My daughter started to help me catalogue everything in my closet. I had the idea of putting pins on items when I wore them, but she convinced me it would be better to take them off. She also suggested that a catalogue would help me to know how many of each items I own, and if there are any gaps that need filling.

In the first hour we realized that if there are any gaps it would take us a while to find them amongst the still very crowded clothing items in my closet. Despite my recent closet clean out, we catalogued 196 items in 2.5 hours and still did not finish the clothes folded on my shelves. I have to admit that there were more than a few areas of repetition. Not only did I have a large sweater collection, but an almost equally large t-shirt collection, and of course there is my ever expanding collection of Ivory blouses. I have repeatedly purchased 11 pairs of the same style of blue jeans, and my daughter laughingly said I could be on the hoarding shows her college friends watch. How humiliating!

Rather than let shame take over, or be overcome with the fact that I am a shop-a-holic. I prefer to admit that I have made poor choices and try to understand why I have done this repeatedly. I suspect part of my problem has been thinking I have a pear shaped body when I really have a straight/boyish figure. When I read Angie's suggestions of how to dress for my body type a lightbulb clicked on in my head.

I have begun to sort through my numerous Ivory tops, wearing one every day, and trying to see what I like and don't like. My daughter however, has added a new challenge. She wants me to refrain from shopping for 30 days starting today. That's until September 26th. No clothes, no jewelry, no accessories and no shoes. She said I could replace used up make-up and purchase buttons for the sweater that I am knitting. I told her I had some back ordered items. She suggested that I call and cancel them.

So here it goes, I'm about to enter No Spend September.