Closet Envy

I have a severe case of closet envy.  Watching "House Hunters" on HGTV is the reason.  My closet is just too small for all my stuff and when my dog Lola decides that it is her "doggy den", I am really crowded out!  I wish I had a big, huge closet where each pair of my shoes had their own space on a large wall and I could organize them by style, color and season....sigh.  A girlfriend of mine even has a washer & dryer in her closet!  That's serious closet design.  Since I am not going to get a new closet (no House Hunting for us) nor is there any opporunity to make my closet bigger (it's backs up to the kitchen), I try hard to keep it clean and organized to make it feel and look bigger than it really is.  First, I switch my clothing from one closet to another for each season.  Since we only really have two seasons in Texas -Hot, Hot Summer and Kinda Cold Winter- I only have to do this twice a year.  I keep my out-of-rotation items in the guest room closet.  I'm not a packrat and I don't save a lot of "sentimental" things so that I have this extra closet space and it comes in handy.  Second, I get rid of items I haven't worn in more than 1 year.  If it hasn't made my rotation in 365 days, then it's just not necessary and I probably can't fit it anymore...another sigh.  Third, I color coordinate all my clothes (light to dark for spring and dark to light for winter).  Makes me feel like I have more room since everything is nice and neat.  Fourth, I put all my shoes (except flip-flops) in plastic shoe boxes.  They stack nicely.  Fifth, I use the space beneath the lower hanging items for my boots, sweaters and scarves neatly tucked away in clear plastic containers that lay flat.

One day I will have the closet of my dreams...unfortunately, it will probably have to be extra wide for me and my walker to move around in it but I'll get there one day. 

Smooches,
Letty