Organizing My Closet - Part 1 or Is 49 Scarves to Many?

Every year I have a desire to get something in my life organized and some what manageable...this year its my closet. It is a mess on a massive scale. If you judged me just by my closet you would wonder when my episode of Hoarders was airing.

I can never find anything, everything is crammed in there and I couldn't figure out how to make it functional. Part of the problem may be the abundance of clothes, shoes and accessories currently in my clothes but isn't that the point of a closet to store your clothes, shoes and accessories.

To make matter more difficult I have to share the closet with The Fiancee and its poorly laid out. (I am sure it was designed by some man that thought he will angle it to make it look nicer but really there is just wasted space). 

After staring at the problem for 3 days I took action. (I would like to note that I am only organizing my side of the closet, The Fiancee can fix his side. I'll help but he needs to do the work, its his stuff).

I decide the first thing I need to tackle were all my scarves. I have a lot of scarves. I love them. next to books they may be my biggest weakness. If I see a scarf I buy a scarf. All my friends and family know I like scarves so they buy them for me, often. Even The Fiancee (I wonder how many times I can insert The Fiancee into a single post, I just really like saying it) has bought me a scarf or two (3) since we have been together.

First, I rounded up all the scarves I currently owned. Most of them were hanging on hangers in the closet but a few were in a pile on the floor of the closet, some were in a pile on my blanket chest and there were still more in my car. 

Then I folded them nicely and laid them out on the bed. I then tried to figure out how am I going to organizing all these scarves. It was daunting and overwhelming and just when I was about to throw them all back in the closet I had a moment of brilliance...seriously it was brilliant.

I decide in my moment of brilliance to use an over the door shoe rack to store my scarves. See brilliant. I may not be the first person to do this but I don't know anyone else doing it and it worked amazingly.

This is just a standard 24 pocket shoe racket. I wasn't sure, at first, it would be big enough because despite getting rid of a few scarves I had 49 of them and I wanted to be able to see them and quickly decide which one to wear. 

I discovered that the pockets are big enough for 2 standard scarves to fit nicely. I had already folded them so I just paired them with a buddy and start putting the lesser wore ones at the top and bottom. Popular ones at eye level. The bulkier scarves took up one space and all the little ones that you tie on your purse or in your hair are all in one pocket. The Fiancee (5 times) is impressed and I can even add a scarf or two without having to get rid of any. 

Now I completed step 1 of my closet overhaul...Check back next week for Organizing My Closet - Part 2 or When Did I Buy That?

44 Scarves in 44 Days

Recently when I was cleaning out my closet and organizing all my accessories I realized that I may own a few to many scarves.

About 2/3 of my scarves!!!

At that time I had 40 scarves. But I have since acquired 4 more scarves (It was the holidays and they were gifts. OK two I gifted it to myself but whatever). And is 44 scarves to many?  I'm not sure that's possible, it may be like owning to many shoes. Not possible.

But since I am trying to downsize and get rid of stuff I don't use I have challenged myself to wear a different scarves every day to work.

So what you are saying why do we care.....you probably don't and I don't want you to care that much about my scarves. Because that would mean you are a little to fascinated with and I may need to get some security.

The reason I am telling you this is to offer up a challenge.

1. Go through your closet.
2. Decide what you have to much of (scarves, jewelry, jackets, etc)
3. Wear those items and decide if you want to keep it or get rid of it.

Good luck and happy sorting.

Stay Out of My Closet!!!!

This is a text conversation I had with 1 of my sisters today:

Middle Sister wearing my scarf...It is cute!

• Sister: I think its crucial to the success of my outfit that u let me borrow a scarf
• Me: Which Scarf?
• Sister: Ur black and gray one
• Me: WHAT....I love that scarf...its an original you cant even find that scarf anywhere
• Sister: Michael u love all ur scarfs
• Me: But some are more important 2 me. Plus ur sick I don't want ur germs on my scarf
• Sister: I think u need counseling
• Me: Why are you going through my clothes & ur sick go bck 2 bed & sleep
• Sister: I cant
• Me: Take some night time cold med
• Me (again): Did you take me scarf
• Sister: I am at home wearing it. It looks great with what I am wearing
• Me: Snd a pic
• Sister: I will in a minute i am resting for a sec
• Me: Don't sleep w/scarf on you will drool or sweat on it
• Sister: I wont

This is in fact an average conversation with either of my sister. 

Cute shoes Baby Sister "borrowed"



I find it very odd that although I am the shortest and heaviest of my sisters both sister will borrow my stuff to wear. Not clothes cause they would not fit but scarves, jewelery and shoes. I can't keep either of my sisters out of my shoes. One time the Baby Sister borrowed a pair of shoes without asking and by shear luck I found them in her room hidden because she knew I was looking for them and she had not had a chance to sneak them back in my closet. In her defense they are very cute shoes and once The Middle Sister (Health Nut) tried to borrow the same shoes. But still she snuck them out of my closet then hid them when I couldn't find them. Serious she hid them under a pile of dirty clothes. Its not like she was a teenager when this happened she was 23 at the time. 

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

Last night I did a dangerous thing....I went in to the closet. Not just any closet but the one that ended up sending me to the Emergency Room. Believe it or not I haven't even looked in that closet since the accident. Imagine my surprise when I realized that it wasn't a shelf that ruthlessly attacked me but an open door.

That's right there is a little half door at the back of the closet. Where does this door lead to I am not sure. And based on the relationship the closet and I have had so far I don't want to know. Its like something out of a book or movie.

Any minute Harry Potter will burst through this weird cupboard and yell Stupefy. Or I will go through the little half door and end up in Narnia and will meet The White Witch and Aslan and because I like all things shiny and pretty I will follow The White Witch and will finally go to the dark side. Which we all knew was just a mattered of time. Or the scariest thought is I will end up in the mind of John Malkovich and then end up on the side of The New Jersey Turnpike after 15 minutes and then I would stumble upon Tony Soprano performing a hit and have to join the Witness Protection Program. Or what if its some ancient portal to Hell...OMG I have to stop thinking about it. I think I will stay away from the cupboard in fact maybe I will have it sealed so nothing comes in or out.