Writing a blog is a LOT of work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know there are people - YOU - who read the blog! And I so thank you for reading it.    I do have so much fun writing it and I don't think I would be anywhere near where I am (in the organizing and sewing) if it wasn't for the blog.   I have to show that I am making progress and well - you can't keep saying - tomorrow.

So - I have been running around the house like an idiot - trying on clothes, taking pictures and cleaning up fabric, editing pictures - just so I have something to blog about!!!!   Anyway - I hope you have as much fun with the whole process as I do!!!

And I will post YOUR pictures if you want. Send them to me. I love before and afters - I love testimonials.  Blogs can be two sided!!!!  

I am still working in the bedroom - trying to get the rest of that mess cleaned up. OK - so it really isn't a mess, but I did give myself ONE WEEK to go through all the clothes.

I am ALMOST DONE.

This is what is left to go through.  TWO boxes with a couple of items in each, the basket of shorts and one sweater vest. 

This is what the short hang looks like.....

Short hang stuff - still a LOT, but better than it was

Now I have a question - I have a NUMBER of fleece jackets that I have purchased - sourvenir ones, but they are HUGE.   Anyone had any success in cutting them down?????   I imagine it can be done - but how much work?????   I really want to keep them, and I want to WEAR THEM!!!!

Here are the organized baskets in the closet

Dresser with pants and cycling gear.  One drawer for under layers, one for cycle shorts, one for long sleeved jerseys, one for short sleeved jerseys, one for swimwear which is very small, and ONE small drawer is empty!!!!

And I just realized why I get so many steps and flights of stairs on my FitBit - because I am running up and down trying to get the blog done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We also have one of these armoires in the room.  However there are NO CLOTHES in it. A few scrapbook supplies that really need to go back to the basement and some quilts. 

When I posted the picture of my dresser this past week - guess what - someone sent me a picture of their dresser.

YEP - purchased around the same time - 1979!!!!!

And this is their matching armoire!!!!!

As I looked at the picture - I had to laugh. Do you see what is on the extreme left of the picture????   YEP - a footboard.  HEY - I got one of those too!!!!!!

My headboard and footboard. We haven't used this in ages as it is for a queen bed and won't fit our king. 

Coats (in the main floor closet). Got rid of one jacket and there is one more that should go, but not ready quite yet to let it go

This is stuff in the main floor closet - my basket - bottom left and there are a couple of shelves with shoes on and a hat - should go through the shoes as there are many pair that are TOAST and others I don't wear.   OK - so I am NOT done. HEY - I have to leave something for the NEXT time I go through my clothes. 

Now I am being really ruthless.   You know you have a couple of items of clothing that have good memories or just memories. Well - I have decided that I am ready to just take a picture, give the item away and move on.

First such item - a pair of leather pants.   Oh yes - I was a wild thing when I was younger!!!   I love these pants - the leather is so soft.   And as a lark - I tried them on.   HA HA HA HA HA HA - well I might have got ONE leg half in!!!!

Ah - I don't think I will be able to ever fit in those pants!!!!!    Seriously???  My waist was that small??   Really????   What happened - oh yes - I got old and had a kid!!!!

Then I got creative and laid the leather pants on top of a pair of jeans that I was wearing. Hmmmm - not that bad considering there is about 30 years difference in the time frame of when they were worn!!!!   OK - let's face it - we just get old and wider!!!!!

Here is another outfit that I have hung onto for years.   My favourite designer was Louben.  I bought a lot of their stuff when I worked in Montreal.   Anyway - I wore this outfit on May 1, 1990 - my first day at work at Hewlett Packard after graduating with my MBA from Condordia!!!!!    Isn't it weird the things that we remember and what sticks in our brain.  

Look at all those PLEATS - who wants to deal with those pleats!!!!!  BUT - I actually had that skirt buttoned up this morning.  Not that I would want to do a lot in that skirt as it was snug!!!!   I also had a white one and I remember one day when I worked at BMO (Head Office in Montreal). There was a massive rain storm and the Metro was flooded - there was no power in the city.  Massive grid lock as everyone tried to get home.  I had to walk home in that long white skirt. I remember taking my white shoes off and walking along the street in my bare feet - it was summer.  I even hitch hiked. I don't remember how long it took for me to get home, but it was forever. Crazy times!!!!!!!!    OK - see - this blog is helping me to write my memories!!!    That is probably WAY MORE information than you ever thought you would get!!!!!!!!!!


