I’m a girl of many talents- I’m resourceful- if you need a recommendation for almost anything I’m the girl who can point you in the right direction. I’m adaptable- take me anywhere and I’ll likely fit right in. I’m also audacious- I take chances and will try (almost) anything once. While I’m pretty clear about my attributes I’m also aware of my weaknesses (another attribute actually) and organization ain’t one. Let me explain: while cleanliness is not my issue ( I make it a point to invest in a housekeeper twice a month) actually knowing how to maximize space and keeping things orderly aren’t in my wheel house .
Overcoming my Struggles
So now that you’re familiar with my struggles, this is the part where I tell you how I overcame one in particular. I eventually realized that it was a total waste of time to worry about the things that I probably would never be great at (i.e. tidiness and organization) so I decided to focus on my strengths (i.e. throw money at the problem) and seek help for those things I’m not so good at and that’s where I found myself as I began the nesting phase (BTW that’s a total thing) of my pregnancy.
I’m pretty fashion conscious (attribute) however, I hold on to clothes I can no longer fit for far too long with the hopes that I will be able to wear them again (weakness). The results of which are that my clothes begin to pile up and I eventually buy more and more stuff to fit my fluctuating weight. Plus the more clothes the harder it got to keep track of what I had and I’d eventually wear the same things over and over making the simple act of getting dressed overwhelming. Add to that, the need to make room for the burgeoning fashionista in my belly and well off running to Facebook I went for recommendations for professional organizers to help me get a handle on my problem.
To my surprise I didn’t get many rec’s and those that I did, either weren’t great with following up with references and examples of their work, or they weren’t necessarily professional organizers but wanted a crack at the job. There was one person however, who responded that I immediately knew was the real deal- Jamilah Lang.
Jamilah specializes in organization but is also an interior stylist, she was able to answer all of my questions, had examples of her work and could clearly communicate her work process, which immediately put me at ease. I knew it would be an investment but I also knew working with her would be worth it.
Getting Started
Immediately after meeting her I knew that I’d made the right decision. Jamilah had what I can only describe as positive energy. The ease with which she talked about how she began her business let me know that this wasn’t just a job for her but her passion.
Aside from getting my closet organized Jamilah was also going to help me get the baby’s nursery together. The plan was that she would look at our space, understand our intentions and then get to work making my vision combined with her experience, a reality.
Upon seeing our space and learning about my goals, Jamilah made a pivot in the plan. She’d seen the baby’s room, LaJon’s closet space (more like converted coat closet) and my closet, and decided that we needed to do the project in two phases. The first phase would bring LaJon out of the dungeon that was moonlighting as his closet and make room for his things in mine. The second phase would be all about baby and would happen in a few weeks once her furniture arrived and we’d received the gifts we would eventually get at our baby shower. I loved the idea and appreciated her ability to adjust on the fly.
The Process
Jamilah had me go through all of my clothes and begin to make three piles. The first were for clothes that I would donate, the second were clothes that I couldn’t part with but would take to our storage unit and the third were clothes that I would keep.
I went through each item and using my ability to make hard decisions quickly, (hello attribute) only needed an hour to get through my entire wardrobe (including shoes).
Once that was done Jamilah began designing the space and taking note of the products she would need to make her vision and my dreams a reality.
By the end of Day 1, Jamilah had a clear and concise game plan and while boxes did litter the loft, I already felt a shift happening in the space. Before she left she assigned LaJon and I some homework – we were tasked with washing all of the clothes that were in our hampers (no folding required) and go through the clothes in our drawers, doing the same process of separation I’d done earlier.
The Next Day
We started the next day promptly at 8 A.M. and began to work. I was more hands on this this time around so that I could learn her process and be able to keep up with the closet organization long after she was gone.
During this time Jamilah taught me how to fold our clothes efficiently (file folding is my new best friend), explained the approach to her design and gave me styling tips that fused both me and LaJon’s aesthetic while making room for the baby.
The Result
This may sound super woo woo but I can only describe this whole experience as a spiritual one. There was a physical shift that I felt take place in our home when all was said and done. I literally felt lighter! I couldn’t even sleep that night because there was a buzzing of excitement that I felt hovering around me as I kept going back and forth from the closet to the drawers opening and closing them to take a look.
I got dressed the next day and what was once a daunting and often exhausting process, felt inspired. I could now open my closet and see all of my things (color coordinated mind you) laid out in front of me and I felt a sense of gratitude for the beautiful clothes I get to wear.
expand and grow
With the weight that has been lifted from this phase of organization, we now have an empty closet that is free to start hanging baby clothes and design plans for our nursery. I can’t wait to begin phase 2 of this endeavor!
What projects are you currently taking on in quarantine? I’d love to know in the comments below.