Saturday, September 26, 2015

BECOMING MINIMALIST - Project 333 Update & Facing a $10K Pay Cut

The goal I set for this week was simple:  Purge 69 items (the minimum number needed for the week to meet my annual goal of eliminating 50% of my belongings) and if I go over that, great!  I also want to sort through a clothes basket of items that's already been inventoried and either put away or purge what's in the basket.

Here is my current Project 333 Inventory:

Bottoms:
1.  White denim Capri pants
2.  Regular (dark denim) jeans
3.  Grey stretchy jeans
4.  Black dress pants
5.  Dark charcoal grey dress pants
6.  White knee-length shorts (These are getting worn, so when the season changes these will be purged)
7.  Black jeans (see Saturday)
8.  Teal jeans (see Monday)


Tops:
9. White 3/4 sleeve top
10.  White & navy "rope design" 3/4 length sleeve shirt  (see "Wednesday" below) - replaced with Magenta open back long sleeve top
11.  Fuschia pink short sleeve top
12.  Burnt orange sleeveless top
13.  Goldenrod yellow top
14.  Solid grey GAP long-sleeve top
15.  Navy/blue sleeveless top
16.  Navy solid 3/4 sleeve top
17.  Black short sleeve top
18.  Black/White Marled open back long sleeve top
19.  Black OSU short sleeve shirt (for casual Fridays)

Cardigans:
20.  Navy cardigan 
       Black/white striped cardigan (got the boot - see "Monday" below)
21.  Black stretchy dressy cardigan
22.  Burnt orange cardigan
23.  Black stretchy casual cardigan

Shoes:
24.  Black wedges (The heel straps are stretched out and they're cracking on the front, so these will be purged as soon as it gets colder)
25.  Brown boots
26.  Platinum Sperry's
       Blush flats  (I haven't worn these in several weeks, so they got pulled out of the "33")
27.  Grey TOMS
28.  Black flats

Accessories:  (Since I'm not so focused on only having 33 items anymore, I separated the jewelry sets and eliminated pieces I haven't worn yet)
29.  Black/silver infinity scarf
30.  Lia Sophia silver w/golden/green/blue beads Savannah necklace
31.  Acorn earrings 
32.  Silver watch  Rose Gold watch  (The silver watch became too tarnished, so I threw it away and replaced it with the other watch I have)
33.  Black/white/silver long necklace
34.  Silver/clear crystal dangle earrings
35.  Lia Sophia Masquerade necklace
36.  Coy earrings
37.  XO Earring Set from the September 2015 PopSugar Must Have Box



Saturday - Day #64

I LOVE my quiet time on Saturday mornings before my husband wakes up and the TV gets turned on!  It gives me a chance to start my blog for the following week and read.  I get the pets fed (and normally head to the grocery before it gets busy).  I usually start purging too.  One of today's first items is going to be the Anderson University t-shirt I'm wearing right now that has 3 holes right in the screen printing on my chest.  I've had this shirt/been wearing it since 1999 or 2000 and I think it's finally time to let it go.  Sentimental pieces are the toughest to get rid of!  Letting go of this one feels like letting go of a connection to my youth.

My husband and I's college football teams played at different times, which means about 6 hours of football viewing today.  Since I can't sit still, I went through that clothes basket I've mentioned while his game was on.  I also tried on the clothes that arrived from The Limited last week.  

Out of the 6 pieces I had ordered, this was by far my favorite:


  
I LOVE these split back tops with the draped part in front!



I will definitely wear this top a lot!!  It replaced my nautical top in my capsule wardrobe on Wednesday since it's officially Fall now.



These jeans are my second favorite piece I ordered!  They're so soft and comfortable!  I will definitely wear these from now until next Spring.  (They became piece #38).  They're much better quality than the pair I wore last year that ended up fading badly!  Sometimes you do have to pay a bit more for items that will last/hold up after repeated washing.  The Limited always offers discounts though on their clothes, so I never pay more than $55 for a pair of pants/jeans through them.  (Note:  I am not affiliated with The Limited in ANY way.  I just really love their clothes and they fit me well)!



My next favorite piece was this sweater with the draped bottom.  This sweater has some weight/warmth to it, which is exactly what I was hoping for!  I love the color and as long as I don't get ink or spill something on the white part, will wear this sweater all Fall & Winter.