So let's talk about pants for a second.  I had to buy a new pair of rain boots. Why?????  I bought a great pair of orange boots last year, but the problem - they are very tall which is good for BIG puddles, but my CALVES ARE HUGH and I would put those boots on and the suction was incredible. It was a nightmare to try and get them off.  Imagine trying to open a bottle of wine and get the cork out - YEP - that was pretty much the same thing as getting those boots off.  So I saw LOW rain boots at Mark's and I was in the shopping mood yesterday so I bought a new pair.

Not orange, but flowery and very girly!!!!   They had nice black/white/gray ones, but after looking at my closet of boring dark stuff - I decided to go for vibrant. 

See - these are nice and low compared to the other ones.  M can wear the orange ones (to match her cute little orange jacket which you'll see in a minute).   Her tall red boots are toast although she won't get rid of them!!!!!    Suck it up M - take a picture of them and MOVE ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I said we were going to talk about pants - well when I was at Mark's, I saw that jeans were on sale (the boots were on sale too - 25%).  When I was younger, I used to wear the heavy denim jeans - Levi's or Wranglers or whatever.  I LOVED that style of jeans and there were very few jeans specifically for women. They all had a high waist, no stretch, but we loved them.

Well as I was cleaning out my clothes - I came across two pair like that. They still fit, but boy they have NO GIVE to them so walking is hard!!!   The fabric doesn't have any give!!!   While standing up is great - when you sit down, you feel like your circulation around the wasist is going to get cut off and your legs will eventually fall off.    Hmmmmm - I am contemplating getting rid of those jeans as well. I mean just because they fit doesn't mean that one has to keep them.


I usually buy my jeans at Mark's now and I really like this one style that I bought a couple of months ago. So when I saw the jeans on sale - I thought - why not - let's get a couple more pair of the ones that I like. I checked the label on the pair that I had on.   Hmmm - that makes it a whole lot easier to find.

Label on my favourite jeans

The point of this is - I don't know why (or how) people can wear those high waisted jeans/pants and be comfortable.  I know some older people would be mortified to wear MID RISE or god forbid - LOW RISE, but really - if you can get rid of some constricting fabric (and don't get me started on all that extra fabric in underwear) - and you will be more comfortable for it - then I say GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And look - these pants have BUTT LIFTER in them.  Now THAT I need!!!!!


Pant rise


Now everyone has to find what is comfortable, but if they aren't comfortable - think about trying a different rise. Might make a lot of difference and I don't need to switch to my Lulu Lemon pants to get comfy in the evening!!!!!!!!   Since I never tuck my shirt in - no one knows what's under there!!!!!

So after all that - this is what is waiting to go out the door. Never mind that the cycling and running stuff went out seperately.  And there is still a bit to go through, but it can wait until next time.

Stuff to go out!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meanwhile my sewing room looks like a tornado went through.

Sewing room disaster

I did go through more stuff and there are boxes waiting in the hallway to go to the school.  Oh yes - we are on a roll!!!!!

One of the next areas to hit and you really won't be able to notice anything is my pictures. I am reading this book to try and help get a handle on it. I've also send e-mails to a couple of photographer friends to see what they do.

Organizing photos is on the list of things to do.

 Yesterday M and Caroline were running around with clothes and cameras. M has to do a blog as part of her class assignment. Here are some of the pictures that she had to take. Let's not forget that it was PRETTY COLD yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bright and fun at the park - don't you think those orange boots would go well with this jacket?????

Oh - the studious type (so NOT HER!!!!)

Ah - yes - the sophisticated look. Look at all the snow in the background!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 And while I was running around like an idiot - I snapped these two pictures of the backyard.

With all the melting snow - the pond is over flowing!   Yet - I have seen the fish swimming around the heater!!!

Half of our yard is high and dry - the other half is pile with snow. 

Oh yes - I found that quote in that Zentangles book.


Our life is frittered away by detail.
Simplicity,
simplicity,
simplicity!

Henry David Thoreau



I have no idea who that guy is - but I love the quote.   And image how much time I could have spent sewing if I did not have to keep those stupid clothes organized and under control. BUT now that it is done (or almost) - well I don't have to worry about finding stuff.  I am LOVING this organizing, simplifying thing. It is like downsizing without having to downsize my house. I LOVE my house - I LOVE where we live.  I don't want to move, but I am happy to DOWNSIZE.   We will just call it the minimalist look!!!!!



On that note - I am WAY BEHIND in the day.


Have a GREAT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!