Next week we will begin our training; so for now, I will just post what all we will be doing/needing/purchasing next. We have put the bunk beds together, so all beds are in the room. What next?
The biggest thing that still needs to be done is putting in a closet system of sorts. The closet in that bedroom covers all of one wall, with access on each end. In the middle section I want big shelves. One side of the closet will house the dresser/changing table. I still want a shelf up top and maybe one bar for hanging clothes. On the other side I want three bars for hanging clothes and a shelf up top. So we will need to purchase the materials and put that in. And by "we" I mean Jake and possibly our dads :)
Beyond that, we just have some purchases to make. Big things like a high chair and car seats for all ages. A few more cloth diapers. Cloth diaper accessories, like a pail and liner and something to hold the wipes that I will likely make. Plates and cups and utensils for kids and babies. Maybe a rug and wall decal for their room, since there is nothing kid-like about the decor. I'm not big on characters, but it don't want it to look completely adult. Clothes in various sizes. Toys...but I hesitate to say that. Of course I want toys, but I am so not into the plastic noise makers. I like wooden and old-fashioned.
And I think that's it! This is all I know to update you on for now, but as of next Wednesday we will be progressing even further in the process as far as the system goes. We can't wait!
Monday, May 19, 2014
Thursday, May 15, 2014
where we are
Sorry for not posting lately, but Jake Henry and I took a little trip. It was weird and fun and scary realizing that it was likely our last (and only, not counting our honeymoon) trip by ourselves! We went to D.C. and it was amazing; neither of us had been since elementary school (to Jake that was up through 8th grade--weird!), so it was great to go as an adult who actually cares. Anyway. The point of this post is to let you know where we are in this whole fostering process.
We originally planned to foster through our county, but were introduced to a private agency, and we decided to go through them instead. We have sent in our application and it has been approved. We have a meeting set up at the end of this month to begin our training. That will take about 6 weeks. We will also be training to foster special needs children, so that may take a little longer. At some point we will also need a fire inspection and home study. I'm planning/hoping all of that can be done by mid-July, so the agency can send everything they need to in to Raleigh. And then we will get licensed! We had initially hoped to have a placement by Christmas, and now we know that is a definite possibility...although I think it would be kind of cool to have one by Jake Henry's birthday at the end of August. He always said he wanted to be a dad by the time he was 30. I feel like that's a stretch, but it would be cool :)
Because we will be busy once we begin training, we are trying to get the kids' room set up by the end of this month. We have a crib and it is assembled. We bought bunk beds and we're painting them. We have bedding. We need to put in a closet system. And we need clothes. I am trying to have three outfits per age, per gender, per season. So 3 summer outfits for a girl size 4T. Etc. We will get a clothing allowance for the kids, but we don't want to be totally unprepared. I hate the thought of a child being ripped from his home, dropped off with strangers, and rushing out to buy all new clothes. I want to be able to tell a child - with words and actions - "we've been waiting for you!" regardless of the child's age or gender or time of year. Three outfits should allow us at least 24-48 hours to just get to know the child, and let them become somewhat comfortable we us and our home, before we go buy them a wardrobe.
So that's where we are. Prepping like crazy to have a room and closet furnished for any child aged 0-6, any gender, by the end of the month. Whew :)
We originally planned to foster through our county, but were introduced to a private agency, and we decided to go through them instead. We have sent in our application and it has been approved. We have a meeting set up at the end of this month to begin our training. That will take about 6 weeks. We will also be training to foster special needs children, so that may take a little longer. At some point we will also need a fire inspection and home study. I'm planning/hoping all of that can be done by mid-July, so the agency can send everything they need to in to Raleigh. And then we will get licensed! We had initially hoped to have a placement by Christmas, and now we know that is a definite possibility...although I think it would be kind of cool to have one by Jake Henry's birthday at the end of August. He always said he wanted to be a dad by the time he was 30. I feel like that's a stretch, but it would be cool :)
Because we will be busy once we begin training, we are trying to get the kids' room set up by the end of this month. We have a crib and it is assembled. We bought bunk beds and we're painting them. We have bedding. We need to put in a closet system. And we need clothes. I am trying to have three outfits per age, per gender, per season. So 3 summer outfits for a girl size 4T. Etc. We will get a clothing allowance for the kids, but we don't want to be totally unprepared. I hate the thought of a child being ripped from his home, dropped off with strangers, and rushing out to buy all new clothes. I want to be able to tell a child - with words and actions - "we've been waiting for you!" regardless of the child's age or gender or time of year. Three outfits should allow us at least 24-48 hours to just get to know the child, and let them become somewhat comfortable we us and our home, before we go buy them a wardrobe.
