JOP: Evaluating My Clothes, Part II

So now you have seen my clothes that I have been wearing for quite some time. I haven't shown you the worst-- at some point you will see pictures of me in my typical work outfits... haha

To further understand my clothing situation I looked at them from a (simple) mathematical perspective:

Long sleeve shirts
Total: 3
1/3, the white one is worn the most
Note: One is flimsy cheap fabric and the other two are so spandexy they ride up... Will be going in the giveaway pile.

Basic shirts (shown w/ the striped top near 'em)
Total: 10
6/10 is the amount I wear the most... that means the other 4 are hardly used
Note: Basic shirts + a black or cream sweater + slacks/jeans = boooorrrrrinnng...

Spaghetti Straps
Total: 8
2/8 worn the most (cream and blue)
4/8 worn frequently (cream, blue, green lacey and white lacey)
Note: These are wearing out quickly, most aren't worn.... get rid of most of them.

Other shirts
Total: 6
2/6, the white and blue are worn the most (blue shown in front)
Note: Not good quality and plenty aren't being used-- giveaway, giveaway!

Tank Tops
Total: 16
1/16, white one from Old Navy has never been worn- tags and all are still on it.
7/16, worn for road trips and to Arizona
4/16, never been worn
5/16, hardly been used
Note: NO MORE TANK TOPS! Yes, they're cheap but it doesn't mean I need to buy them all of the time... And uh, the PNW is not at all a desert. ;-)

Long Sleeves/Sweaters
Total: 10
Note: Without counting my workout items, I have very few warm items. May I remind you of where I live-- it is often chilly on this side of Oregon! Something isn't right here....

Too Much Blue
Total: 34!!!!!
Note: This is without counting workout clothes as well (probably 5 more items if you add that in). Yes, oh yes, do I love blue. It's truly one of the best colors on me-- and all different kinds of blue (teal being my favorite). My dear friend Jennifer is always giving me heck for always choosing this color... she has good reason huh?! While I will continue to buy blue items, I am going to do my very best to broaden my color scheme (and patterns as well- notice the lack of that? ).

*I want to make a side note to all of this and say I didn't comb through my whole closet, as that would be a bit much but I think these evaluations make some good points.

What I Have Learned From This::
-- Just because the clothes may be cheap doesn't mean they're good choices (such as the shirts). It's easy to get a whole bunch of cheap things and stick with them... and become Boooorrrrrring.
--Related to above: As a professional, I need to have shirts/tops that don't require me to wear spaghetti straps under them. I need shirts that are good quality (not expensive necessarily) and that cover everything. Spaghetti straps are fine but a majority of my outfits shouldn't require them.
-- I need to be more conscious of shopping for the kind of environment I live in. That means more layers, warm sweaters, and good quality long sleeve shirts. Don't buy for your favorite season if it hardly exists in your location! haha
-- When buying clothes, don't just buy them... THINK about how to CREATE outfits. This is a mindset I have not had until now. I will spend my money more wisely if I am planning on how to use the desired items. If I am able to mix and match items to create several different GOOD outfits then my money is better spent than buying a bunch of cheap t-shirts, spag. straps, fashion tops (which I didn't show today) and tank tops.
-- I need to love everything that I buy! Otherwise, what is the point?! Don't just buy to buy...

Oh so much knowledge!! Analyzing one's closet is a great way to see where improvements are needed and how to not fall back into the old patterns. Another good reason to do this is to be less of a consumer. Kind of ironic, in some ways: looking at old clothes so I know how to buy new ones.  BUT hear me out: doing this allows me to see how I have wasted my money, even if I make super cheap purchases ($3.50 for those shirts I wear w/ spag straps, from F21, ~ 1.5 yr ago). Yes, I have gotten a lot of use out of the cheap clothes and I do take extremely good care of what I have.... but I look boring, I'm tired of wearing the same type of outfits. It all comes down to, if you don't feel good about what you're wearing/how you look then you don't feel good about yourself. Clothing is a statement and I don't like what I'm reflecting right now. I want to have fun creating outfits and showing that it matters how I present myself. Just can't do it all overnight so one step at a time :)

JOP: Evaluating My Clothes

Realized this morning that I haven't done much in the way of my January Organization Project for awhile.... and there is only 1.5ish days left as I write this. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a lot done this month due to being super busy and then sick-- two of the weekends I didn't have the energy for anything. There's still two projects I would like to tackle, clean the inside of my car and declutter the cabinet and drawers in the bathroom. I'm going to allow myself an extension :)

