Do You Capsule?

"Organizing is just well planned hording.  The best way to organize is to get rid of most of your stuff." 

 The Minimalists podcast

Stay with me! I am not suggesting you get rid of all your stuff.  Really I am not.  But I am challenging you to think about what you have, why you have it, and what you really use or need.  Rearranging your hordes of stuff still leaves you with hordes of stuff.  Just in pretty containers!

Ya'll this move has really been an eye opener for me in several areas of our lives.  Moving is pretty easy for me.  I just move things from one room in a house to the same room in a different house.  Done!  But this time we did parts of the move on our own (the military has always moved us before) and saw a few areas that needed some attention.

Like clothes!  Yep, back on that merry-go-round.  Seems like one I keep revisiting.  Is it just me?

I moved all my clothes up here myself.  And I put them all back in my closet.  And then I had a heart to heart talk with myself and decided some things needed to be changed.  The lack of organization made my head spin.

I would certainly not call myself a hoarder when it comes to clothes, but let's just say I like them.  A lot.  I am also pretty fickle about my "style" and therefore often end up with a bunch of random pieces.  Thankfully, I have moved back to a place that has four seasons, though mild, and can go back to more of a capsule wardrobe.

Here's my plan-

• 3 tubs of off season clothing (one for each of the three not currently being worn)

• Current season hung in closet hung up

• Church/dress clothes hung together (all seasons)

• A few "completer" pieces that span the seasons left hanging

Yep that is it. Not rocket science.  well, deciding what season a few things went into were a bit harder than others, but luckily my oldest was here to help when I got the wild hair to get it together!

Here's what it is NOT-

An amazing curated 33 item wardrobe for each season-  While I love the Project 333 idea, I am not as much stuck on a number, as I am determined to have only what I need a love, and while I LOVE seeing pictures with all those coordinating colors and beautiful monochromatic color palettes, that is just not me.

Here is what it IS-

Suited to fit me.  And you should do the same.  Copying someone else's' capsule does not work.  Trust me on this one, I know.  You will end up with a closet of stuff that looks really cute on someone else.

Random number of items.  My winter and spring capsules are smaller than my fall and summer.  Who knows why.

Fewer things, but nicer items!  I am all for a fun graphic tee shirt or trendy item at a cheap price, but I want to focus more on quality items that will last for more than three months.

A few things will travel from one capsule to the other and probably never see the bins.  There are jeans I have I wear all year.  There are a few basic layering tees, short and long sleeve, that I wear all seasons.  They will just stay put once I turn to a new capsule.

A lesson in progress.  I am new to this area.  In reality, I have NO real idea of how the seasons will look.  I am tentatively planning on-

Dec/Jan/Feb= winter
Mar/April/May=spring
June/July/Aug= summer
Sept/Oct/Nov= fall

But I may find I need to expand or shorten those once I get there.  We will see and that's ok!

This is also a time that I want to evaluate each piece as I bring it out for a new season.  If I love it and wear it, it stays.  Otherwise, off it goes.

A quick update on some of the ideas I was processing through about minimalist clothing  a few weeks ago

• I am still committed to 20 in 20 where you only buy 20 articles of clothing in 2020.  I am up to 6, but they all have been carefully thought out pieces and filled holes in my closet.  Like two new sweaters because I am not in Phoenix anymore and it gets cold up here in the mountains.

• Buying second hand.  Trying to stick to this mostly, but I have seen some sales that I think would be less expensive than buying used, so that I am pondering.  Maybe the point is not about the price but about being good stewards of things and "recycling."  Hmmmmm, thoughts on that anyone?

• Project 333 Again, I am not following that down to the letter of the law, but it did remind me of why I love capsules and has some good general rules to follow.  It spurned me on to get it together!  Founder Courtney Carver has a new book coming out soon and I cannot wait to read it!

Minimalist Clothes

Before you get too excited, no, I am not a minimalist and yes, I have too many clothes.  I have in the past pared WAY down and even done a two season capsule, but somehow it tends to get away from me and once again I will find myself with too many things, half of which are not my favorites.

I do sway towards wanting to be a minimalist.  No, not the "get rid of everything you own and sit on the floor," but more the "surround yourself with only the things you love and use."

