I have clothes in my closet from High School!

I really don't think of that as a bad thing.  It's nice to be able to fit into those jeans or dresses and find clothes that are now back in style!  When shopping I tend to buy things that will stand the test of time, classic and fun pieces, that if taken care of, can be worn for years.  Just this year, on my 28th Birthday, I wore a purple button-down shirt, that I wore for my Junior year of High School's School Picture!!  It was a perfect cover-up to complete the outfit I was wearing while enjoying Mimosa's by the pool with friends.

Drinking Mimosa's on my 28th Birthday!  I'll try to find my Junior Year School Picture from High School where I'm wearing my now infamous purple button-down :)

As I was doing some organizing yesterday, I had to climb up into my closet for my clear plastic bins where I have receipts, bills, casting notices, scripts, and cards from the past 6 years of being in LA.  It made me realize, I really need to do some organizing of these bins, considering I can barely close them.  Do I really need my grocery or gas receipts from December 2005?  Or oil change receipts from Sophia, my 2002 Solara, that I don't even drive anymore?  Probably not.  

It's imperative that I go through my closet, dressers, and room to just organize things that I no longer need, use, or should have.  Thankfully, my apartment is equipped with huge closets in both bedrooms.  I have 5 closet doors in my room alone, plus, a laundry closet/shelf thing.  I watch those shows on how to organize your closet, or get rid of things, or give them away, and somehow I'm just attached to everything I have.  I don't think of myself as a Pack Rat, I just want to keep all these things for their memory.  My Mom marvels at the fact I don't need to do laundry for a month, sometimes two because I have so many clothes...yes, that means I have over 70 pairs of underwear, and a huge bag from Victoria's Secret that I keep filling with more when I get new pairs.  Probably not even a good idea to get me started on shoes because under my bed, I know exactly where each pair is and what's exactly in the box, and the bottoms of my closets are lined with shoes and boxes of shoes, and more new ones that haven't even been worn.

So maybe I have a problem?  But I'm not spending obnoxious amounts on filling my closets.  I'm a thrifty shopper, who looks for a sale, or waits for it.  I don't need that hot pair of shoes until they're on sale.  That fun dress that's $100 at Macy's, well, I can find one just like it at one of my Boutique Stores for $20.  And yet, I have a closet full of purses of every shape, size, and color, and swimsuits in all colors of the rainbow, depending on my mood. Certain items needs back-ups and I'm just preparing myself for that day!

How do I fix this problem?  I certainly won't hire anyone, because they'll make me give away stuff that is too important to me, I need someone with an open mind, who appreciates the value of my 'stuff,' but won't have any connection to keep it, unless I tell that person about the memories.  So I'm instilling the help of my Mom.  The next time she comes to visit me, we're tackling Lyndsey's Closets.

So my creative outlet for the day, was the beginning of the organization process, admitting I have a problem, and coming up with a plan to fix it and make space.  It's going to be a challenge :)