So that's where we are. Prepping like crazy to have a room and closet furnished for any child aged 0-6, any gender, by the end of the month. Whew :)
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
so what are we getting ourselves in to?
We have learned a lot about this process just in the past few weeks. The purpose of foster care is to reunite birth families. So all along the way, that will be our goal. If/when any of the children become available for adoption, that will tickle our socks off. But in the meantime, we are going to simply wake up every day and choose to love and care for our children as best we can for as long as they are with us (and really, isn't that what every parent does? No one is promised tomorrow, and parenting - in the home anyway - only lasts for about 18 years or so. The whole point of parenthood is to love them and teach them how to operate in this world).
We're requesting children ages 0-6. I'm 26, and we thought 20 years was a good amount of age difference. We are also requesting sibling groups. If we get a call for a 4- and 7-year-old brother and sister, we won't turn them down. We just didn't want calls for 17-year-olds when I'm closer to their age than to their parents'. As we get older, we'll raise our age limit.
We have elected to take additional training to become licensed for therapeutic foster care in addition to family (regular) foster care. This means we could get calls for special needs children. Having worked with special needs adults for the past 6 months, I don't know nearly enough about it, but I know enough to be absolutely in love with this population. And Jake is willing to learn :) Therapeutic could also mean behaviorally challenged kids, which is of course scary, but anyone who knows Jake could tell that he was made for this kind of parenting! He's big and scary looking but really he's a teddy bear. He doesn't yell; he just says something a certain way and you know he means it. Really, he doesn't hardly talk, so when he says anything you know he means it.
I have always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. But I have student loans. Those are my responsibility, not Jake's. So until those are paid off, I need to have an income. BUT. If we get pre-school aged children, or special needs children, or 3 or more at a time, I will come home. I will keep my night class, but other than that, I will come home. Things will be tight. But that's where our faith and creativity come in :)
We will be putting a bunk bed (preferably with a trundle) and a crib in our 2nd bedroom. So yes, we could potentially have 4 children in one bedroom. Is that cruel? Heck no. Ever been to Europe, or a big city, or the U.S. 30 years ago? It happens. And it's ok. We have a sunroom that will become a playroom, so all they will be doing is sleeping in the bedroom. As the children we take in get older, we'll split up the genders and use the sunroom as a bedroom (the previous owner did this). Or we'll finish the basement. Or something. But as long as we have little kids, there's no reason they can't share a bedroom. And we may only have one at a time anyway.
So there are some random details about what we're getting in to. More to come...
We're requesting children ages 0-6. I'm 26, and we thought 20 years was a good amount of age difference. We are also requesting sibling groups. If we get a call for a 4- and 7-year-old brother and sister, we won't turn them down. We just didn't want calls for 17-year-olds when I'm closer to their age than to their parents'. As we get older, we'll raise our age limit.
We have elected to take additional training to become licensed for therapeutic foster care in addition to family (regular) foster care. This means we could get calls for special needs children. Having worked with special needs adults for the past 6 months, I don't know nearly enough about it, but I know enough to be absolutely in love with this population. And Jake is willing to learn :) Therapeutic could also mean behaviorally challenged kids, which is of course scary, but anyone who knows Jake could tell that he was made for this kind of parenting! He's big and scary looking but really he's a teddy bear. He doesn't yell; he just says something a certain way and you know he means it. Really, he doesn't hardly talk, so when he says anything you know he means it.