Shop purposeful.
  
Live purposeful. 

This latest move has shown me once again that random stuff is not what I want in my life.  When you have to pack and unpack everything you own every several years it makes you reconsider what is truly important to you.  This move has been no different, and I have been so thankful that 34 Weeks of Clean is not just something I write about, but something we live!

Honestly, if I went around with a bag and tried to gather up things I could throw out and not miss, the list would be small.

Except for clothes.  Yes, I may have fewer than many people, but I still have more than I need.

My issue is what to do about that.  I like to shop, so the first step is to stop shopping for a while.  In stores or online.  This means staying OUT of stores and OFF online clothing sites.  YOU may have more will power than I do, but sister, those places are bad news for me.

The other ideas I am still processing through look like this-

• #20in2020dressing- Committing to buying only 20 clothing items in the year.  No judgement- from your side or mine.  This was recommended to me by some friends who are doing it and the idea is intriguing.  I am working through this idea.  You can see her plan at her blog!

• Only buying second hand.  This is actually more of a challenge for me.  Full disclosure- I love Stitch Fix. I love shiny stores.  I already told you I love clothes!  But places like Poshmark and Thred Up (referral link!) sell things at a fraction of the cost and often in perfect condition or even tags on.  Since I know what sizes I wear in the brands I like, it will be easy for me to search for exactly what I need.  Notice the word need!

• Back to basics!  I love the idea of a capsule wardrobe and have written about them in the past and I love the many pictures I see of them.  They speak to the organizational side of me.  Lately I have been following some friends in a group called Polished Plaid Fashion Challenge that helps you create a capsule and then use it to get dressed for about a month.  It works for me, takes the guess work out of my "what to wear" problem, and makes my mornings pretty thought free.  (Not to mention I LOVE the community these gals have created! Seriously, want to make some new friends and be encouraged and cheered on, join this group!  They will begin a new challenge in March.)  Since we are now living in a 4 season climate what I would like to do is create a 4 season capsules that I can rotate through. 

• Project 333- This is where capsules rubber meets the road.  While I am not stuck on the magic number of living with 33 items (in total or in each season's capsule!) the principles she uses are solid and I am hoping to learn from those principles, taking what works, and tweaking what doesn't.  I am not an all neutral girl, but I do own a few too many floral tops.  Just saying! 

So yep, as I am unpacking this week, these are just a few of the MANY things running through my head.  Once I land on a plan, I will be sure to update you!  In the meantime, I would LOVE to hear how you manage your clothes.  Really!  Leave me a note.

Blessings,

34 Weeks of Clean 2019! Week 16- The Master Closet

You knew it was coming, right?  We cannot simply do our bedrooms and skip our closets, though trust me, the idea did cross my mind.   Let's face it, most of our closets are pretty dungeon like.  At least mine is.  I have had ONE closet in my lifetime that I loved.  In our Virginia rental house, the closet was the size of a small bedroom.  Seriously!  It had a wonderful window in it that lit the place up and I even had my treadmill in it with plenty of space to walk around in.  I loved it.  That is no longer my reality sadly.  This is-

Yep.  Not very big and often piled high with junk.  As usual,  I have allowed it to get completely out of hand.   It is an easy place to just toss things in and not look back.  It is one of the few places guests don't see so I let it slide.  Often.  And dresser drawers, don't even get me started.  I actually do not even use a dresser anymore, Clarke took mine over, so I have three cubbies and a few baskets in the closet that house my things that don't hang up.

So this week- Master Closets and Dresser Drawers are on our attack list! 

Here we go!

• You know the drill - take everything OUT!  Trust me when I say this, it WILL make things easier in the end! Closet and drawers.  It truly is the only way to really see how much you have.  Time to face reality, ladies.

Just getting started!

• Once everything is out, wipe down the shelves and rods and vacuum the floor in the closet and wipe out dresser drawers.  Now is your chance before things go back in!

• And now, for the hard part!  Put it back.  Notice that I did NOT say put it ALL back in.  Because that is not what we are going to do.  Shake your head up and down to indicate you understand, please!

