How to have an Adult Closet

Typically this year, just around this time, when I’m DONE with Winter, and thinking about spring, I look into my closet and think I need a Major Overall!  I’m fortunate to have a large closet, so one would think it would be the Picture of organization.  Not so much.

I found this post about having an Organized Grown-up closet…and love this blog:

http://www.organizingmadefun.blogspot.com

It is chock-full of fabulous ideas!  And when having an “adult closet”, it doesn’t always have to mean it’s an actual “closet”.  A new trend I’ve seen is taking a small bedroom or sitting room, and converting that into a closet.

11 Ways to have an organized grown-up closet

I love having an organized closet. It doesn’t always mean you have to buy a fancy closet system or expensive items to make it look nice. It’s a matter of doing a few things to keep it nice and organized. So, I’ve come up with a list of 11 ways to have an organized grown-up closet – for those of us grown-ups!

1 - Only keep clothes/accessories you actually wear or use. If you have been hanging on to jeans that you wore ten years ago because you want to fit into them again, let them go. By the time you do, they will be out of style anyway. Not a bad thing to have a goal, but don’t hang on to stuff hoping to wear it again. When you don’t like how something feels when you wear it or it’s just not comfortable, donate it!

2 - Color code your clothes. One of the nicest things you can do is have your clothes lined up by color. It’s easier to see what colors will go wear. Within that color coding, you could hang by sleeve length if you really want to go the extra mile. But, color coding is quick and easy.

3 - Have all the same color/type hangers. This might seem like a pain in the neck, but it’s really not that expensive to do {if you do all plastic or buy in bulk} and will make your closet instantly look organized.

4 - Have a dresser or drawers for your folding clothes. Even if you don’t have a closet system, sometimes just putting clothes in a drawer makes it look so much nicer and neater than sitting on the shelf half folded.

Source: Love of Family and Home

Try this way of organizing your t-shirts in a drawer!

5 - Only put appropriate items in your grown-up closet. If you have a closet half full of clothes and half of it with cleaning products, that makes no sense. If possible, keep only the appropriate items in a closet – shirts, pants, purses, belts, shoes, and the like.

6 - Keep a hamper in there. If you have the room, keeping a hamper in the closet to easily throw your clothes into when you are done dressing and undressing keeps things neat and tidy.

Source: Young House Love

7 - Have hooks. You can use hooks to hang belts, scarves, or even to have your outfit ready for the next morning.

Source: Decorology

8 - Consider using pretty boxes and baskets. Having a set of boxes to put your purses or other items that need to be corraled into can keep it neat and tidy, plus they can add texture and prettiness.

9 - Put things away as you take them off. It seems obvious, but if it’s not dirty, hang it back up. If it’s dirty, put it in the hamper. Shoes go back to their original spot, belts on hooks, and purses back on the shelf.

10 - Labels. Yep, had to say it!

Source: Real Simple

11 - Folding. Find a good way to fold your clothes so they fit appropriately in the drawers or on the shelf. Sometimes you will have to come up with something different to fit it in. Try folding in quarters or thirds to fit it in the right way and neatly. Put the folding edge facing you, if it’s on a shelf, and standing up, if it’s in the drawer.

Your closet will be the most beautiful when you keep it organized. These are many of the ways I’ve found to help me keep my closet organized all the time.  I found the above tips on http://www.organizingmadefun.com.  Check it out…It’s Chock Full of great organizing tips!

Organize and Showcase Your Jewelry

More Closet Eye Candy

In a shameless plug to promote my trunk show (Feb 28 – Mar 6) and since I’m dreaming of spring, Here are some of the new pieces I have my eye on:

Joy…that was for you!

I posted this deal on Facebook, but think it is worthy of another look.  After you’ve finished organizing your closet, head to Burger King for a .25 coffee.  Available till March 10th.

Was hoping for a Snow Day today…but no luck.

xoxo,

T.

Coming up next week:  Spring Fashion Trends!