I have always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. But I have student loans. Those are my responsibility, not Jake's. So until those are paid off, I need to have an income. BUT. If we get pre-school aged children, or special needs children, or 3 or more at a time, I will come home. I will keep my night class, but other than that, I will come home. Things will be tight. But that's where our faith and creativity come in :)
We will be putting a bunk bed (preferably with a trundle) and a crib in our 2nd bedroom. So yes, we could potentially have 4 children in one bedroom. Is that cruel? Heck no. Ever been to Europe, or a big city, or the U.S. 30 years ago? It happens. And it's ok. We have a sunroom that will become a playroom, so all they will be doing is sleeping in the bedroom. As the children we take in get older, we'll split up the genders and use the sunroom as a bedroom (the previous owner did this). Or we'll finish the basement. Or something. But as long as we have little kids, there's no reason they can't share a bedroom. And we may only have one at a time anyway.
So there are some random details about what we're getting in to. More to come...
Monday, May 5, 2014
"paper pregnant"
It's no secret that we have wanted to be pregnant for a while. We may still get pregnant, or we may never. I have longed to feel the first pangs of morning sickness, to have swollen ankles and not be able to sleep comfortably, and of course the "glow" and attention and all of that (if you have never dealt with infertility, I really do not care to hear the first word about how I do NOT want those things. I don't care who you are. :)). But it is uncanny how similarly I feel to a woman who is physically expecting! I am scatterbrained, all I do at home is rearrange, and I am excited and nervous all at the same time. In five minutes I can go from picking out bedroom colors to wondering if I'm making the biggest mistake of my life. I want to get a placement tomorrow, but then I want tons more time to prepare my home. And obviously, we are in a waiting and preparation stage, just like any couple who is expecting.
Our budget will change; our lifestyle will change. Do I come home or keep working? And of course one thing that is very difficult for me is the breastmilk vs. formula issue. Had I had a biological baby, we would have been working our butts off to make breastfeeding work. Formula was my last option, even after a breastmilk bank. But with the possibility of a foster baby, it's all different. This is honestly such a difficult reality for me to be ok with! But you know what? If formula is the only option for feeding my baby, so be it. The baby will be getting fed. And that's just one of many decisions that pregnant women encounter that I have also struggled with.
So, we are paper pregnant. And we couldn't be happier. And we are so thrilled that our friends and family are supporting us in this. We can't wait until our baby/babies/toddler(s)/kid(s) get(s) here!
Friday, May 2, 2014
why foster?
Because God called us to. I could end this post here -- but I know there are people reading this who won't believe that. So I'll explain a little further.
We had talked about this possibility as being way in the future, and every time we mentioned it, we were only met with "that would be so hard, are you sure you can do it?" Now that we've decided to move forward sooner rather than later, the only response we've gotten is, "that's so exciting! You guys will be great at that!" Those responses are confirmation for us. There's a song on Christian radio and the guy is talking about all that's bad in the world. He says, "God, why don't You do something?" and God responds, "I did. I created you." While this song didn't play into our decision at all, I think it's perfect for this situation (and many others, obviously). If every person thought that fostering would be too hard, where would those kids end up? Jake and I have a home that is small by our culture's standards but huge compared to most of the rest of the world's. We have a strong, loving marriage. Our hearts want children. We have room and love enough to share. These kids need a safe home and loving family. That equation simply adds up. As Christians there are two specific groups of people we are called to care for in addition to the general "least of these" (any less fortunate): widows and orphans. Though foster children aren't technically orphans, they are, at this point in their lives, without parents. It just makes sense to us that this is something we could be called to do simply because we are Christians, but Jake and I definitely are called to do it because we are available. And God placed it on our hearts. And that right there is as much explanation as I can give.
