In-n-Out

It's probably a good thing that I stayed close to home last month because this month has been the opposite of planned, predictable and routine. This is great because for me, routine is creative death. I will say that in times/phases like the one I am in, I can be challenged with feeling productive because the way I measure my efficiency is often by how much I can get accomplished in a day. I've actually had to scale that down.... way, way down.

As a recovering perfectionist, I have learned to go with the flow, drop a lot of expectations for how I want things to be and see the truth of how things are. We are on the move right now, and this is by choice. So that means, I am not home on a regular basis to keep the house clean, neat and tidy, do laundry on a regular basis or even journal as much as I would like to. In my mind, of course, I feel like I can juggle EVERYTHING. I can and I do! It just doesn't always look pretty (or how I expect it to look).

Items have creeped back onto the counter. The counters are a bit covered in coffee stains and crumbs. The laundry room is full. That said, my bed has been made every day, clothes are at least in the area they should be, the bills are paid and the fridge is somewhat organized. Clothes and shoes are not scattered and dropped throughout the house, the treadmill is junk/clutter free and the couch and recliners are not covered in books and bags. The other night when we bought groceries  I did a quick clean-out and then put food away. I'd been needing to get to that and so while I was unpacking groceries I incorporated the clean-out right then. Adaptability is a very helpful trait.

A significant part of what allows me to be mobile and spontaneous is because I focused on streamlining my environment and remained consistent. Though my space isn't in perfect order, it is in the best shape it has ever been in during previous times of being on the go. Having a dedicated place for items to go in, spot cleaning when necessary (rather than put it off) keeping counters cleared off and not using the dishwasher, dryer, kitchen table as storage areas and prioritizing my to-do's has helped keep our space clear and functional. I don't feel scattered and overwhelmed, and even though I've been gone a lot, I'm not coming home to a disaster and having to start all over again. That was one of my main goals in the last clutter purge.

This week's weeding: yellow shirt.

I wear skirts year round. In the fall and winter (all the way to June in some years) I don leggings. In warmer temps I wear skirts and t-shirts. By the time Spring rolls around I am craving color and bright yellow is just the ticket. I've had this shirt for a few years and while it is wearing fairly well, it has shrunk (or perhaps I've gotten bigger?!) Typically I avoid 100% cotton because it tends to get smaller and even when I am air drying, some of the shirts end up in Pryce's room. I scored a new yellow shirt for $5 bucks at Target. So out with the old one (although it's still in great shape) and in with the new.


Creative Growth Step: Capsule Wardrobe.

Oh my goodness! This is an exciting and challenging step. I don't even know if I can do it but I am writing about it here to document the experience. I've always wanted to build a capsule wardrobe. I've spent some time looking at the style and colors of what I wear most {black/white, red, navy, sometimes yellow with some denim). Black, red, white are my go to colors which is funny because those were my high school's colors and I swore by the time I was a senior I would never wear those color combinations again. They have slowly but surely crept back into my wardrobe and well, I've long ago stopped saying NEVER because that's usually a direct invitation for that very thing to occur.

So..... with the theme of comfort and compatibility, I'll be building a capsule wardrobe and seeing what works and what doesn't. I may not follow a specified amount of items but I will definitely be downsizing again. The rest of this month is going to be busy so I'm setting the target for my clothing project in April.