Miscellaneous Memoirs

I want to start blogging more about cool stuff like clothes and daily life stuff so here is a good start.
So, Facebook, my daily social networking staple, is asking for Beta Testers to submit Q&As and I am taking on the challenge.  Here is a little taste of my first attempt.  I have to submit three so my next one will be more brief! This didn't copy any of my hyperlinks :( so I added a few back in manually and then got lazy, I really want to take a blog class!

Q: How should I organize my closet and keep it that way?


A: If you're a ‘clothes whore’-der like me or only own the basics, your closet is something that confronts you on a regular basis. Organizing your closet can be a challenging feat for some: To fold or to hang? To organize clothes seasonally, by color, or by article of clothing? Oh, the options! A closet on its best behavior should be a place to not only store your clothing and shoes, but also make getting dressed everyday a painless task.

Though I still struggle (on a regular basis) with tackling my closet’s order; I have found several helpful items and tips that help me to keep it running smoothly. No matter what your budget or closet and wardrobe size, finding ways to better classify items you use daily will help start your day off smoothly and make getting dressed more fun! Someday, I want an Oprah closet, but until I hit the jackpot or marry a millionaire below is how I make it work.

First thing first, start a ‘donation’ pile/ hamper/ whatever vessel can carry clothes to a donation bin. Go through your clothes, undergarments, bags, shoes and everything and eliminate anything that is damaged beyond fixing, anything you haven’t used/worn in 6 months and anything that does not fit you. I understand keeping special items or costumes but most of us have some excess that can be put to better use. I know it is tempting to keep the special t-shirt from high school or the pants that used to fit but really, throw it away or donate it. You don’t want your closet to end up like Lindsey Lohan’s closet.

Second, I find it best to organize by all of the above: season, color and article. I have a skirt, pants, tops and dresses section of my closet and they are all separated by color within each section. That way if your like, ‘I am having a black pants and white top day,’ you know right where to go! There are awesome hangers like this to make hanging pants more efficient and save space. I fold sweaters (you shouldn’t hang them!) and they are in a section in a shelf, hence the seasonal separation. I also fold jeans and stack them on a shelf in the closet. If you have a dresser, use it for t-shirts, athletic clothing, etc and fabrics that should not hang. Separate each different group into drawers and try to keep them folded nicely. Some people even like to roll their folded clothes to make more room. If you don’t have one, invest in some plastic drawer sets; it is totally worth it to not have to hang all these items!

In the spirit of brevity, here are a few more tips:

· These plastic show boxes are about $2 each and keep nice shoes clean and organized. Shoe hangers on the back of a door are space savers.

· Don’t use wire hangers! They damage the posture of your clothes.

· Use the pants hangers I described above to hang your scarves, shawls, etc.

· If your feel extra OCD you can use these vacuum bags to shrink and preserve bulky items or clothes you know you wont use often.

· Use clothespins or hangers with clips to fasten clothes that don’t like to stay on hangers.

In the words of Albert Einstein, "Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." So whether that really applies to your closet or not, get organizing!

Have a great weekend people!  Ironically, this weekend, I am going to organize my closet and take my huge donation pile to Goodwill!