Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Out of the closet!

Clearing out the closet has been the chore keeping me busy these past few weeks.
Can you say RUTHLESS!
I said farewell to several bags of gently used and unwanted garments.
Clothes that felt like "albatrosses"  items that one hangs onto "just in case"
I feel a fresh new start and have empty hangers waiting...
for a very select new and needed garments.
With Spring just around the corner there will be a few things that I will need to replace, white tank tops and T shirts are always on the list.

I mentioned before how tiny our Arts and Craftsman Bungalow is and that storage is minimal at best.
Prepare yourself....


This is the lower portion of our bedroom closet
Mr. HB has the upper area.
This is my basic winter wardrobe.


Here are the longer winter items.

I have a small wardrobe downstairs which holds dresses and out of season clothes.
I am not kidding when I said that I have pared down...
feeling a bit more like Jennifer Scott's "Madame Chic."

Blogger Mette recently purchased a pair of jeans
 which got me thinking that I could use another pair.

I found a pair of Gap wide legged jeans at the consignment store
where I met and chatted with Sheila from Ephemera.


I'll wear these with heels...
 red shoes would be fun!


Jones of NY
sweater jacket
in shades of grey...
a thrift shop find this week.


Speaking of grey
Pepper's catching some ZZZ's

The weather has been dreary and grey
 so I have imported some lovely scent and colour to The Humble Bungalow


I'll plant these hyacinth bulbs in the garden when they are finished cheering things up inside.


These may look like twigs
but they are so much more...
these cuttings will be abloom with pink and red blossoms in a week or so.


Perusing this coffee table book has inspired me.
The architecturally designed homes featured inside are beautifully decorated 
in a rather rustic Pacific Northwest fashion.
Antiquities, books and massed collectibles add such richness to these amazing abodes.

Rather like those trusted true accessories that add interest to a minimalist basic wardrobe.

Do you have a walk in closet or a teeny space like mine?
Is your wardrobe style more
or less?



35 comments:

the gardener's cottage said...

leslie i've been working on my closet too. it does feel good to clean them up! mine is just as tiny as yours so i can feel your pain. xo janet

mette said...

Bravo for you! I´ll support you with this " getting rid of clothes " and stuff you don´t wear.
I have a walk in closet, but it is nearly empty, as I really have very few clothes ( winter+ summer clothes ). And I am content.
By the way, have you ever thought that maybe your favorite colors have something to do with Pepper´s coloring?
I notice choosing colors that match with Morty and Hampel, Black hair from the fur coats of both, does not show on darker colors, definitely not on black.
Fine looking jeans : )!
I like your twigs, would not mind to have them without blooms either.

Adrienne Shubin said...

I've been on a mission to thin out my closet for weeks. And I am proud to say I am doing a great job! The best clean out I've ever had.

But it's scary to look in my once bulging closet and see very few clothes. Not a view I am used to. What I like about it is knowing the clothes in my closet contain items I actually wear and like. I no longer have a closet full of shopping regrets.

My husband and I share a long closet with three sliding doors. It's not big but not small either. I am fine with its size, but I wish I had more shelf space for all my shoes and handbags. Many of my shoes are on racks on the floor of my closet and hard to access.

Love that Pepper. xo

Anonymous said...

I have a large walk-in closet, but pretty empty at the moment. I did a ruthless cleaning out also, a few months ago, and am ready to do another one. It's sort of addicting to clean it all out and get rid of items you don't like or no longer wear. I like the twigs too, just as they are - but would love to see a picture of them once they're in bloom.

Anonymous said...

I wanted to add that I read you were thinking about a pair of Converse shoes for Spring - I find them incredibly uncomfortable. Zero support and no cushioning on the bottom at all. I only wear mine if I'm not going to be walking or standing. I don't know how those French girls do it, but I guess they're young?

Susan B said...

I absolutely adore Pacific Northwest style. I've been doing "quarterly" closet purges (if it hasn't been worn in the last 10-12 months, out it goes). I also need to start pulling and replacing some items that are wearing out (tanks and tees, same as you) and give up on a few failed experiments.

Susan B said...

kathy, I wear orthotics in my Converse All-Stars! It's the only way I can do it. Ssshhh, don't tell. ;-)

Sheila said...

Aw, Pepper is so lovely. :)

Great to run into you again, and nice pair of jeans! I would definitely do them with a red shoe.

I have a walk-in closet, custom built (original post with photos here: http://sheilaephemera.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-closet-and-overhaul.html, and my last photo tour here: http://sheilaephemera.blogspot.com/2011/03/cleaning-out-my-closet.html ). It was my reward to myself when I lost 50lbs - since I had to replace my entire wardrobe, I wanted somewhere nice to put it!

