March 08th, 2017

Sorry about that folks.  I'm not sure what happened, but all of my text from today's post just vanished!  Like a magic trick!  I'm not sure I can re-create it exactly, but I'm going to give it a shot.  It started out with a photo of my half of our current closet situation.  Well,  most of my half of  the closet.  Something like this:

I was remarking that of the things most difficult to adapt to in our down-sized move, was the distinct change in clothing related storage.  In Colorado, the house was more than twice the size of our current house and that was not just room sizes but also closet sizes.  In the master bedroom of our previous home there was room for not just a bureau but also an oversized dresser in addition to a big walk-in closet.  Plenty of space for everything and room to keep it all very well organized.

You know how I am about organization and general tidiness!  Not sure you can tell, but there is a form of organization in this photo.  Top level, from the left, sweaters, long sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, short sleeves, sleeveless and then cami's.  Bottom level, again from the left, skirts, shorts and then long pants. It's the best I can do with the space we now have.

Now we share a 5-drawer bureau and one normal sized closet.  I try to keep my things on my own side, though I confess that occasionally some of my things migrate to Tim's side a bit. We did go through our clothes and got rid of some. But my solution was to use part of the guest room closet (sorry guests) and the other bedroom/now Tim's office closet (sorry Tim) for a few items.

I love looking at all the happy, cheery colour in my closet these days.  There was a time when the only colours I wore were black, navy blue, dark brown or grey.  I hated shopping and didn't care if what I purchased suited me or fit well. In fact, I preferred loose, baggy things. I was back then, the poster child for poor self esteem.  There is a whole psychology behind it all naturally but that's a boring story.  Suffice it to say that in recent years, I seem to have blossomed and I now own a veritable rainbow of colours!   I recently bought a pair of orange shorts!  Orange!  And they look darned good too. I have not quite made my way to prints yet but I can occasionally manage a polka-dot or a stripe. And it pleases me to bits and pieces.  Naturally I still shop clearance racks and sales with coupons. Some things never change!

I have an emotional attachment to my clothes.  Shopping is now fun.  It's an outing I usually share with close friends or family members.  It's not just shopping, it's entertainment, it's bonding.  And when I chose my outfit for the day, I am also remembering that good time with people I care most about.  Sometimes it's a particularly special memory.  The dress I wore when Tim and I renewed our vows recently, for example,  was also the dress I wore the last time we went back to Colorado and I spent time with close friends and my work friends, all of whom are dear to me and I miss so much.  I associate both of those important memories with that dress. I am not certain I will ever be able to get rid of that dress!

So given the parameters I currently have to work with, the clothes closet situation is fairly well controlled. The shoe situation on the other hand is completely out of hand.  Currently I rotate my footwear with about a dozen different pair.  5 flats, 5 sandals and 2 pair of sneakers.  So that's 12 pair of shoes in a space that will only hold 6, maximum, neatly. Therefore, at the moment, the floor on my side of the closet is a jumble of shoes. I've given up keeping them neatly. That is so not like me. And it bothers me.  Every few days, I tidy them back up as best I can and in very short order, it's an unholy mess once again.  This is not merely an embarrassment, it's a cry for help.

If you have any reasonable suggestions, and by reasonable I mean, do not suggest that I get rid of any of these shoes, I am all ears. Seriously. Help!!

Now I am eagerly awaiting your brilliant solutions and suggestions.  And......go!