Will we want to adopt them? Of course. Will we? If that becomes an option. What if it doesn't? We will provide for them a loving home for however long they are with us, and we will encourage their birth families along their journey toward rehabilitation. Does this mean we've "given up" on having "our own" babies? Absolutely not. Fostering and birthing are not mutually exclusive commitments. For all we know, we may never have biological children, or we may get three foster kids in our home and I get pregnant and all three of the others become available for adoption. And what then? Well, we'll have four kids! If God called us to do this (and He did), He will provide -- financially, physically, and emotionally.
That's about all I can think of to tell you. We would LOVE to hear and answer any questions you may have. So fire away :)
Thursday, May 1, 2014
our grand new adventure
It's been suggested that I blog about our upcoming fostering and possibly adoption experiences. I thought I would begin a new blog that would focus solely on those subjects. But then I thought - why? It won't be a separate part of our life; it will be our whole life. And it will definitely affect our budget, my homemaking, my job, and expand our green-ness. So I think it will fit in perfectly fine right here.
For now, I will keep you updated with our progress toward licensure; later, of course, I will discuss the ins and outs of the system (as much as possible), our first-time parent mistakes and funnies, and much more. I'll try to keep it short and sweet.
A quick note before I go about one thing I mentioned above: I'm not quitting my job right now. But that might be necessary in the future. I'll go into that a little more in a later post. So, welcome aboard as we document this exciting new time in our lives!
For now, I will keep you updated with our progress toward licensure; later, of course, I will discuss the ins and outs of the system (as much as possible), our first-time parent mistakes and funnies, and much more. I'll try to keep it short and sweet.
A quick note before I go about one thing I mentioned above: I'm not quitting my job right now. But that might be necessary in the future. I'll go into that a little more in a later post. So, welcome aboard as we document this exciting new time in our lives!
Saturday, April 5, 2014
spring wardrobe
I recently read a book that has changed my life. I know it's not the Bible, Mom! But it's so good. Lessons From Madame Chic was written by Jennifer of The Daily Connoisseur, who studied abroad in Paris and learned so much about how the French live: elegantly and seemingly effortlessly.
One of the 20 lessons she learned was that of the capsule wardrobe. She employs a ten-item wardrobe but stresses that the number is not as important as the idea. Living in California, Jennifer has a
spring/summer wardrobe and a different fall/winter wardrobe. North Carolina really has four distinct seasons, so I've chosen to have four different wardrobes. Of course each season I'll incorporate pieces from the previous season. In addition to the ten (or whatever number) core items, there should be "extras", such as layering pieces (tees, cardigans, etc.), shoes, accessories, occasionwear (like cocktail dresses for women or suits for guys), and outerwear. I've mostly completed my spring wardrobe (am still awaiting the arrival of a few pieces I've ordered), so I thought I'd share with you today so you may get started on yours if you're interested! Another thing to note is that by owning fewer pieces of clothing, you cut down on mindless shopping and multiple Target-clearance-rack trips every month, which in turn means that you will be able to afford more expensive and longer lasting clothing. In the future, as I replace needed items, I will definitely be looking for quality. For now, I do pretty much love all of my pieces, though not all are what I would choose were I starting from scratch. My budget thanks me for using up what I have before throwing it all out and beginning again. Side note: ThredUp is a great resource for new-to-you wardrobe items. They even have tons of pieces that are new with tags (my personal preference). So here's my wardrobe...
