#1745 life changer or down a rabbit hole

Stay with me on this one...there are some twists.

A few weeks ago my friend Nicole mentioned that she would like to have a "capsule wardrobe".

I wasn't sure what a capsule wardrobe was, so she explained it and I immediately got on Pinterest to learn more about it. Basically, it means paring down your wardrobe to a smaller number of items that can be mixed with each other - I think of adult Garanimals. In looking at the various lists of suggestions for items to have in your capsule wardrobe, I realized that I have most of the things, but I have a whole bunch more things, too.

The trick, I decided, was paring down what you already have to a manageable amount and accessorizing. I told Nicole about my ephiphany relating to the wardrobe. She nodded wisely and asked if I'd ever heard of the Japanese clutter book.

Weirdly, I had heard about the Japanese clutter book just a few weeks prior to this discussion in a Weight Watchers meeting. The topic was clearing out the clutter in your kitchen to make it more plan friendly. One of the ladies talked about the book and mentioned that it was the most aggravating, horrible book she'd ever read because how could she be expected to look at every little thing she owned, including socks, to see if that item "sparked joy" in her?

Friends, I do not believe in coincidence. I think everything happens for a reason, so I absolutely felt that I must own the Japanese clutter book. If you Google the words "Japanese clutter book", you will find this:

I took myself right down to the Barnes and Noble store, and there it was, looking right out at me from the best seller shelf. I picked it up and felt the power in the slim, light tome I held in my hands. I thought, "This book will change my life or send me right into a rabbit hole."

The next day I packed the book in my purse and got on a plane to San Diego to visit my sister. She recently moved from a house to a one bedroom apartment. The girl de-cluttered and capsulized and it really suits her. I told her about the capsule wardrobe and showed her the book. I started reading the book the next day. All of the stuff Lizzie said about her experience of de-cluttering matched up exactly with what Marie Kondo was saying in the book - and Lizzie didn't even read the dang thing! She just gets it!

Kondo suggests tidying/purging by categories and she is very specific about the order of the categories and how to go about tidying up effectively. Most of what she said made very good sense to me, although there were some parts that made me smile and shake my head. Still, when I got home and looked at my closet and in my dresser drawers, I knew that something had to change. There's just so much stuff! Do I really need all those old vacation t-shirts? What about those things that fit me a few years ago but don't fit anymore? By the time I get back into them, they will be old and out of style. It's time to move on.

So...tomorrow is the start of my path down the life-changing path of tidying up. I will be tidying up my tops - t-shirts, sweaters, blouses, etc. I plan to take pics and I'll show you my progress tomorrow night. I admit that thinking about this undertaking has cost me some hours of lost sleep as I think of the pile of clothes that will be on my bed tomorrow. I think about taking each item into my hands and deciding if it sparks joy. I really only want to have clothes that make me feel good about myself and happy when I put them on. It's gonna be painful and slow and hopefully rewarding and great in the end.

Wish me luck!

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I read these four books. Check out the 2016 Reading List page for info!