During an appointment earlier today, I was pleasantly surprised and so proud! As one of my younger clients, this high school student decided to take charge, reinvent and de-clutter her bedroom on her own. Since we had worked together in the past to create an organized and spacious bedroom, this client already knew how good it felt to sleep and study in a clutter-free environment.

So, after a few months of watching piles grow and cover every surface in her room, she decided to go for it and create space on her own. She persevered, made hard choices and kept the vision until she finished. She did a fantastic job!

Because we had already developed a basic structure of what should ‘live’ where and how much of each item was appropriate, it was probably easier for her to get back to “normal” and create a comfortable space where everything, once again, had a home and every drawer was able to close without effort.

This is why she said that she made the decision to get organized once again:

“My life in all aspects was starting to feel cluttered. I wanted to clear space so I decided to start with my room. It took me eleven hours but the relief that I felt and the burden that was lifted was well worth the time and sweat. I am so excited to walk in my room now!”

This case study, developed without any help on my part, proves the point that once you have a well thought out and structured system in place, it is fairly easy to get it back to ‘normal’. Organizing is always an ongoing project.

Since the clutter in this room had been building during a super busy school year, it took a bit longer to de-clutter. The good news is that the more often we get our space back to ‘normal’, the less time it takes to make it perfect. This client now has the skills and knowledge to maintain a clutter free dorm room which will be a handy trick in a year or two! Good job to ‘Miss Organized’ and her parents, all of you should be very proud!

About a month ago,  during a sweater shopping spree, I decided that I am now all about tactile  and ‘soft to the touch’ fabrics. I have always been a cashmere junkie but now it goes even deeper than that. I can no longer take scratchy, stiff or super heavy clothing. The good part of this realization was that it became easier to weed out more items in my closet. If they did not pass the soft and cozy test they were donated to the Community Resource Center and moved onto a better life.

Now, I am sure you are thinking to yourself, soft and cozy does not necessarily jive with fashion forward and you are correct. There are always compromises in the quest for fashion. I still hold fast to my mantra that if you are wearing the right clothes, they should be comfortable enough to sleep in. The right fabric, cut and fit for your body makes all of the difference between comfort and discomfort and looking disheveled or well put together.

As a long time avid fan of microfiber panties, I was very interested when a Adea the clothing manufacturer approached me to try out their new product line. *I have to say, I really like their product line for many reasons.

Back to my initial statement, soft is one of the first attributes I now consider when I add new items to my closet. This manufacturer uses Italian-made stretch microfiber tops that simply feel really great on my body! They feel like a second skin, breathe and are really soft to the touch.

I use the two shirts I own most frequently under other clothes. Unlike other camisoles I have owned in the past, the microfiber of the Adea fabric helps it stay where it should and not roll or ride up thoughout the day.

One of the current challenges with fashion is that necklines tend to be cut very low. As a professional, showing a lot of cleavage is not ideal. Because of this, I frequently advise my clients to wear camisoles under their tops. Most of they typical camisoles prove to be problematical and uncomfortable.

I personally enjoy the cami scoop neck and back because it covers up my bra straps and cleavage at the same time without having to squirm to keep it in place.

The 3/4 sleeve vneck top, hides everything it should (ie cleavage) and flatters in all the right places.  Vneck tops with  3/4 length sleeves are universally flattering. Additionally, the microfiber does not wrinkle so it stays looking crisp and fresh all day long.

Adea shirts are nice enough to wear alone and also perfect for under suitcoats and blouses. All necklines are designed to hide and flatter at the same time with a choice of scoop, crew or vneck.

So, if you enjoy soft fabrics and need a new camisole or two, check out the new Italian line by Adea.

*A quick note ~ I do not recommend any product if it doesn’t provide a solution or benefit for my readers regardless if it was comped, which these were. The products that don’t pass this criteria are simply not reviewed on this website.

Innovative Ideas for Immediate Results

“How to Master Your Muck” is essential reading for anyone who owns a business or who works from home and has an office that needs Read the rest of this entry »

Challenge:

This client has spent the past year seeking employment and after a long search, was able to secure a new job. Yippee! But after being laid off for such a long time, she did not have any clothes for hew new position. Additionally, her new employment is a much more casual atmosphere than her last ‘suit’ wearing job.

Solution:

We found many separates that could be combined with various suit elements. Mixing and matching suit pieces provided a great assortment of new outfits. This allowed her a great deal of flexibility and kept her new wardrobe on a budget.

As you can see, she can be completely casual with simply a blouse and pants or if she wants to step it up a notch, she adds a jacket from one of her suits. She can switch shoes and wear the same blouse with the skirt which came with the suit another day.

Now she has a comprehensive wardrobe that was created on a shoestring budget and can add a suit or two to increase her wardrobe elements as she gets paid in her new position.

PS As an aside, take a look at how much better flair jeans are for her silhouette compared to her original straight leg jeans.

This is a transcription of an interview that I had with a client part way through our organizing process. This was recorded during a shining moment when her teenage daughter had also decided to get help getting her room organized after watching the progress we were making in her mom’s closet. I always say, “be the change you want to see” and this time Read the rest of this entry »