Cleaning Out the Closet

Time for the seasonal clothing shift. I don't have room to have everything hanging out at the same time, so half of my wardrobe is in large storage boxes. Now with the weather turning decidedly cooler and even the threat of flurries by Thursday, it is time to do the official changing of the wardrobe. Shame that I don't have a ceremony like they do at Buckingham Palace.

Of course, opening the storage boxes felt a bit like Christmas- finding some things that were bought on super mark down at the end of the season but not worn, getting out the fluffy purple socks that will see me through those cold school mornings. Ah...Then, I started to look at the rest of it and noticed a few things. First, a lot of it looked the same- like some kind of uniform (and not of some trendy soccer mom, either)- worn out turtlenecks, bland colors, everything very practical. I have renamed those pieces "The Clothing of the Unworthy." Taffy, circa 1997-2005.

You see, life at Maison Taffy has not been all champagne and bonbons. As a defacto single parent, I have done it all, dealt with it all, solved it all, spell-checked it all and driven to it all. No one asked me to do it, I gladly did it and slowly but surely other things began to fall to the wayside. Unimportant in the overall scheme of life but to be honest, missed. Buying clothing for two growing kids came first and since I am tall there were few temptations to splurge along the way. In my mind, like most moms I know, their needs came first and I always felt a twinge of guilt ordering a new pair of jeans or cardigan.

Well, that was then as they say. This winter a new job (when I started work last year, I barely had 5 presentable outfits), a new pant size (oh, the skirt went on!!! Granted I couldn't breathe but it was on!), a new attitude. Those scuffed up 12 year old blue pumps? Gone. This gal works the reference desk in trendy 3 and a half inch heels. The 10 year old, black, ripped jacket? Farewell! Just got a new jacket from J. Jill.

It's not about having everything new, expensive and trendy. It is about showing off my personal style. Feeling that I can have a personal style. There's nothing wrong with it-and the fact that I bought everything with my paycheck, well, that's just the icing on the cake.

And my kids? They have actually said that they are proud of me. Well, put some sprinkles on that icing!!

Time to check out the sale pages....

Taffy