If you will remember back with me, one of our goals is to declutter.  This means we are NOT keeping extra stuff we do not need or wear. 

    - Throw away things that are stained or torn or 100 years old.  Some of you know I am looking at YOU!
     -Donate things that do not fit you or that you do not love!  NO keeping stuff just because.  Touch every piece and ask yourself, does it fit and do I love it?

Helpful hints-

When you wear something, wash it and then put it on a hanger facing backwards.  When a month is over, the things that are are still on front facing hangers are the things you have avoided for a month.  hmmmm- do you need them? 

Or try this- I hang all my shirts together in a row and then each day choose the one on the far left to wear.  From there I pair it with whatever else I need and off I go.  If I find myself skipping the same shirt over and over again I take that as a clue that it is not something I like or need and should pass on to someone else.

This also helps me avoid wearing the same few things over and over again that I love.  Because, yes, I would do that.

Really evaluate what you have and what you NEED.  There are plenty of good sites out there that can help you decide what looks good on you (and what does not) and how to mix and match with fewer things.  I have found that when I keep my clothes to a few colors, some times I do better than others, it all goes together AND it keeps me from buying more.  My oldest does something similar and has a capsule wardrobe which she has blogged about several years ago for me!  One thing I have learned from all the traveling we do is that you can create many different outfits with few pieces if you plan well.  Let's commit to stop buying random stuff just because it is cute or on sale!  If you don't need it, don't buy it!

If you have a high shelf in your closet, invest in a few dividers that will help you stack things without the risk of an avalanche every time you open the closet door.  Or just get rid of stuff and clear the space! ;)

Hang your dress clothes separately.  It makes Sunday mornings and special occasions easier to get ready for when those clothes are separate.
 

Make piles like TRASH, GOODWILL, or SWEET DESERVING FRIEND who will fit better into it! ;)

You can do this!  I know it is hard to let go of things, but let's not make things an idol.  Clothes especially.  They simply cover our bodies and do not make us who we are.

    This is also the time to go through scarves, shoes and jewelry if this is where those things are housed. 

                 -I love having my jewelry in my closet so it is easy to match to an outfit on the way out the door.  I recently pared down my jewelry to only the pieces I love.  Hard, but necessary.  I use a spool holder for ease.  Trust me, this is pared down!

 
               -Shoes!  Let's talk shoes for a minute.  How many pairs do you own?  Actually, how many pairs can you wear at once?  That is a better question.  I love shoes as much as the next person, maybe not as much as my mom, but I realized that shoes were one of the areas that was going to get the best of me if I was not very careful.  So I donated a lot of pairs a few years ago!  I realized I only wore the same two pair of booties all "winter" anyway, and because of a hip and leg problem (steps are a very dangerous thing!) I wear almost the same two pairs of summer shoes all summer long.  All the others, except for two pairs of church shoes and one very dressy pair, were extra.  As in not needed!
              -Bags and pocketbooks.  Now we are getting personal.  If you know me well, you know I have a thing for both.  Don't know why, but I cannot seem to pass up either.  I love changing purses with the seasons and I can find any excuse to have a new bag.  In my defense, I use them.  But, again, not all are necessary (did I really say that?), and I did get rid of a few.  Ok, 2 more this season, it is a work in progress, I promise!

YOU DID IT!  Stand back and look at what your hard work accomplished!  And don't panic- you have a week to finish this project!


So how did you do last week in your Master Bedroom?  If you haven't shared your pictures on our Facebook page, please do!  We love seeing your hard work in action!

Thanks for working hard and having fun with us!  Keep cleaning and organizing- you CAN do it!

Blessings,

Intro Week
Week 1- Holiday Decorations
Week 2-The Pantry
Week 3-Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers   
Week 4- Fridge, Freezer and Floors
Week 5- Recipes 
Week 6- The Stove and Loose Ends 
Week 7- The Dining Room 
Week 8- The Living Room 
Week 9- Books 
Week 10- Bathrooms  
Week 11- The Foyer
Week 12- The Family Room and DVDs 
Week 13- Pictures and Scrapbooks
Week 14- Arts, Crafts and Hobbies 
Week 15- he Master Bedroom

Fall and Winter Capsule Overview

Can you feel it?  Fall is here!  Days are not quite as warm and our nights are growing cooler. Here in the mid-west, we have even awoken to several mornings of frost on the ground.  (and seen a little snow one day!)  But fall is upon us, with winter probably pretty close behind.