Related articles

• 5 Basic Tips for Decluttering Your Closet (apartmenttherapy.com)
• An Organized Closet (shoes-off-please.com)
• Closet Shopping: New Way To Get New Clothes Without Spending A Lot (denver.cbslocal.com)
• Decluttering Tips: Shedding Clothes from Your Closet (apartmenttherapy.com)
• 10 Steps to an Organized Closet (dailycatch.coastalliving.com)
• How to Organize Your Closet for Spring 2013 – Organization Tips for hat and vintage lovers (thatsaprettyhat.blogspot.com)

Tips for an Organized Closet

Do you constantly go into your closet and think “I have nothing to wear”?  Even though you have tons and tons of clothes!  It may be high time to organize your closet.  As I mentioned, I probably have more clothes than most.  I’ve been repping the same clothing line, (in my spare time as a hobby and way of feeding my hunger for cute clothes) since Fall 2003.  That’s 4 seasons of clothes a year, or 48 trunk shows, which means 48 shopping opportunities for me, which means way more clothes than I, or a small village needs.  And even I look into my closet and think, “I have absolutely Nothing to wear”!!

Even though I’m constantly purging and donating, it appears the clothes keep multiplying and when I look through my closet (which is size of a small room, and thank You Kim for that), it’s overwhelming, and I tend to gravitate towards the same outfits.  So it’s time to not only purge and donate, but also Declutter!

Signs it’s time to declutter the closet:

1.  Is your closet chock full of clothes you no longer wear or no longer fit?

2.  Are you having trouble finding the LBD (little black dress) you picked up from the dry cleaner?

3.  Are your work clothes wrinkled from being shoved in the back of the closet?

4.  Can you no longer walk into your walk-in closet?

5.  Is the bottom of your closet strewn with clothes as you throw them on the ground in search of the perfect outfit?

6.  Is looking in your closet overwhelming?

If you answered Yes to any of these questions, or if your closet is just a mess…it’s time to do some Spring/Summer Cleaning in your closet!

Before you tackle the task of going down in your closet…First and foremost, you need to Edit your Wardrobe.  Distinguish clothing and shoes that you wear and items that you need to get rid of. You can do this by the golden rule of closet organizing: If you haven’t worn it in a year, toss it.  Also, if it doesn’t fit you well, it is time to get rid of it. Instead of hanging on to your “skinny jeans” until you lose a few pounds, donate them. Then, when you get down to your goal weight, treat yourself to a new, stylish pair of jeans.  and if an item is severely damaged, even if it’s your very favorite pair of jeans, toss it out.

Quick Tips for an Organized Closet

Here are some quick tips to jump-start your closet organization!

• Hang clothes in complete outfits. Put jewelry in plastic bags and hang them from the hanger.  Sort them by Day of the Week, if you can plan a week, or more out.

• Organize your wardrobe around one key color – it’s easier to shop for and match complete outfits.  May I suggest Black?!

• Hang your boots

• Put an over-the-door or adhesive hanger on your closet door so that you have a place to plan your daily outfits.

• Keep a large bag in your closet – anything you come across that can be given away, either because it is outdated or no longer fits, can be donated to a local women’s shelter when the bag is full.

• Do a Seasonal change of clothes if you don’t have room to store All your clothes.  Covered clothing racks can be filled with out-of-season clothes and kept in your attic or basement or under your bed. Flat storage boxes can serve a similar purpose.

• Deal with dry cleaning. Remove clothes from dry-cleaning bags as soon as you get home, and hang your clothes on proper hangers. Return the wire hangers to the dry cleaner for reuse.  (Future blog:  Dry Cleaning tips…when and when not to dry clean).

• Contain what doesn’t hang. Use containers—consider a matching set of baskets—to hold accessories and clothing that can’t be hung, such as socks and undergarments. Smaller baskets or boxes can store a single type of accessory, such as scarves or hats.

• Attach a snapshot of your shoes to the front of the boxes to easily identify them.

           *Or try this as a way to hang your High Heels…off of Crown Molding attached to the wall:

          *  Store Shoes in empty wine box – cover in contact paper, or scrapbooking paper

• Invest in matching hangers. You can get wooden ones super cheap this time of year! Try places like Wal-Mart, Target, and IKEA.

• Fold t-shirts in half and store them vertically where you can see all of them at once. You can fit more in the drawer and actually see what’s there!  Or they can be stored in a basket on the closet floor.

