Shopping Spree | Thanksgiving 2014 (part 1)

I used to work in retail, so I know the horrors of working Black Friday. My first Black Friday experience was in 2009 -- when opening at 6:00am was sufficient. The following year, we opened an hour earlier.

Because I loathe crowds and waiting in line, I cannot imagine a universe in which I would haul my butt to any retail establishment on Thanksgiving -- or the five days following. However, I did indulge in a bit of online shopping (Black) Friday through (Cyber) Monday.

For the past three months, I have been very strict about:

1. Using on-hand bath and beauty products (including samples) rather than purchasing new.
2. Purchasing clothing that: 
1. is required (undergarments, tights, etc.) 
2. replaces a worn item

For several months, I used and wore what I had on-hand. I benefitted from a cousin purging her closet, and I made a few carefully-considered purchases -- some of which I returned (shopper's remorse). Thus, I was very selective about my post-Thanksgiving purchases. I bought a few things I needed (replenishment skin care) and a few things I wanted (jewellry).

Tidying Thoughts

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, I dedicated roughly four hours to the pursuit of a more tidy home. This was not a series of timed 15-minute bouts of cleaning and decluttering. Rather, I collected every stitch of clothing I own, and I piled it on the guest bed.

A frightening amount of crap.

And then I wanted to vomit! My guess is that I own less than my peers, but I still own a ton of crap!

I am following the principles of Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The author gives the reader pre-work, which I did not do. Although, I do think it is worth your time to think about the life you want and what feeds your appetite for reduction. Once that is concrete, it is time to get serious -- gathering the like-kind, purging  the unwanted, and properly storing what remains.

The author states to tidy (aka declutter) in this order:

1. clothing
2. books
3. papers
4. komono (miscellany)
5. mementos

As I just tossed empty bath and beauty products from October and November, I am anxious to tidy my bath and beauty products. However those will have to wait until I tidy up my books.

Tidying Up - Clothing

The book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has received much coverage as of late. Various bloggers and vloggers have mentioned it. The author and the book garnered attention from the New York Times. Additionally, the book is an NPR bestseller.

I am on an eternal quest to streamline and simplify my life, so I had to read this book. The task of gathering all of one's possessions of like kind (clothing in my case) and spreading them out on the floor seems daunting enough. Add to this that you must handle each piece and determine if it sparks joy. Items that do are to be thanked and kept. Items that do not spark joy are to be discarded, but only after thanking it for its service to you.

A little odd? Yes. But does it work? Yes. The sight of all of your clothes in one spot (rather than strewn about the house in various closets and storage bins) is an eye-opener! And I think I started with less stuff than many.

A Four-Hour Tour
I was able to gather, sort, and act on all of my clothing in roughly four hours. Four hours seems like a good chunk of time to lose, but that four hours covered everything -- gathering, sorting, organizing what I'd kept in my closet, and preparing the other items for donation or for selling.

The author says that once you apply her method of tidying (the KonMari Method), you will never backslide to cluttered living. That is the part that only time can reveal.

Autumn / Winter Wardrobe

Guess who did not get her shit together to create a 33-item (or less) wardrobe for the autumn-winter round of Project 333?

Recently, a cousin purged her closets, and I took the clothing. I realize this is the opposite of streamlining and minimizing, but I wanted some shiny new things.

Lately, I have been down in the frumps. While I realize that I am light-years away from my punky goth youth, I continue to struggle with my personal style as I drift to becoming a woman of a certain age. I look in the mirror, and I am not happy with the clothing that I see.

Today, I took some time to assess the clothing hanging in my closet, as well as the bag of loot inherited from my cousin. Slowly, I see something taking shape that pleases me.

Project 333 | Round 1 Wrap

I participated in my first round of Project 333 from July 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014. How did it go?

Well... I was successful in keeping my number of items (not including shoes) under 33 for the entire three months. However, I did not pack up the rest of my wardrobe, and, from time to time, I dipped into the off-limits wardrobe to replace worn out clothes.

Fewer items = more wear. More wear = more wear and tear.

While I was wading through my non-Project 333 wardrobe, I assessed the contents. There were quite a few items that did not fit -- my body or my style. If those items were in good condition, they were sold, consigned, or donated.

As for the shopping, it started off small, but it grew. By mid-September, I was shopping for items to incorporate into my Autumn-Winter wardrobe.

Was my first round of Project 333 successful? Somewhat.

Will I do it again? Yes, and that information is forthcoming.