The above is a very rough picture of my closet (that I obviously share with my husband. And I do keep my winter coats in here, but only because there is no other place to store them and they are in an out-of-the-way spot for now). I'll begin with my core items:
1. White/khaki short-sleeve, knee-length Shabby Apple dress (from last year - these dresses are great quality!)
2. (Not pictured because it's in the wash) Red short-sleeve dress with horizontal piping and slightly full skirt from Anthropologie (from last year)
3. Coral/gold-ish sleeveless Vince Camuto dress (Dillard's) (from two years ago)
4. Yellow ruffle-front, short-sleeve Shabby Apple dress (from last year)
5. Green/white sleeveless Lilly Pulitzer dress (from 3 years ago)
6. Chambray/white polka dot sleeveless Keds dress (a gift)
7. Navy/white stripe lightweight, loose-fit Gap turtleneck (super duper clearance find this year)
8. (Not pictured because I'm wearing it) mint/white stripe lightweight Gap sweater (from same clearance rack as previous)
9. (Not pictured because it's awaiting ironing) grayish-purplish silky feeling long-sleeve blouse from TJMaxx
10. (Not pictured - awaiting arrival from ThredUp) navy/aqua stripe long sleeve J. Crew tee
11. Black lightweight Talbots midi-skirt (a great consignment find from last year)
*I so love the length and weight of this skirt, but it flies up in the wind. Like, really badly. So I will be keeping an eye out for a slightly heavier version to replace it
12. Coral maxi skirt from Charlotte Russe (got it the other week, a friend wanted me to wear it to her wedding so I took the tags off, but really brighter than my usual style. Soo comfy though, so it stays for now)
13. Turquoise/white polka dot Talbots midi skirt (another consignment find last year - for those in the area, you have got to go to Etc. in Winston-Salem. They have really nice clothes!)
14. (Not pictured because I'm wearing them) mid-rise darker wash straight-leg (not skinny) Levi's (a little over a year ago)
15. (Not pictured because they're drying) coral skinny Gap ankle jeans (about a year and a half ago)
I am waiting to receive a neutral colored silk J. Crew dress from ThredUp, but I'm not sure whether to add that to my spring or summer wardrobe. I will wait until I see the weight before I decide. If I do add it to spring, though, I will put one of the sleeveless dresses back for summer. As you can see, mine is not a ten-item but a fifteen-item wardrobe. The aforementioned Jennifer does say to be flexible, but I prefer to have a number. Helps keep me in line :) also, if you look at the order in which I listed my items, you will notice I organize my clothing first by type, then in rainbow order (beginning with neutrals, then roygbiv). I have found this to be the easiest way to quickly locate any item, and also keep everything neat. Now I will talk about my "extras" (some are located in my closet, and others are in a drawer). This is the area I have the most trouble paring down. March was very cold still, but by summer it will be very hot.
1. Cardigans: pale pink, and peach/navy/white. While I do like the second one, it breaks the cardinal capsule wardrobe sin by not coordinating with everything. So this may be moved to fall (perhaps it would work better then?)
2. Light jackets: black, brown leather, and khaki (have not worn the khaki one very often at all, and it was a Goodwill purchase, so I may pass it on to a friend)
3. (Not pictured because they are on a coat rack by the front door) trench coats: lighter weight 3/4 sleeve, slightly heavier long sleeve. They are so classic and I really enjoy having both of these. Still, I feel I have way too many cardigans and jackets. We'll see what happens.
4. Tanks: black, and khaki. I have found both of these to be very essential. I also have an ivory lace tank that really I can only wear under something because it is slightly see-through. I love that it adds length, which is great whenever I want to wear leggings. And it adds some femininity. But it's not quite right for spring. So, ok, I'll move it to fall.
5. Tees: indigo blue, olive green, grey, bright coral. The green and coral tees are loose fitting which I really love for a more relaxed look. The blue is tighter, and I'm not crazy about the color, but when I put it on it is so comfy and looks pretty decent. The grey one is from Talbots but I really don't enjoy wearing it. Ok ok, I will get rid of it.
See what I mean about the "extras"? I sort of feel like it's cheating to claim to have a fifteen-item wardrobe then have so many extras. Writing this has really helped me think through them though, so I will most likely be tweaking!
