bronze flip flops, take 2

What:  size 8 bronze flip flops with rope detail
From:  Talbots (clearance center)
Purchased:  September 2011
Cost:  $14

So, um, yeah.  In August at a regular Talbots I bought a pair of bronze flip flops and put them away for next summer's use.  And then in early September I was at the clearance store and snatched these off the racks and totally loved the rope-y, espadrille-y trim around the shoe and bough them without a second thought because I needed new flip flops.  And I put them away for next summer's use. 

And now I have two pairs of bronze flip flops.  And a no returns policy.  Oh well.  I love bronze.  I could wear one pair out and save the second pair for the summer of 2013?

Bottom line:  keeper

bronze flip flops

What:  Size 8 bronze flip flops with little bow
From:  Talbots
Purchased:  August 2011
Cost:  $16

All summer I wore my orange and yellow flip flops.  They were already on their last legs, but I couldn't part with them. 

So, when I went to Talbots close to my birthday, which meant I had an extra 15% off coupon, and the summer sale was still in full swing, and I saw these, I had to snatch them up.  As we all know, I love me some metallics! 

Two questions:
- how can a pair of flip flops cost the same as the shoes from yesterday? 
- uh, what is that other pair of bronze flip flops in the background?  stay tuned! 

Bottom line:  keeper

golden

What:  size 8 glitter and sequin gold peep toe pumps with 2.5 inch heel
From:  Talbots (clearance store)
Purchased:  April 2011
Cost:  $16

They made it to 80% off!  So I could not pass them up.  These are totally impractical.  Seriously, how many times in your life will you wear gold glitter pumps?  I know a lot of people that will never wear glitter shoes once in their life, and I think they're perfectly fine with that.  But these are comfy.  And, well, tasteful.  For a gold glitter pump, that is. 

Right after I got them I wore them out to dinner with rolled jeans and an olive green jacket.  Sort of the juxtaposition of hard edge and fancy.  I guess it worked, and I could probably wear something like that a couple of times a year. 

But I never have fancy things to attend where these would work.  No fancy holiday parties, no super fabulous dress up dinners out, no fancy theater or orchestras......once again, my shoe mantra - I need a more fabulous life to match my shoes!  Sigh. 

bottom line:  keeper

cheap espadrilles

what:  size 8 lilac espadrilles with flowers
From:  New York and Co
Purchased:  mid summer 2011
Cost:  $10

Bought these at the same time as these.  What can I say, they were cheap.  I don't know how much wear they will get, but at $10 I couldn't pass them up.  I was kinda looking at a dress there the same color, but never got it.  I can get a wear or two out of them next year.  I hope.

Bottom line:  keeper

fierce espadrilles

What:  size 8.5 lace up platform espadrilles
From:  Joan&David (Macy's)
Purchased:  August 2011
Cost:  $50

I saw these in some ad over the summer and cyberstalked them for two months, but never saw them cheaper than $100.  I tried them on at one point in July on a random trip to Macy's, but there was no way I was paying that much for them.  So late in the summer I decided what the heck and did another random Macy's trip and lo and behold found them on the super sale rack!

The sad thing is usually I am very prepared, and that day there had been a 20% off coupon in the paper, but I didn't grab it and the woman behind the counter wasn't going to help me out.  I bought them anyway.  They are fierce.  I get a ton of compliments on them when I wear them.  Just hope they won't appear too "last season" next summer, because I plan on getting more wear out of them!

Bottom line: Keeper

and so it goes

While my sister did an amazing job motivating Elizabeth to make her room less of a disaster area, they didn't really tackle the root of the problem, which is stuff crammed everywhere.

I've started to notice that if Andrew is enjoying a particular toy a lot, it winds up squirreled away in Elizabeth's room.  This is annoying, to say the least.  

When he pulled out a little car set, and one car was missing, Elizabeth casually said it was in her room, in her nightstand.  I went to find it, but her nightstand was mysteriously empty.  So I went on a small rampage, rooting around in all her stashes.  