Anyhow.... Today I decided to evaluate the clothes that I currently own and to make some choices about how to deal with them. I considered titling this post "How NOT to Shop" after looking at my clothes and feeling so ready to chuck most of them out. I really would love to pitch most of them out, as in give them away to Union Gospel, but I'm stuck in the "in-betweenness." See, I am in the process of updating my wardrobe and studying various styles.... however, I can't go around baring my skin. I need to have something to wear for the time being even though I'm not crazy about it. I also have to remind myself I can't go broke buying clothes-- I need to do this gradually as hard as that is.

So, here are my findings from today:

I focused mainly on two drawers in my closet-- tshirts, spaghetti straps and tank tops.

All but one is a basic shirt, I got these for cheap at F21 (own 10). Striped is a  3/4  length from Old Navy when I worked there yrs ago.

I wear these items underneath tshirts so I don't show anything  (own 8)

This is atrocious, really. All my tank tops... (own 16)

This pic goes w/ the above... Notice something? Like, the colors of these items? I  love blue dearly but too much. I  own 34 items in this color range. (not counting workout clothes) 

Long sleeve shirts...This also goes/w/ the above. I own very few warm clothes...

Because this post is rather long I am going to continue in a new post. :)

JOP: My Bedroom

I was fairly productive over the weekend despite my slow-as-molasses-in-January tendencies. I finally managed to take care of my room and boy, was it a worthwhile endeavor. I started my giant cleanup project late in the day on Saturday, but once I got going I couldn't stop and I wanted to complete what I had started. So even when the sun set I forged on (I love sounding so over-the-top about this but you'll appreciate my efforts when you see the before and after pictures).

I de-cluttered my space, put clothes back in my closet, put dirty ones in the laundry basket, dusted, rearranged toiletries and jewelry, put unwanted items in bags for Union Gospel, made space for my boots in my closet (thanks to a cousin's suggestion-- used old magazines to roll up inside of them so they stand up and keep their shape), and all other things that are needed in to transform a messy room. :) The only thing left that I need to do is vacuum, particularly under my desk where my CPU was for a long time. I am so thankful that Dad has that computer now -- took that to him on Friday and that also inspired me to dig out.

Hip, hip, hooray for January cleaning!

BEFORE, Angle 1

AFTER

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BEFORE, Angle 2

AFTER

Not an exact after but you get the point... :)

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BEFORE, Angle 3

AFTER

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Some other lovely pictures...

Coco Chanel thought she would help with the decluttering process by taking out an item, some peacock feathers (that I thought were out of a cat's reach). Stinker cat!

Needed a place for this fun Christmas gift- the peacock placemat. It is pretty funky looking and  I like it!

This space makes me SO happy now!

Happy Monday to you all! Hope you have had a good start to the week... I started my reading practicum and will be quite busy for the next few weeks.

JOP: Sorting Drawers

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." --Hans Hofman

As I stated yesterday, today's goal was to clean out my plastic drawers with stationery. Mission accomplished! I was slow moving to get anything done, but once I got going then I was determined to finish the project.

After doing an errand this morning, I put "You've Got Mail" on and pulled out my drawers. 

BEFORE

AFTER

Below: Also an 'after' box. This was the third drawer underneath the stationery drawers. I rearranged a few things and put my scrapbooking items in this one. Now all of my stamps, stickers, labels, and paper decorations are in the same drawer. I moved my 8.5'' x 11'' paper for backgrounds to a hanging folder in my desk drawer. My scrapbooking items have been all over the place so it feels good to have them organized.

Below: I picked up this cute little storage container to further help keep me organized with all my cards. I am using the top drawer for cards to be sent out and for the small calendar*. I recorded family and friends' birthdays and anniversaries (they will also be put on my big calendar that I will be getting soon- for Christmas this year we all forgot to get each other calendars so I ordered a fun one).

The second drawer is for gold seals from Hallmark (sometimes I like to use them) and stamps.

You might be able to tell but the last drawer is for all my post-its. I use these all of the time!

This little drawer set is now on my desk and looks so cute.

So that is what I did today!!! I love these types of organization projects. Office supplies are also quite satisfying to me. :) I am not sure if I will get much done tomorrow (my sister is getting her wisdom teeth out so she'll need some assistance), but I might do some laundry at least. I would love to go through my closet. That is the one area I can never stop simplifying! I'm amazed at how much I find when I evaluate what I have and what isn't necessary anymore. 