Some of the lighter spring items will stick around for summer, and some of the heavier ones may be moved to fall, and the rest I will put away for next spring when I switch out my wardrobe for summer. My plan is to evaluate everything I have for the season at the beginning of that season, and move around or pare down accordingly. This is my first time really being serious about doing a capsule wardrobe, so I'm kind of learning as I go. But I can tell you, even from before I did this and had just gotten rid of some of my clothing, that fewer items give surprisingly more freedom. It is ridiculously easy to walk into my closet and choose an outfit for the day. I can see everything clearly, stay up-to-date with my laundry (which never gets out of hand!), and have more emotional space cleared out by having less clutter.
Honestly, my personal style is definitely more neutral and classic than most people my age, and even compared to myself five years ago. I have been a victim of the Target clearance rack plague, but no more! From now on, when an article of clothing comes in, one must go out. So as I wear things out and begin to replace them, I will definitely stick to more of my own style (which, by the way, may very well change a little throughout the years), and not just buy something because it's cheap. A couple of cheap items become very expensive if they are tossed in the Goodwill pile a few months later.
So will you be creating a capsule wardrobe? Remember, the number is not important. Another cool thing to check out would be Project 333. What will you be wearing for spring?
One of the 20 lessons she learned was that of the capsule wardrobe. She employs a ten-item wardrobe but stresses that the number is not as important as the idea. Living in California, Jennifer has a
spring/summer wardrobe and a different fall/winter wardrobe. North Carolina really has four distinct seasons, so I've chosen to have four different wardrobes. Of course each season I'll incorporate pieces from the previous season. In addition to the ten (or whatever number) core items, there should be "extras", such as layering pieces (tees, cardigans, etc.), shoes, accessories, occasionwear (like cocktail dresses for women or suits for guys), and outerwear. I've mostly completed my spring wardrobe (am still awaiting the arrival of a few pieces I've ordered), so I thought I'd share with you today so you may get started on yours if you're interested! Another thing to note is that by owning fewer pieces of clothing, you cut down on mindless shopping and multiple Target-clearance-rack trips every month, which in turn means that you will be able to afford more expensive and longer lasting clothing. In the future, as I replace needed items, I will definitely be looking for quality. For now, I do pretty much love all of my pieces, though not all are what I would choose were I starting from scratch. My budget thanks me for using up what I have before throwing it all out and beginning again. Side note: ThredUp is a great resource for new-to-you wardrobe items. They even have tons of pieces that are new with tags (my personal preference). So here's my wardrobe...
The above is a very rough picture of my closet (that I obviously share with my husband. And I do keep my winter coats in here, but only because there is no other place to store them and they are in an out-of-the-way spot for now). I'll begin with my core items:
1. White/khaki short-sleeve, knee-length Shabby Apple dress (from last year - these dresses are great quality!)
2. (Not pictured because it's in the wash) Red short-sleeve dress with horizontal piping and slightly full skirt from Anthropologie (from last year)
3. Coral/gold-ish sleeveless Vince Camuto dress (Dillard's) (from two years ago)
4. Yellow ruffle-front, short-sleeve Shabby Apple dress (from last year)
5. Green/white sleeveless Lilly Pulitzer dress (from 3 years ago)
6. Chambray/white polka dot sleeveless Keds dress (a gift)
7. Navy/white stripe lightweight, loose-fit Gap turtleneck (super duper clearance find this year)
8. (Not pictured because I'm wearing it) mint/white stripe lightweight Gap sweater (from same clearance rack as previous)
9. (Not pictured because it's awaiting ironing) grayish-purplish silky feeling long-sleeve blouse from TJMaxx
10. (Not pictured - awaiting arrival from ThredUp) navy/aqua stripe long sleeve J. Crew tee
11. Black lightweight Talbots midi-skirt (a great consignment find from last year)
*I so love the length and weight of this skirt, but it flies up in the wind. Like, really badly. So I will be keeping an eye out for a slightly heavier version to replace it
12. Coral maxi skirt from Charlotte Russe (got it the other week, a friend wanted me to wear it to her wedding so I took the tags off, but really brighter than my usual style. Soo comfy though, so it stays for now)
13. Turquoise/white polka dot Talbots midi skirt (another consignment find last year - for those in the area, you have got to go to Etc. in Winston-Salem. They have really nice clothes!)
