally started the much talked about closet purge this morning, and happily found this olive-green cardigan which had gone missing some time ago. So it only seemed fitting to break it out when I dropped the little guy off at school and then hung around for noisy reading (footnote: my 7-year-old is totally offended when I call him little guy, and noisy reading is when all  23 of the kids in his class read to their parents at the same time, cool huh?).

As you’ve probably already noticed, I’m obsessed with my wide-leg jeans which were also seen here, here, and here. Next time I take them out for a spin the plan is to pair them with shorter heels so they graze the floor like Jessica did here. Of course that’s only going to be possible if the weather ever takes a turn for the better.

On a side note I am planning detailed posts about the actually process of purging, organizing and re-building my wardrobe, but in the meantime here is a behind the scenes look at the mayhem in my bedroom right now:

 

Looking for Inspiration

Monday’s are really important to the success of my week. If I have a bad Monday it can take me all week to recover, and by that time it’s already Friday so what’s the point right? Well, this morning really sucked; I woke up with a massive headache, got into a dispute with the postal service, and got a nasty email from a client. I had pretty much written off today until I saw this post from Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere about everything that is going on in Japan right now. It was an instant mind shift.

Instead of moping around and focusing on all the things that are going wrong today I decided to look for inspiration and some new project ideas around me. The first thing I did was update the images on my inspiration wall. (You can see the old images here)

Next, I chose a paint colour for the ugly old 1980’s style plant stand that has been hanging out in our living room, drum roll please………………….. orange! We’ve never incorporated orange into our decor before, but since we have inherited a printed navy carpet at our new place, I thought why not orange?

Picking through my fabric bins came next. After very little deliberation I decided it is time to create something out of this beautiful sequined fabric I’ve been saving for years. It’s actually a dupatta from one of my mom’s old Indian outfits circa 1987, but I think it’s going to look amazing as a shift dress for spring.

I totally forgot about this little box I picked up at the local thrift and just re-discovered it today. It’s a wooden cutlery chest but I think it will make a great jewelery box, sewing kit, or a cute little spot to hold ribbons, glue guns, and random craft supplies. I honestly don’t know what this one is going to be….

So these are my projects for the next few weeks, what do you have in the pipelines?

Designing a Life With Purpose

I love the blogosphere. So many times I’ve stumbled upon an amazing article, website, or image just by clicking through a link from someone’s blog post. Last week I accidentally (or maybe it was accidentally on purpose?) found Jess Constable’s blog Make Under My Life, and it couldn’t have been more timely. I’m going through a huge transition in my life and trying to figure out what to do next, so the concept of Designing My Own Life is obviously intriguing.

It was so inspiring to read about other people’s intentions, plans, and desires for their ideal life that I couldn’t help getting on board. After a lot of introspection and some deep but honest conversations with myself, I’ve come up with the following intentions for my life.

(Note: this is a long post so please excuse my wordiness, it just wasn’t something I could sum up in a few short sentences)

Work to Completion.

A very wise high school teacher once told me that I’m a fire-starter. He pointed out that I had more ideas than any student in the classroom but I wasn’t seeing them through to completion. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I still struggle with “fire-starter syndrome”. I usually have more than a handful of projects on the go at the same time, and most often something falls through the cracks and doesn’t get completed. This problem is evident in the bins of unfinished sewing projects, half done paintings, and almost finished blog posts stored around my home and on my computer.

Why don’t I finish what I start? To be honest, I’m not sure. Sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes I don’t think my work is good enough, and sometimes I’m afraid of being judged. But not anymore, I intend to see my work through to completion from now on. The first step is completing this blog post which has been patiently waiting in draft form for almost a week now.

Be Authentic.

I’m creative, energetic, fun-loving, and a little quirky, but I have really hard time showing that off. For some unknown reason I’ve always felt that I need to put up a front, never letting people see the real me. It’s something I’ve done since I was a teenager to fit in and feel accepted. It’s always been easier to be the person people wanted me to be rather than being myself.

There is a Oprah Winfrey quote on my vision board that says; “your life’s journey is about becoming more of who you are” and that is exactly what I intend to do. Starting this blog and posting pictures of myself for the whole world to see is really about learning to embrace and celebrate who I really am, my authentic self.

Own My Craft.

For as long as I can remember I have loved two things; art projects and writing. I’ve been crafting with modge podge and hot glue for years, and wrote my first chapter book when I was 9, but I never turned either of my passions into a career. I could blame it on my teachers, my parents, or my friends for not encouraging me but the truth is, I never believed in me.

This one is simple; I’m going to own my craft. I may not be the best artist, my clothing designs may not be fashion week material, and my writing might suck, but it’s mine and I love it. I’m not going to hide my skills anymore, I intend to create beautiful art everyday.

Live Laugh Love.

Almost daily I read inspirational stories about people living their dream lives and wonder why my life isn’t more fulfilling. Are those people luckier than me? Do they have more money than me? Maybe, but more likely they are designing the life they want. I haven’t really taken the time to plan the kind of life that I want before, so I’ve just gotten what the universe served up. After spending an afternoon with my deepest thoughts (and several lattes) I realized that all I really want is to live, love, and laugh everyday.