I'll keep you updated on my January project!

* Note on the calendar: This was given to my Mom from a family friend (I don't know him or his family at all but my mom and her parents knew them from living in Eastern Oregon together). Anyway, his name is Eric Valentine and he does amazing photography of nature, especially of landscapes in Oregon. His website is called "Praise! Photgraphy" and his blog can be accessed here. He is a very neat man who has a passion for God's creation, very inspirational. :)

January Organization Project (JOP): Computers

Credit: Allison Trentelman, her shop at Etsy

Like most people I am also organizing my surroundings this month. While I feel sad about not having the lights on the house anymore and the tree out of the living room, I am enjoying the open space. I will tell you in all honesty that my room is one giant pit, my Christmas presents are piled on top of things (as they are no longer safe on the ground... oh I have a story on that, cat in a "mood" = messed up new boots) and drawers are a mess. I also have clothes piled on the end of my bed and my overnight bag from the wedding is not unpacked. Yes folks, it is time to dig out and get a fresh start!

I didn't get as much accomplished as I would have liked but at least I had motivation. One of my cousins was helpful in getting me revved up, she was "Johnny on the spot" in starting her clean-up project, she got some storage tubs on sale at good ol' Fred Meyer this morning. While I did not tackle through my closet like she did, I decided to sift through an often overlooked area: my computer(s).

As of this moment, I still have two computers but that will change by the end of this week. When I bought my laptop I decided that I would give my desktop to Dad. His computer is old and one step away from being as useful as rusted over garbage. He is constantly complaining about it and tired of dealing with its sluggish behavior. Since getting my laptop I have been transferring files and needed data from the desktop. I wanted to get my desktop cleaned up and ready by Christmas but that just didn't happen.

This afternoon I finally got my bookmarks moved from my browser and imported on the laptop (super easy too!). After I transferred the bookmarks I went through them to see if I still wanted all the sites I had been saving. I ended up deleting quite a few folders, renaming other categories, and making a couple of new bookmark folders. Just doing this simple organization helps me to not feel bombarded with added "stuff." Like many people, I spend lots of time on my computer so I like having my folders to make sense. I feel more efficient and overall pleased when items are in the right folders.

I deleted all my photos, documents, music, and unused programs from my desktop in efforts to help it function even better. In the process, I made sure to run CCCleaner a few times(formally known as Crap Cleaner but they changed it to be politically correct), Registry Repair and the virus software to remove any potential harmful bugs. These programs should be run more frequently so I am lucky that my computer didn't give me too many negative messages. Ideally I would get my hard drive wiped out and reinstalled again (makes a computer so much faster), but I am not going to deal with that now. Perhaps at some other point. I think Dad will be quite happy with the quality of this computer, it is a good one and will be way faster than what he has right now.

Cleaning up my blog was the third part of my technology cleanup today. This might sound funny but it has driven me NUTS to have some labels start with lowercase and others with capitals. I also have had way too many labels and ones that aren't specific. I have condensed the label list and made most of them start with a capital (though now I am starting to wonder... does the label 'Natural living' look better as Natural Living'? Maybe I am more OCD than I thought! haha And seriously if you want to tell me your opinion on this, I would love it!). I need to fix a few more but I made good progress today. Almost there!

I think there's lots of value in organizing computer files and even things like blogs. I feel productive/efficient when I don't have to look all over for something. I also just love the aesthetic piece of seeing labels ordered how I want them, smaller condensed lists, and specific categories. This type of organization really could stand to be two-days worth; as I write this I am thinking about my picture folders. For the most part they are pretty good, but that is the area where I "pile" (as in make several folders of pictures for Christmas 2011 due to different uploads and then forget to compile them into one place). Sometimes that picture folder looks like a messy bed. You can deal with it for only so long.

My J.O.P. goal for tomorrow is to straighten up my stationary drawers and to get note cards in sensible order, and to actually get birthday cards ready for the year. Each year I send out more and more birthday cards so I would like to have a better system for all of that.

We'll see what else I tackle tomorrow-- I will probably make some effort in shoveling out my room. The drawers are a good small start, usually once I get going on cleaning it is hard to stop (though once the sun goes down I am done with my productiveness for the day, I am like a bird in that regard).

If you're organizing right now, good luck! If not, join in on the fun!!