#reorganizing all of my collections because I currently have no room to display anything

[lupusanghren]

Lost in the sauce

[getbacktoworknovice]

Blog Bois; Intro

[Hey guys~! I wrote up this little intro for my bois so y’all could get to know them and get an idea of what the’re like~ They also live on this blog so if you want to ask them anything or learn about them all you have to do is ask~ I hope you all like them~]

Jack had his tongue poked out in concentration, wanting to make sure he had the mixture nice and even as he poured it into the pan. Next to casseroles and curry, cakes were his favorite thing to make in the kitchen. He made them from scratch and he was always trying something new with the icing and presentation, especially when it came to his cake decorating classes, but today he was keeping it simple as he was just baking for his roommates. 

One of them, his cousin Aiden, had left about an hour ago, wanting to take some pictures of the rainfall as it was pouring outside. Jack had gotten him a waterproof case for his phone as a present as Aiden had spent so much money replacing screens and headphone jacks. It had been a very good investment. 

As if on cue, Aiden came in the back door, shaking the rain out of his hair though it wasn’t helping at all. He was soaked. Jack blinked curiously at his cousin as the man hung his jacket on one of the hooks they’d hung by the backdoor and came over to sit at the bar-style breakfast nook they used as a table, setting his camera bag on top. 

"You know that jacket has a hood right? " Jack asked him curiously as Aiden dug out his camera. The reddish brown-haired man looked up at him like he had no idea why that would matter.

“I like the way the rain feels,” He said, beckoning his younger cousin over. “Come, come, look at the pictures I took.” He insisted, wanting to share. Jack shook his head with a smile, hopping over to take a peek at his pictures. 

“I thought you were going to use your phone?” Jack asked as Aiden cycled through the pictures, showing him the ones he had taken of the cloudy, rainy outdoors. 

“I did at first but I swapped them because my camera doesn't take as good of a picture.” He said. Once Aiden had finished showing him the pictures he looked up and finally seemed to realize that jack was in the middle of something. “Oh, what are you making?” He asked curiously as Jack seemed to realize that he hadn't finished his cake yet. 

“Oh!” He said scurrying back over to the pan. “I’m making a red velvet cake for dessert tonight, I’m making chicken caesar wraps for dinner since it's Wednesday.” He explained and Aiden groaned, putting his camera back in its bag. 

“Ugh, I wish it was Saturday, I hate waiting for his cheat day to have something fried.” He admitted, resting his cheek in his hand. Vincent, the third roommate who had been friends with Aiden since high school, followed a pretty strict regiment with his workout and was very serious about his physical health. The man was a machine. Since Jack was in charge of the kitchen he had wanted to make meals that everyone could enjoy instead of Vincent having to buy and prepare his own meals separately. So they had all agreed to follow his eating habits as they were better for them anyway.

But boy did Aiden miss his fried foods. 

“That's what the cake is for,” Jack assured him as he put it in the oven, switching on the oven light to keep an eye on it as the oven had already preheated and then moved to prepare dinner. Aiden got up and both stopped in their movements when they heard a thumping from upstairs. 

“Ah speak of the devil,” Aiden said as Jack giggled. Since it was raining outside Vincent had to do his workout routine inside. He never went to a gym and did all his exercises and activities at home or at work. So instead of going for a run, he was up in his room running in place. It made a lot of noise. “I’ll go tell him dinners being made.’ Aiden offered, slinging his bag over his shoulder and heading towards the stairs.

The townhouse they all shared was cozy with a lot of personal touches from all of them making the place really feel like home. Aiden had some of his favorite photos on display next to posters of cute anime girls that Jack liked and artwork that Vincent had done. Vincent had insisted on just tossing them in the trash but Jack had framed them so he felt like they had to stay. 

The bookshelves they had were littered with books of all types. Photography books, cookbooks, workout books, fashion, and art books for various movies and games. Cups of random things like pens and pencils and measuring cups were here and there as well as a few snowglobes from Aidens collection. Aprons and workout gear were scattered around the living room as well as jackets and clothes and shoes. 

Aiden knew they needed to clean up soon and he was waiting for a day they were all off as he made them both help him clean. Aiden was the most organized and responsible of the three so he handled pretty much everything in terms of running the house. The budget, the cleaning, the reorganizing, and disinfecting that was all on him. Vincent and Jack weren’t lazy by any means just busy, well jack more so than Vincent. 

Jack was a culinary student at the local college where Aiden used to go and Vincent...well, Vincent was a different story. Aiden knocked on his door, hearing the running in place stop as he poked his head in. 

Vincent was stretching his arms when he looked over at him. “Sorry, rains got me a bit stir crazy.” He said, thinking he had come to get on his case about the noise he was making. Aiden shook his head, leaning against the doorframe. 

“Nothing to apologize for just wanted to let you know Jack’s making chicken caesar wraps for dinner.” He explained as Vincent stretched out his back. Aiden heard a very loud pop. 