My husband gets a full double closet all to himself, and we also have some hallway closet storage for "archive"/vintage items that we don't wear often but are not ready to get rid of yet.

In addition, I have 3 Rubbermaid bins with my Spring/Summer items tucked away under my bed, but at the end of March, it's time to put away my Autumn/Winter-only items and bring out the Spring!

My Grama's Soul said...

Hi there.....Came over from Sharon's. It does appear that all of us are at one time or another attacking closets and houses just getting rid of excess stuff.

I for one...will not go to the consignment store and buy one more thing....I'm only dropping off.

Jo

Debbi@SheAccessorizesWell said...

Don't you wish you could sleep like cats and dogs. They seem to sack out so quickly. Please take another picture when the twigs bloom, I would really love to see it.

materfamilias said...

My closet is only a wee bit larger than yours -- I borrow a small closet in a guest room for dresses & other items I don't wear often. It does force me to stay reasonably organized and to think twice about what I buy.
And yes, isn't it grey, grey, grey! (supposed to cool down this weekend -- do you think that will bring some blue?)

Anonymous said...

Susan - brilliant idea. I'm going to get a real spongy pair. Glad I'm not the only one who has the problem too. Thanks!

Lacey R said...

Great job Hostess! It must feel very freeing!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

We live in heritage homes and people had very few clothes in the early 1900's, those worn everyday and Sunday best!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Pepper might be responsible for my colour palette! You are the inspiration behind the new jeans:)
We had a brush near the front door to de-fur our clothing as our Golden Retriever shed like crazy!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I have seen shoe bags that hang on the closet rod, maybe that might work for your shoes. Bags on the other hand usually are in those protective cloth bags and they are really awkward to store.
I loved watching Carrie Bradshaw's closet evolve in Sex and the City the movie...can you imagine having a space like that with drawers and shelving and a vast space to get dressed in?

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I'll snap a pic of them when they bloom.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Oh great idea!
Dr. Scholl's do a gel filled insole that my GP told me about for walking on pavement.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I wish that Petit Bateau would make larger sized T shirts and tanks.
I've heard that they make fabulous Tees.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

You earned that new closet makeover!
What ever did we do before Rubbermaid totes? We have all our Xmas decorations in ours.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Jo,

Welcome! It's that Spring cleaning bug.
Every magazine I pick up has an article about de-cluttering on the cover. It's going around :)

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Cat naps are something that would certainly come in handy!
Yes those twigs will get their few minutes on stage when they perform.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

What year is your home? Is it vintage?
Oh it's so grey here today and rainy....a patch of blue and some crisp cooler weather would not be unwelcome. Reminds me of your blue things post a few years ago , remember when bloggers posted about all their blue pottery and such?

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Freeing yes, but nature abhors a vacuum, so it might be a bit of a dangerous time evading the shops!

Pondside said...

I have a rather large and disorganised walk-in closet. I find that when I pare down I can dress for work with much more ease in the mornings.
Good for you - there may be some inspiration there for me!

LPC said...

Great thrifting!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

How's the shopping going for your MOTB outfit?

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

LPC- It was sheer luck and thank you!

La Vie Quotidienne said...

the remodel is looking great...love the wonderful new window ledge. I look forward to seeing what hardware you have picked out.

I need to downsize too, and I am working at it...lots of items in my closet to eleminate.

Judith said...

Have a large walk in also empty!!!when I moved here had a massive clean out from furniture to clothes,still finding more for the black bags.

Looking forward to start replacing some of my clothes in the Spring with a visit to London bliss!

Good thing about a small wardrobe encourages one to have one filled with a select few items.

Like your twigs not sure what they are.....I have some 'pussy willow' ones.Love the way you display your flowers. Ida

Anonymous said...

I confess that I have huge closet space compared to your home, but I am a fan of a pared down wardrobe. No Texas-sized wardrobes in my home!

Those blue hyacinth are gorgeous! I miss those delicate, English flowers of the PNW. They would never make it in Austin.

How do you keep your nose out of Pepper's tummy fur? I would be snuggling and napping with her all the time.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I am quite impressed by Mr. HB's designs. Pepper cannot stay off the ledge either, she probably thinks it her special perch!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Now a trip to London for some shopping sounds exciting!
Please post about your trip when you return.
These twigs are Red Huck and so far they are not flowering and I am thinking they may not :(

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I don't keep my nose out of her tummy fur! She is so cute when she lies down and shows her belly!
Austin must have some fabulous flora...I think hibiscus and datura's grow outside do they not?

materfamilias said...

I started to answer your query about our home's age and decided I should probably develop the answer into a blogpost as it's a bit of a tale . . . coming soon.
And we did end up with some sunshine, which was lovely, but apparently there might be snow on the weekend, which is not so. . . And yes, I do remember those blue posts -- you have such a lovely collection.