Since I have decided to only do a two season wardrobe capsule that means the spring/summer capsule have found its place in the containers once more and the cooler weather things have come out!

Yippeeeeee!

Have I mentioned I love cold weather?  It is not that I like being cold, but I love layering, I love big comfy sweaters, I love scarves, and love love love snow!  So yes, I get excited when I can bring out this capsule!

I do keep out a few three quarter length shirts to wear with cardigans when a rare warmer day hits, but other than that, this is a big clothes turnover.  Anything that did not work well for spring and summer goes out and then the rest gets packed away until April, give or take.

Here's what I am working with-
5 Pants
1 Jeans
1 Trouser Jeans
1 White button down
2 Three quarter length tops
13 Sweaters
3 Vests
1 Jean skirt
4 Cardigans
6 Blouses

Church/dressy
2 black slacks
3 skirts
3 dressy sweaters
2 blazers
1 leather coat

Scarves- please do not make me count them.  I may have a slight obsession but my goal is no new ones this season.  At least no new ones bought by me! ;)

While this may not work for everyone, it does for me.  I am a stay at home mom so while I do not have to get dressed up every day, I do make it a point to get dressed everyday and feel good about how I look.  (Regardless of what people think, no, we do not homeschool on our jammies everyday, though it is tempting at times!)

Again, because I tend to operate with blacks, greys, pinks, and purples for the most part, I am usually able to mix and match to the point that my friends do not grow too weary of my clothes (ha).  By choosing the next shirt or sweater hanging in my closet and then creating an outfit from there, I rotate pieces pretty evenly so I do not get into the bad habit of wearing the same thing over and over.  When wearing sweaters, there are not as many layering options, so I try to be more creative with scarves and jewelry.

It helps when you shop carefully and LOVE all that you buy!  Yes, we have all been victims of impulse buying, but if we are more deliberate about what we buy we tend to love ALL that is in our closet, not just a few pieces, and wear them all instead of the same two things every chance we get. Last year I became more deliberate about my shopping and when I pulled things out this season, I realized I was much more content, even excited, about the things I had to choose from.  By adding a few new pieces this season, I have a wardrobe that I am happy and comfortable with.

One shirt, two ways

Remember what we have talked about before-

Do you love it?
Do you use it? (wear it?)
Would you buy it again?


Whether you have four capsules like my daughter, or just two, I would encourage you be content with what you have, be a good steward of your money, and remember that in the end clothes do not make the man!

*If you are interested in getting started with a capsule wardrobe, Ashton's post An Unordinary Wardrobe will help get you started.

Linking up with friends!

Blessings,

Ashton's Fall Capsule

Hello! This is Ashton, and I'm back with yet another capsule wardrobe to share with you.
First, I have a confession. When I first decided what months to put in each capsule "season," I had September, October, and November as fall and December, January, and February as winter. Well. You might have noticed that I'm posting this at the end of September. That is because I just switched my wardrobe over Friday. That is because it was still hot way back in the beginning of September. That is because...I honestly don't know. Anyway, after doing some thinking, I realized that SD is actually a fairly cold state compared to most places, including where we are moving next (see this post if you missed that announcement). So if it is too hot to wear fall clothes here, it is definitely going to be too hot to wear fall clothes elsewhere. Thus my confession. I made a mistake, and have decided to mend my ways. Thus, my new and improved capsule schedule looks like this:

Winter: January, February, March
Spring: April, May, June
Summer: July, August, September
Fall: October, November, December (as a reminder, mom does two capsules instead of four)

OK, now that I have that off my chest, let's get down to the actual capsule. This capsule is probably the most unique of my capsules in terms of how different it is from my "look." Mom actually said to me, "I like your fall capsule. There isn't as much blue or plaid." I'm still trying to decide how to take that but she is right, there is hardly any blue (I know, right?!) and only a handful of plaid pieces. This capsule will also carry me through the most varied season temperature-wise. Right now it very warm here (in the 70s and 80s) and I will still be wearing this capsule in December, when it is COLD. I will let you know how that goes.

So, for fall I have:
11 shirts
5 pairs of pants
9 skirts (4 church, 5 everyday)
3 dresses
5 sweaters
2 vests
1 jacket

Total: 36 items, my smallest capsule yet!
Again, this doesn't count things like exercise clothes, old sweatshirts I wear around the house, or accessories or shoes. It also doesn't count camisoles or the plain long-sleeved layering shirts that I wear under everything when it gets cold. I do have quite a few of those, but since I can't wear them as shirts by themselves I'm not counting them.

Let's talk numbers for a minute. I looked back and my spring capsule was 50 items, while my summer capsule was 37 items. Obviously there is no perfect number and everyone and every season is different. That being said, I live where it gets COLD in the late fall, winter, and early spring, and I am a firm believer in wearing more clothes then, especially because I am usually cold.

And finally, the least wordy part of this post! My friend Sarah and I put together some outfits for you to see!

Until winter, 

Ashton

Linking up with friends-

A Summer Capsule Wardrobe

If you aren't familiar with Capsule Wardrobing, Ashton's previous post and another one I wrote about a two season wardrobe plus this post about it are good places to start.  While we know summer is almost over in some parts of the world, we still have a few months left here for mostly warmer weather so we wanted to share with you Ashton's summer capsule before we jump to her fall one in October, as well as my Fall/Winter one.  

So here is Ashton-

Hey! So...I know I've talked about capsule wardrobes before but I haven't alked about how I transition from one season's wardrobe to another. So here you go! I first took out all of the things I knew I wouldn't be keeping out for the next season and put them away.  I then got out all of the clothes for the season I was transitioning to along with what was left from the previous season and put it on the floor. 

Then I look at every piece and put what I really loved, what fit, and what was flattering back in the closet, and put away, donated, or gave away the rest. That left me with a closet of clothes that I love to wear.

This is what I had at the start of the summer:
13 Shirts
4 Button-downs
3 Light Jackets
3 Cardigans
5 Dresses
6 Skirts
2 Pairs of Jeans
1 Pair of Capris
For a total of 37 items. 

I do have a confession, I have added and gotten rid of a few pieces since then, but my count is about the same. For me, it isn't about an exact number and I don't include shoes or accessories in my count. My goal is to only be wearing what I love, what fits, and what is flattering on me.

Just for fun, here are some outfits mom and I styled, each set showing one piece used two different ways!

I hope this quick look into how I transition between seasons helps you and maybe the links will even inspire you to start your own capsule wardrobes! Please let us know if you do, we would love to hear about it! -Ashton 

Linking up with friends!-

First Steps to a Capsule Wardrobe- Guest Post

After talking about capsule wardrobes the past three Mondays, we have been amazed at the number of people who have decided to give it a try.  This week I am thrilled to be able to share with you a post from a blogging friend, Cristi!  Not only has she braved the 34 Weeks of Clean with us, but now she is braving her closet as well.  Make sure you hop over to her blog Through the Calm and Through the Storm and show her some love!   Thanks Cristi!  If you have a story you would like to share, let us know.  We would love to have you!

For the past twenty weeks, I've been tagging along with Michele as she's issued 34 Weeks of Clean challenges. A few weeks ago, she started talking about closets and clothes.

Based on her recommendation, I pulled every single article of clothing out of my closet and ended up with a huge mess of clothes piled on my bed. All of the clothes that didn't seem quite right (too small, too faded, out-of-date, etc) were set aside to go to Goodwill, and my newly organized closet was finished by the time my husband returned from his weekend hiking trip.

Just as I was sitting back admiring my newly organized closet, Michele and her daughter Ashton started to talk about capsule wardrobes. Uh oh. I had a sinking feeling they were fixing to suck me into another one of their crazy schemes.


I've actually thought about a capsule wardrobe before. Two summers ago, I set aside thirty-three clothing items and resolved to only wear those things for the next 33 days. I remember loving the plan when I was doing it, but I can't remember exactly why I stopped using my capsule wardrobe. My best guess is that I kept adding clothes when the season changed, and thirty-three items became fifty-something items and then I quit counting and let all of my clothes options take over my closet.