Never found the car.  But in 5 minutes of rummaging, I did find:  

1. A used teaspoon
2. a yellow cherry from the Hi Ho Cheerio game
3. a red butterfly from the Elefun game

That girl!  I am in a total funk right now over the toys, and specifically the games, and are really feeling a lot of annoyance directed at the nanny.  Games get hauled out and then pieces distributed everywhere.  It makes me crazy.  None of the games we have can be played right now.  None.  The pieces have been dispersed to the far corners of our house, never to be reunited again.  CRAZY.  ANNOYED.  

And we're heading toward Christmas, and more toys will make their way into our house, and the whole thing makes me think my head is about to explode.  

I'm gearing up for a huge toy sort, and it has to be done before Christmas.  And I have to comprehensively sort the main level, the basement, and her room, or the whole effort is fairly useless.  Why didn't we choose a nanny who was more organized than us?  Or at least even slightly organized?  Or who at least understood why toys should sort of go together.  I'm perpetuating my disorganization on another generation and it is making me grumpy and crazy.  

grey booties

What:  Size 8 grey ankle booties
From:  Aerosoles
Purchased:  October 21, 2011
Cost:  $26

I spent all last winter coveting grey shooties/ankle booties, particularly an expensive pair.  I ended up buying these for $20, and while I like them, they're kinda cheap-y and I don't think will last.  Suede is already rubbing off.  Also ever-so-slightly pinchy in the toes.

Anyway, when shopping with KG recently, we hit the Aerosoles outlet store and these were marked to $26.  KG got both the grey AND the black (marked down to $35, I think), but I stuck with just the grey. After seeing KG rock the black ones with black tights and skirt, I was thinking I should have gotten black, even if they were $10 more, but I had purchased the odd black Naturalizer shoes earlier that day, so grey it was.

So, the other day I decided to step out a little bit and actually wear some of the crap I buy on the clearance racks, and pulled on these funky patterned tights, with a grey skirt and black sweater.  It was a little out there for me, but I think worked.  At least it was a little different.

Bottom line:  keeper.  They are more comfy that the other ones I own.  Probably better with jeans.  Still feeling like I should have gotten the black ones, maybe?  Or, really, neither.  The real bottom line is I've gotten two grey booties for $46, which is still cheaper than the shooties I really wanted last year.

black peep toes

What: size 8 black platform peep toe slingbacks with patent accents and flower bow on front
From:  AK Anne Klein (Lord&Taylor)
Purchased:  May 2011
Cost:  $32

Shoe-mageddon, which I still haven't covered, wiped out my black shoe collection.  Really, I had a number of black shoes that were staples in my wardrobe that just had too much wear, and TSM did a great job encouraging me to discard them.  

These hurt the most to discard - loved those sandals, but it was time.  When I wrote about them, I said I needed a slightly dressier, lady-like pair to replace them, and in the late spring, I started seeing some candidates in Lord&Taylor ads.  And so when a huge coupon coincided with a big shoe sale, plus an already planned trip to Friendship Heights, I was on a mission.  Tried on 4 pairs of black peep toe slingbacks and settled on the ones pictured above.  They're definitely dressier then the ones I discarded, which filled a niche of sandals-that-could-aspire-higher, but that niche is difficult and I needed the dressier shoe, since shoe-maggeddon also resulted in these going away, too.  OK, yes, I still have these, but I feel like they're not quite the same - I bought leather (with patent accents), and that last link is all patent, plus I think not quite as, well, for want of a better descriptor, lady-like for full skirts.

I'm still on the hunt for a low-heel almost-sandal (kitten heel, maybe?) that can be worn with skirts, but I was, and am, super satisfied with this pair, especially at the bargain price I got.

Bottom line:  keeper

back to shoes - brown boots

What: size 8 light brown wedge heel mid-calf boots with studs and turndown
From:  Naughty Monkey (Endless.com)
Purchased:  October 2011
Cost:  $40

I've had my eye on these boots since last March, when they were $30 - half price end of season.  I also liked the darker brown color, but with no job at the time, I could only watch as the dark brown ones sold out and the 50% off marked down price ended.  I also just wasn't sure about them.

