My ideal bedroom would be clutter free, and ready for romance at a moments notice. My realistic bedroom lately has been a stash all for just about anything and everything that can't find a home elsewhere.
The true balance of my ideal and my realistic bedroom is going to have to be a mix of storage for a few essentials that can't go anywhere else, and a refuge for my husband and I furnished with a tea light candle holders spaced throughout. With us being a family of 5 living in a 2BR Mobile home, it's a difficult balance to maintain. And I haven't done a great job maintaining it the past few months being so busy homeschooling and all that goes along with having kids.
Today I decided enough was enough and started taking a bite out of what's taken over my bedroom. My starting point was my clothing wardrobe. This is what it looked like before.
As you can see it's a little atrocious. My wardrobe is loaded down with 2 saddles and horse tack, 2 sewing machines, too many clothes, purses and bags. Underneath I've got my makeup and nail box. To the side is my hot rollers. My wardrobe is so full I can't even close the door, so it remains open full time and looks like it just exploded.
It was time for me to strictly enforce the "If you don't love it or use it, get rid of it!!!" de cluttering rule.
First thing was to find a new home for the saddles and tack. These saddles were from when my sister and I had our own horse and pony, and I rescued them from the mud daubers in the old barn on the place we used to live in.
My oldest daughter LOVES horses, as did I when I was her age. I still really love horses and my life long dream is to have horses again. Our goal in the next year is to get Jordan involved in 4H Horse club, and hopefully a horse of her own.
The saddles are still in good condition so they can be used when we have access to a horse, and do have some sentiment. So I'm making an exception and keeping them, stored in a large storage tub in my closet.
After cleaning off the top, I wiped down the whole wardrobe with a damp cloth to dust, and then polished it with Old English Lemon oil.
Next was cleaning out the inside of the wardrobe.
My two sewing machines went up top so I can get to them easier, and use them more often. I got a clear plastic medium size tub and put inside the fabric for my current sewing project, my sewing notebook, and sewing machine manuals. On top of that I stacked the tackle box I use as my sewing notions box.
On to thinning out all the clothes. I had the "I have tons of clothes but can't find anything to wear" situation. I had bunches of clothes, but they were either outgrown, out dated, or not matched to an outfit. Lately my normal everyday outfit has been jean and a t shirt or work out capris and a t shirt, because "I have nothing to wear!"
In all, I purged 6 grocery sack of clothes from my wardrobe. Can you believe that many clothes even fit in there? My winter coat, 1 dress I swear I will wear next year, and my Christmas dress were hung in the main bedroom closet. Everything else was hung on hangers or put back in drawers.
With the bottom of my wardrobe cleared out, I was able to put my make up caboodle, manicure tools caboodle, and my hot rollers inside the wardrobe.
I thinned out my purses, and put the ones I am keeping in my suitcase which slid underneath the wardrobe.
Yay! I can now fit my clothes inside the wardrobe, and close the door! It looks great all polished and the mirror cleaned. Plus the lemon oil makes the room smell good.
One thing I love about this antique wardrobe is the bar my clothes hang on pulls out so I can better see what I have to wear. I have hung all my clothes with the hangers facing one way, and will hang them back up hanging the other direction after I wear them. After a time, the ones still facing this way will either be culled and sent to the thrift store or stored for next season.
I didn't get a before picture of my cubby, but it wasn't pretty. Now I have a nice clutter free nook for my jewelry box, lotion, linen spray, and a small tea light candle.
I have much more to do, but so glad I got this done today. It's just a little bit of improvement and progress, but enough keep me motivated for tomorrow!
Blessings