Since I was inspired by Ashton's and Michele's posts about their capsule wardrobes, I've revisited the idea in my own closet.

Ashton's idea to divide her favorite clothes among her four capsules was pure genius! I've always packed away winter sweaters when summer rolls around, but I've never thought about rotating through items that can technically be worn year round. Just because I love a particular t-shirt does not mean that I have to have it in my capsule throughout the year.

That idea was just the answer I was looking for when it came to my overflowing basket of t-shirts. (Can you believe Michele questioned whether I had a t-shirt problem? There's only 25-30 of my favorite shirts in there.)

Seriously, though, I always lumped my short sleeve t-shirts together and kept them out year-round. I wear them by themselves in the summer and under cardigans in the winter. (Arizona winters mean that I rarely needed to worry with long sleeves under cardigans.) 

Dividing up the basket of shirts was far less painful and a lot more practical than giving away half of them.

Some of my choices were easy. I wear black and white v-neck t-shirts often, especially the ones I have that are made out of a nicer quality cotton. They definitely go into my current capsule. I put the white crew-neck and black/white polka dot t-shirts away to wear under sweaters later this fall or winter.

Other choices were more difficult. I have a small collection of "fun" t-shirts to wear on lazy days when I want a bit of a pick-me-up. I can wear them out of the house, but I rarely do. Instead of keeping the Superman (SuperMommy) shirt, the "I run to burn off the crazy" shirt, the Mrs. Incredible shirt, my OU t-shirt to wear during college football season, and an Oklahoma Christian t-shirt all in my closet at the same time, I just picked two. Actually, I could probably get by with one, except that I'm afraid my running t-shirt is shrinking funny and will have to be thrown away before long.

I also divided up my favorite Life is Good brand t-shirts into two piles. I love all four of them, but two for now and two for later in the year works just fine.

I had grand intentions of going through all of my clothes, dealing them out into four capsules, and then neatly putting back this season's chosen items. I was then going to share with Michele and all the Family, Faith and Fun readers what my final capsule for this season looks like. Unfortunately, it's a lot harder of a project than I thought it would be.

I really did try on all my clothes when I cleaned out my closet. Trying them on does not however ensure that I really love them. I sometimes put on an outfit and then decide a few hours later that I don't really like it after all. The dress I wore to church a few weeks ago turned out to be a few inches longer than I'd like. If I felt frumpy wearing it that morning, it needs to go in the giveaway pile. Similarly, today is the last day that I'll wear the peach shirt I pulled out of the t-shirt basket this morning. As the day went on, I became increasingly frustrated by the way its stretched out hem was hanging loosely.


Because I can't make decisions based simply on a marathon session of trying on clothes, I'm postponing the final reveal of my complete summer capsule wardrobe. My goal this week is to try on some of the clothes that I haven't chosen to wear in quite some time. Maybe I'll find a few new favorites -- favorites worth keeping in my capsule.

If Cristi had to describe herself in 25 words or less, she'd write:" Follower of Christ. Military wife. Nurse (via on-the-job training). Homeschooling mom. Allergy-friendly cook. Aspiring photographer. Chauffeur. Blogger. Runner. Friend. And much, much more."

Her blog, Through the Calm and Through the Storm, started six years ago as a way to record her youngest daughter's wait for a heart transplant and continues as a way to record all the crazy days she loves.

A Capsule Wardrobe Unveiled

This capsule wardrobe madness started out somewhat out of guilt.  After I told you all to empty out your closets during our 34 Weeks of Clean master closet assignment, things just got crazy around here and this whole capsule thing got started.

Actually, Ashton has been doing this for a while and you can read her post, An Unordinary Capsule, to catch up.  Then, last week, we went back to my closet to see what a Two Season Capsule Wardrobe looks like.  Thank goodness for two seasons, because (can I just tell you all) the day that post went live our temps dove into the low 40s and I would have frozen if I did not have a closet of transitional pieces. Today the high is supposed to be 48, while yesterday it was in the high 60s.

As a reminder, here is what I was left with after we purged my closet-

Before we talk about how this really looks, let me say a few quick things in response to someone asking WHY we would do this.