I have a feeling this one is going to be the hardest for me. I tend to move at such a quick pace that I miss the little details in life. Sometimes I forget how nice it is to sit and listen to my kids giggling (like there doing right now), and how  fresh flowers, romantic comedies, hot cocoa, and floral perfumes all make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. This year I intend to live to the fullest, shower love on my family and friends, and laugh daily.

Speak Up.

On January 1st I made a resolution to get involved with a charitable organization that helps girls in the third world. There wasn’t a specific plan, or chosen organization,  just a desire to make a difference. Unfortunately, on January 2nd life happened, I got busy and never followed through. I don’t have a good excuse for not acting on this intention (or any excuse for that matter), but I’m ready to take action now.

I’m one of four girls from an Indo-Canadian family, and am well aware that if I was conceived in India I may never have had a voice. Even today female infanticide is at epidemic levels throughout the world, and I for one have had enough. I intend to use my voice to speak up for women and girls around the world.

Shut Down.

My name is Raj and I’m an addict. I’m addicted to my iPhone, my laptop, and being connected 24/7. I honestly can’t remember the last time that I spent a technology free day, but I know it’s necessary.

Moving forward, I intend to shut down more often and learn to live in the moment. When I’m on the phone, checking my emails, or just “surfing” the net, life is passing me by.

Well that’s it for me, I hope you enjoyed reading my intentions for designing the life I want. I would love to hear your thoughts and some of your intentions for the coming year! Please take a moment to comment.

 

Favorite Finds

I had some time to wander around a few home decor stores yesterday and “shop” for inspiration. As much fun as it is to decorate a new place it can also be overwhelming. There is so much to choose from when you are starting with a clean slate that it can be hard to narrow down your choices. In any case, I found lots of great pieces, so I thought I would share a few….

I love the shape of this table, but what really caught my eye is the colour! I’ve been coveting a turquoise table, painting, or other accessory for the master bedroom for a while now so this jumped right out at me.

I absolutely adore this clock. The classic look with a funky print, it’s totally me; the price on the other hand wasn’t. I passed on the clock but will keep my eyes open for a similar (aka cheaper) option. On a completely unrelated note, it occurred to me yesterday that we don’t own a single traditional clock. Is that strange?

I’m not really sold on the print, but the shape is great. I must have stared at this chair for 15 minutes (total exaggeration, it was more like 3 but felt like 15) trying to figure out why I have never thought of buying oval backed chairs before. Now I just have to choose a shape for our dining table.

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I’ve always wanted to have a birdcage in my room, but the hubby feels a bird-less cage is not so appealing. Unfortunately, I’m not really into caged birds. I thought long and hard on how to incorporate this one into my current decor theme because I’m dying to add yellow somewhere, but no ideas yet. Any thoughts?

Not sure what this little guy is meant for, but I picked it up to use as an umbrella stand. I’ve never been really good at organization, but have always loved pretty things. This piece has inspired me to create a pretty and organized entrance area that has a place for umbrellas, gloves, keys, and everything else you need on your way out the door. I smell a thrifting trip this weekend.

I love quotes (and Oscar Wilde) so I can’t believe that I’ve  never seen this one before! This is so perfect that I actually got a little misty eyed when reading it, sad but true. I’m working on a way to incorporate this quote into some DIY artwork to put above my reading chair (seen here), hopefully on a turquoise background.

There were so many other photos, but I’ve only shared the ones that really inspired me to create beautiful surroundings. It’s funny how sometimes the smallest things make the biggest impact.

Sick Day

Woke up feeling like I was run over by a bus today and really just wanted to hang out in my pajamas but, I reluctantly rolled out of bed and threw on the first t-shirt and jeans I found.  Not surprisingly, I felt better and my productivity level shot up instantly. To lift my spirits a little more I changed my toe polish, tried on my new purple wedges, and used flavored creamer in my coffee and voila; mission accomplished!

(You can see my new purple peep toe wedges peeking out a little…)

Now that I’m feeling a little peppier, it’s time to get to work on “Project Organization”. I was really inspired by Bryan’s report on Make Under My Life and his take on relating physical clutter to mental clutter so, I’m going to get organized this week. I’ve already tackled my desk top and next on my list is jewelry and accessories (I feel a DIY coming on). Will keep you posted on how it turns out!

Office Inspiration

As mentioned earlier this week, we are currently living in a  two bedroom rental and my office is located at the foot of our bed. Until a few days ago it looked like this:

(If you are a feng shui expert or neat freak you should probably close your eyes for this part)

You can imagine how completely uninspiring this set up was, especially when working 10-12 hour days. So with a limited budget, (and time) I decided to spruce up the wall that I make eyes at all day long.

Before revealing the after pic I just want to say; taking these photos has made me painfully aware of the fact that I need a better camera….

After:

The clipboard wall:

These were boring brown clipboards that I picked up from the local dollar store, added a gold border and attached scrapbook paper with Modge Podge.  The whole project cost under $10  because all I had to buy was the clipboards, if I bought the scrapbook paper it would’ve added a few dollars to the total.

With notes, pictures, inspiration etc….

Next project; DIY wall art for above my reading chair. I saw the perfect piece last week a beautiful turquoise canvas with the traditional “Keep Calm and Carry On” graphic, but it was a little overpriced for me. I’m sure I can come up with something equally eye-catching on a budget.

If you would like to see more pictures from my project day, please visit my flickr gallery