Downsizing my dresser

A few weeks ago I tackled a BIG job: going through a large box of clothes that I hadn't seen (or missed, really) for at least two years (if not longer). I knew it would be too tough to sort through by myself because, while I am the perfect person to help others clean-up, purge, and organize their things, I have huge nostalgia problems when it comes to going through my own items. I have no idea why clothes, among many other things, are so nostalgic to me, but they are. Many of the clothes in this box were from high school or my early 20s, and since I hadn't so much as looked in the box for two years, I knew there were many things that I needed to give away. So I asked Jonathan to help me as I went through the clothes. Anything he said didn't fit me anymore, or was too out of style or faded or stained to wear out in public, would go into the Give Away pile. It worked! I tried on almost all the clothes in that box that night (there are just socks and pajamas left to go through) and put a good chunk of them into the Give Away pile. But some of the clothes, in order for me to be OK giving them away, had to have one last picture taken. Just for me to remember them by (cause it's not like I don't have any pictures of me wearing them earlier in my life, right?). Now don't worry, I'm not going to post all those pictures here, but I did want to share two of the more memorable (read, hilarious) items with you, just because they make me laugh and you might get a chuckle out of them, too.

Exhibit A:

Sporting my way-too-big and bad-colour-for-me Math Contest T-shirt

I acquired this T-shirt in the spring of my grade 11 year by winning a spot in a math contest sponsored by the local university, Okanagan University College. Yes, I am completely serious, I was in a math contest. When I was in grade 11 our math teacher had all the grade 10-12s take a not-for-credit math test. The top two scores on the test in each grade went on to the valley-wide math competition. I came in third in my class (not such a huge accomplishment since that year there were only fourteen grade 11 students, but the girl who got first was an exchange student from Japan, and I did beat out the science-and-math guy who eventually managed to become valedictorian). It turned out that the girl who got second didn't want to go to the competition and backed out. So I was the next in line and I decided that even though I had guessed on a good number most of the questions, a day off of school to do the competition and then tour the OUC campus wasn't a bad idea. I must say, the test went terribly! I probably still have the paper with the results somewhere. I know I was in the bottom section, and the worst part was that there was one girl at the competition who I knew from violin lessons. She had been a student of my violin teacher until a few years before, so I recognized her and knew her name. She ended up near the top of the list, probably in the top 10 or 20. Yeah, so that was a bit embarrassing, especially since the results sheets included our names, schools and scores... Anyway, so that's the story about my much-too-large, very-yellow math contest shirt. A kind of good memory, but quite a terrible T-shirt that was only ever used as PJs. I hope someone who really likes math finds it at the Bangor Goodwill and really enjoys it, haha.

Exhibit B:

Trying on my Tootsie Pop toque

The rest of the saying on the back

So the first year I was at Southern, 2007-2008, my younger siblings surprised me with a gloriously random birthday present. It was so much fun to open the present and pull out all kinds of fun and crazy things they'd bought at Wal-Mart. Crazy fuzzy socks, colourful tights, some T-shirts, candy (of course), and this Tootsie-Pop toque (or, beanie, as they say down here). Bryn and Tyler thought it was hilarious, and I agreed. None of us had ever seen a Tootsie Pop or watched any commericals about Tootsie Pops, and it was only when Bryn and I showed the toque to our friend and suitemate, Danielle, that we figured out what the saying meant. Thank you ever so much, Danielle, for explaining about Tootsie Pops to us. We might still be in the dark if you hadn't filled us in! So, I think the only time I ever actually wore this toque was for a picture right after pulling it out of the bag of presents. Since I have a plethora of toques (all except for two of which are too big for my puny head), I decided I could give up this one. Hopefully it will keep someone's head and ears warm for the rest of this winter and into the future!

Of course I have stories about all the other items I managed to pry out of my life, but since I've already told them all to Jonathan, I'll leave you with only the two above, and just show you the pile I donated to Goodwill.

The clothes that didn't make the first round of Revamp My Wardrobe

Ahh, it feels good to have these clothes-that-never-really-fit out of my life. I still have a lot of clothes, many that I hardly ever wear, but for now I feel really great for going through the ones that I hadn't worn for the past two years and probably never would have. I'll go through my wardrobe again some other time (my closet needs a thinning out next), but for now it's nice to have a bit more space in my dresser and be able to see all the clothes in my drawers!