And then the job came along, and I had a $10 credit on Amazon, so finally snagged them.

I like them, and wore them my long tiring Sunday with no problems, but I am just not sure I can really pull off the tucked in jeans look.  Maybe my jean legs were not quite skinny enough.  I felt like I had an unfortunate star trek-like quality to the jeans, puffing out at the top of the boots.  Or maybe I'm just not used to this look and need to keep trying, or need to peg my jeans so they are tighter and don't ride up, or need a different pair of pants.  Undecided.  But these are cute boots, with a slight kick as feel to them (studs!), and they were comfortable, so overall worthwhile.

Bottom line:  keeper

small steps

Ok, well, the journey of a thousand miles starts with a small step.

Today I explored trash regulations in DC and discovered that you can discard TVs at the transfer station on the first Sat of the month.  So, the giant TV in the basement, along with other hazardous waste like mercury filled burnt out light bulbs, will go away December 3rd.

Small steps.

discouraged

I'm writing this blog post 11/26, but backdating to 11/14.  Maybe I can catch up with NaBloPoMo, maybe not, but we'll see how it goes. 

So, after a frenzied weekend and exhausting Sunday, I"m mostly just waiting for Rich to get home.  Although some decluttering progress was made over the weekend, I'm feeling discouraged.  Everything that is on my todo list is overwhelming.  There is so much to do, and most of it is linked, or requires purchasing new items to properly organize or replace old items, or is just such a huge, tedious job there's no motivation.

Although I made a lot of organizing progress in the play area of the basement on Friday, it was also a depressing exercise.  There is soooo much stuff down there. It just feels claustrophobic.  Everywhere you turn, there's a stack or pile or jumble.  Attacking it requires so much energy and effort and quite honestly, it's just easier to not think about it.

Here's an example:  I have a GIGANTIC desk in the basement.  I bought it for $10 when I was in grad school.  It is huge, and heavy, and I've hauled it more places than I care to imagine.  It's an old metal school desk with a gigantic, smooth desk top surface that would be awesome for projects - if I could get at the desk and actually work at it.  Right now it's inaccessible in a corner of the basement, and on the top is a giant old TV and a stash of boxes of Cats Meow pieces (more than 80) that my parents bought at at auction for something ridiculous like $2.  Rich hates this desk (see the aforementioned heavy + moved many places).  I like it because surface area.  It would be a nice craft desk/area.  It's surrounded by so much stuff I can't even take a picture of it.

I've finally decided it needs to go.  I'd much rather have a large craft desk in the attic, with a storage cabinet.  The desk is too big and ugly to go in the attic.  So, I need $$ to buy a project table and storage cabinet.  I need to clean off the desk in the basement to photograph it and sell on Craig's List, or freecycle.  I need to clean OUT the desk if it's leaving - there's random stuff in drawers and some files.  It's just a huge, depressing project overall and so it just sits, hulking, taking up a lot of square footage.

You might feel better after decluttering.  I do feel better with decluttered area.  But it's a long journey to get there.

obsessing over holiday stuff

So yesterday my sister and I went to Target for a few necessary items, and wandered around a bit, too.  And we found some Halloween luminaries, originally priced at $12, marked down to $3.  They were super cute, Smith & Hawken, really nice, and pretty big.  And I sooooo wanted them.  But, I thought about how much Halloween stuff I already have, how this year I never lit any of the candles/luminaries I already own for Halloween until Halloween night itself, and how I just have too much stuff anyway.  It's too much stuff.  Too much.  In addition to getting rod of stuff, I've got to cut down on brining new stuff in.

But I still want them.

treading water

So when one half of a two-parent household is away, everyone knows it's all about treading water, holding the line, until parent 2 gets back.  No one expects the stay behind parent to really get anything done, and only hopes things don't completely go to hell in a handbasket.

So no to-do list this weekend.  I've still got two full days to go, so I shouldn't jinx myself, but I hoping I actually gain a teeny tiny bit of ground.  Not a lot of ground, but just enough to feel like I accomplished something.

