Let the Great Schlep of 2012 Commence!

It still feels like it's just the weekend. My unemployed status hasn't really sunk in. Plus I'm stressing myself out with all the stuff I think I have to do. One thing I did accomplish was pre-packing my suitcase! What an adventure!

All of my clothing as of this morning, before the Great Schlep:

Holy Sweatshops, Batman!

And after:

Look! It all fits into my awesome purple suitcase! We are packing shoes and toiletries separately. Also I would like to brag that the clothing in that one purple suitcase are for all seasons (I should say, all California seasons...)

I didn't get a before pic of my closet, but I've gotten rid of like 2/3 of my clothing in the last few weeks, so just picture that.

What remains of my dress/coat collection and my scarf/belt collection. 

Undergarments not shown... ;) but they were culled as well.

One major thing I've cut (even though I chopped the number of clothing items in my closet by half, I still have something for almost any occasion) is makeup. I've decided for a number of reasons to go without:

• I need to replace my mascara and I'm too lazy to go buy it. And without mascara, what's the point of everything else?
• I HATE HATE HATE marketing ploys for makeup. Even the eco-friendly "alternative" cosmetic companies have taglines that read "We aren't trying to change the way you look... just the way you see yourself." BALONEY. I don't like that I have to paint my face to feel beautiful. That's baloney.
• The eco-friendly alternative companies are WAAAAY expensive. I will never pay $20 for a bottle of mascara. And I will never buy into the scam that you need to replace that mascara every few months. I call baloney on that one as well.

So now I'm shorn and makeupless, with far fewer options to dress myself with. At least I'm still wearing girl clothes. I am truly blessed to have a man who lets me throw out my makeup and cut off all of my hair (he does draw the line at ponchos, sadly).

Well, I feel as though I've ranted against the machine enough for one day! In the coming week I'll be packing away some sentimental crap that no one really wants (it's for posterity!) and selecting a few things that I'll need borrowers for, and deciding what to actually pack with me in the car.