Closet Organization: Stirrin' Up More Than Physical Dust

     Key background for closet organization, round II, includes a condensed version of the spousal interaction which occurred AFTER my husband's always-busy workday and its collision with my  5  hours of closet organizing:

     DeRachel, what do you think about changing the location of the laundry baskets?

     Actually, I like them where they are.

     OK.

     Caution:  TROUBLE is brewing! After applying make-up for our Friday evening Wendy's meal, I turn to annoyingly catch my husband doing... whaaaat? He's changing the location of the laundry baskets!

     I've been working all day organizing the closet and want the laundry baskets where I put them. I already tried them there and didn't like it. I turn my back and you change the set-up! without including me!... and yada, yoda.
 

Today's donation pile (round pillow excluded)

      I now realize the physical and intangible dust stirred-up with closet-cleaning. Wardrobe decisions include emotions. But, chaos will be worthwhile for all, in the long run. Here is a re-cap of the beginnings of order (presented in the chronological order I performed them--Sensory Processing Disorder or HAMS doesn't necessarily allow me to work in an orderly fashion):

     It helps to allot a few days for this challenge AND purchase a few inspirational tools beforehand: Two random thrift store purchases birth in my mind the beginnings of order... a 4-tiered, sturdy shoe rack that holds 15 pairs of shoes and a storage basket. It's like Christmas in October.

•  The huddled self-cheers begin: Start somewhere!! Just begin, with any step, to motivate myself.
• Store the ironing board. It takes up space and can be easily set up when needed. It is a magnet for strewn clothing. 
• Wade through zillions of dusty shoes. Some are ancient! The new shoe rack and arranging my shoes differently really helps, as well as getting rid of at least 10 pairs.

     I sensory react and distract, to delay additional unsettling clothing decisions. I turn to the testosterone-laden portion of the closet. What was I thinking diving into that chaotic danger zone, attempting to create a semblance of order? This ultimately stirs up the emotions I shared in the beginning of this blog and includes these ??harmless?? actions:

• Create logical stations: Hubby's work shirts and pants are miles from each other. His exercise wear is equally scattered. His side of the closet begs for logical stations.
• Create a large shoe-purging heap: Hubby's work/casual shoes could fill a large bathtub, and he wears less than 6 of the pairs.
• Be storage-creative and re-use: I roll into the closet from another room, a mildly-used, small oak TV stand/storage unit. First, it needed to be cleaned out. I position it with the laundry baskets.

     It is now 4:30 p.m., and I know that my husband becomes uncharacteristically disturbed, with process chaos. He will hate the donation pile in the bedroom and the shoe-purging heap in the closet, but surely the day's productive accomplishments and closet-vacuuming will override the chaos.

    I re-position the laundry baskets and tweak a few more items, and then enjoy a much-needed shower. My husband will LOVE my work. NOT!

    Enough of the dusty mess. I stirred up both dust and thunder clouds, with allergy-sneezing and hairs standing on end. 

     My closet now has two beneficial seeds: 1) It has the beginnings of organization, and 2) It is manageable. Round II, done. Round III will be shared soon.