On Friday, during my hour in the basement, I managed to clear space in front of the door to our basement closet (oh yes, it's bad down there when the piles are actually blocking doors!) and I found the bulbs from last year.  And they don't seem rotten, so worth trying to plant, let's see, 60 crocus bulbs, 20 tulips, and 12 daffodils.  When I actually get some amount of them into the ground then I've got a thing done, but for now I'm just kinda pleased I found them.

But I did manage to collect a small shopping bag of trash, so that's 1 thing.

Then, today, my sister (who is here this weekend so it's not even like I am truly going solo while my husband jets off to warmer climes), took one look at Elizabeth's room and put her to work organizing it.  There's a lot to be done, and I've been half heartedly planning to arrange some time when I'm not working but Elizabeth is with the nanny or at school to go through and just bulldoze that room into submission.  But Jennifer somehow enticed Elizabeth into doing some actual organizing, minor sorting, and trashing of some of the excess - another small bag of trash, but hey, it's progress.

So that's two things for this weekend.

Not much, but I'll take it.

Throw Out 50 things in November
To date: 2
Added:2
Current total: 4
Still to go: 46

this is how it works

Today Rich headed out for a trip, and I met my mom (who is at my brother's) and we went to the thrift store.  And I got TWO Christmas decoration items.  That will not fit in to the already overflowing stash of holiday decorations that currently exist in the basement.  Sigh.  They were cheap (less than $1 each), and I've wanted a glass container shaped like a Christmas tree.  Why, I don't know.  But now I own one.

But in penance (and because it is fricking cold - too cold for a walk to Target or the playground), I spent over an hour in the basement.  Some organizing progress made, but there is Much To Do.  Much.

still in the front hall

Yep, those are the two Halloween (and Thanksgiving) bins, still in the front hall.  I bought them many years ago, and parceled out an area in the basement for all holiday bins, and here's the thing, if every year you add one or two things (this year: a table runner and two placemats, last year: 4 large tumblers, 4 kids cups), you will run out of room.

What I need to do is aggressively go through the bins and get rid of things we really don't use.  That would help.

But what I really need to do is squish as much of this as possible in the bins, slap on the lids, and shove them in the basement.  (Although we haven't yet gathered up the Halloween books, sigh.)  And worry about where the Thanksgiving stuff (including a new acorn dish, new acorn bowl with lid, and cutest thing ever acorn salt and pepper shakers) will go later.  Oh good grief, there's a cornucopia someplace in the basement right now, not even out with the rest of the fall decorations as I've forgotten about it til this very minute.

The Christmas stuff started, 10 years ago, in 4 bins.  Now it's expanded to include another bin, two LARGE boxes, a couple of bags, and stuff shoved randomly on the shelves.  There's an easter bin that's overflowed, too.  And a random holiday bin (Valentine's, St Patricks, 4th of July).

How do you store your holiday decorations?  Maybe you don't have a lot of holiday decorations?

Wait!  Rich is taking the bins down right now!  Wohoo!

Not quite 50

Ok, so yesterday I wrote about my friend TSM's sale in which I participated in September.  I tagged 39 items for sale.

And I sold 18 of them!  For $85 dollars!

And, can you see the top tag there?  I even sold A PAIR OF SHOES!  These shoes, to be precise, ones I thought were total duds and would never sell.  OK, os it took me almost a year to get them out of the house once I decided they had to go, but I recouped $10 from their purchase! Wohoo!

So I love selling.  But, uh, two downsides.  Because at the sale, other people also set out their great past purchases for super cheap, and I can't actually tell you how many things I purchased.  Though they've been nearly all great buys - 6 pairs of pajamas for A, several outfits for E, a couple of key Christmas presents.  What I really need to do is sell enough to cover my costs entirely.  (The accounting above says I spent $58, but it was more because I paid cash for a bunch.)

Second downside - the 18 things that did not sell.  Which are in one bin, in my front hallway.

