Working on my Closet - AGAIN, Still, Forever.

I don't have a real closet. I have a free-standing wardrobe thing. I don't have use of the 6 drawers you see here either. I've blogged about it before - It's a Stolmen Wardrobe System from Ikea.

We had a bomb-ass profesh. organizer come over and as part of our marriage agreement Matt gets those drawers and the "real" closet which is actually just the size of a little mouse's wedge of cheese.

My "closet" is out of control. O-O-C. Digging around in it became impossible. Putting things back in - IMPOSSIBLE. So tight, over-stuffed, disorganized. Hell.

It's all CLEARLY BECAUSE I OWN SO MANY COATS. HUGE FAUX FURS AND MORE - CAPES TOO!

There are Three Capes right here:

To Recover from Wardrobe Organization Hell I:
Photographed and listed some thrift/vintage items on Etsy.
Brought out my rolling rack and put things on there and changed the homes of some things.
Picked out at least a dozen items to take to Housing Works (thrift shop.)
Pre-Assembled some outfits for work this week so I don't have to go berzerk in the morning and hate my life.

This is me with no makeup working out some things I'd like to wear, but not sure what the whole outfit should be. You can see how tiny our apartment is. I think this place is 20' wide. If.


I worked for a long, long time today hashing out this mess. I was having a mental block on styling outfits to wear to work, but I think I made a couple.

It would be easier to get dressed if it wasn't so freaking cold outside. 

I made it so only work clothes and fancy party dresses are hanging. All my leisure clothes including night gowns and "house coats" are in a bin. And of course 2 dozen jackets/coats are hanging but the capes are now folded and on one of the high shelves because they're worn so intermittently.

Saturday evening I did some nice makeup and pretended like my hair doesn't even exist and took pictures of stuff to sell on Etsy and I looked skinny! I've been watching what I eat. And I blog gang-style at Fat-Hell-Ninjas.






This is the first time in a long time I've taken the time to fill in my brows.

I'm usually not lazy but it's super hard to be all-around on top of every single thing.

Saturday Business

I'm kind of sick and delicate today. I'm kind-of high on allergy medicine. I only had the strength to do some fall-cleaning that's not in the Martha Stewart Homekeeping Handbook (my bible.)

1. I threw away all the plants we killed this summer. It's a cute idea to grow stuff on our terrace, but it's not so cute to forget those plants exist and let them dry-up and turn to dust in the sun.

2. I cleaned my make-up brushes! This should really be every Saturday Business but this is the first time in weeks. They will perform better and feel better and stop contaminating my skin with dirty old funk.


I have several MAC brand brushes, but I also have bunches of the $1 variety that have worked out great and lasted for years. You never know with make-up brushes. I'm hardest on my concealer brush & angled blush brush.

I rolled a towel at each end so they wouldn't lay flat and the ends wouldn't get bent while they dried.


3. I organized my jewelry & accessories a little bit. The overall situation isn't great. They really should all be in ONE PLACE together but they're not. But they're in the same area of my dressing area.

That gold watch came from my father's company on a milestone anniversary of him working there and I got it right after my mom died so it's almost 10 years old. It needs a new battery but I'm ready to wear it this fall & winter. It's skinny Gold Watch time. I also have a gold watch ring there and I hope a new battery can save it. It's really cute!

My chunky bracelets are in these containers from The Container Store.


This antique toolbox isn't the best thing for this storage...


-Or I need to outfit the whole thing with acrylic trays like these.


I put all my pearl things in this Strawberry Shortcake food container for their own protection.


This is what my wardrobe looks like right now. It's time for us to do a fall-switch-out at our Mini-Storage unit.


Sorry to be repetitive... But if you don't already know - we live in a 375sf tenement apartment and I don't have a closet. My husband gets the (awful, skinny) closet and the drawers you see on the bottom here. My things that would typically be found in drawers are in the baskets & boxes you see on this wardrobe system.

I'm still so glad Laura Cattano, the professional organizer who came over and assessed the place acted like I didn't have that much clothes. Bless you, Laura!

Ikea Stolmen Invasion - PROGRESS ONLY

BEFORE, BEFORE, BEFORE...

This open shelving thing is called the Ikea Stolmen Wardrobe System. We are moving it and expanding it so I don't have to get dressed on the bed anymore. :)


Matt took it apart...


...And upset Bonnie who lived under it and the bed:


Then all my SHIT was EVERYWHERE... And all these gold shoes are completely necessary.



Then Matt/My Huzz/Mr. JPH starts BUILDING IT over here where the black dresser was - Bigger & Better...


Then all my stuff is Shoved into it...


Then I fixed-it a little more. I need to work on what stuff is in which container/basket/box...


And I need to order another box of Hangers. That's going to help, and I'm going to get all my jeans hanging nicely. I can't even talk about those cords in the floor. Nope, that cord situation is too emotionally raw a subject for me to discuss on a week-night. That's Sunday Business.

There's a good chunk of sequined party dresses that really need to take themselves to mini-storage, as I no longer need a stock-pile of sequined party dresses.

My new, peaceful life only requires sequins in moderation. I like that.