I love the beach. And although I refuse to be out in the sun unless I am covered in at least 85 spf and wearing a giant floppy hat I try to spend as much time as possible at the beach during the summer months. Unfortunately I do not live as close to the beach as I want to so one of the challenges I always face is what to wear after a day at the beach which does not involve going home to shower and change. This dress is my little secret weapon. On the hanger it may look a little to "fancy" for the beach but it is just perfect.  It is light enough for a day and with the right accessories and shoes it can be dressed up for a night out on the town. 

The end of the summer is always bittersweet. While driving through the Hamptons this past weekend I drove by a pumpkin farm. My heart skipped a beat at the excitement that my favorite season is fast approaching. I love the fall. I love the colors, the crisp cool air and of course the fashion.  No sooner did my excitement start to fade when I realized that the summer is quickly coming to a close which means no more warm sunny days spent at the beach.  As much as I am looking forward to the crisp cool air and fall fashion I am definitely going to miss spending my weekends at the beach.  Hopefully September will bring us a few more beach days. 

This weekend was the first weekend this summer that I did not spend at the pool or beach. I attempted to reorganize my closet and although it is starting to look great I got bored real quick. My boredom led to me overdoing it with the online shopping. I did grab some awesome deals over at Asos though.  Here are some of the items I was able to pick up. 

And here are some items that I am thinking about getting. If only I had room in my closet. 

Another rainy day in New York City gives me an excuse to do some rainy day shopping. For summer and spring color has been the trend so why not carry that into the fall when the temperatures start to drop and the sea of black and beige trenches arrive. I do own a black trench and I also have a beige one on my wish list but right now I am a bit obsessed with color and am always looking to add something bright to my collection of outer wear. I have managed to find  a few colorful options and they are all under $100. Now I need to decide which one (or two) I will get. 

I live in New York. I have a small closet. I love to shop. I have over 300 pairs of shoes. I need help. 

Over the last few months (possibly year) I have been undergoing a HUGE spring cleaning. The goal is to create a closet that contains lots of amazing pieces but is also nice to look at.  Previously I wrote about my  new shopping rules and as a result I thought it would be time to work on some closet organization rules. 

(1) Spring Cleaning should happen at least 4 times a year
Every year I tell myself I am going to clean out my closet each season and every year I am extremely overwhelmed by the task because I put it off month after month. DH is always saying that if you clean a little bit everyday it will not be so over whelming and I am sad to admit that he is absolutely right. If you clean out your closet at least 4 times a year it will become more manageable. You wont end up with piles of crap that you forgot you had and you will be excited to get dressed in the morning. 

(2) Start with a clean slate
The best way to clean out your closet is to just take everything out and start from scratch. The pile of clothes on your bed may seem like a natural disaster came through your house but it is so much easier to organize everything when you are working with a clean slate. Once you empty out your closet think about what you like and do not like about your closet. You may want to consider getting extra closet rods , hooks, bins or other items that will assist you with staying organized. 

(3) Keep, Donate, Purge
This is the hard part. Trying to decide what will go back into the closet can be a difficult task. Especially if you are one of those people that has a hard time getting rid of stuff. As I go through my closet I try to be as realistic as possible. If I have not worn an item in over 2 years it is time to donate it. If an item has been sitting in the "repair me" bin for over a year then it is time to purge it. If an item doesn't fit then it MUST be donated. If you do not want to donate it because you paid a ton of money for it then consider consigning it or selling it on ebay. You will most likely get some cash that you can use to buy something that you will wear because it fits. Finally if you come to find out that you have 11 pairs of black skinny jeans decide which two are your favorite and donate the rest. Also think about all the room you will have for your future purchases. 

(4) Make your closet inviting
Clothing stores are designed to make people want to buy. This is done by strategically placing items in certain locations in the store as well as organizing items by color and purpose. If you apply the same kind of reasoning to your closet you would be more likely to shop your closet and less likely to spend money on things you already own. First think about the items that you use most often. If you wear business attire 5 days of a week it will make the most sense to place your business attire in the most accessible area of your closet. Sorting by color and type is also very helpful. Having all your dress shirts together will make them easier to find. Sorting by color is also great because it will help you recreate some of the outfits that you see in fashion magazines or on your favorite fashion blogs.  This will also prevent you from ending up with 10 pairs of black skinny jeans. 

(5) Maintain
This is always the hardest part. You spend countless hours creating a wonderfully organized closet. Only to have the disaster reappear. First thing you want to do is follow the 1 in 1 out rule. This means if you buy 1 shirt then you should donate 1 shirt. If you buy a pair of shoes then you should donate a pair of shoes. You are basically just replacing a new item for an old item and this will prevent you from over crowding your closet. Second, keep empty hangers in one place. When you take an item off an hanger move that hanger to a designated spot with all the empty hangers. This will make it easier to find the empty hangers when putting your clothes away and will prevent you from just tossing things onto the floor and shutting the door. Finally always keep in mind that everything has a home. You spent time and money installing fancy hooks for your belts and organizing your shoes in clear plastic boxes complete with pictures. Put stuff back where you found it. Otherwise you will have a pile of shoes next to a pile of empty boxes taking up a lot of space. 

Although I have a shopping addiction and shoe addiction which has a resulted in a jammed packed closet sometimes I just want to throw something on and run out the door. A tank top and linen pants (shoes optional) is great for an evening by the water.

Whether it is Las Vegas or Atlantic City packing for a Girl's Weekend can be a bit overwhelming. Of course you have to pack some cute outfits for a night on the town but what are you going to wear the rest of the time. I would not recommend wearing your party dress all day long. In an effort to make life easier for everyone including myself here is what I would suggest. Once again the key is stay within the same color palette as to minimize the amount of items you are packing. Also think of pieces that are versatile. A classic pair of skinny jeans can take you from day to night. If you are in a warmer climate shorts can be dressed up and dressed down.