The Capsule Wardrobe

So, now that I'm de-cluttering, and having so much fun doing it, I decided I need a capsule wardrobe.
A wardrobe of a few basic pieces of clothing to mix and match for a variety of daily outfits.
I have always loved the idea of this and even came close to accomplishing it quite a few years ago
but somehow I kept accumulating more clothing without getting rid of any!
Leads to clutter that constantly needs organizing!
And staring at a closet full of clothes on Sunday mornings trying to figure out what to wear is NOT fun!
I am SO tired of that!

I got rid of more than 40 pieces of clothing!
I know, it is so ridiculous!
And I still have to go through footwear, coats and accessories!
Honestly, it is SO exciting to see the clutter LEAVE!
You HAVE to try it!

The basic capsule wardrobe consists of basic pieces in neutral colors that suit you;
navy, black, brown, gray or shades of white (cream, ivory, tan etc).
I'm going with black, brown and ivory.
I took everything out of my closet and piled them on my bed.
Then, I took my favorite pieces and tried to come up with as many outfits as possible.
It was amazing how many different looks I got from a few pieces!
I added different shoes, bags, scarves, etc, to make the outfits more exciting.

It is so much easier to pick out what to wear now!
I even used the camera on my phone to snap a few outfits in case I get brain fog!
Love it!

Here are a few examples of a basic capsule wardrobe:
The first one is from www.nicolelsinclair.com
and the second is from www.simple-ways-to.com
I hope it simplifies your life a bit like it did mine!
Have fun!
P.S. I am working on the kids clothing now in the same way!

I'm Making A List and Checking It Twice!

The time to make major lists is now, isn't it? I love lists. I love to make lists for EVERYTHING!
So now I am in the process of making a major list for the New Year.

I haven't finished my list yet but I did make a list of good ideas for 2010.

It is a good idea to put your major lists in a place that you can view them frequently. I keep mine in my ipod. I love that thing! Tiny but full of so much storage!

One thing I want to put on my list before I forget is to keep Christmas in my heart all year. I am going to write a list of all kinds of simple ideas to keep the spirit of Christmas going.

Like, bake a traditional Christmas cookie in March and share them with someone.

Or, read the Christmas story in the gospel according to Luke to the children in the middle of May.

Or, glue the red felt letters to Lenny's stocking. It is missing the L and the E and somehow I never get around to doing that during Christmas. On my list it goes!

Of course, I want to add different ways we can give to others each month.

If I look at my list often, it will remind me of what I want to do and why I made it in the first place. Because at one time it was important to me!

These are some ideas of what kind of lists I want to make:
1. Goals (updated!)
2. A fresh school schedule and ideas.
3. An updated financial freedom plan.
4. My own ultimate health and fitness plan.
5. New daily to-do list. I always need to refresh my plan this time of year!
6. Books that I want to read.
7. Christmas spirit ideas.
8. New foods to try. I have had quinoa in my cupboard for oh so long. I plan on cooking it this week.
9. Fun date ideas.
10. The major progressive to-do list! You know, the never-ending one!
11. The purchase list that includes anything to crew socks for the boys (the short ones are no good for ice skates!), to the button I need for my brown church coat, to new kitchen flooring. Sometimes there are things that NEVER get crossed off of that list!
12. Spring fashion ideas.
13. Sewing and craft ideas.
14. Fun family outing ideas.
15. Gift ideas.
16. Meal ideas.

And the list goes on and on! Sometimes I have to tell myself to quit making lists and start DOING some of these things! Hee hee!

Obviously, I can't DO everything, but it is nice to look at my lists once in awhile just in case I happen to get an extra 15 minutes peace!

I think I am going to write a list of all the things I could do if I ever get bored!

Or maybe a list of what I could do when the children all leave the nest, which, of course, seems AGES away! And choosing to homeschool leaves me many, many years before I have much time during the day to work on THOSE ideas!

Funny! With all my lists so neatly organized in my little ipod, you would think that my whole life was neatly organized and that I would be GREAT at checking things off of my list! But, alas and sigh, that just is not true! But I LOVE MAKING LISTS ANYWAY! YAY!

And isn't it just the perfect time to work on our lists? The time between Christmas and the New Year? Yes, it is! So grab a pencil and a nice new notebook (put it on your grocery list!) and start making your lists!

And on the Sabbath, we can rest! Thank God and Hallelujah!