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September 24, 2009

project: organize closet completed!

About two weeks ago I saw a photo posted by Amanda at Slow Like Honey on flickr of her closet to be organized. I too have been putting off organizing mine and thought,”This is ENOUGH! I NEED AN ORGANIZING CHALLENGE!!!”

Why?

-because I too needed to clean out my closet (duh)

-because I felt like I could be held accountable if someone else was doing it (it really helped that she set a deadline for me)

-because I’ve been wondering what the carpet in my closet looks like

-because I’ve been watching the Rachel Zoe Project and am dying to figure out what I can come up with in my closet. I have sooo many clothes and nothing to wear.

Over the past week I’ve been working on this project. I just looked at the before photos and CANNOT BELIEVE I lived in such chaos.  No wonder I felt like I didn’t have anything to wear. Why did I not do this sooner? Oh yeah..cuz I had a kid maybe.

BEFORE:

the great closet organize of 2009

uggggh

What I learned about organizing my closet:

-I decided to change all of my hanger from multicolored haphazard land to pristine white hangerville. In this process, I was able to try on at least 50 items and decide if I really wanted them in my closet. Also, white hangers were a hot commodity in my house and it made me really question if I wanted to use them on a less-than article of clothing in my closet. There are a few black hangers in the mix, but come on! It was 11pm and I wasn’t about to bust out and buy some new white ones 😉 I’ll wait for my next Target trip.

Let’s take a look at my hangers!

gray, black & white patterns, black

color section

-I re-learned that buy a LOT of the same things. I’ve already come to this realization before but somehow forgot. I have a whole section of red pattern/striped clothing because that’s the only way I really wear red. I also realized that I don’t really like red! And I won’t even get into how many black shirts I have! Or tank tops! Must think of this when I decide to shop again.

Here’s a nice little stack of tanks. Ahhh refreshing!

white tanks black tanks

-There were a lot of things that I wasn’t completely sure about tossing so I put them in a pile of “STUFF TO DYE” Dye as in…use RIT dye in my washing machine and see if I like it when it’s dyed black (or gray in most cases). I ended up keeping a lot of clothes because the dye was a nice reinvention! Re-purposing at its best! And because I have a lot of gray items now, I am able to start the Fall season off right.

-When I took everything out of the white wire baskets to sort, it made me realize that a couple of my baskets should have been switched. Ie: I needed a bigger basket for black pants & sweaters instead of sleepwear. This is something that made a HUGE difference. And this is why I recommend going through your closet completely. When we moved in, I immediately put stuff away not really KNOWING what my needs were. Three years later, I realize that I have been doing it all wrong. So this is the very reason why this process is important.

I put my maternity clothes in a huge tupperware container and labeled it!

packed up all maternity clothes

And the grand finale, wide angle shot!

done done done!

Let’s look at the floor, because we can!!! White carpets!

i can finally see the floor!

Note to Self:

Tracy,
Look at these pictures. Damn girl. Your closet looks fly. Hang your crap back up. Don’t throw your clothes around like a 13 year old girl! Slow down and put shit away. You will dress more creatively when you have the opportunity to see what you have. If you go back to the old way, I am totally giving up on you. I mean it.
Best,
Tracy
  • Lindsey

    Looks awesome, I love getting inspiration from you! Are we going to get to see some before and after of the dye jobs? 🙂

  • kim

    your closet looks great! i had the same recent revelation about red. i just really don’t like it for clothing. or anything! we have this horrible red bathroom in my home that we keep saying we should paint. but um, we don’t. so i just don’t use it.

  • leslie

    fun! looove organized closets. have you tried the huggable hangers yet? they have knockoffs @ bed/bath/beyond and even cheaper at costco. totally worth the investment and changeover for more space and no slipping! good work.

  • Stacy

    This looks great! I love it when my closet is clean and easy to find things in. I have a pile of shoes that I need to get straightened up and put away, it’s driving me mad! Good Work Girl! Keep it up!

  • minoueel

    Wow! Great job! Time to organize mine as well…

  • Amanda

    Ok you totally kicked my ass!! I can’t believe I didn’t do it. All I can say is working two jobs has made my house a complete mess! It’s gross. I am planning on attacking my closet soon. I swear 🙂

  • Dana

    I just went through my closet with a friend who has a great eye. I literally got rid of 2/3 of my stuff and was able to clearly see what I need rather than continuing to buy the same things over and over. It’s a whole new world in there!

  • Tracy

    soo glad i can inspire people to organize!!! It feels good when you do it huh?

    Dana that’s great!!!!!

    Amanda- two jobs! damn woman! I forgive you!

    Let’s get ready for the fall!

    And Lindsey- I just posted pics!

  • Shawn

    Great looking closet! Looks like you’ve used your space (every inch) effectively without overstuffing it! Good Job!

  • andi

    Love your style. Any chance you remember the paint color you used in your bedroom? I would love to use it in our family room. Thanks!

  • Triple Berry Galette › shutterbean

    […] Casey has been gone for the past week which means I've been eating salads, playing single parent, organizing my closet, catching up on girly/trashy shows, wearing face masks, hogging the couch, plucking my eyebrows in […]

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