Back to School

Heya Nesters! As you may or may not know, Matt is a teacher, so the eight short weeks of Summer-fun-in-the-sun are a little extra sweet for us.  We try to take advantage of every weekend at the beach or outside in quaint little town moseying from store to store.  We dread seeing the nice weather whiz by, only to have another fall beating down our door. But one thing I love about fall- its the best season for clothes! I love to pull out the light jackets and sweaters I forgot I had and give them life again.

A great way to get into the swing of the season change is to first go through those summer clothes you have out in the closet already. 

Make 4 piles and be brutal!  1) Donate, 2) Consign, 3) Chuck and  4) Keep.

Maybe you used to adore your madras skirt and wear it every day but you just never saw the right time to wear it this year...?  Perhaps that's a signal its just not your style anymore.  And if you wore it every day, chances are its not in good enough shape to consign, so maybe it's worth donating? 

Donating: Planet Aid is a not for profit company that accepts clothing and shoe donations for impoverish communities from all over the globe.  You can donate in receptacles like this all over the country.  You may be familiar with seeing them in the parking lot your local grocery store.  But be tough on yourself!  Just think about the clothes you always wear and the ones you don't with every article you go through. Try to forget all that sentimental hooey that can be attached to certain things, "Oh but that was the shirt I wore on our first date!"  Maybe it can be the shirt some other lucky lady wears on her first date with her future beau. I know I'm #1 guilty party for this.

If you are a lovely wifey to a lovely hubby already and your gown is taking up too much room, don't forget that there are wonderful foundations for brides and prom-goers in need. Making Memories is a foundation that provides breast cancer stricken couples with gowns to allow them the weddings they always dreamed of, but due to medical expenses cannot afford. This is an indescribably important donation to make if you are willing to let your "something white" go.  

The Princess Project is a California-based, non-profit organization that that provide underprivileged prom-goers with a gown they may not otherwise have been able to buy. So throw your iridescent taffeta bridesmaids gowns and old prom dresses their way and help out a girl to make her prom night (and pictures) as special as yours were.

Consigning: So, after you've decided what you were going to donate, think about whats still in almost new condition and find a local consignment shop.  Remember, consignment shops are very particular about accepting clothes. Most shops require that garments must be newly washed or dry-cleaned, appropriate for the current season, and have no stains, pulls or tears in them.  They also often take retro furniture that is in good condition as well.  You know there is that one impulse buy from 3 years ago that's sitting in your closet with the tags still on it. Why not get some of that dough back?  Often times the store will either give you a store credit for the price the item will sell for, or they will give you cash {or a check}  for a percentage of the price of the item.

Chuck: All those yucky clothes that have hair dye on them, moth holes in them, or a giant tear in the heiny but your keeping around to use as your "painting clothes"... this might the be time to weed through them and get rid of most of them. Really you only need one pair of painting clothes unless it is your daily profession. You wont be painting all that often and if you do, that is the magic of a washer and dryer. So get rid of some of that junk that's taking up space and put it in the circular file for the Garbage Man.

Keep:  Just try to keep all those clothes you love and wear regularly, that are classic cuts and fit you well and are good investment pieces. {As Stacy and Clinton would say!} With clothes it really is about quality over quantity.  Plus, who wants a closet that is messy and cluttered and you can't find anything? Not I!

Stay tuned tomorrow for how to package things up snug for the winter!