“Oh cool, those are always good,” He said sitting down to stretch his legs. “Reminds me I need to go to the store and get some more salad, we’re almost out.” He said and Aiden nodded. 

“I put it on the list.” He said, giving Vincent a curious yet knowing look. “How was work?” He asked and Vincent only gave him a look in response. Currently, Vincent worked at a warehouse that manufactured car parts and he was the youngest of all the workers. The work wasn't bad but because he was young he got a lot of flack from the older guys, especially in terms of strength. He always worked his ass off but it never seemed to be enough, his hours just kept getting cut. 

He hated it. 

“About as good as it always goes.” Was all Vincent said, groaning a bit as he felt a muscle in his leg pull a bit, easing off of it and leaning back on his hands with a sigh. “I know I’ve been short on rent the past few months but I’m lookin’ for another job, I got an interview at the convenience store on the corner tomorrow and I think it’ll be a pretty easy get.” He said. “The pay is crap but they’ve got the hours so…” He said. “I’m gonna try and make it up to you.” He said honestly and Aiden couldn't help but feel bad. 

Aiden himself had gone to college and graduated and gotten a job in a field he loved and a well paying one at that. Jack was a student but already had a job at his favorite restaurant, tutoring under a really sweet older guy who already wanted to give the kid a permanent place in his staff once he graduated. Vincent...had a bit of a rougher go at things. 

He graduated college but he struggled to find a job in his major and he’d been trying to find one for three years. No one would hire him because of his lack of experience but he worked harder and learned faster than anyone Aiden knew and he had no idea how it felt to not be able to do the thing he loved. It really made him feel for Vincent. 

He never showed it but it depressed him greatly. 

“Well, I may have something part-time you could do.” Aiden offered and Vincent looked up at him curiously. 

“What like be a photographer? I’m terrible at that.” He said as he had never taken a decent picture in his life. Aiden laughed.

“Oh God no, I’d never put you behind the camera,” he insisted making the other man grumble at him. “No I was thinking of putting you in front of one.” He said and vincent gave him a curious look. 

“Okay…” He said and Aiden dug through his camera bag, pulling out a business card and crossing the room to hand it to him. Vincent looked it over curiously, seeing it was a pretty simple card with a very...fun logo.

“I work with a guy who goes to conventions, big ones all over the world,” Aiden explained. “He does cosplay videos and interviews and he’s looking for models to start his own kind of group to take with him for advertising purposes.” He explained and Vincent looked a bit more interested. “I take the cosplay photos for him sometimes when I can make it to conventions and do those paid photoshoots,” he said. 

“Okay, so what, you want me to carry his stuff around?” Vincent asked sarcastically, as Aiden and Jack always joked about him being the mule since he was the strongest of them. Aiden shook his head. 

“No, he’s looking for models dum dum,” Aiden teased, pointing at him. “You’d be perfect, especially for his Marvel stuff,” Aiden said and Vincent blinked.

“You want me to be a cosplayer?” Vincent said incredulously. 

“A professional cosplayer yes,” Aiden said. “The money is good and you get to travel and you get to meet new people all while being dressed up like Captain America or Ruroni Kenshin,” Aiden said, naming two of his favorites. Vincent perked a little at that, looking at the card with renewed curiosity. “Just give him a call,” Aiden said. “There’s no harm in trying right?” He assured him and Vincent gave a hum of thought before hearing Jack call from downstairs. 

“Dinners ready guys~!” 

Aiden turned and left the room, going to his own to put his camera bag away and Vincent got up, putting the card on his desk and tapping it a bit before moving to head downstairs. 

Dinner was pretty basic in terms of conversation, Jack talking about classes and Vincent listening while dropping a sarcastic quip here and there with Aiden just listening quietly. It was the same routine as every night and Aiden couldn't help but wonder if perhaps that would change soon. 

[bffhreprise]

Entry 348

 Today’s job was for a man with a name I was enjoying through a large number of scenarios in my head.  Mr. Common wasn’t at all a common person, being wealthy and not quite human, though I wasn’t precisely sure what the other part was, though I was leaning toward some type of fey we didn’t have in the forest at home.

 He had asked me here today to install a new display for his large coin collection, and I was currently making a show of struggling a little to carefully remove one of the large cases from the hand truck I used to haul it inside.  Unbeknownst to him, I had simply ran the equipment here along with the truck after making sure there were no witnesses around.  The… strange… way I had of knowing things was getting stronger lately, allowing me to view distant areas with ease if I wasn’t careful.  Something about Best Friend For Hire was changing me, a scary thought, but… I was more okay with the change than I had been about anything involving my other half today, though I was still keeping the ability in check with an effort of will at the moment.

 If I grew too distracted spying on the ballroom at home, instead of just listening in on the conversations, I’d have a small chance that I’d make some small error in my work, which was completely unacceptable.  My scenarios always depicted James as not really minding small mistakes, but how accurate could they be, being purely speculative imagining on my part?  Besides, one should always complete quests as perfectly as possible, and every job for Best Friend For Hire was a quest to me!

 “If you don’t mind, I’m going to check on some things in the other room.” stated Mr. Common, who had been awkwardly rubbing his hands for the past couple of minutes after I assured him several times that I wouldn’t need help.

 I certainly couldn’t blame the slightly short man from worrying about a much shorter girl struggling with very solid display cases, but I had some gadgetry that could be used for lifting if he actually watched me too much.  Getting things done without him actively viewing me would be a blessing, these days only partially because I didn’t like being watched.

 After waiting what seemed to be a very human pause before responding, I carefully made words, saying, “P-Please do.  This r-really won’t… t-take long.”  I knew my speaking was still off slightly.  Despite talking much more frequently than I had for most of my life, I still hadn’t mastered forming words over the small eternities it took.  Someday, I might.  I wasn’t a monster.  I had friends.  Even Deyanira was back in my life again, friendlier than ever before.

 As I worked, slightly faster than a person probably could manage, I listened to the chanting back home.  Assuming the girls were following James’ instructions, Dani’s Luxa would be dancing around an altar in Ancient Tribes of Earth while Kayla and Iris’ characters did the chanting.  By the time they finished, I already had the display cases in place, stacking and tying the old ones on my hand truck.

 Llameths’ Keep?  The conversation between the girls repeated itself a few times in my head.  A new area had opened after finishing the ritual, apparently giving them a quest to find an underground keep.  I really wanted to see this.

 Instantly, I was seeing the girls seated in the ballroom with James standing behind them, looking on curiously.  Everything was visible to me at once.  Every scent reached me as clearly as if I was nearby.  I could hear their organs at work, but I couldn’t turn their characters to allow me to see into the game world better.  Blocking out the sensations, I decided to cheat a little extra on sorting the coins into their new homes.

 By the time Mr. Common was walking into the room, I was down to the very last row of the very last case, making an exaggerated show of the care I took in moving his precious coins.  Unlike him, I was very aware that a slight twitch of my fingers could turn the coin into slag.  Needing to treat everything as delicate, I had plenty of experience in caution.

 “Daddy, any ideas?” questioned Dani hopefully.  Her and the others had been discussing the clue they saw in the cave, but they apparently weren’t sure what to do yet.

 “I am… shocked.  You had assured me that this wouldn’t take long, but…” he started, taking a moment to carefully tug at one of the cases with his other hand prepared to catch it should it move.  The case didn’t even wiggle, of course.  “It’s solid!  And this is the bulletproof glass detailed on your website?” he asked, careful not to touch the “glass”.

 “T-Technically, not glass, b-but… yes.  B-Bulletproof.” I assured him with a nod, careful not to meet his eyes.  Figuring out how to be respectful without meeting someone’s eyes had taken practice when I was little, but Mom made me practice, knowing my eyes would scare people if they caught the color in light.

 Mr. Common was grinning, staring at how the new display light illuminated each coin.  He tried the touchpad, practically dancing when the coin he selected was lifted and flipped over inside of the case.  “And if anything goes wrong…?” he started asking.

 Nodding, I said, “F-Fully… covered.”

 I knew what was coming far before he reached me, hugging me impulsively.  With a much smaller effort of will than I once needed, I remained still, listening in on the conversation at home while ignoring the sensation.

 James had teased Dani about not being there with his character, refusing to help her, but Dani knew he was just messing with her.  Mila was transmitting everything to Alma, so she could watch her daughter’s game too.  As strange as Dani’s sudden appearance as their daughter was, James and Alma were very good parents.

 Finally releasing me, Mr. Common asked “Is there anything I… well… I guess you’re hired to be here, but…”  He couldn’t seem to decide on what to say, a feeling I understood very well.  There were always so many options, and making words took concentration, for me at least.

 Shaking my head, I asked “I-Is there anything… I-I… can d-do?”

 “Everything looks to be in perfect order.  Job very well done!” he exclaimed, grinning at me, unaware of the slight bit of cabbage in his tooth.  The cabbage smell still lingered in the kitchen.

 Nodding and smiling without meeting his eyes, I said, “I-I’ll… be off.”

 He followed me to the door, once again looking like he wanted to help me with what probably seemed an extreme load to him.  The moment I was certain no one was watching, I’d grab the company truck and return home.  Just a year ago, I never would have even considered hauling a vehicle with me, but the truck served as advertisement for the company and a disguise for how everything had arrived with me.  Sure, people might wonder how they missed the truck departing, but hardly anyone was likely to get stuck on the vehicle’s sudden absence.

 Back at home, Dani had asked for Alma’s help on deciphering something in the game, but Kayla had explained to her that a unicorn was depicted, and someone used the horn in crafting.  There was also a dragon’s tooth needed, which I already had at my forge in the game.  I could help them!

 “Is Raine home?  She's the guild crafter, right?” questioned Iris.  “She can probably make what we need.”

 They wanted me there!  I quickly searched every possible point which could view the company truck.

 “Dragons are so pretty.” commented Dani in a way that made me wonder what she was remembering them from.

 Finding no possible viewer, I loaded the truck and carefully hauled it home, walking around traffic and occasionally through the air… According to Aaliyah, there was some sort of transformation occurring when I did this, but I didn’t want the details… yet.  Wasn’t ready for that quest.  After delivering the truck and unloading it, I hurried to the ballroom to find Dani’s lips barely shutting from her comment.

 “Wh-where are y-you?” I asked, hoping she’d open the map to show me.  I hadn’t been paying too much attention when they were fighting goblins or dragons earlier, though I knew roughly where they probably were based off those two types of creatures being in relatively close proximity.  Being me, I simply didn’t forget.  Ever.

 “I thought you were on a job.” commented James with an amused look.

 “I-I finished.” I told him, not meeting his eyes.  More than anyone else in the room, he was sure to know I had cheated, but I didn’t think he’d comment on it, not with the number of times I had cheated a little already without comment.

 “She's also gotten another fantastic review.  Mr. Common is quite impressed with how quickly she reorganized his coin collection and thought the new displays are remarkable.” commented Mila.

 I mentally thanked her and added another treat for her in my mental room dedicated to her awesomeness.  She had already told me forty-three times that I didn’t need to thank her so often.  I did my best not to thank her more than once a day now.

 “Excellent.” replied James, his amused look becoming a full-blown smile  “How many coins were there?”

 “Three th-thousand seventy-f-four.” I told him, knowing a pointed question when I heard one.  No human could have installed the displays and sorted the coins that quickly even if they weren’t careful.  Oops.

 “So how long did that take you to plan out?  Half a second?” he teased rather than admonishing me.

 I shook my head, resisting the urge to dance in place at not upsetting him.  James very rarely got upset at anyone, but I didn’t want to be the one who managed to make him angry.  We all owed him so very much, and even if we didn’t, he was so very kind.

 “I actually had images from the collection’s previous displays and designed the new displays based off them with the improved security features.  She installed them and moved the coins.” explained Mila, thankfully saving me from having to use so many words at once.

 “Well, I'm glad he's happy.” insisted James, still smiling as he looked at me.

 “We found a cave!” exclaimed Kayla excitedly.  “Then Dani did this dance thing while Iris and I chanted, and it opened!  There was music and everything!”

 There was a brief moment’s consideration of telling her that I heard that part, but I decided against it.  Too much effort, and there was no need to point out the oddness in listening from miles away.  I was well aware that the soundwaves shouldn’t even reach there.  Like the others, I studied, just at a slightly faster pace.

 “But now we're stuck.” complained Iris.  “We need some sort of items as keys.”

 I nodded and started studying the diagrams on their screens, using my words to get them to change their views.  There was a great deal of unnecessary information, but the basic plans for the key was obvious enough.  Being a well-known crafter with a good reputation had brought many interesting recipes to my shop from hopeful adventurers.  Like the others, this quest was happily accepted.  “I-I’ll deliver.” I informed them, glad to see that Mila was already logging into my character for me.

 “Really?  It's quite a walk.” warned James, underestimating Nekopawpaw’s speed once again.

 Shrugging, I told him “I w-want to come.”  If he thought he was the only one desperately interested in this new find, he was sorely mistaken.  My scenarios argued that he was just trying to be kind again, attempting to dissuade me purely out of kindness.

 “You'll join us!?  Really!?” exclaimed Dani, hopping out of her seat to approach mine.  As I worked, she hugged me from behind and gently petted my head.  “You're the best!” she exclaimed before remembering that James was nearby.  I felt her turn toward him as she said, “Don't worry, Daddy.  You’re the best Daddy.”

 “Thank you.” he replied with a chuckle.

 With the abundantly stocked warehouse that Ashengarde afforded me, I had no problem getting all necessary materials together in short order.

“Did you just make a new anvil?” questioned James, obviously watching my screen.

 I nodded and explained “I'll n-need to make k-key molds there.”  Though I could technically detach my shop’s anvil and bring it along, I wanted to use an anvil from the exact materials described in the diagrams.  Mine probably would have worked perfectly, being forged with the strongest magic currently available in the game—through my potions—specifically for versatile crafting, but this new one definitely would.

 Dani invited me to the group, and Kayla shared their location with me.  Covering the distance only took two potions for a speed boost.  I took longer setting up my portable workshop and creating the keys than I did running to them.

 “How did you get a unicorn horn?” asked Kayla, clearly worried for the poor creature.  “You didn't… kill it… Did you?”

 “I… t-traded for it.” I assured her.  I didn’t go on to explain the small investigation I had done into the characters before accepting the material from them.  If they had killed the unicorn themselves rather than finding it on an orc raiding party, I wouldn’t have traded for it.

 “What about the dragon tooth?” asked Iris, who was showing much more interest in the game today than she had previously.

 “K-knocked it out.” I told her.  Knocking out teeth was actually really easy in the game if you knew what to do and how to time it, but many people struggled with the procedure.  Personally, I liked to find particularly malicious creatures for teeth harvesting.  Leaving them as easier prey didn’t bother me.

 Surprisingly, the questions kept coming as I worked, enough that I considered whether or not I should try teaching them about crafting within the game.  Any of them would probably do fairly well if they kept their focus, though I really did struggle to picture Kayla or Dani showing enough focus.  Iris gave me more hope.

 “You stopped replying in the game.” commented Alma after entering the room and taking a seat on her husband’s lap.

 “Sorry.  I find this distracting.” replied James as he motioned to the screens.

 “Remember what happened last time we fell into a cave?” asked Alma in a way that suggested they had gotten into trouble.  Was she referring to how they accidentally released the demon lords, starting a global event?  James didn’t comment on the matter.

 When I finished crafting the keys, Dani and Kayla each took one and inserted them nearly simultaneously on Iris’ count.

 “It's opening!” excitedly whispered Dani, practically bouncing in her seat.

 With the doors open, we were staring into a beautiful hallway that looked to be made completely of ice.  A set of scenarios set off in my mind to design different ice structures, and I carefully stored the various plans away in the newly created “ice palace” drawer of my mind’s crafting room.

 “Master, the applicant has arrived.” announced Mila.

 James sighed dramatically, depositing his wife on his seat before kissing her.  I forced myself not to stare, though I was still watching and enjoying the subtle play between the two of them.  Inside, I was squealing with delight at their affectionate displays.  I liked the new Alma much more than the old, though I still lacked any reasonable scenario for how the change came to be within two weeks.

 “Thank you, Mila.” replied James as he strolled toward the front doors.

 I could already see the new recruit outside, looking perfectly professional and only a little nervous.  She was fairly tall, much taller than me, though she’d look short next to James.  With long, dark brown hair and sparkling brown eyes, she was perfectly pretty.  She had the confidence in her stance of someone who was doing well in life.  Without a doubt, she’d still be thrown off by this place.  Part of me considered whether or not I should watch her interview.  Part of me was adamantly against using my strangeness to spy like this, but there was that very curious part, not wanting to miss a moment.  Was watching people from afar really worse than listening in situations like this?

[rodrigohyde]

Everything You Need to Know About Spring Cleaning Your Closet

How to Spring Clean Your Closet

There is something about spring that always seems to inspire cleaning. As temperatures warm up after a long, dark winter spent inside with little opportunity to ventilate with open doors and windows, you might find yourself digging through layers of coats, scarves, and sweaters in your closet. While looking for those warm-weather essentials, you have probably said to yourself, “It's time to clean out this closet.”

RELATED: 8 Ways to Give Your Bedroom Sex Appeal

This means it’s the perfect time for a good spring cleaning. We talked to some experts who know a thing or two about how to get a closet organized and keep it that way. It’s not as difficult a task as you might think.

Start With a Plan

First things first: Don’t be too hard on yourself if you have accumulated a lot to deal with since the last time you cleaned out the closet). Not everything has to be tackled at once. California Closets design consultant Nicole Caswell recommends tackling one section at a time so the whole project isn’t overwhelming.

“The easiest way to to start the decluttering process is to really see what you’ve got. Go into the project knowing your end goal,” says Caswell. “Do you want to minimize your wardrobe, display your clothing, or organize your pieces by season? You will more likely achieve a well-organized closet if you are focused on a specific end result.”

“Avoid stress with a realistic goal,” San Francisco-based professional organizer Molly Cole of Cole + Co. tells us. “A lot of my clients tell me they feel like they make an even bigger mess when they try to organize their closets.” She advises that even if you only get rid of a couple of items, you’ll feel better about your project if you achieve what you initially set out to do. “Have a plan for the items you decided to part with [and] remember to give yourself time to make that run to [a donation center such as] Goodwill.”

Michael Dimopoulos of Lazy Susans Cleaning Service in New York City recommends taking the following into consideration before starting: “If I’m just seasonally rotating my wardrobe, I need to be clever about what stays and what goes, in the event that I need to find a particular item.”

Know Your  Personal Limits

“Our closets are extremely personal, and there is not a ‘one method fits all’ approach to reorganizing your belongings,” points out Caswell. “Some might want to toss out their items and save the bare minimum, while others may want to keep everything and maximize their storage space.”

“Any method that gets you past procrastination is the best one for you,” agrees Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, clothing resale app Mercari’s finance expert and founder of Ask The Money Coach. “[According to a recent Mercari study] Americans currently have an estimated $93 billion in unused stuff cluttering our homes … just take the first step!”

The KonMari Method is the organizing method du jour, but watch for variations on the theme. “It’s important to remember that nostalgia is not your friend,” says Cole. “Many people want to hold on to items, not because they have any practical use, but simply because it brings up memories” She encourages her clients to think about the actual memory an item is connected to. Does it bring up a happy memory or a sad one? “If it’s the latter, it’s probably time to let it go,” she says.

“KonMari is very popular, but I found that it wasn’t for me,” The Container Store’s closet buyer Jimmy Seifert says. “It’s extreme … We like to hold on to things that have meaning … It’s easy to get rid of something that you’ve been holding on for years if it doesn’t mean much to you.” He swears by the Japanese minimalism book titled “Goodbye Things,” wherein author Fumio Sasaki changes his life by getting rid of everything he doesn’t absolutely need. “That actually pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone.”

RELATED: How Often You Should Be Replacing Your Sheets

Seifert recommends hiring a service, suggesting that some can even help with a move; purging, packing, and organizing as you leave one dwelling for another.

“It’s very important to give your space a once-over and remove items — especially big ones — that you want to get rid of before you start,” Cole says as a big believer in purging before organizing. “This clears up space and makes organizing much easier in the long run. I like to designate a space for those items outside the ‘organizing zone’ so you’re not stepping over anything or creating more clutter.”

Jordan Barnes, senior director of brand and communications at Mercari, likes to follow this rule of thumb: If you haven’t worn it or used it in a year, get rid of it. “Take a good look at all the stuff in your closet you’re no longer using,” she says. “Think about why you bought it. Maybe you moved to a new city with different weather. Maybe you upgraded to a newer phone. Maybe you just never got around to actually wearing those athletic shoes. You bought all that stuff for good reason [and] so will someone else.”

Maximize the Most Minimal Space

Even professional organizer Dimopoulos admits to feeling the limitations of space. “Living in New York City, unfortunately most of us don’t have much of a choice but to keep some things in off-site storage. You could vacuum-seal heavier items such as coats jackets, and bags, and stack them on top of one and other to maximize the space … or the lack of it.”  

Start by paying attention to how you fold. Cole recommends the KonMari folding method (check out YouTube for how-tos) for storing items vertically in drawers, maximizing space and accessibility. Sort clothes in the closet by type, then color. “Organizing is not just about clearing clutter; it’s also about making things aesthetically pleasing,” she points out. “I like to use this notion when organizing a closet, primarily because [it] tends to involve a lot of daily decision-making … which can cause stress and anxiety. If you wake up to a nicely organized closet, you’ll not only feel less stressed as you get dressed for work, but you’ll also feel a great sense of accomplishment when you get that daily reminder of the hard work you put in to organizing that space.”

The Container Store

“When I am done with everything, I then have the space to coordinate and organize T-shirts, hanging or folded together, long-sleeved T-shirts, sweaters, shirts, jeans, trousers, etc.,” Dimopoulos agrees. “Everything has room to breathe. The ability to see everything is important. I now feel lighter and cleansed and have a sense of being organized.”

Caswell likes utilizing boxes, jewelry drawers, slide-out pant racks, and cabinet doors to store, display, and organize clothing. “When everything has its place, clutter is eliminated,” she points out. “When hanging clothing, make sure to purchase higher quality hangers that are preferably all the same. By keeping hangers, boxes, and containers consistent, your closet looks instantly cleaner.”

Of course, as a buyer for The Container Store, Seifert isn’t short on storage ideas. “Basic shoe storage is probably the most common issue. We also have hangers for just about anything: wooden are best if you have the space, but we also have space-saving ones. Bins and storage boxes are next: I use bins for things that I wear often, keeping them lower in my closet so I can see them. Boxes go up high for seasonal stuff. We also recommend drawer dividers to keep like items together. We have plastic versions, as well as cedar to prevent pests [such as moths].”

RELATED: How to Make Your Apartment Look Bigger

Seifert also shared his thoughts on plastic, both for its environmental impact, as well as whether it’s good for clothing storage. “It depends on what you’re storing,” he says. “We use the phrase ‘fur, feathers, and leathers.’ All of those things need to breathe. If they don’t, they can deteriorate or get moldy, so we recommend cotton storage for them. I wouldn’t put them in a box: Bins are best, or hangers. Cottons and synthetic materials are fine in plastic, though — I use clear plastic boxes for all my sweaters.

“As an alternative to plastic, we carry a brand of post-consumer fiberboard boxes from Sweden called Bigso,” he continues. “If you’re going to buy plastic, buy high-quality products that will last a long time and that don’t have to be replaced often because they crack and break easily. When you are done with them, they can be recycled.”

Donate, Sell, and Recycle the Rest

Still, now that your closet has been organized and styled, donate what you can’t sell to local charities. “It’s a good idea to review your items at least once a year,” says Caswell, “and if you don’t wear it, find it another home.”

Dimopoulos is a big believer in giving away clothes such as great sweaters, jackets, bags, and coats. “Luckily, I’ve always had someone in my life whose taste in clothes I admired … and who had the best brands that I couldn’t afford,” he says. “I love hand-me-downs. In fact, [over half] of my leather jackets, luxury brand bags, wallets, and coats are from upscale brands that I’d never buy at full retail.” Don’t be afraid to give things to friends and family that might not be as concerned that last season’s styles aren’t exactly “au courant.”

He even suggests doing what he does and always buying second-hand since, by his thinking, it means he saves more. “So yes, I ‘pay it forward’ by donating my excess wardrobe items.”

A quick survey of some of the larger “thrift” charities’ websites suggests that you can donate just about anything, from clothing, shoes, and boots to hats, gloves, and scarves, even some housewares and collectibles. Don’t donate things like personal care items and fragrance. The “Golden Rule” of thrifting applies here: Don’t donate to others that which you would not buy yourself (even if you’re not a second-hand shopper).

Toss or better yet, recycle pilled knits, clothing with holes, used swimsuits, underwear and socks … and anything that smells too bad to ever freshen up or that is badly stained. There are resources for clothing recycling such as Planet Aid which focuses on specific populous areas, TerraCycle which allows for bulk shipping of old textiles, and Earth911 which has an easy search feature that makes it quick and easy to find a drop-off location near you.

If you feel like taking the time, this is also the point at which your discipline may turn profitable. Apps and websites such as Let Go, Mercari, Grailed, Poshmark, The Real Real, even Amazon or the granddaddy of them all, eBay, may allow you to turn certain items back into cash. If you’re a real brand or label fan who has only worn your expensive things a few times or less, this has more potential than clothes or accessories that are in your regular rotation.

Khalfani-Cox suggests doing a quick search to see how much items similar to yours are selling for. That will help you decide whether it’s worth the effort to sell them or just make a donation. “For things you’d like to donate, bear in mind that, over the past few months, organizations like Goodwill say they’ve been overwhelmed due to the popularity of the KonMari tidying method,” she says.

A New Hope

Once those donations are made, Seifert recommends paring down shopping habits now that you’ve got room for a fresh start. “I find myself buying things that aren’t as trendy, focusing on more classic items that I can have for years if I take care of them,” he says. “I may have less, but what I do have is higher quality. I buy a lot more solid colors so I end up purchasing less all around. That’s a good next step.”

Spring is always a great season to whip that closet into shape and start the green season fresh. Remember, this is not reality TV: Do things at your own pace and set realistic goals. Ask an expert for advice, which could be an organized friend, a hired hand, or even just found within the pages of a book. Be sure to have a clear separation between the “toss pile,” and what you’re keeping.

If you live in a small space, and can afford it, don’t overlook off-site storage if that’s the best solution for you. The “spark joy” conversation may be one best saved for your therapist … even Martha Stewart admits to having a bit of a hoarding mentality. Once you’re done, remember to sell, give away, or donate your cast-offs to your favorite charity.

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How to Upgrade Your Wardrobe for Each Decade of Your Life Your Comprehensive Guide to Packing a Carry-On Like a Pro How to Bring Pantone's Color of the Year Into Your Home from AskMen Style https://www.askmen.com/style/fashion_advice/how-to-spring-clean-your-closet.html

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#personal

These days I can’t leave my house too late on a Friday night.  If I do I always end up having an escort.   Some kid from the neighborhood in a spider-man hoodie watching my back.  Mostly to the gas station and back.  People keep close tabs on me regardless.  More so these days than ever.  These days are admittedly kind of weird and confusing for everybody.  I was reading about the outcome of the Mueller investigation and it is plausible there was no collusion.  We’ll never know really.  But ultimately, Trump isn’t a person who particularly cares all that much about America.  He represents something very real that gurgles and spurts out of swamps and cesspools.  He and his followers unabashedly admit it.  Some people even seem to have grown to accept the turbulence.  Others like myself have realized the other glaringly obvious fact.  These people aren’t particularly smart.  The Bannon article in Vogue taught me one other thing.  When confronted and put on the spot, most of these people would rather feign ignorance and run away.  They’re slippery like that.  But ultimately they are guided and fueled by finite resources and unsustainable behaviors on the world stage.  And the obvious churn of the global economy has something to answer to for our bad leadership no doubt.  Some might argue this was all very necessary.  To demean and attack women.  To promote xenophobia and stoke division.  About the only two people I really pay attention to in politics are Ilhan and AOC.  There are often times I disagree but feel engaged in a common dialogue.  I see women in power representing very diverse views on a world stage.  Everyone is watching us.  I was reading about Iran’s “resistance” to current trends in American politics.  I took to the tone of it very immediately.  It felt measured.  I’ve been thinking about Iran a lot in terms of cinema.  Cinema has always been the most honest eye into culture for me.  Chan Wook Park and Bong Joon Ho were the first people to introduce me to Korea cinema.  I learned the basics of a language completely alien to me through their aid.  In China exactly one province over from my favorite city in the universe, Jia Zhangke’s “The Platform” introduced me to forbidden cinema.  His films were banned.  He was a breakdancer at some point I’ve read.  Banned films are always sort of an oddity.  In America, it seems we are only attracted to the most shocking of things.  Nuances and tenderness are always lost in a sea of words.  Although Mandy was pretty fucking good for the record.

I watched the first part of into the spider-verse on the couch last week.  I needed to be in the right state of mind to finish it.  Truthfully, a lot of things have been asked of me over the course of I don’t know how long.  Here it’s been a running record.  A tally for the right people to understand where I’m coming from.  And largely it’s been the only place these days where I feel like I have a voice.  Voting aside.  I started reading the Auge book on the super modern and non-spaces.  Whereas years ago, tribes of people were more focused on creating TAZ’s (temporary autonomous zones) Auge says solitude has evolved into an important archeological fact.  I’ve been alone for a really long time.  It’s a dull ache at times and other times it’s directly in my face.  The reality of it all.  For better or for worse.  It’s all backwards at this point.  I’ve been thinking a lot about fog of war.  People seem to think I act in tandem with some group.  Like I’m some sort of movement.  People exaggerate and project their fears all too often.  All too often we react.  Give up valuable information.  One of the most amazing talents to me about models on the runaway is their ability to visually display a sort of poetry of form.  That there is no real differentiation between the outfit and the wearer.  There’s a performance in that.  One displayed most eloquently between a collaboration by Merce Cunningham and Rei Kawakubo.  An intersect of movement, design and the celebration of the human form.  Becoming something else or becoming more at peace with the moment.  Fashion and grace are linked together in our minds.  Men’s street wear notwithstanding.  Undercover introduced me to Nike through their running gear years ago.  Before that Jun’s aesthetic spoke to me as a sort of disruption.  A return to punk but not in the burn all your record collection and start up a label.  I bought this sweatshirt in the madstore once in parco that said “we make noise not clothes.”  Ironically years later, nobody remembers a thing I did musically.  A friend from Korea in town only jogged my memory about a show I did for Seoul Community Radio.  I remember recording it before they ever set up the video stream.  They were friends of some people from Cakeshop.  I had visited Seoul a total of fourteen times.  Next week will be my third trip to New York this year.  The streets are a runway out there.  And the streets are always watching.  And somehow I seem to remain free to roam about the cabin.  Effortlessly draped in the same old shit with maybe a bagel from Katz and a trip to the Rick Owens showroom on a whim.

I’ve been running to podcasts a lot more lately.  The last one I did was a five mile.  At the end, the coach asks you to run for someone who really inspires you.  It’s at the end of the fourth mile.  It hurts.  You push through and you think of that person.  The other day I was skating near the train yards.  Somebody ran right through.  Kept pushing through unfamiliar terrain.  Me deadass in their face with not much patience left in the world.  And somehow I know when it’s ok and when it’s complete bullshit.  Because I care enough to pay attention.  If America in this cycle of politics teaches anyone anything, people will say anything to get elected.  People make promises to everyone.  But people always end up watching from behind the scenes.  And you can’t hide anywhere.  I guess the real question is what are you actually hiding from?  The old “what is it where is it how will it affect me?”  The first question people want to know is “why should I care?”  Sell me on this empathy thing.  You have thirty seconds.  Shoot.  Nobody has the luxury of time.  Nobody seems to have an endgame.  Nobody talks to each other and everybody is afraid.  Which is why people need inspiration sometimes.  Being a hero is something I read all too much about.  I grew up on comics.  It was only maybe last April that my dad sent me home with my entire collection.  I think they were getting ready to sell that house.  Either way I’ve spent a lot of my time revisiting and reorganizing the things I’ve been inspired by over the years.  They always come back to haunt me.  These days I can’t shake the things that inspire me.  There’s too much love there.  It seems to affect things around me lately.  For awhile I think people couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t react.  Why I was so secretive.  Why I said things without really saying them.  Why I choose my words wisely.  Why I focused so intently on the things that meant so much to me without even questioning.  I questioned a lot of myself in my back room for months.  What it was that I was doing.  The truth was I was sharing power.  Because I care about the future of America.  The only person I colluded with was someone I love very dearly.  Because I care about her too.  If she doesn’t know by now I figure the best way to show it is by saying absolutely nothing at all.  Isn’t that how it works in movies.  Then I pop out of the void of La Guardia and say some dumb shit like “i love you babe” vanishing off into the night in my dilapidated tech wear.  I’ll leave the spider-man costumes to the pros.  <3 Tim