I recently picked up the book The Happiness Project (thanks to Maureen for the great suggestion) and became inspired to face the habit of clutter in my life . Time to begin the great PURGE!
Whew!
As daunting as the task may be I decided to start right at the heart of my clutter addiction... my closet!
Time to bid farewell to clothes that no longer fit, clothes past their prime, clothes I have nothing to wear with, clothes I hang onto for someday and clothes that are merely there for sentimental reasons.
Time to be ruthless!
Time to be ruthless!
Before (Yikes!)
This big of a purge had the potential to have me second guessing my ability to let go of clothes I still liked... so I decided to pour myself a glass of wine, call my soul sister out west for a chat and go for it. It worked! While talking I was distracted enough that each piece I picked up it was just a gut feeling I had to follow... yay or nay? Soon I had full garbage bags, a lighter feeling and a cleansed closet!
After (*sigh* of relief)
Then I decided to invite all my wonderful and wild girlfriends for one of our annual clothing swaps. Usually once per season, one of the women in our community hosts a clothing swap. A gathering where we all bring bags of our no longer needed clothes ~ we dump them in a huge pile in the center of the room and we DIVE IN!
It is always a blast ~ full of laughter, throwing off clothes to try on new ones, stories of the journeys our clothes being shared have taken, a potluck feast and most of all a real sense of community. The women leave blessed with new pieces for their wardrobe, a full heart and a reminder of the womanly love that surrounds them.
Swaps are a great way to recycle your clothes, freshen up your wardrobe or just plain have an excuse to have a gathering with your girlfriends!
Here's to less is really more and the sweet sisterhood of swapping.
~ Shanti ~
