I declare Month #2 a SUCCESS

It's February 29th - a day that comes once every four years. So, on this day, I declare my Month #2 organizing project DJP Clothes a SUCCESS.  Yes, a success because I did clear out my closet and dresser.  The other things (accessories, jewelry, shoes) were just if I had time and I managed to get through some of them but those are still a work in progress.  Plus, I figure those things are part of other projects I have coming up so it's okay if I didn't finish them this month.  The main goal of my project is complete and I feel comfortable moving on to Month #3's organizing project THE HOME OFFICE.  Plus, I really have no choice but to declare it a success because after today, February is gone and done.  See you later shortest month of the year (even with your extra day this leap year).

Below are my after photos:

It doesn't look like much but I have so much more space now.  And so far, I've "discovered" some items that I forgot I had!  I have a box of  "summer" clothes that I will switch out once warmer weather hits, whenever that happens.  It's so hard to dress in the Bay Area.  I'm still trying to manage the weather since it's really screwy sometimes.  I should really think of my clothes by temperature and not by season.  It doesn't matter what season it is in the Bay Area, the weather does what it wants.  So, I have warm weather clothes and cold weather clothes and it's all organized!  I didn't take a photo of my dresser but trust me, it's a success.  There's more space and I can really see what I have.

Revisiting my goals:

1.  Breathing Room:  Yes!  My closet and dresser are no longer bloated.  I can actually see closet and dresser whereas before it was all clothes and boxes.  Drawers barely shut and hangers no longer had room to hang.  Now, drawers close and I can actually push my hangers around on the closet rod! 
2.  Functionality:  Yes, I've organized by tops, bottoms, and dresses in the closet.  Hanging Clothes things for sweaters and pants.  Boxes for accessories.  Everything has a home. 
3.  Purge and Store:  I've got three brown bags for donation and two boxes of clothes for storage.  Not bad considering letting go is my number one problem. 
4.  Sustainable System:  I've described my system below. 

The DJP Clothes and Accessories simple maintenance system:

• Every May and October, switch out warm and cold weather items.  Only one box of seasonal clothes (the blue one that appears on the right side of my closet) is allowed.  If it doesn't fit in the box, time to purge.
• One in and one out. (I really have to work at this.)
• If I don't love it or it doesn't fit - give it away (good condition, of course).  Likewise, if I don't love it, I don't buy it (duh).  
• If my closet and dresser return to the bloated state, I have to repeat this project.  Hopefully, if I follow the steps above, I'll avoid this.    

I probably could come up with more tenets but I want to keep this simple.  I think the four above is good enough.  Let's not set myself up for failure.

So long February, you were also a hard month to get through.