Here are the reasons one would do a capsule wardrobe-
To simplify their life (and their closet).
To curb their spending and still have outfits with fewer pieces of clothing.
To make getting dressed a no-brainer.

Ashton's 4 capsules allow her to own fewer clothes and yet have many options.  Her goal was to organize.
My two capsules allow me to mix and match because I limit my colors, but also make me wear everything I have.  If I don't love it, I don't own it.  My goal was to simplify.

Regardless of the whys, we can tell you the benefits are numerous.  Yes, it is a small challenge, but it is also a lot of fun.  You will stop wasting money on things that just take up space and hopefully have more money to buy a few new pieces that you LOVE each season.

For me it has also been a lesson in contentment.  Just because I love something or even just want it, does not mean I need it.  How can I pass that lesson on to my kids, if I do not first embrace it.? Contentment is a choice.  If people in other countries can live with 5 things to their name, why do I think that I cannot do without a few things in my closet?  If people can travel around the world with only the clothes that fit in a backpack, why do I think I need 20 times as much?  I am not saying you should get rid of everything, I told you all I love clothes, but I am suggesting that we need to be more intentional in what we buy and why we buy it!

Ok, on to the outfits.  Because I have a few more things in my capsule, I do not have to mix and match as often as someone with four capsules and fewer items, but because I use only a few coordinating colors it is easy for me to do that.  I am not going to grace you with pictures of me in those outfits (I'm not that brave) but we did put a few together so you would get  an idea of what we do.  Since our weather has been bi-polar lately, we decided to show you that a two season capsule can carry you from the 40s to the 70s!  Temperature-wise, that is! ;)

On the right is the outfit for warm weather, the outfit on the left is for cool weather.

It is worth mentioning again, I do tend to wear clothes in the order they hang in my closet.  Yep, I am boring like that. I usually choose the far most left hand shirt and then make an outfit from there.

For church clothes, I narrowed down my choices to 6 shirts, 4 skirts, and two pairs of black slacks.

For dressier occasions I have 4 jackets, 2 blouses, 2 dressy sweaters, and one dress.  I pair those things with my church skirts or slacks and can grab a cardigan to add if I really need to.

Volia!  Done!

Remember, we are not experts on capsule wardrobes and we do not follow strict rules.  If you are up for the challenge of a specific number of items (includeing purses and shoes) you can find those blogs out there.  For us this is not about numbers and no fun it is about intentional living, less spending, and a little fun thrown in!

Obviously, several of you have been inspired and challenged with us and have joined in the fun.  Next week a friend and fellow blogger, Cristi from Through the Calm and Through the Storm, will be guest posting to share her experience.  Can't wait for her to join us! Cristi has also been keeping up with our 34 Weeks of Clean, so make sure you check out some of her results.

Hope to see you back next week!


Linking up with friends-

Blessings.

Lessons From My Closet (A Two Season Capsule Wardrobe)

Does it seem to anyone that God has me learning a lot of lessons lately?  Luckily for me, and hopefully you too, today's lessons are a lot less life altering than those I have talked about lately.

So, about a capsule wardrobe.  If you have not yet read about my daughter's success, you may want to start there!  Boy, has that post gotten the blog buzzing!  She references several sites that are much more knowledgeable than we are.  You will either be inspired or think we are all crazy.

After encouraging everyone to empty out their closets, clean, and start again I realized I had far too many clothes. Far too many. I used to be good at this thing called getting dressed but somewhere along the way I went back to some old bad habits (impulse shopping anyone?) and the clothes were taking over again.

So here is what I have been working on- A Two Season Capsule Wardrobe!

Again, Ashton's post explains the concepts behind it all and shows how it all works, so I would encourage you to read that if you haven't already.  No need to repeat what has been already said.  For now, let's talk about me and my experience.

Hangups-

• Yes, I have a fear that my friends will think I am crazy or get tired of my same 'ole clothes.  First of all, they probably think I am crazy already.  For the record, I wear only black, white and grey with pink, purple, and occasionally turquoise for color.  Therefore, they may be tired of my clothes already. Plus, I can barely remember what I wore three days ago.  I am counting on them having faulty memories as well.

