A few weeks ago I received an email from a precious friend, Karla. It was about theproject333.com. The gist of this project is to work your closet down to 33 items including clothes, shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, purse. You donate, trash, or box up all your other clothes. And you keep only the favorite chosen 33 items to wear for 3 months. I am not really sure what happens after these 3 months as far as the projects’ ‘official’ plans go. All I know is I had to clean out my closet and try this!
Over the next week, I began to pull items out of my closet that I loved, as well as, items I hadn’t worn in over a year, items that needed to be trashed, and items that I wanted to keep but didn’t know why. The next weekend, I decided to jump all in. I pulled clothes out and boxed them up, trashed ones with holes or bleach stains, and sent them on to better places. I worked my clothes down to 40 items! I have been wearing my new wardrobe for a little over a week. And so far, all I feel is more creativity! Pairing pieces together that I never would have thought about simply because I always go to my old faithful standbys. I plan on swapping clothes out on July 1 for a ‘new’ summer wardrobe of 40 (or maybe 33) pieces!
After I finished my closet, Chris jumped in and did his. He didn’t really have a set number he was going for – just a clean out to keep only the things he loves or needs. Our closet is beautiful! Our clothing has space in between our clothes now- instead of all of them being crammed together. I can see all of my shoes. I have a shelf for a hat, a belt, and a scarf. There is space and beauty.
After doing this, I had the crazy idea to do this in my entire house! Ha! Extreme much? I knew this couldn’t happen over night, but I got a plan. I started with the boys’ room, then the girls’ room, then the play room. The play room is currently in progress. The girls’ room in complete. The boys’ room is complete, but majorly lacking the ‘polished’ finish that I have in mind. But, the junk is gone! I will update with the kids’ rooms. And eventually the play room turned home school room.
All I know is that house work and chores are already waaaayyy easier to do because there isn’t putting away of all the junk we used to have!
Have you done a major clean out? Do you want or are you overwhelmed?! Let me know!! You can do this!!
Also, for more inspiration, check out un-fancy.com. Caroline Joy is a dear friend of my sister, and she just launched this website all on building a capsule wardrobe! She is too cute!
Happy Monday!
Hello sweet friend!!!
It has been tooooooo long! And it is so funny to me that this is where we pick up, because, small world, I just started reading un-fancy, and have been working on a capsule closet. I think of you and your beautiful family frequently. Life seems to only fly by faster. I would love to catch up with you over an afternoon and a pot of coffee!
Hugs! Miriah
I signed up for P333 on or about March 26, my birthday. Since then I have been trying on clothes and sorting and bagging. I do so much, then take a few days off. Now I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My closet has haunted me for all of my life! The monster in the closet was my mess of clothes. I am now really realizing that I do not need this mess.
I have always been ultra casual dressed. But I would buy some decent clothes and then “keep them to wear for good”. Then they would get lost in the shuffle and go out of style or get too small for me. I have found buried in there, fairly nice clothes that I might as well wear while I paint the house, refinish a piece of furniture or work in the yard. I can wear an apron if I want them to not get too messed up. I have worn night gowns this past winter that I hate. As soon as it gets warm here I am going to make rags out of them. Actually they have a good start on being that anyway. lol
This project is really giving me the chance to see what I really need and use. I think this time I have a good plan so it will not build up again. Today I realized I have had the idea that as long as something had some good in it I should not waste it.
While I clear up this problem I am finally doing other things I have always wanted to do. This project is freeing me up. I am now retired and have the time to learn to play the harmonica and the ukulele and my practicing is finally getting easier and I am finding the time for it now. Did this clothes closet have my life jammed up??
I really appreciate reading what other members are doing with 333 and I love the photos. You are all very inspiring!!
Hi Mary Lindsey. (This is Annie — my nickname, just in the very beginning stages of a blog update and going by my full name).
I’ve jumped on the de-clutter, clean-out bandwagon too. Well, I’m always on it really; I make small doses of “stuff removal” a regular process, which I find is a helpful approach for me. This time around I’ve been using Lara Casey’s Clear The Clutter Powersheets and have kept tabs on what/number of items that have been removed. Since January 1 I’ve now offloaded 72 unneeded things. You’re right, it is so freeing.
More so than before, this time around I’ve been consciously refining my wardrobe; I too have been very inspired by Caroline. I never thought I was an overflowing-wardrobe type of gal, but I still have more than enough to wear (and still more than 33 items!). It is tricky balancing the desire for new/improvement/what is perceived as growth with saying no to, or at least putting a cap on, the materialistic culture of society. You and Nancy inspire me.
Can’t wait to hear more about your Great Clean Out (ie. please write more, I LOVE reading about this sort of thing). Wishing you all the best. Leanne x
What a great challenge, Mary! I’ve been working on paring down my wardrobe, but I haven’t tried getting it down to a specific number of clothes yet.
I just finished a series on Simplifying on my blog, and I wrote an article on the closet – http://ouryellowdoor.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/the-simplified-series-closet/ – plus a couple articles about simplifying the home, too. You’re so right – less junk = so much easier to take care of your home!