Well, it's just one bin.  And the stuff is already tagged.  So I can just bring it to the next sale (except things like the stupid snow pants, which I can't sell til next Fall).  I just need to clear some space on our storage shelves and store this box (get it OUT of the front hallway!), plus start gathering new sale stuff for spring.  

Thanks TSM for the encouragement to do this!  

I tried to throw out 50 things

My friend TSM is heavily involved in a neighborhood co-op of women who sell their gently used children's items twice per year.  She tried to get me to be a new seller for the spring sale, but it conflicted with t-ball, so I finally got to participate for the fall sale.  In September.  E's birthday weekend.  Right in the midst of what I was already dreading as hell week, early childhood style. 

As a new seller, you're allowed to sell 50 items.  Perfect, I thought, what a way to get rid of 50 things, and then I will blog about it, and I can finally close that browser tab that has linked to the throw out 50 things website for 18 months.  I knew I could fairly easily find 50 things to sell, without even really getting into all the stored baby stuff I have amassed in the basement.  I started mentally deciding which things I would tag and sell. 

This sale is pretty elaborate (and to protect anonymity I'm being fuzzy on details).  There are strict rules for what you can sell and how you tag your items, and how you are supposed to contribute to the organization of the sale (ie, volunteer time).  I knew I had to get my act together and start gathering and sorting items.  As per usual, I kept putting it off, though I did root around in a few boxes in the basement and continue my mental cataloging.  Mental cataloging worked fairly well until E grabbed the stupid Lincoln logs she had not played with at all in three years and decided they were the Best! Toy! Ever! thus reducing my catalog by one item. 

About a week before the sale, just as our hell week was starting, I said to Rich, you remember in the midst of the soccer and the birthday parties and the school snacks and everything else that I am doing the sale, too, right?  Noooooooooo, was of course his answer.  But I had it all figured out - if I just tag 10 things a night, skipping E's actual birthday, I'll be done in plenty of time and be all organized.  That of course changed to well, if I just tag 15 items a night.  Which turned to 20 items a night.  Which then turned into, ok, I have two hours before I have to be there, what can I grab and tag quickly? 

When your house is totally cluttered (and some credit here, you've done a fair amount of advance thinking about it), you actually have quite a bit you can grab.  Which meant instead of 50 things, I started my plan with 39 things to sell.  But that was still a pretty good effort, and heck, one of the problems in discarding things is coming to terms with the value of those things, so selling 39 things was a good first step. 

So how'd I do?  Say tuned for tomorow's update (hey, what can I say, NaBloPoMo is a bitch and I'm already weary of posting, so dragging this out!)

Throw Out 50 Things

About a year ago I read an article about a book by Gail Blanke, Throw Out 50 Things.  It was featured by the newspaper's personal finance columnist, because she felt it helped clear your mindset and not just declutter your house, but your life, too. 

Well, as you can see from my sidebar, my various schemes have resulted in far more than 50 things removed from the house, but I'm not sure I feel that much more clarity in my life.  Though there is always a sense of accomplishment when an area is clean and organized. 

I like schemes.  They help you frame whatever it is you're working on.  I've had this throw out 50 things mantra in my head for over a year now.  So one of my goals for this month is 50 things gone.  Four pansies (and the $10 they cost) taunting me in the hall for the past couple of weeks gone.  46 more things to go! 

Weekend 1 - how'd we do?

OK, whew.  Exhausted.  My friend TSM made huge progress on her to-do list, and I think I hate her a little tiny bit for it. 

The pansies are in the ground.  OK, that's big, and that's 4 things out of the front hallway.  (oh, I haven't mentioned, I'm also going to count things out of the house this month - tomorrow's post will explain more).  I did not dig out the bulbs from the basement, but I have a plan for when I could get some of them in the ground (Wednesday morning).  I dug up a part of the front yard, but more needs to be done.  Back yard not touched at all, except I finally put out birdseed (also bought at the time of the pansies). 

Halloween decorations are all down, and mostly packed in their bins, but that still needs to be finalized and bins taken down.  Might finish this tonight. 

