As you know, I spent the month of March applying order to our home. It felt so good to go through each and every room, to hold each item, to determine if it has a place in our home. If so, where? And how would it be stored/displayed? If it didn’t have a place in our home, we put it in the yard sale boxes, or donate bags, or toss piles. Life happened, and I didn’t get to share as much of our process with you, but it did happen!

I went through our closets, attic, cellar, kitchen, the pantry, everything. I even went through most of our garage, which has been a certified disaster since, well, we moved into our home a little over 4 years ago. It’s my storage space for all.the.props, it’s our garden shed, Joe’s workroom, and faithful storage facility for all the random furniture and things we don’t know what to do with but don’t want to get rid of. We are ready for a massive yard sale, just as soon as the weather cooperates. If you live locally, standby for the announcement!

I’ve been intending to write a post on purging and organizing your home, room by room, so hopefully that will come soon! It’s been such a blessing to implement a few “best practices” in our home, and I hope it’d be an encouragement to you, too! Soon, I promise!

My wardrobe was also the target of the ORDER that came to our home this month, and I’ve paired it down to just the essentials. Just the items I wear regularly. No more holding onto the 5-year-old red dress because I might need it. No more holding onto business casual attire. I just don’t wear it or wear it frequently enough for it to merit a place in my wardrobe. No more holding on to sentimental t-shirts from college. No more holding onto the lovely linen dress that’s 2 sizes too big and I just don’t wear. Everything in my closet I wear regularly, fits me currently (with ONE small tote in the attic with a few of my absolute favorite [and pricier] maternity pieces and a few pairs of jeans I’m hoping will fit me after I lose my baby weight), and about 90% of it can be mixed and matched. Minimal versatility was the goal.

I want the pieces I DO have to be a reflection of me, of who I am today. A mom. A business owner. Someone who is home/running errands/working in coffee shops 95% of the time. Someone who prioritizes comfort. Someone who needs to be able to nurse, play on the floor, make dinner, shoot a recipe, “model” for a shoot, all at a moment’s notice, with no (or very little) time to change in between.

As you know, all 5 of us live in a small – 1150 square feet – early 1920s farmhouse. It’s charming and cozy and I love it. But old farmhouse also means that we have super limited closet space. And our closets are just a normal, average small closets. Joe and I share our closet, too, which means less room and more reason to have a minimal wardrobe.

So today I’m sharing photos of just-your-average, yet newly-purged closet. A closet that bring me very much joy. A closet that makes getting dressed a simple, lovely task. Zoe walked into our room a few weeks ago and saw my closet and was thoroughly impressed with the new, clutter-free look. Mission accomplished.

Today I’m ALSO sharing photos of the ten pieces from my wardrobe that I chose to include on my first ever 10×10 style challenge. An old online friend – Lee Vosburgh – has organized this seasonally for several years, and I’ve always watch from afar (but never remembered to mark my calendar to participate)! I’m sooo glad I caught the announcement this time around (thank you, instagram algorithm, haha), and to be participating!

Here are the details for my 10 pieces:

1. Elizabeth Suzann Cecelia Pant in stretch cotton
2. Vintage blouse in ivory silk
3. Shop Kaleidos Vintage dress in silk-cotton
4. Urban Outfitters button up in white cotton (past season)
5. Everlane Wide Leg Crop Pant in ochre
6. Everlane High Waisted Skinny Jeans in mid blue
7. Elizabeth Suzann Clyde Vest in flax midweight linen
8. Everlane Square Tee in black
9. Madewell mules (past season, similar)
10. Madewell Brenner Boots (on sale!)

I am excited for many reasons. I want to look at my wardrobe more creatively and learn how to mix and match. Beyond the 10 items (which includes shoes), you’re allowed accessories. I’m looking forward to experimenting with minimal accessories to make my looks more distinct from each other, which will be a challenge. I never/rarely accessorize, but I love the look, and have been trying to incorporate them into my personal style. They definitely help contribute to a more polished, adult-like appearance. And I guess that’s what we’re going for, since I’m a 30-something mom of three. About time at accept my adulthood. Something Joe’s been accusing me of denying for years now. 😉

I hope you are inspired to bring some ORDER to your home. Not only during this season of SPRING where we all have the urge to do so, but all year long. Your life will be filled with more joy, I promise!

SaveSave

SaveSave