hello goodwill.

As my closet grows with the addition of recently purchased work attire, I find myself overwhelmed with my inability to let things go. It's true. I keep everything. My mom laughs at me because when I go off to school in the fall, I leave behind an entire closet (and many drawers) full of clothes. I am still baffled by this, when I really think about it, but I come to the same conclusion every time: I have too many clothes.

I make excuses. That is how I find myself in the position I am in, an innocent shopper with an overbearing closet. I don't wear this shirt, well I might if that one shirt of mine is in the wash, or if I happen to lose that other shirt. It's this type of thinking that leads to overstuffed drawers and indecision.

The other issue: I LOVE clothes and I HATE saying goodbye. Yes, some things are definitely easy to say goodbye to, like my teenage Rue 21 wardrobe (don't worry, that's been gone for a long time), or my sequence "what was I thinking my freshman year of college" going out shirts. But there are other articles of clothing, however, that are not so easy to say goodbye to. Championship t-shirts, pajama bottoms from past travels, and other things that provoke memories.

I wish that these memory-provoking articles of clothing were the biggest issues I have, but unfortunately they are not. I have things that I have not worn for years sitting in the bottoms of my drawers, crying to be let loose, but I am like an overly protective mother who just can't let her children go. It just doesn't seem right.

I know, from my good friends Jordan and Whitney (who would be mortified if they took one look at my closet), that decluttering and creating space is a refreshing and rejuvenating experience. Perhaps I don't have much personal experience with this because of my desire to keep and save, but I can only imagine how it must feel to not have to shove clothes aside to fit the adorable new cardigan I just bought, into its new home. Aw, what a relief that would be.

My newest goal: declutter. I must clean out my closet and my drawers, going through every single article of clothing and asking myself, "do I really need this?" Aren't you proud girls?

This will be a difficult task, but I feel confident that I can overcome my tendencies to save, and let go of the things I should have said goodbye to years ago. Sounds like a somewhat daunting task. Well, wish me luck.