Laundry mostly done, but all still needs to be folded and then put away.  Will finish this up tomorrow. 

I almost made it into the basement but the urge passed.  So no real progress on any of the hot spots.  The front hall is a good one, as comment-ers pointed out it's the first room you walk into when you enter the house, but it is DAUNTING.  Paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork.  More to come on this. 

And, I clipped coupons and discarded expired ones, but have not filed the new ones yet.  I have a System, you see (believe it or not).  I did make it to the grocery store, but only to get things we really needed.  Maybe Monday or Tuesday, before the sale ends, I will go coupon shopping over my lunch break at work. 

Items out of the house:  4
Goal for month:  50

Saturday check in

OK, well, the pansies didn't go in the ground, and I didn't clear the clutter by the basement closet door to try to find the bulbs.  Halloween stuff has started to gather on the dining room table, and coupons were clipped but only partially sorted.  So it's a long to-do list for Sunday.  But we did manage E's soccer game, watching UVA crush MD (from the couch, sadly, not in person, but that also meant I got a short doze in), and a playdate with E's new school.  That's a full day right there! 

Weekend to-do list

It can't all be shoes this November - some real decluttering has to take place, and a (relatively) quiet weekend is the perfect time.  So what's on the to-do list?

• Plant the pansies.  They've been in the front hallway for two weeks (Rich, when I bought them: let's plant these and not have it be weeks before we get to it), and have to go in the ground.  Of course this also means weeding the front yard, and then it would be nice if we also mulched the front, too.  Oh, and last year, before I got sick, I bought some bulbs and they've been stored in the basement for a year.  They might not still be viable, but some might, so it would be good to either plant or trash what's lurking around, reminding me of the failure to plant. 
• Take down all the Halloween decorations, and switch to Thanksgiving.  There's some outside that require a bit of work, and a bunch scattered throughout the house.  It would be good to pack them all neatly in their tubs and store them neatly too, which gets difficult when we've acquired more and they don't actually fit neatly into the space allocated in the basement.
• Do laundry, which is more of a regular chore than decluttering, but it can go on the list, too.  
• And now I have to pick one of the big three areas to tackle, and I can't decide.  It'll have to be whichever strikes our fancy.  The big three, right now, are: the front hallway - there's a ton of paperwork to organize, bleah; the kitchen - a lot of organizing and cleaning to be done, along with moving some pictures and hanging some other new stuff, and I have GOT to organize my recipes, but that is a project in and of itself; and the ever present looming black hole of the basement - toy sorting, cleaning, organization.  Since we have to cram the Halloween stuff back down there, it might be a good weekend for the basement, but there's only so much basement stuff I can handle at one time, so we'll see.  
• And a fun one, my favorite store is having double dollar coupons, so I have to organize all my coupons and plan for a shopping trip.  Yes, as unbelievable as this sounds, grocery shopping is actually kind of fun for me.  But my coupons are a mess right now so I need some sorting time. 

Check back Sunday for a full report!  

Thurday: brown peep toes

What:  size 8.5 N croc-embossed brown sling back peep toes with 3-inch heel
From:  Talbots (clearance)
Purchased:  Late August 2011
Cost:  $32

When I saw these on the clearance racks of the Talbots clearance store I snapped them up immediately.  I've long complained about not having dark brown shoes - I have a lot of tan, or varying shades of brown, but plain simple dark brown has not been easy to find.  These are narrows, but once again they're not really that narrow. 

I've worn these a lot end of summer into early fall.  They are mostly perfect, though sometimes in the office the shoes squeak and the heel slides a little on marble floors.  But still, good buy.  No regrets.  The perfect fall/spring shoe - today might mark their last wearing until early spring.  If I was really following the strict one in/one out rule, I'd get rid of these brown slingbacks that I've never really loved.  Although the front of those is a little beat up, they're still good shoes, and a slightly different niche as they are not peeptoe, and a lower heel, so maybe I will hold onto both for just a bit longer.  We'll see. 

