SHL - Wardrobe Editor

So this past weekend, Orsie and I spent 2 lovely days with Grandma McPhillips (Jude) up in sunny Newcastle. But rather than sit around and drink tea, we embarked on a major overhaul of Jude's wardrobe. You see Jude and I have a bit of a tradition. When I go to visit, I help her chuck out all the stuff she can't bring herself to dispose of. And this time we clutter-busted not only her wardrobe (winter and summer) but we also cleaned out and rearranged her shed and hung up all those paintings and photos on the walls which have been waiting patiently for their big moment.

So her wardrobe is now beautifully organised and offers a treasure trove of nice things to choose from each morning. Mum no longer has an excess of painting and gardening clothes, her knits are folder nicely so that she can see what she's got, her old pantyhose have been relegated to the shed for gardening and the tracksuits of old are going to Vinnies. We cast a critical eye over all those clothes she'd been hanging onto forever: that suede jacket bought in Florence in 1991, the white cotton knee length skirt she no longer wore, that trio of unflattering capri pants, the collared polos which were past their prime, those satin shirts which she never wore and much more.

And as for the shed, Mum now has a gardening corner, paint tins stacked together (labels forward), all those sandpaper scraps in one bag, tools and drills organised, bottles of Eucalyptus oil, scotchguard, car wash and furniture polish clustered cosily up on a shelf, garden tools hanging usefully from the wall, and the most wonderful tall gardening bench under a sunny window (complete with gingham curtains craftily whipped up by Jude) just waiting for the day Mum wants to slip on the gloves and get planting. There's also a great collection of Mum's old riding gear (helmets, boots, gloves and crop) taking pride of place up the end on a high shelf. I tell you, it's a great looking shed - it's positively fabulous.

One of my Mum's many gorgeous traits is that she's been hanging onto a lot of stuff just in case one of her kids, family members or friends may ever need them (crutches, demountable wardrobe racks, window cleaners, deck chairs etc). But now they're all gone. Off to Vinnies, ebay or the council clean up pile and her place looks terrific. I'm hopeful that Mum feels fabulous this morning with her ship shape shed and wardrobe. There's nothing like throwing stuff out to focus the mind and give you a positive start.

So, if you fancy having me over to cast a stern eye over your wardrobe and help chuck out all that stuff up the top of closets, in your attic or in boxes under your bed, just give me a call. I'd be happy to help you start afresh and de-clutter.