My last instagram sale was semi-successful so on Thursday I took my earnings to Nordstrom Rack for two blissful hours of shopping by myself (note: I classify anything as blissful when I am by myself). To be honest, I don’t really enjoy shopping. I never know what size I am or what looks good on me so I end up taking 80 items into the dressing room, which annoys the attendant because they basically have to stalk my stall to make sure I don’t bring in more than 15 items at a time.
I GET IT, OKAY NORDSTROM RACK LADY? I GET IT. DO I LOOK LIKE A SHOPLIFTER TO YOU? (And then I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror with frizzy hair and desperate eyes and my diaper bag sized purse and I think to myself, yes. This is probably what a shoplifter looks like. Carry on, judgmental attendant, carry on.)
I went shopping during nap time, which is one of the many, many benefits of Brett working from home one day a week. Granted, I never know how long nap time will last and not wanting to leave Brett home alone with a screaming toddler during “work hours”, I basically put a self-inflicted time limit on my shopping trip. I ran around the store as quickly as possible, grabbing things off tables and clearance racks hoping anything would fit. Two hours and 72 outfit changes later, I had six winners: a new pair of jeans, a new pair of leggings, a cute top, and three sweaters.
I came home and did a fashion show for Brett and Everett to make sure they approved of everything (they did!) and then I opened my closet and remembered the cardinal rule of any aspiring minimalist—what comes in must go out. I purchased six new items, which meant six old items needed to go.
At first I thought finding six items to get rid of would be difficult since I just cleared out over 30 items a few weeks ago, but, as usual, once I started I couldn’t stop. I took everything out of my closet and dresser, stripped down, and tried on every shirt and sweater and dress hanging in the closet. I removed everything that was a little too big or a little too small or a little too long or a little too short. I removed everything that fit perfectly but is never worn for whatever reason (most likely because chasing a toddler is a new season of life that requires a different dress code than previous, more glamorous years).
I ended up with not six, but nineteen lovely, wearable items to sell. My closet looks slightly bare, but more cohesive; simple, but complete. As usual, my loss is someone else’s gain. If you happen to have any holes in your current wardrobe, you can shop my closet now-Sunday at 9pm PST. Sizes are mostly XS-S and with the exception of one expensive Anthropologie dress, everything is $15 and under.
Happy purging, happy shopping, happy weekend!
p.s. Looking for a way to sell your clothes after cleaning out your closet? If an instagram sale sounds like too much work (and truthfully, it is a LOT of work), check out Poshmark or Thredup for more convenient options. That’s where all my leftovers go.
p.s.s. I finally signed up for Stitch Fix, the shopping alternative for people who hate shopping and would rather let a stylist dress them. Review coming soon!