• Will these clothes wear out?  Ashton addressed this last week, but two things as a reminder.  One, you are only wearing most of these things for only several months at a time.  Not all year.  Second, in theory, when you are buying less, you can afford to spend a little more money and buy better quality.

• Will I get boring?  Let's face it, if clothes make us boring, we are already boring.

• Why a Two Season Capsule?  For me it just makes more sense.  We live in a cold state.  I like winter but I do not like being cold, so you will often find me in a cardigan, inside especially.  Because of those cardigans the things I am presently wearing are good for spring, summer, and even early fall here.  Then it gets cold, and I quickly jump to a winter capsule.  So, yes, unlike Ashton's four seasons, I stick to two capsules.  Which means mine have slightly more things in them.  More on that in a moment.

Rules-

• Not many, really.  This is not about numbers for us.  It is about clearing out the excess, spending our money more wisely on timeless pieces that will last longer, and letting go of the stress of getting dressed each morning.

• This is a five month trial.  Surely I can do this for five months, right?  So, for me, that includes May, June and July, August and September!  Depending on where you live and when you start your months, your length of capsule may be different.

• Things that do not get worn and I do not miss will be donated.  No holding on to stuff "just in case."  Actually, most of the stuff already went out the door.  A few pieces I am holding back to see.  A very few.

• For ME, church clothes and dressy clothes are separate things. Here is why. We attend church weekly and do tend to dress up a bit. I have however also gone through those clothes and made adjustments which we will talk more about next week  Also, because we are a military family and one that goes to the theater often, I do have a few dressy pieces for such occasions.  Again, we will address this later!

Things learned from my closet-

• I tend to buy "cute" over "classy."  The bad news is, I look better in classy.  Maybe I am just too old for cute, but whatever the reason, I need to accept my fate and buy accordingly.

• I love clothes.  Or maybe just shopping.  Or maybe both.  But either way, I can clear my house of just about anything else and not look back, but clothes- well, THAT is hard for me.

• My girls are ruthless.  Want to try this capsule experiment?  Invite my girls over and you are guaranteed success.  You are not however guaranteed to like them when all is said and done.  Ask me how I know this.

• I have an obsession with scarves.  Which is why we are not counting them as true capsule pieces.  Truth is, I cannot bear to see any go. I have agreed not to buy a new one for the next five months.  Yay me!

• I know now why I like fall and winter better than spring and summer.  The clothes and the layers.  Seriously!  I use to think it was about the cool/cold weather.  Now I have decided that it may because of the clothes.  Pitiful for sure.  One, you can cover up a multitude of sins with winter clothes.  I like that.  Two, in my opinion, you can create A LOT more variations of outfits with layering.  When it is so hot that even a T-shirt makes you hot, that's all you've got- a tee shirt.  Not much variation there. And while some people look great in just a solid color tee shirt, I do not count myself as one of them.  Layers, people.  There are great possibilities in layers!

• I love JJill and Ann Taylor Loft! I just always thought they were too expensive to buy on a regular basis.  But here is the thing...I can buy two or three $10.00 pieces on impulse while walking through Target or whereever and wear them, not loving them, for a few months, or I can save that money and once each capsule change over, invest in one or two new pieces from a company I LOVE on a piece I LOVE and will last longer.  This is also where ThredUp can rock your world if you are brand loyal and know what you are looking for and what size you wear.  Do NOT get on that site without a plan!

Remember, one of the reasons we embarked on our 34 Weeks of Clean Series was not to just clean and organize but to declutter.  We want to take the stuff out of our lives that creates chaos and only leave that which we love and brings us joy!  If you don't love or use it, and it doesn't bring you joy, move it out!

There are several other things that I learned from this little experiment of mine, but I will share those with you next week when I show you which clothes made the cut and the outfits we created with them.  Following Kathi Lipps model from Clutter Free, we will be asking-

-Do I love it
-Do I use it (wear it, in this case)
-Would I buy it again?

Here is what I came up with that we will be working with next week, remembering that these pieces will cover spring, summer, and fall.

Hang on to your hat, things are about to get crazy here.  Who's in for a little fun?


Linking up with friends-

 Blessings,