Bottom line:  total keeper

New booties

What:  size 8, black suede booties with white stitching trim and 3.5 inch heels
From:  Naturalizer (outlet)
Purchased:  Oct 21, 2011
Cost:  $13.50!

Ok, so yesterday I said I had lost track of how many shoes I've bought, and then I did a little looknig around this morning and I don't think it's as bad as I feared.  When last I counted, I was up to, gulp, 17 pairs of new shoes in 2011.  And I think I've added 4 pairs to that total.  I bought 22 pairs in 2010.  So I'm on the same pace.  Dammit.  How did that happen?  What the hell is wrong with me?  Why can't I stop buying shoes?  This is insane.  I once said I needed a more fabulous life to match my shoes, and you know what, that is still my reality.  I have no place to wear all these new shoes!  It is ridiculous. 

Anyway, here's the story on these.  First, $13.50.  Enough said.  How can you pass that up?  My friend KG and I have been talking for the past 18 months about doing an outlet day, and we finally managed to get our schedules sync-ed up and make it happen.  I will say I bought no clothes for myself that day, btu two pairs of booties.  I did buy clothes for E and A and even Rich, too, and some household stuff, but only shoes for me. 

Naturalizer was one of our first stops, and we were fairly disappointed.  Pickings were slim and prices were high.  Clearance racks were picked over.  And then I noticed these, with an 80% off sticker (and we were carrying extra 20% off coupons).  Tried them on, and I'll be honest, these fit weird.  They are too big.  I put them back.  I kept looking.  KG tried on a pair of fab clearance boots that just didn't quite fit.  I was intentionally shopping for a pair of dark brown boots/booties.  I tried these on again.  KG told me they were ugly, while trying to cram her foot in the clearance boots.  Another shopper agreed with her.  I said they might fit the semi-ugly but charming category.  Other shoppers and KG disagreed.  I put them back.  KG kept dithering over flats and purses.  I searched the clearance aisle for another pair in a different color or smaller size.  More dithering.  I snapped and bought them.  Ultimately, I couldn't pass up the $13.50, and we were simply in the store too long.  I sort of feel like these stylistically work with rolled jeans (boyfriend style jeans) or slim jeans, with a slouchy cardigan, maybe.  Kind of a casual menswear-y, collegiate type look.  Which is a look I like (though I am not describing it well) but don't actually wear.  Bah.  I've worn them twice, and they are too high for real casual wear.  Could i wear them with a skirt and tights?  There's still something about them I like, but I definitely need to think over how to wear them. I've worn them twice, both times with my boot-leg jeans, once with jeans cuffed, once jeans just worn normally.  Eh. 

Bottom line:  I'm going to wear them 5-6 times this year, then shove them in the back of my closet and think of them fondly but never quite have the right outfit with which to ever wear them again.  Until I do a massive show clean out in 7-10 years and whoever is sucked into my craziness at that time strongly suggests I get rid of them.  At least I know myself well, right?  But hey, 6 times is $2.25 per wear cost! 

NaBloPoMo = decluttering

Well, here we are again, another November underway, another NaBloPoMo (national blog posting month) challenge.  Which means another chance to declutter around here, and boy, does it need it.  Plus I've got to catch you up on my shoe acquisitions (um, I've lost track of how any shoes in 2011, let's just leave it at that), not to mention maybe someday accounting for shoe-mageddon!

But mostly, decluttering.  My to-do list is long.  LONG.  We have a party in mid-November (Andrew's 3rd b-day!), plus our haphazardly scheduled kinda annual holiday open house in December, so the stakes are high!

Here's a rough first cut at a to-do list:

• front hallway, always a disaster area
• our small back yard and front yard need attention, ripping out dead plants, putting down mulch, maybe getting some bulbs in, plus planting the pansies that have been in the front hallway for 2 weeks
• the ever present need to toy sort
• the basement needs major attention
• Andrew is going to need a big boy bed after Christmas, so we need to overhaul his room
• Elizabeth wants a pink room (after the holiday!) so we also need an overhaul of her room in anticipation
• The attic is in sad shape right now and needs major decluttering and organization

Etc.  Need I say more?