These jeans were next on my list of keepers!  They're a beautiful teal color and again, the fabric is very soft!  In retrospect, I probably didn't NEED these jeans and wouldn't say they're "essential", but they are fun and will give my fall wardrobe some color.  They're dressy enough I can wear them to work and they'll look great with my brown, tall boots.  The only tricky part is finding the perfect top to wear with them.

The next two items are pieces I'm debating on keeping:



I LOVE this goldenrod color!  This top was actually my favorite piece when I placed this order online.  However, in person, the fabric is really clingy and with my muffin top, it's not really flattering.  I put it back in the packaging and will try it on another day to see if I change my mind.



The last piece I ordered was this brown and grey sweater top.  The fabric is really nice and it's warm too!  The grey part actually has sort of a waffle texture, which is cool!  I'm just not sure that with my blonde hair and fair complexion this is the most flattering color on me.  It went back into the packaging too and will be tried on another day before I make my final decision on it.  

Sunday - Day #65

Today was cleaning day around my house.  Things didn't start off well.  While loading the dishwasher and washing dishes off, the garbage disposal blew up.  Then I tried to clean the rusty cast iron skillet in the sink and decided it was time to toss it instead.  And of course an argument ensued with my husband (which I knew was going to happen) because I threw the pan away.  In the end, he conceded it had gotten very rusty and wasn't supposed to soak.

Through cleaning and watching NFL football and DVR'd Real Housewives episodes, 113 items had been purged by the end of the day (total for the weekend) and my goals for the week were met.  Who-hoo!!

Monday - Day #66

Today I had the first "I have nothing to wear" day since doing Project 333.  Nothing in my "33" (OK, 36) excited me!  I even decided I hated the black/white striped cardigan as far as a work piece goes and pulled it out of my 33.  The high for the day was in the upper 70's.  However, the air conditioning vent at work pours straight into my office, so it's always freezing in there!  I wanted to wear something colorful, with comfortable pants and a cozy shirt too since I didn't have any professional meetings scheduled.  Normally, I would've thrown on my white capri pants, but they were still waiting to be washed.  None of the clothes on the left side of the closet appealed to me either.  



Enter #37 (actually it's listed as #8 above).  I decided the teal jeans would satisfy my desire to have a "pop of color" and to wear something comfortable.  The grey top and TOM's shoes would also satisfy the cozy top and comfortable requirements.  The Lia Sophia Queue necklace matched my jeans perfectly and pulled the entire outfit together/made it a bit dressier.  One of my co-workers even complimented my necklace and one of the individuals we serve noticed I was wearing a new pair of jeans.  I'm going to wait to see if the Queue necklace gets added into my capsule.  After all, the other 2 longer necklaces I have in there already would match my jeans.  Time will tell!    


Tuesday - Day #67 & Wednesday - Day #68

Tuesday I dropped some more items (189 to be exact) at Goodwill on my way to work.  I had a late meeting in another county and didn't get home until after 8pm.  Wednesday I went to see my nephew after work and didn't get home until late again.  So, there was no major new purging to be had these two days other than items that I used up during my normal daily routine (some allergy Rx, some magazines, tea light candles, etc).



These were my Tuesday (left side) and Wednesday (right side) outfits.  Ironically, on the first day of Fall, I wore my nautical top for the last time this season.    

Thursday - Day #69

No meetings today and I wanted to wear these teal jeans again before I washed them.  



I've heard people talk about only washing their jeans once per month or even once every six months.  My jeans seem to get too stretched out and misshapen though to do that.  Wearing them twice is about my max before I wash them.

My plan was to wear this shirt and these shoes one last time today and then purge them.  The shirt has several holes around the neckline and the heel strap of these shoes is stretched out and they're scuffed all over.  However, the more I think about it, the more I think I'll mend the black short sleeve top and wear it for every day/after work.  (I have another one of this same top that's never been worn, so I can replace the holy top in my capsule wardrobe if I want with the new one).  I tightened the straps on the shoes and now they fit better.  I could use a permanent black marker and fix the scuffs on the front of the shoes and wear them a few months longer.  They're the only wedges I've ever owned that I can wear repeatedly and they don't kill my lower back, so to me they're worth saving for a while longer.



I did end up ordering this ring today on Etsy.  I've had my eye on it for a while now and last night I saw it went on sale for 50% off.  I waited overnight and asked the seller if she could adjust the band size.  This morning I still felt like I wanted to buy it, so I did.  It's a handmade piece from a lady whom I've bought several pieces off of previously and loved.  I didn't "need" another ring since I currently have 55 others, but I LOVE the blue stone in this one and know I'll wear it for many years to come.  Definitely worth $63.95 to me!

I did sell two more items on eBay, bringing my total items sold in the past 10 weeks to 80 items and I've made back $592.29 (after all listing and selling fees were taken out) of what I spent on those items.  Again, not getting rich by any means, but it's nice to get some of that money back.  I need to put some more items on there, but kind of burned myself out on listing things by spending several days of doing nothing but that.  It's so much easier just to donate them.  At the same time I'm of the motto "every dollar counts", so it's worth doing in the long run.

Friday - Day #70



Today started off with me being anxious to receive my first review at my job.  I wore my magenta top and new black skinny jeans though and felt cute and open to hear any suggestions for improvement the owner may have for me.  The eval went fine, but then the owner dropped the bomb that the Company is losing money right now and he wanted to cut my pay by $10,000 effective a little over two weeks from now.  Um - excuse me?!!  It's not like I make a huge salary!

Long story short, I informed the owner I was not OK with taking a pay cut and would not stay at the company for anything less than what I'm making now.  I then excused myself from the table and left.  The biggest slap in the face about this is that when one of the Directors left, I took on her entire line of the business and didn't get a pay raise, nor did I ask for one.  I just did what had to be done to make the business successful and then this is how I'm repaid for my hard work and dedication?!  The owner said he definitely doesn't want me to leave and is going to try to re-work the numbers and see if there's any way to avoid the pay cut scenario.  We'll see what happens....  

This situation makes me so glad I've been working to pay off my debt and that I've been selling things on eBay and downsizing my lifestyle in general.  You just never know when things may change.    

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,366

Items Purged - 2973
Items Donated - 1287
Items Used - 521
Items Sold/Returned - 84 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4865

(4865/15231) = 31.94% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   Purge another 69 items and update my resume.

Want to receive automatic notifications of new blog posts?  Subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address to the right.  It's that easy!  :)  Happy decluttering!

XOXO,
Stephanie

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Becoming Minimalist Week #9 & Project 333 Capsule Wardrobe Update

The goal I set for this week was simple:  Purge 69 items (the minimum number needed for the week to meet my annual goal of eliminating 50% of my belongings) and if I go over that, great!  I also want to sort through a clothes basket of items that's already been inventoried and either put away or purge what's in the basket.

Saturday - Day #57

My best friend and her husband came up last night and are here until tomorrow morning.  We went and got manis and pedis in the morning and then watched college football and relaxed in the afternoon.  Went to a Japanese Steakhouse for dinner.  Yum!  It was so great to spend time with our friends!  

Sunday - Day #58

I mentioned last week I was nervous about meeting this week's purge goal since we had plans all weekend (and the weekend is when I'm usually really able to focus on purging).  However, this morning, I went thru the table where I had all the items stored that I was going to put on eBay and decided to see what my best friend wanted/could use.  Nearly 60 items went home with her!  Who-hoo!!  I'm glad too because I know she'll use them/appreciate them!  As of right now, I've purged 78 items for the week so far and have already met my goal for the week.  Now I just have to go through that basket of items that was on the list too.  

On a more personal note, today was also my nephew's dedication at church and baby shower/family get together.  There were 60+ people at my sister's house and we were able to spend time with relatives we haven't seen in years.  It was so nice and everyone seemed to have a great time!  Tomorrow it's back to work.

Monday - Day #59

In an unexpected turn of events, my husband and I ended up separating our closets today.  It all started with a simple request on my behalf that he not put clothes he'd worn back in the closet because what he put back in there yesterday smelled heavily of smoke.  (He's a smoker and I'm not).  The ensuing conversation lead to this idea.  I'm not sure why we didn't think of this sooner honestly.  I am so anal with my closet organization.  All the hangers have to match and my clothes are all hung according to color and sleeve length, etc.  Now he can use wire hangers (yuck) and throw things on the bottom of the closet floor in the guest bedroom closet and I don't have to look at it and get irritated and pick up after him.  He's got his man closet and I have my girlie closet.  All is well!  


(Left:  His clothes before.  Right series:  All the clothes I have to fit into the space where his clothes were)

Well, not quite.  Doing this meant combining an entire closet's worth of clothes into half the space.        

Tuesday - Day #60

Finished the closet transition after work today.  I kept shuffling things around because my closet still doesn't quite look how I want it to.  (There's a crate of clothes that's a size smaller than what I am now that I'm trying to figure out where to put).  


(Clothes on the left are my Fall/Current Options;  Clothes on right side are what's in Project 333)

Wednesday - Day #61

Work was stressful today, so the husband and I went and got a massage after work.  My order from The Limited arrived, but it was 86 degrees outside today, so I was in no mood to try on jeans and sweaters.  Maybe I'll try things on this weekend when it's supposed to be cooler.  Twilight Zone moment - since when am I not excited for new clothes to arrive?!  Normally I dive right in and twirl around in things.  Maybe I really am getting the hang of this downsizing thing!

Thursday - Day #62

I read this blog post last week and it made me feel better about trying to do Project 333.  It basically said that 33 items is NOT a magic number and the number of items you have needs to fit your body and lifestyle.  Ironically though, even though I basically have permission to add more items to my wardrobe I'm wearing now, the only thing I've added since last week was this rose gold colored necklace set (#31) I wore today.  (I love rose gold, ivory, and grey together)!  Other than that, so far, I'm OK with what I've been wearing.  It also said the new wardrobe capsule should start at the beginning of October.  This is perfect since the seasons are changing here in the Midwest and it's about time to break out the sweaters!



My husband is out of town for business tonight, so I came home from work, took a shower, and blogged/caught up on reading some blogs.  As of 8pm, the TV and/or lights have not been on and I LOVE IT!!  Sometimes peace and quiet is the most beautiful of sounds!  It's just me, my pets, and some candle light.  A crescent moon is shining through the living room window from above.  Breathe out!.....  

Friday - Day #63

My Fabletics order from last week arrived yesterday.  Today I wore the black cardigan (#32) to work as part of casual Friday.  I had no professional meetings scheduled, so college team attire it is!  (The OSU shirt is #33).  Who-hoo!!

Here's a look at this week's outfits:


(Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday)

Apparently it was "wear dark clothes" week at my house.  Next week I'll have to break some color out!  Putting all these photos side by side makes me realize I apparently have a style too - scoop neck tops with cardigans over them and comfy flat shoes.  I also have one pose I know too apparently!  :)

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,465

Items Purged - 2909
Items Donated - 1237
Items Used - 498
Items Sold/Returned - 78 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4722

(4722/15187) = 31.09% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   I'm going to stick to my tried and true method from the past few weeks and make my goal the minimum number needed to make my annual goal (69 items).  It ended up working out really well this past week and I purged 191 items total.  I didn't go thru that basket I mentioned, so I definitely want to get thru it this weekend!

Want to receive automatic notifications of new blog posts?  Subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address to the right.  It's that easy!  :)  Happy decluttering!

XOXO,
Stephanie

Sunday, September 13, 2015

PRODUCT JUNKIE TO BECOMING MINIMALIST - 2 MONTHS IN/PROJECT 333 UPDATE!

The goal I set for this week was simple:  Purge 69 items (the minimum number needed for the week to meet my annual goal of eliminating 50% of my belongings) and if I go over that, great!

Saturday - Day #50

College football is back and I am a happy, happy camper!  Even though my team doesn't play until Monday night, the sound of the Game Day theme song was like a Christmas Carol to my ears!



While I was watching Game Day, I began tackling the items I mentioned in the kitchen (the box actually had a bag sitting on top of it as well that I had forgot about).  The bag is from the garage and was full of photos, office supplies, and random items from vacation back in 2010.  The box itself was full of random items I wasn't sure what to do with when I was doing my original inventory.  Most of the items ended up in the trash or being recycled.  By the end of the day, I had surpassed my goal of eliminating 69 items for the week.  Who-hoo!!

I did end up purchasing some tops from Fabletics (the Kate Hudson athletic wear brand).  


The downside to subscribing to a brand/subscription where you either have to choose to make a purchase or hit "skip a month" is that when you log on, you see their products and it's tempting to buy something.  This shirt is really cute though and it's something I'll wear at home/around the house a lot.  At $29.95, it's reasonably priced too.



They also had this top in a new purple color ($19.95).  I already own it in navy and black and LOVE it!!



The grey version was back in stock too, so I ordered it as well.  (I wish they had it in red too)!  They're so great because they're flattering and comfortable on.  They can be dressed up with black pants and a statement necklace or worn casually around the house too.  I tend to wear them on days where I feel bloated or just want to feel relaxed.



Since I spent over $49.95, I got this shrug for $10.49.  I have this shrug in cobalt blue and wear it all the time!  I've been wanting the black version so I don't have to wear a similar, dressier work one when I'm home as well.  The dressier one (that's one of my 33 items) is starting to wear out because I wear it so much (usually 3-4 times/week).  

All in all, I spent $80.34 on 4 tops that I'll wear for years to come, so that was worth it.

Sunday - Day #51

Last week, I came across this blog and discovered the idea of going thru every possession you own, holding it in your hand, and only keeping it if evokes a sense of joy when holding it in your hands.  I tried to do that last week, but by the time I got home from work on Tuesday and Friday, I was stressed and tired and didn't feel like I could really "tune in" to my feelings.  I like the concept overall though.  If it makes you happy - keep it.  If not, get rid of it.  Simple enough, right?!

So, I spent the day watching US Open Tennis, doing laundry, and purging items.  So far, I'm up to 136 items eliminated for the week, and it's only two days in.  Who-hoo!!  I'm trying to motivate myself to put things on eBay but so far, only one item has made it on there.  

I will say that as I went through my necklaces this morning, I missed being able to wear them (due to Project 333).  I've always said to my friends/family that you don't need to buy new clothes all the time because pairing a different necklace/earrings/bracelet with it can give your existing items a completely new feel.  I LOVE a good statement necklace!  However, with Project 333, I only included two necklaces in addition to the one my husband got me for our wedding and two pairs of earrings to wear.  I think I'm going to have to make the matching earrings/necklace (and ring/bracelet if there is one) into a set and count them as one.  Otherwise, I may not make it 3 months with these same items.  I used to sell Lia Sophia for crying out loud!  I need my jewelry!  #firstworldproblems  

So, now my Project 333 list looks like this:

Bottoms:
1.  White denim Capri pants
2.  Regular (dark denim) jeans
3.  Grey stretchy jeans
4.  Black dress pants
5.  Dark charcoal grey dress pants
6.  White knee-length shorts


Tops:
7. White 3/4 sleeve top
8.  White & navy "rope design" 3/4 length sleeve shirt
9.  Fuschia pink short sleeve top
10.  Burnt orange sleeveless top
11.  Goldenrod yellow top
12.  Solid grey GAP long-sleeve top
13.  Navy/blue sleeveless top
14.  Navy solid 3/4 sleeve top
15.  Black short sleeve top

Cardigans:
16.  Navy cardigan
17.  Black/white striped cardigan
18.  Black stretchy dressy cardigan
19.  Burnt orange cardigan

Shoes:
20.  Black wedges
21.  Brown boots
22.  Platinum Sperry's
23.  Blush flats
24.  Grey TOMS
25.  Black flats

Accessories:
26.  Black/silver infinity scarf
27.  Lia Sophia Savannah necklace, Acorn earrings & Spiceberry ring set
28.  Silver watch
29.  Black/white/silver long necklace & Silver/clear crystal dangle earrings
30.  Lia Sophia Masquerade necklace, Coy earrings, & Jenny ring



So far, the only things I haven't worn are the navy 3/4 length sleeve top, burnt orange top and cardigan sweater.  Now that I added the #30 jewelry set to the mix, I'm excited to wear the navy top next week with my white capri pants!  I'll probably start wearing the orange pieces in late September just due to the color.  Since the top has gold shimmery detailing on it, I'll add the #31 jewelry set when I'm ready to wear it.


Monday - Day #52

Today is a work holiday (thank you Lord)!  I spent the day purging more items, which was great!  I went through that box that was in the kitchen, so that goal is met for the week!

Tuesday - Day #53

My boss and I had a presentation today at a local County Board, so dress clothes were in order for work.  Here's what I wore:


Item #32 entered the wardrobe.  I LOVE this top from The Limited!  It's marled black and white and the back actually is split with the ivory fabric flowing loosely.  It is so comfortable and flattering!  I debated on adding this piece since I started Project 333 and finally did it.  

Came home and stress shopped online.  I bought 4 tops and 2 pairs of pants for Fall.  For the past two months, I've been purging when I'm stressed versus buying anything.  Today I snapped though.  I've gone thru my Fall/Winter clothes numerous times over the past eight weeks and know what I have.  There's two sweaters I know I'll wear that I love, but other than that, nothing really excited me.  The magenta top is the same style as the black/white top I added today, so as long as the fabric isn't too sheer, it will become a Fall wardrobe staple.  I love the goldenrod color too of the second top I bought and it will be great for layering, so I can't wait to wear it either!  I did need a pair of new black jeans, so buying those was a no-brainer.  I also like to wear colorful items, so the teal jeans will be fun for Fall too!  The total for these six items was $214.88, which I think is reasonable considering it included two new pairs of jeans.


Wednesday - Day #54

Another meeting at a different County board today and I wore the golden rod yellow top with the black pants from yesterday and my black wedges.  Forgot to take the picture though.

Came home and the water filter contraption in the basement had cracked and was spraying water all over the basement wall/floor.  Thankfully the damage was minimal, but now we're going to have to replace it.  No automatic ice cubes or water from the refrigerator for a while until we do.  The joys of home ownership!  

Thursday - Day #55

Office day today at work.  Decided it was time to wear that navy shirt I hadn't worn yet.



The necklace and earrings I added to my 33 items list on Sunday was a good call!  It looked really cute with this outfit!   

Friday - Day #56


I had another meeting this morning that I had to be dressed up for.  This was a good "Casual Friday" outfit that was comfortable, yet professional.  My best friend and her husband came up from out of town after work to stay with us for the weekend.  This outfit also turned into my going out for dinner outfit too.  

I'm so glad I focused on purging over the weekend and on Monday because the rest of the week was mainly work, work, work.  After eight weeks, I've officially purged 30% of my belongings.  It's crazy to think of where I started (trying to count everything and feeling so overwhelmed by the prospect of this project) versus where I am now.  I'm not perfect by any means (as evidenced by the Fabletics and Limited purchases this week), but overall, I've stuck to my plan of downsizing really well!  

My advice to anyone who is thinking of beginning this process is to JUST START and chip away at your inventory and then chip away at purging.  Make some mini, attainable goals and do everything in your power to meet them each week.  Some people downsize more quickly and some people (like me) like to spread the process out a bit more and do it gradually.  There's no right way.  You'll never finish though if you don't at least start!  YOU CAN DO THIS!! 

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,484

Items Purged - 2902
Items Donated - 1104
Items Used - 448
Items Sold/Returned - 77 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4531 (229 eliminated this week)

(4531/15015) = 30.1% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   Eliminate another 69 items again.  It's going to be a bit more challenging this next week since we have plans all weekend and I'm not going to be able to focus on purging.  I'll make it happen though.  I'd also like to get through a clothes basket of items that has already been inventoried that's sitting in my spare bedroom and either put away or purge the items in it.

Want to follow along on this journey with me?  Subscribe to this blog and don't miss a post!  (I usually post 1-2 times weekly at the most).  

XOXO,
Stephanie

Saturday, September 5, 2015

PROJECT JUNKIE TO BECOMING MINIMALIST - 7 Weeks In/Project 333 Update

The goal I set for this week was simple:  Purge 69 items (the minimum number needed for the week to meet my annual goal of eliminating 50% of my belongings) and if I go over that, great!

For those of you who missed last week's blog, let me recap:

I was searching the internet for more minimalist blogs and stumbled across something called Project 333.  It's basically where you choose 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes and wear only those 33 items for 3 months at a time.  I watched this YouTube video of the Dutch woman in the blue dress at the bottom and it just resonated with me (much like when I found my first minimalism blog).  

What's NOT included in the 33 - Wedding rings or other sentimental jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lounge wear, and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)

I went straight to my bedroom and made my list of 33 items (which ended up getting tweaked a little).  Of the items that made the cut, I turned those hangers around backwards so I can see what (if anything) I didn't wear at the end of those 33 days.

Here's what made the cut:

Bottoms:
1.  White denim Capri pants
2.  Regular (dark denim) jeans
3.  Grey stretchy jeans
4.  Black dress pants
5.  Dark charcoal grey dress pants


Tops:
6. White 3/4 sleeve top
7.  White & navy "rope design" 3/4 length sleeve shirt
8.  Fuschia pink short sleeve top
9.  Burnt orange sleeveless top
10.  Goldenrod yellow top
11.  Solid grey GAP long-sleeve top
12.  Navy/blue sleeveless top
13.  Navy solid 3/4 sleeve top
14.  Black short sleeve top

Cardigans:
15.  Navy cardigan
16.  Black/white striped cardigan
17.  Black stretchy dressy cardigan
18.  Burnt orange cardigan

Shoes:
19.  Black wedges
20.  Brown boots
21.  Platinum Sperry's
22.  Blush flats
23.  Grey TOMS
24.  Black flats

Accessories:
25.  Black/silver infinity scarf
26.  Lia Sophia goldenrod/green/blue/silver long beaded necklace
27.  Lia Sophia acorn earrings
28.  Silver watch
29.  Black/white/silver long necklace
30.  Silver/clear crystal dangle earrings

I still have 3 items left to add over the next few months, which is nice.  When you're only working with a limited number of pieces, I'm sure one new item will be exciting!

Saturday - Day #43

Had an 8 am hair appointment this morning.  Developed a splitting headache during the appointment and ended up coming home and going back to bed until 2 pm.  That's definitely NOT how I envisioned spending my Saturday!  Woke up and did some laundry and purged some items from my bedroom that I had pulled from my closet last week during my clothing selection.  

Sunday - Day #44

I haven't mentioned eBay for a while.  The Lord has really blessed me on that sales front!  So far over the past 7 weeks, I've sold 71 items thru them and netted $547.97.  I'm not getting rich by any means, but it's nice to get rid of things AND recoup some of the money I had spent on these items for doing it!  

Monday - Day #45

By now you know that I like to wake up and purge things first thing.  Today was no different.  I grabbed some nail polish and an unopened face cleanser (travel size) and took them to work and gave them away.

This was my outfit for the day:



Today was in the 80's and really humid.  This outfit was perfect for that!  This top is sooo comfortable and stretchy and it's sleeveless, so the cardigan came off when I was outside.

Stopped and got a 75 minute massage on my way home from work.  Definitely brightened my Monday!  Had to stop and buy some packing tape for my eBay sales also.  That's the only expense I've had this week so far outside of food at lunch time and gas for my car.

Tuesday - Day #46

Another really hot, humid day, but it's freezing in the office.  So, this was what I wore:



I mentioned this last week, but I'm trying to wear that white, nautical shirt as many times as I can before the end of September to make it worth the clothing slot it's filling.  I changed up the pants and shoes I wore with it though this time.  I'm trying to see how long I can go without wearing the same outfit.

On my way in to work, I stopped off at Goodwill and donated another 63 items.  It made me so happy to drop those items off and get them out of my house!!

After work, I came home and did some more purging.  By the end of the day, the number of items purged for the week was 67 items, which almost met my goal. 

Wednesday - Day #47

Today started off wild!  I received a call shortly after I woke up from one of my staff and had to run out the door to deal with a work situation.  It was close to 90 degrees and VERY humid today, so item #31 entered my wardrobe - a pair of knee-length white shorts.  I paired it with my pink short sleeve cotton top and threw on my Sperry's and was off!  I was in such a hurry to leave I didn't get to take a photo.

After work, we went to my nephew's baseball game and then had dinner with my brother-in-law and in-laws.  It was really nice since we hadn't seen them for a while.  

Thursday - Day #48

I forgot to take a photo of today's outfit as well.  Sorry!  My owner and I had a presentation to do today though, so I paired the goldenrod yellow sweater with my grey dress pants and black dress shoes.  After work, I went to my parent's house and spent the evening visiting with them and my baby nephew.  Since I had met my goal for the week purge-wise this morning (just by using things), I didn't feel guilty and it was GREAT!!

Friday - Day #49

Here's today's "casual Friday" look:


Have I mentioned these grey jean/legging pants from Express feel like wearing pajama pants?!  Color-wise, I wish they were darker so they're more flattering on, but they're still versatile enough to be able to pair with almost every top I selected to be part of my 33 items.  

Came home, watched some US Open Tennis, and did some more purging.

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,590

Items Purged - 2788
Items Donated - 1014
Items Used - 424
Items Sold/Returned - 76 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4302

(4302/14892) = 28.8% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   Last week I decided I didn't want to stress about focusing on a number of items to purge for the week above the minimum number needed to make my annual goal (69 items) and then if I went over that, great!  It ended up working out really well and I purged 98 items total (and was able to enjoy time with my friends and family without feeling guilty).  I'm going to do the same for next week and make my goal 69 items again.  I'm also making it my goal to go thru this box of items that's been sitting on my kitchen chair for the past 2 weeks and decide what stays/goes.  Regardless, that box is going to be gone!

Hope you all had a nice week!  Any new discoveries that have resonated with you like becoming minimalist and Project 333 have with me?


XOXO,
Stephanie