I don’t need to buy - nail polish

When I first discovered nail polish at age 10, I went nuts and bought all the colors and glitter I could find. As I got older I used them less but every couple of years I would binge on buying nail polish. Last year I got rid of a lot of my polishes and am left with only 15. I’m still trying to purge and get down to 5 - I’ve identified 5 colors to keep on hand that will work throughout the year and with my wardrobe: nude, navy, gray, red, and a light pink. 

My base colors

When I used to shop, I would never think about what I had in my closet so even if the item was awesome, it might not have worked with anything I owned. 

Now, in order to simplify my wardrobe and make it easier to coordinate outfits, I’ve narrowed it down to some ‘base’ colors that look good on me and that I use as a backdrop. 

The base colors I chose were:

• White/Ivory
• Gray
• Navy
• Purple
• Black
• Red

That said, I also think about whether an item is a top or bottom because some colors work better as a top or bottom, or as an accent item. 

It’s not to say that I don’t inject other colors in my wardrobe but I research outfit ideas to make sure I can make a few outfits with them.

A few of my favourite things - Project Art by NEST fragrances: Mint Leaves & Lime

Not wardrobe related but I love candles (and it’s something I’m trying to use up and not hoard) and I’ve found that it’s rare to find a candle thatactually smells while it’s burning. Most candles I’ve found only smell when it’s burning and I’m standing right next to it, or smells after it’s been blown out. This one by NEST smells lovely and fresh, and actually carries throughout and entire room without being overwhelming and heavy.

Less is more - I sold one of my bags

Today I sold one of my bags - a Coach Madison “Lindsay” satchel in fuchsia. It is a top handle satchel with a hidden outer zip-pocket and removable strap; the body is about the size of an 8.5” x 11” piece of paper.

It’s a beautiful bag but it did not work for me - as I hone in on what bag styles I’m drawn to and use the most, I found that top handle satchels with a somewhat structured body is what works best for me (it has to somewhat hold its shape on its own when I put it down).

This bag has a slouch of its own and puddles the second I put it down unless I carrying something that can hold itself up, in which case, the bag has to lean against something, lie flat, or hang off of something. Too fussy.

For a bag with this much slouch factor, I prefer something with a body that is half the size of the “Lindsay” (such as Coach’s discontinued “Sophia”, which is the “Lindsay” but with a shorter body).

It was hard to let such a pretty bag go but once I realized it wasn’t working (and why), I knew it was time to find it a new home where it can be used, loved, and truly shine.

The second successful purge - summer and winter only items

My second successful purge came about when I decided to tackle smaller areas of my wardrobe such as my summer and winter only items.

From my summer items, I was able to purge:

• bathing suits that no longer fit me
• shorts that no longer fit me
• hats that I somehow accumulated along the way from fundraising events,  giveaways, and the like, including the only hat I ever actually purchased because it ended up getting misshapen from getting wet too many times at the beach
• visors (hey, they were ‘in’ at one point - you’ll be happy to know I now have none)
• a bunch of old bags and backpacks that I use strictly for the beach, picnics, and other summer adventures

From my winter accessories, I was able to purge

• scarves - I had so many scarves and I only recall buying 5 of them!
• gloves/mittens - I only kept my Olympics 2010 mittens and a pair of hand-made mittens I bought in Nova Scotia that were made from old sweaters
• old thermals that didn’t fit me any more or that were itchy
• toques and hats - I’m now left with 2 toques and 2 ‘bucket’ hats for the less chilly days.

The items that remain in my closet are those that look good on me, and in good condition. When each item is used to its last days, I will reassess whether they need to be replaced or not - since I have multiples of some of these items, it is likely that I won’t be replacing them until I hit zero, and for some items, ideally I’d like to own just one.