How I paired down my wardrobe to 33 items

Step 1:  Make sure the laundry is finished.  You can't very well pick your top 33 without having everything clean, right?

Empty laundry basket

Step 2:  What season is it?  I live in an area with 4 seasons (in one day...).  You know the old joke about Oklahoma weather, right?  It's September so it's hot right now, but I'm also planning for October and November, it will probably get cool, but not downright cold.  I'll work a jacket into this mix and probably work with mostly long pants.  Good thing I work in an office...

Step 3:  Do you have a signature?  What kinds of things are you unwilling to part with for this experiment?  I'm going to have to have sunglasses.  Luckily I only have one pair so that choice was easy.  I usually wear silver hoop earrings.  I have several pair, but mostly the same thing.  I just have to pick one pair.

Step 4:  Casual wear.  It's football season.  In my house that is important so my casual wear will mostly be t-shirts for the local school and my husband's favorite college team.

Step 5: Panic.  Thirty-three items isn't as many as pieces as I thought it might be...

  

The final cut:

1. sunglasses

2. silver hoop earrings

3. blue jeans

4. blue jean capri pants

5. brown fat-pant slacks

6.grey fat-pant slacks (after minor mending)

7. black slacks

8. black short sleeve t-shirt

9. grey cardigan

10. purple short sleeve t-shirt

11. black pencil skirt

12. brown v-neck t-shirt

13. green dress

14. black 3/4 sleeve cardigan

15. green short sleeve t-shirt

16. OU football t-shirt

17. black long sleeve t-shirt

18. local high school t-shirt

19. other OU t-shirt

20. other local high school t-shirt

21. grey short sleeve sweater w belt

22. Morticia Addams blouse 

23. faux leather jacket

24. comfy black pumps 

25. silver ballet flats

26. shiny white Bobs

27.black sandles

28. nude pumps

29. fabulous scarf

30. black and silver long necklace

31. over-sized cross necklace

32. tiny diamond cross necklace

33. pink v-neck t-shirt

Is 5 pair of shoes and 3 necklaces a waste of my choices?  I guess we'll see.

What pieces can you not live without?

Living with Less

I've spent a lot of time in recent months thinking about all the STUFF in my life.  There are areas in my house that would make one think that I'm a hoarder.  All this stuff in my home is probably a visual reflection of the clutter in my own mind, so I'm ready to do something drastic.

Exhibit A

This week I found Project 333.  The gist:  33 wardrobe items to work with for 3 months.  Sleep clothes, workout clothes (as long as you only wear them to work out), underwear, and sentimental jewelry (like your wedding ring) don't count.  Everything else does. My strategy:  start with the pants, clean out the items that don't actually fit, pick very few shoes.

I'm about 15 lbs heavier than my usual weight so there are several items that don't really fit right now.  This will be a good excuse for me to box those items up while I get my weight under control.  I'm recently re-committed to getting into shape because my family is doing a Biggest Loser style competition with a cash prize at the end.  I'll need the cash to restock my 33 items when NOTHING fits!  I've been working out 5 mornings per week, eating breakfast, and packing sensible lunches for the last couple weeks.  I've lost 6 lbs, but that is just a tip of the iceberg.  By the time I switch into my second 3 months worth of clothes, I should to be able to donate the first 3 months worth because they should be to big, right?

I'll post pics of the items that make the final cut.  Wish me luck!