« August 2007 | Main | October 2007 »

September 28, 2007

Free Your Closet, Free Your Soul

ringsI kept hearing the words of What Not to Wear hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly ringing through my head the other day: "Have fewer pieces of better quality." I wanted to make it my mantra, I wanted to embrace it and live and feel what it would be like, because it seemed like such a fabulous philosophy. But there I stood, in front of a closet at least half-full of, well, crappy clothes.

So I began what I thought would be simply an exercise in decluttering. I got the family involved, and announced to dh and the kids: "It's time to go through our closets and get rid of stuff." My announcement was met with eye-rolling and moaning, but all reluctantly agreed to at least give it a try.

I began in my almost-13-year-old son's closet, and I managed to fill two large bags with clothing and shoes that no longer fit him. (And we just cleared his closet out this summer!) My 17-year-old daughter doesn't outgrow things anymore, but managed to fill a small bag with a few stained t-shirts and a few jeans too ripped to wear. My husband found a few sweaters from, I think, the early 1990s, and swore that everything that remained in his closet were items he was definitely going to wear. Soon. Really soon.

Then it was my turn. I finally tossed out some old painting clothes because, to be honest, I really don't paint much anymore. I moved on to the shoes, and threw out several pairs of fabulously-cute-but-overly-scuffed pairs, a pair of uncomfortable pumps that I've always hated, and even placed a pair of Kate Spade sandals (bought on eBay) that I hate to admit wear just too darned small for me in the charity pile. (I hope the charity I donate them to will find them a good home.) My closet felt neat and tidy after about 45 minutes, so it was time to move on to the dreaded basement closet. Although I don't consider myself a packrat, there are just some items of clothing I hold on to for way too long. And the basement closet is were they can all be found.

I began by surveying my winter wardrobe (housed there until I need it). I decided not to just keep the jackets, sweaters, and blazers that fit. I decided to be really ruthless and purge like a demon. I started off slowly, timidly tossing sweaters that were itchy or weird colors into a pile. Then, some sort of decluttering momentum kicked in. Out went the "I never really liked you because you make me look short" jacket, and the turtleneck that reminded me of a horrible boss from the job I hated more than any other I've had. A few more pairs of dress pants from that horrible job fell into the charity pile as well. Gone, gone, gone. By the time I was done, the closet was nearly empty, and I had filled five large bags with clothing and shoes. I even tossed out my "one size up" fat jeans and my "one size down" skinny jeans. It's time to admit I've been the same size for four or five years. And if I gain or lose weight, Old Navy and The Gap are just a few miles away.

So..how do I feel, you may be wondering? (Or not, but I'm going to tell you anyway.) I have to tell you, I feel light and relieved. I never thought a dark closet in the corner of my basement was weighing me down, but it was. It was filled with items that were, quite simply, no longer a part of my life--or at least, they didn't need to be part of my life. Then, I started to remember something, and it helped shed a little light on my habits, and how I was feeling now: I grew up with a messy, packrat Mom, and the chaotic state of our home always seemed to weigh heavily on me. Particularly in my teens years, I can remember, at times, feeling almost suffocated by the "stuff" in our house. Was this something that contributed to the thick air of unhappiness there? Was my mother's OCD and depression why she couldn't let go of so many things we didn't need or even want? I wished I could go back and clear out my childhood home. Perhaps it would have lifted some of the unhappiness from that place. I can't, of course, butI can do it now and make sure my family and I don't feel that same cluttered weight I felt as a child.

I lined up nine bags in the garage and set an appointment for a charity pickup for the usable items, and I let out a big sigh of relief. It's great to look back on your past, even the not-so-happy parts, and feel that although you can't change it, you can at least learn from it.

Posted by L.C. at 01:46 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed under: Beauty/Fashion | General 40ish

September 17, 2007

Prized Possessions

About 10 years ago, my home alarm went off in the middle of the night. My daughter, six or seven years old at the time, ran into the hallway holding a box of her beloved plastic action figures. She thought the house was on fire, and this box of small plastic toys was what she chose, above all her other belongings, to save. It turned out to be a false alarm, and all was well a few minutes later. But the incident did make me wonder about what is important to different people in their lives.

I shared the story on vacation a few years ago, and my friend asked me what I would save if I was faced with a real fire or other such catastrophe. "Besides your family and your pets, what would you take if you could only grab one thing," my friend asked. My first instinct was to say my laptop computer, since my many work-in-progress files, e-mails, digital photographs, and other important documents reside on it. But since I backup all my files on a mini-hard drive, I would really just need that. Still, I didn't want to waste my one choice on a mini-hard drive. There just didn't seem to be much romance in that.

I about it a while longer. My mother's quinceanera portrait from Cuba? My parent's wedding rings? My college diploma? Wedding video? Photos of my children? All important items, yet none of them seemed like an obvious choice. I was baffled.

Then I decided, that I wouldn't grab a thing. I'd make sure my children, dh, and pets were out safely, then run like hell to save myself. No regrets, like "why my mother's photo and not my father's ring?" in the future. It was somewhat surprising to realize that nothing, even sentimental items, is that important to me. Then again, it's also somewhat freeing.

Posted by L.C. at 01:44 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed under: General 40ish | Meaningless Gab | Parenting

September 10, 2007

Six Years Ago Tomorrow...

I came back home after dropping my children off at school. My father was visiting from Florida, and we had a full day planned. I grabbed a cup of coffee and decided to join him in the living room, where he had been watching the news. He got up and switched off the t.v., and said "there's nothing going on. Let's get ready to go to the store." But I told him, "nah. I'm still tired. I'll just watch the news and have some coffee until I'm more awake." Then it happened. The story began to unfold before us, and we knew life would never be the same again. And it hasn't been.

I can't think of any words that can express the pain, the anger, the confusion, the day that no American old enough to remember it will ever forget. At least 2,985 people are dead as a result of the attacks. May then rest in peace.

Posted by L.C. at 02:00 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed under:

September 02, 2007

In The News

Time for the latest edition of In the News. Here's what caught my eye this week:

Posted by L.C. at 12:59 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed under: