My Konmari Journey Part #4: CDs and DVDs

The next section in the Konmari Method is Komono or miscellaneous items. This category includes everything that's not clothes, books, papers or sentimental items i.e. most of your belongings. Mari includes several subcategories and I'll be adding on a few of my own to cover all of my belongings. First up is CDs and DVDs so let's jump in!

Three Things November

Ah, I can't believe that November is almost over! It'll be Christmas and then 2016 before we know it! I definitely have some things that I want to finish before the end of the year but for now, here's a look at some of the things that have been keeping me busy in November.

I've been dipping my toes in some new creative endeavors lately. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen these Bible journaling pages. Above are three of my favorites so far.

1. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Cor. 16:14
2. The Character of Stephen Acts 6
3. Love your neighbor as yourself. Lev. 19:18

My other creative outlet lately has been adult coloring! So relaxing! I like to do it in the evening to relax and unwind while watching tv. There is something that makes me feel good when I color inside of the lines.

1. Coloring supplies-colored pencils and water color pencils
2. Coloring books-Color the Psalms and Today is Going to Be a Great Day
3. Two finished coloring pages

Since doing Project 333 and starting the Konmari Method, I've been focusing on getting rid of things rather than shopping but I've had the shopping bug lately. My closet has definitely shrunk and my hubby has lost a ton of weight this year and needed some new clothes so we decided to plan a shopping weekend. Floridians must love to shop because we had quite a few outlet malls to choose from for our adventure. We ended up going to one in Orlando and then hitting up Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney). Above are a few of my favorite purchases.

1. A gorgeous 50s appropriate dress from White House Black Market
2. An abstract floral print Fossil purse
3. Disney scarves-one Star Wars and one hidden Mickey

I was really happy with these and my other purchases. I've been keeping a list of wardrobe wants so I can be strategic about growing my wardrobe so it won't get out of hand again. I'm really big on quality so I'm willing to acquire things slowly, save up for key pieces and shop around for deals on good brands so I can afford quality things. I was very happy that I didn't get distracted!

On the sewing front, I'm still definitely in refashion mode. It's been great to get to wear improved versions of things I loved but didn't quite work. These are the next few projects I'm planning on doing.

1. Take in yellow Bernie Dexter Dress (too big)
2. Super hero apron for the hubby
3. Re-refashion rose print polka dot skirt since it came out too big

My Konmari Journey Part #3: Papers

There's even more decluttering going on over here at Girl with the Star-Spangled Heart! In today's video, I'm tackling papers. I don't know about you, but I dislike paperwork. Blah! Thankfully, Mari Kondo agrees with me. Time to get rid of those uneccessary papers!


Next up, I'll be diving into the Kimono or miscellaneous category. After CDs and DVDs, there will be a few categories I think you guys will really enjoy-skin care, makeup and accessories! I can't wait!

A Skirt Makeover: Florida Oranges

At the halfway point in my fall Project 333, I'm realizing that I need to get my butt in gear if I want to finish the rest of the refashions before the three months are over! So this weekend, I finished a refashion of one of my Pin Up Girl Clothing Jenny skirts.

The skirt features a super cute orange boarder print that I feel in love with when I first saw it! While I'm sure the designers had California in mind when they selected this print, I thought it would be just perfect for sunny Florida. Yummy!

The skirt is made out of a great stretch cotton but the fabric is really thick. In it's original state, this skirt was gathered instead of pleated. It had been pretty much gathered to the maximum allowed by the fabric. Kudos to PUG for not skimping on fabric but it meant taking in the skirt wasn't going to happen without removing some of the width or changing to pleats.

Plus, the skirt just never seemed as flattering on my figure as I thought it should be. Now I know that a slimmer skirt that is pleated is more flattering for me that a very full, gathered skirt.

And after I saw Lauren of American Duchess do just such a refashion on her orange Jenny skirt this summer, I knew mine would meet the same fate someday. And I'm so happy that I finally did it!

 Oh, I feel like this skirt is just so much more flattering now! You can check out the original skirt paired with this exact same top here.

I have another Jenny skirt that I can't wait to do the same makeover on. Must refashion all of the gathered skirts!

 Do you prefer a gathered or pleated skirt?

My Konmari Journey Part #2: Books

The Konmari process is going well! The second category in this method is books. Now I am a book lover so I thought this category was going to be very difficult. Plus, I paired down to one book shelf of books from two when we moved from Ohio.

I used to read all the time. No really, all the time. But as I've gotten older and busier and found more hobbies, my reading time has gone way down. On thing Mari Kondo talks about in her book is that you should focus on keeping your Hall of Fame books. This really resonated with me since I do have a few titles/series/authors that I can read again and again and again. And then there are other books which I enjoyed but if I never got around to reading them again, I'd be ok.



So in the end, I was actually really surprised with the amount of books I was able to part with. The ones that I have left really are my favorites. And maybe I'll have to venture out to the library more often. The branch nearest me is pretty small but I can always request titles from other branches and they actually have a nice collection of ebooks that I can check out for my Nook. And now that I work at a bookstore, my list of new titles that I want to read is quickly growing....

Are you a book hoarder or do you prefer to have only your favorite titles? What's your collection like? More fiction or reference titles?

Polka Dot Do Over

I adore polka dots! They are so much fun and can really be dressed up or down. Plus polka dots are a hubby approved print so it's a win win in my book.

White with blue polka dots! Navy and white has become my go to color combo. They look great together and since they are both neutrals, you can pair them with pretty much any other color.

This skirt started out as a very cute polka dot dress. But as with any off the rack woven dress, it had some fit issues in the bodice. Between the fit issues and the fact that my bra always showed under the arms, it didn't get worn nearly as much as it should.

 So I did a quick refashion to turn it into a skirt! I just needed a waist band which I made from the bodice fabric. I was even able to salvage the original zipper so the only thing I needed was some interfacing for the waist band.

I also decided to take advantage of the fact that I was taking this dress apart and added pockets. Everything is better with pockets! The remainder of the bodice yielded the fabric for the pockets. Pockets take surprisingly a lot of fabric so I did end up having to piece one of the pockets.

Pockets and twirling are full of win! I've actually worn this skirt a ton since finishing the refashion. It feels so good to give something new life in my closet.

 And I get loads of compliments when I wear it. I guess everyone else loves polka dots too. :D

I feel like this piece really speaks to my style. The overall shape and length say elegant but the print and pockets are all fun and whimsy! There's nothing like wearing clothes that make you feel like you!

I also added my Star Wars rebel necklace for a bit of nerd flair. While I was at work, it occurred to me that this would be a great R2D2 Disney bound. I just need a pair of R2D2 Mickey ears.

 I'll have to keep that in mind for my next Disney adventure. I have gobs of ideas for Disney bounds. It's such a fun thing to do!

What's your thoughts on polka dots? Are they full of win or just too much?

My Konmari Journey Part #1: Clothes

I've started the Konmari decluttering process! Yay! Mari has you start with clothing which I think is great because most people have so many items of clothing that they don't wear, don't love, don't fit, etc. And while I have done quite a bit of wardrobe purging over the last year, there is still more to be done!

I'm bending the rules a bit for this category since I'm also in the middle of my fall Project 333. I've decided not to unpack the clothing that is currently packed away but I do have some pieces here and there that aren't part of my capsule wardrobe but aren't boxed up yet either so that's what I'm going through. I'll come back to the rest of my clothing later when I'm getting ready to build by winter Project 333.

Project 333 Update: October

Phew! I can't believe it's November already! I have been having a blast with my fall Project 333 so I thought I'd share a little update on how it's going.

Originally, I set out to do 4 refashions. I only completed one but it came out too big (shrinking waist ??) so it needs to be tweaked again. I do have two deconstructed but I just need to put them back together! I've been quite busy with other things but I'm hoping more free time in November to get some sewing done.

There are a few things that haven't been worn yet. One is the green and orange dress. I think it's a bit big now (the belt certainly is!). I really need to try it on and decide if I can alter it or if it is time to part ways. My beach pjs haven't been worn but I knew they weren't going to be worn a lot. My capris are just a bit too casual for work so I haven't worn them yet. Then is the fourth skirt set to be refashioned which I haven't even started taking apart.

 I had one pair of shoes kick the bucket so I'm replacing it with this skirt. I really need more skirts since so many of mine are currently out of commission!

Hopefully, I'll also get to capture more of my November outfits too!