         * Looking for ways to organize the men’s ties?:

Set small, attainable goals that can be completed in a relatively short period of time. Don’t try to finish a large project in one swoop. Divide up organizing projects into small pieces that can be completed, from start to finish, in one dash. That way, you’re less likely to be interrupted, tire of the project, or to become distracted. Sprinting is stimulating, and keeps your interest high. No matter how large the organizing project, it can be broken down into short sprints.  This is a good rule to follow in your life in areas other than closet organizing!

50 Classics Your Closet should Have – you can save a copy of this and print it out.

I am intrigued by this Shoe Wheel.

And this Shoe Storage Ottoman

And Now for some Closet Eye Candy!

This last picture is of a 2-story closet…Be.  Still.  My.  Heart!

I found a great worksheet on the web from the creativity exchange, and they have a great Closet Organization worksheet, which if you email me or comment on this post, I will send you a copy.  It’s also a great blog, so check it out!

The more often you declutter, the less time it will take and the easier it will become over time. Committing to a weekly clutter sweep means spending 10-15 minutes once or twice a week in your closet placing items in your donation box, re-arranging clothing that has fallen out-of-place and re-handing and folding clothes that may be strewn about your bedroom and bathroom. All of this will take much less time than you think if you tackle it regularly.

Source:  Shop Your Closet: The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Closet with Style by Melanie CharltonFascitelli

And thank you Meredith for bringing this very heart-warming story to my attention.  A soldier for a soldier.  Give yourself the gift of 4 minutes and watch this story and warm your heart for the entire day.

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/boy-donated-disney-trip-soldiers-family-wins-vacation-143627253–abc-news-topstories.html

xoxo,

T.

Next Week’s Blog:  Shopping in your Own Closet

21 Days to get Organized

2012 is the year of the Dragon, so I shall stop Draggin’ and Get Organized (or attempt to) !  I am going to do the 21-Day Organizing Challenge…and since I was traveling earlier this month (sunny San Diego, which I happen to love, btw), I have chosen to start late January, as opposed to Jan 1, when many people would have started this project.  You can pick 21 items or areas you feel need addressing, and spend time each day focusing on these areas.  I’m aware it’s not always possible to spend an hour or more each day on a project, but perhaps you can tailor your list to work within your time constraints.

21 DAY ORGANIZING CHALLENGE * Join the Challenge (at any time) * Day 1 – Junk Drawer (just pick 1) * Day 2 –  Desk * Day 3 – Tupperware Cabinet * Day 4 – Linen Closet * Day 5 – Under kitchen sink * Day 6 – Dresser Drawers * Day 7 – The Pantry * Day 8 – Coat Closet * Day 9 – 3rd Floor * Day 10 – Laundry Room * Day 11 – The Freezer * Day 12 – Spice Cabinet * Day 13 – Medicine Cabinet * Day 14 – Gift Wrap Station * Day 15 – To Donate Area * Day 16 – The Fridge * Day 17 – Game Closet * Day 18 – Files * Day 19 – Master Closet * Day 20 – Photos * Day 21 – You pick

Remember, You can Do it Yourself (DIY) and pick your own 21 areas, closets, drawers, rooms, or 21 items you want to see better organized:  Desk; Dresser Drawers; Jewelry; Holiday storage; Underwear draw; Athletic items…You pick…and if you have a list of 100 items, start with the 21-day Organization this month, then do a few more several days each month.  Before you know it, You will be Organized…or well on your way to being organized!

And here are some photos for inspiration!

I hang my boots this way in my closet, and I think it’s an ingenius idea…which I happened to pirate from Pinterest!

I have a copy of the 365-day Declutter Calendar…I cannot post it here, as it’s decluttering ideas for everyday of the year…but, if you comment on this blog, I will email you a copy!  How’s that for a New Year treat?

May you have an organized year!

xoxo,

T.

PS – Re: Vernon Davis..I still love the video of him crying tears of joy while running off the field into Coach Harbaugh’s arms…but I think Prancing up on top of a camera stand, and getting a 15-yard unsportsmanlike contact penalty, was foolish on his part.  Not sure why these athletes will Never learn that Boastful Behavior in the end zone will be penalized?…Plus, I had forgotten about his boorish behavior in past years, but hopefully he’s realized football is a Team sport, and it’s not all about Vernon Davis.

RIP Joe Pa!