Clean out Your Closet, Then Shop in it!

It's supremely self indulgent to do a post on cleaning out my closet, but I have some rationalizations handy. It's seasonally pertinent (Haven't you heard of "Spring Cleaning"?) and it relates back to my urge to simplify and appreciate what I've already got.

One has to make space for good things in order to appreciate them. Surrounded by quantity, quality evaporates. Think about museums or fancy boutiques or five star hotels. They aren't crowded or cluttered with objects competing for your attention. They are usually spacious and airy. That is true luxury; the space to appreciate.

Before:

Not bad really. Just in a bit of disarray. (And, oh dear, yes those are undies on the floor. You got me.) But here's what happened. I rearranged the furniture in my office to accommodate a giant map of the world and ended up pulling out a shelving unit. Since my house & furniture are rented, I can't just cart things off to the Goodwill. I thought, "This piece is a lot prettier than the ugly plastic shelving I've got in the closet. And there's a second one hogging a corner of the guest room too!" So I hauled the plastic pieces out and put the bamboo ones in.

After:

My favorite part is having all my shoes on display like little pieces of art. It makes me happy to admire them every day- even those I don't wear much. And I don't want to add anything second rate to the collection. Anything new that comes in has to live up to the other pieces, you know? That's a great feeling.

Eric never really wears his ties, but now I can enjoy his collection anyway. There is something so wonderfully unnecessary about a tie. It's just for show and a splash of color.

Here's what I love. Stepping into my closet now feels like hitting a boutique for a spending spree. Shopping your closet is easier when everything is beautifully displayed. The big secret here was not buying more stuff, just weeding out the unwanted stuff (lots more than I thought!) and rearranging what I had to make my life a little nicer.

Here are my five favorite closet organizing tips:

1) Use only one color hanger. It sounds really anal, but it makes a huge difference visually. Your eye goes straight to the clothes instead of being distracted by a hodgepodge of hangers. One less thing for your brain to process as you choose what to wear. Definitely a good thing.

2) Sort garments by style and color. I have all my dresses in one section, then tops, then skirts and pants. Putting them in color order really makes me feel like I am playing in a giant paint box every morning.I also sort them further by how fancy they are. The things you use every day should be easy to reach, while special occasion things can go in corners.

3) Don't fall for the myth of more storage! Bins and baskets keep things looking tidy, but you will also forget what you have in them and end up buying more of what you already have. Out of sight out of mind goes double for closets. If you can't see it, you probably won't use it. (If you must, use clear containers. In my office, I'm a bin junkie! The shoe box sized bins are great for art supplies.) The real secret to organization is not the Container Store. It's taking a few trash bags to the Goodwill.

4) Go through your closet every six months. At least. Things wear out, or get pilled or just don't feel great any more. Pass them along to someone who can use and enjoy them.

5) Make room for what is really important to you. Edit out the things that make you feel frumpy or plump or dated. It will make room for things that make you feel good. A wardrobe of choices that you look great in will empower you to be your best.

My closet isn't Mariah's or Oprah's, but a girl has to have something to shoot for, after all. Have you done any de-cluttering this spring? What are you favorite de-junking tips?

What's in My Makeup Bag

Does In Style magazine still have the "What's In your Makeup Bag?" feature? My make-up bag isn't stuffed with expensive brands, nor does it benefit from a product stylist making it glossy worthy. However, there is a place for everything and every single item shown here (including all the lovely gift with purchases Momma D sends along! Merci!) gets regular use.

-Bronzer -far too dark for my face, I mix a few drops in my body lotion after a shower to even out the color on my legs. They are always inexplicably pasty, despite the increase in beach time since the move to HI.

-Foundation, cosmetic sponges, shadow brushes, brow brush

-Tweezerman- truly the best most precise grip ever, well worth the extra money.

-Eyelash curler-I once read that if you have no time for any other make-up, curling eyelashes and adding mascara has the most impact, and I'm a firm believer. Your eyes look so much bigger with a nice fan of lashes.

-Eyeshadow-I love purples and golds with my green eyes.

-Highlighting powder (cool way to eliminate dark spots or shadows, learned during that What Not to Wear binge I'd rather not recall in too much detail.)

-Instant up-do hair pins worn after our wedding ceremony for reception and now used to keep hair off neck in humid Hawaiian weather.

-Four lipsticks: nude, red, raspberry and pink- I'd love to add one of those very vivid peachy colors for spring- does anyone have a favorite to suggest?

-File, cuticle stick, nail scissors

-Peach Fuzz Trimmer(a brilliant invention for those witch whiskers that really do seem to grow in overnight from nowhere) and brow attachments

mascara, mineral blush and bronzer brush

Whew! I'm proud to say that even with all these goodies in my bag of tricks, it takes me less than five minutes to do my makeup each day. Do you have any favorites in your make up bag? What is your best make-up tip?

Moveable Art!

My studio has wonderful wall to wall ledges that make it easy to curate my art collection into fun new arrangements. I thought I'd share a recent assemblage, though it's already been changed up.

From top left:

A tiny postcard of very creepy animatronic bears to which I added gold stickers that read "Everyone thinks they have good taste." A quote from this scene in When Harry Met Sally, also known as The Romantic Comedy Against Which All Others Shall be Measured Until the End of Time.

A photo of my little friend Lou.

Another pithy poster that reads "It really Tied the Room Together", a quote from another of my favorite comedies, The Big Lebowski. It makes me giggle since it matches the wallpaper from my desk makeover and does, in fact, tie the room together.

Vintage Circus Playing Cards

Three framed book pages from the wonderful children's book The Saggy Baggy Elephant.

These wonderful paintings of Holly Golightly's apartment by the talented Fifi were a Christmas gift to myself. I can't get enough of them. P.S: This company does a replica of her signature bathtub sofa!

I hand painted the chorus to I Feel Pretty from the immortal musical West Side Story in script on a piece of charming vintage gift wrap for this poster. Are you sensing a theme here?

What kind of art do you have in your home? Which is your favorite?

A Peek inside my Medicine Cabinet

Tell the truth, have you ever snuck a peek of someone's medicine cabinet? I quite like opening mine each morning. It's a little haven of order, color and luxurious beauty goodies. (The real secret is that Eric has his own. Banishing man stuff is key to a pretty medicine cabinet.)

The products in the bottom row are the only thing I've ever found to manage my adult acne. The regimen is a bit time consuming at first, but I highly recommend them.

Each of these teeny Mary Engelbright boxes (from the dollar section at Vile Michael's) holds tiny necessities; bobby pins, floss, advil and so forth. It makes poor E crazy since he can never find what he's looking for, but it looks so darn pretty, and I love the quotations. ("A place for everything and everything in it's place" fits the bill here, don't you think?)

I used those wonderful mighty magnetsto create a changing collage of images inside the door. The Hawaiian themed illustrations were a gift from my dear friend Lou on my departure from Minnesota this fall.

What's in your medicine cabinet? Feel like sharing a photo? Shoot me an e-mail: thefabulousmissbATgmailDOTcom