14. (Not pictured because I'm wearing them) mid-rise darker wash straight-leg (not skinny) Levi's (a little over a year ago)
15. (Not pictured because they're drying) coral skinny Gap ankle jeans (about a year and a half ago)
I am waiting to receive a neutral colored silk J. Crew dress from ThredUp, but I'm not sure whether to add that to my spring or summer wardrobe. I will wait until I see the weight before I decide. If I do add it to spring, though, I will put one of the sleeveless dresses back for summer. As you can see, mine is not a ten-item but a fifteen-item wardrobe. The aforementioned Jennifer does say to be flexible, but I prefer to have a number. Helps keep me in line :) also, if you look at the order in which I listed my items, you will notice I organize my clothing first by type, then in rainbow order (beginning with neutrals, then roygbiv). I have found this to be the easiest way to quickly locate any item, and also keep everything neat. Now I will talk about my "extras" (some are located in my closet, and others are in a drawer). This is the area I have the most trouble paring down. March was very cold still, but by summer it will be very hot.
1. Cardigans: pale pink, and peach/navy/white. While I do like the second one, it breaks the cardinal capsule wardrobe sin by not coordinating with everything. So this may be moved to fall (perhaps it would work better then?)
2. Light jackets: black, brown leather, and khaki (have not worn the khaki one very often at all, and it was a Goodwill purchase, so I may pass it on to a friend)
3. (Not pictured because they are on a coat rack by the front door) trench coats: lighter weight 3/4 sleeve, slightly heavier long sleeve. They are so classic and I really enjoy having both of these. Still, I feel I have way too many cardigans and jackets. We'll see what happens.
4. Tanks: black, and khaki. I have found both of these to be very essential. I also have an ivory lace tank that really I can only wear under something because it is slightly see-through. I love that it adds length, which is great whenever I want to wear leggings. And it adds some femininity. But it's not quite right for spring. So, ok, I'll move it to fall.
5. Tees: indigo blue, olive green, grey, bright coral. The green and coral tees are loose fitting which I really love for a more relaxed look. The blue is tighter, and I'm not crazy about the color, but when I put it on it is so comfy and looks pretty decent. The grey one is from Talbots but I really don't enjoy wearing it. Ok ok, I will get rid of it.
See what I mean about the "extras"? I sort of feel like it's cheating to claim to have a fifteen-item wardrobe then have so many extras. Writing this has really helped me think through them though, so I will most likely be tweaking!
Some of the lighter spring items will stick around for summer, and some of the heavier ones may be moved to fall, and the rest I will put away for next spring when I switch out my wardrobe for summer. My plan is to evaluate everything I have for the season at the beginning of that season, and move around or pare down accordingly. This is my first time really being serious about doing a capsule wardrobe, so I'm kind of learning as I go. But I can tell you, even from before I did this and had just gotten rid of some of my clothing, that fewer items give surprisingly more freedom. It is ridiculously easy to walk into my closet and choose an outfit for the day. I can see everything clearly, stay up-to-date with my laundry (which never gets out of hand!), and have more emotional space cleared out by having less clutter.
Honestly, my personal style is definitely more neutral and classic than most people my age, and even compared to myself five years ago. I have been a victim of the Target clearance rack plague, but no more! From now on, when an article of clothing comes in, one must go out. So as I wear things out and begin to replace them, I will definitely stick to more of my own style (which, by the way, may very well change a little throughout the years), and not just buy something because it's cheap. A couple of cheap items become very expensive if they are tossed in the Goodwill pile a few months later.
So will you be creating a capsule wardrobe? Remember, the number is not important. Another cool thing to check out would be Project 333. What will you be wearing for spring?
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