A few times a year, I instigate a clutter inquisition of sorts that I lovingly refer to as a D.I. Purge. D.I. (Deseret Industries) is like Goodwill, but run by Mormons: a place where you can take your old, usable stuff and donate it for them to re-sell. Cleaning junk and clutter out of my house gives me great satisfaction and it's nice to contribute to charity, too.
I've also found that I can let go of sentimental things a little easier if I give them a little send-off on my blog. I know we just had one of these last week, but bear with me as I go through two things that ended up being purged and two things that are safe for now - at least until the next round.
This green ruffle-trim skirt has been tossed into the D.I. "maybe" pile for several rounds now, but each time, I have rescued it at the last minute. Not today.
I bought this skirt for $3 from an Indian at a festival booth in Jordan in 2006. I wore it a couple of times, but it just never fit right. I sometimes suspected that it was made for little girls and I just happened to buy size XXXL or something, because it doesn't really allow for the wearer to have hips. I've kept it until now because I couldn't get over the fact that it cost $3, and it was cute, and I thought maybe it would fit me someday (because having kids only makes you skinnier, don't you know?), but no more. It's gone.
The other item of clothing that succumbed to the wrath of my D.I. purge was this pair of running shorts from INsport, purchased in 1995. Do the math: that was fourteen years ago.
The elastic waistband had been gradually losing its stretchiness over the last few years, and recently, it finally gave out entirely. It happened in the middle of a run, actually, so I ended up using my iPod Shuffle (which I usually clip on my waistband) in a more functional way than I'm used to, if you catch my drift. Goodbye, favorite purple running shorts!
Two items of clothing got a reprieve, at least for now, and they're both old t-shirts. What is it about old t-shirts that is so sentimental? I find it very hard to let go of t-shirts, especially if they were free (and I'm not the only one). These two are no exception.
First, my beloved Girl Scouts Troop 106 shirt. I wore this shirt in public recently and a friend asked me if I was, like, actively involved in Girl Scouts as an adult, or...? She didn't hide her relief very well when I told her not to worry, this shirt is from 2nd grade.
This shirt was a collaborative effort by us 7-year-olds, and we each got to design our own decal for the silk-screen print. Here's a closeup of mine:
Brilliant.
This last shirt is another holdout from elementary school: Oak Hills Honor Choir.
The Honor Choir was an after-school activity for 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-graders. I like neither the color of this shirt nor the picture on the front. And yet it seems I cannot part with it.
What ancient items of clothing are you still hanging on to?
I've also found that I can let go of sentimental things a little easier if I give them a little send-off on my blog. I know we just had one of these last week, but bear with me as I go through two things that ended up being purged and two things that are safe for now - at least until the next round.
This green ruffle-trim skirt has been tossed into the D.I. "maybe" pile for several rounds now, but each time, I have rescued it at the last minute. Not today.
I bought this skirt for $3 from an Indian at a festival booth in Jordan in 2006. I wore it a couple of times, but it just never fit right. I sometimes suspected that it was made for little girls and I just happened to buy size XXXL or something, because it doesn't really allow for the wearer to have hips. I've kept it until now because I couldn't get over the fact that it cost $3, and it was cute, and I thought maybe it would fit me someday (because having kids only makes you skinnier, don't you know?), but no more. It's gone.
The other item of clothing that succumbed to the wrath of my D.I. purge was this pair of running shorts from INsport, purchased in 1995. Do the math: that was fourteen years ago.
The elastic waistband had been gradually losing its stretchiness over the last few years, and recently, it finally gave out entirely. It happened in the middle of a run, actually, so I ended up using my iPod Shuffle (which I usually clip on my waistband) in a more functional way than I'm used to, if you catch my drift. Goodbye, favorite purple running shorts!
Two items of clothing got a reprieve, at least for now, and they're both old t-shirts. What is it about old t-shirts that is so sentimental? I find it very hard to let go of t-shirts, especially if they were free (and I'm not the only one). These two are no exception.
First, my beloved Girl Scouts Troop 106 shirt. I wore this shirt in public recently and a friend asked me if I was, like, actively involved in Girl Scouts as an adult, or...? She didn't hide her relief very well when I told her not to worry, this shirt is from 2nd grade.
This shirt was a collaborative effort by us 7-year-olds, and we each got to design our own decal for the silk-screen print. Here's a closeup of mine:
Brilliant.
This last shirt is another holdout from elementary school: Oak Hills Honor Choir.
The Honor Choir was an after-school activity for 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-graders. I like neither the color of this shirt nor the picture on the front. And yet it seems I cannot part with it.
What ancient items of clothing are you still hanging on to?