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How to Manage the Negative Thoughts from Decluttering

You’ve read it over and over: clutter brings anxiety. But what about when decluttering causes fear, panic, and anger? Or guilt and shame? Here’s what I’ve learned.

Decluttering Paralysis

Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash

Decluttering paralysis (not an official psychological term) often occurs at the beginning of projects and when you hit a mental roadblock during the process. It leaves you stymied, unable to make the decision about any object. You might shuffle items around (sometimes referred to as churning), but no progress is made.

I find it helpful to stop at these points and examine my thoughts for a bit. Let’s face it, I wanted to stop anyway, but without the intention of returning to the task. However, this is just a break so I can better care for myself.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

I think about what I could possibly be feeling. It’s tough to identify emotions sometimes, so I try to recall the thoughts preceding the paralysis. Am I thinking “I’ve gotten rid of so much stuff already?” How about “What if I need this in the future?” Or my favorite lately, “I spent so much money on this, I should keep it so I don’t waste the money.”

Denial, fear, and guilt.

All of those feelings, while worth acknowledging, are not all rational. They aren’t entirely fact-based. Emotions rarely are.

Recovering from Decluttering Paralysis

Here’s what I do:

  1. Acknowledge the thought
  2. Identify the corresponding feeling(s)
  3. Tell myself a counterpoint or two
  4. Let the thought go. Just know it’s there, don’t judge it any further, and allow it to drift from my mind. Stop focusing on it.
  5. Return to the project. If I can’t right then, I make an appointment later in the day or very near future to get started again. I do something uplifting in the meantime.

A Sampler of Thoughts and Emotions & Rebuttals

Let’s start with the thoughts I mentioned before. While not comprehensive, these are popular irrational thoughts I have.

  1. Photo by Simson Petrol on Unsplash

    “I’ve decluttered so much already (so I’ll just keep this)” – This is denial. Yes, You’ve purged a lot already, but you don’t need to keep this horrible pen/tupperware/stuffed animal so that you have something just to have it. Think about the item and its merits, not the things already decluttered.

  2. “What if I need this in the future?” A common fear-based thought. Allow yourself to ponder this: What if you did discard it? Can you replace it? Make do with something else? How likely is it that you will need it? Pretty sure you don’t need six strings of half burnt out Christmas lights to celebrate the season (technically, you don’t even need one to celebrate a holiday). You don’t need that high school book report from decades past. So give yourself permission to live dangerously and purge if it is not useful.
  3. “I spent so much money on this, I should keep it so I don’t waste the money.” This is denial and guilt. You’re denying that you don’t actually need it, and trying to avoid the guilt of not being frugal. But you already feel the guilt you’re desperately trying to ignore. Keeping whatever it is is a visual reminder of the mistake. Don’t compound the bad feelings by hanging onto it. It’s a tough lesson to learn, but you’ve already learned it. Be nice to yourself and let the physical part go.
  4. “I can’t believe I’m so out of control with my acquiring. I’m such a dummy/slob/mistake.” Calling yourself names out of anger is not helpful. It saps the hope out of you by pigeonholing yourself as inferior. You’ll probably get negative thoughts about yourself as you declutter. Acknowledge them, tell yourself something positive like “I’m confronting my problems now. I’m in charge.” and then move on. The negative idea will probably still pop up. Just observe that it did, and let it go from your mind. Sometimes saying “Huh. I thought that again,” will shoo it away.
  5. Photo by John Weinhardt on Unsplash

    “The donation collectors/used bookstore/neighbors will think I’m nuts if they see all this stuff.” Crazy thought of shame I’ve actually had. First of all, you’re not decluttering for them. It’s for yourself. Second, odds are, they won’t even notice the amount you’re clearing out, especially if you’re going slow and steady. People are generally preoccupied with themselves. If they aren’t, they’re usually caring, empathetic and want the best for people. Third, who cares what they think? You are the most important person in your life, and your sanity/happiness matters more than impressing them.

  6. “I can’t decide about this, and this, and this, or this.” If you’re working a small area and considering things on an item by item basis, you might be overwhelmed and feeling the effects of decision fatigue. It happens when you’ve made too many decisions recently. Take a break. Relax. Make an appointment with yourself to resume decluttering when you’re feeling recharged.
  7. “No one will notice if I keep all this stuff. What’s the point?” Well, there’s a dash of denial in this, and discounting your dreams and desires with the question, too. People might notice that you’ve kept items when you mentioned you were decluttering. But more importantly, you’ll notice. You’re someone, and your goals and reasons for decluttering are important to you. As mentioned in #5, you’re the most important person in your life (like it or not), and your happiness is valuable.

What are some thoughts you’ve had while decluttering? Comment below – I’d love to hear from you. Odds are I’ve said the exact same thing to myself before.

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The Five (Inexpensive) Supplies You Need For Your First Cross Stitch

Binge watching TV shows on Netflix leaves my hands idle. It’s hard for me not to be working on something, whether it’s a blog post, scrolling through Facebook, going on a pinning frenzy, or creating. By far, one of the best creative activities for me to do while gorging on Forensic Files or Law & Order: SVU is cross-stitch. It’s easy, fun, and isn’t attention-intensive.

Getting started is relatively inexpensive. All you need is a pattern, Aida, needles, embroidery floss, and an embroidery hoop.

1. A Pattern

It’s generally best to pick at pattern first. It helps you determine the floss you’ll need, what gauge Aida is recommended and therefore, the size needles you’ll need to use, and what size embroidery hoop you’ll need.

You could buy a kit with all these things, but most are stuffy patterns that appeal to the older crowd, or are too ambitious for the beginner, or both. I recommend one of two resources for the absolute beginner: Daily Cross Stitch’s website, or one of the Subversive Cross Stitch books by Julie Jackson.

Cross-stitch my mascot. Pattern available at Daily Cross Stitch.

Daily Cross Stitch offers a free pattern every day when you sign up for their newsletter. The site also offers a “Charts Club” for only $19.99/year that will give you access to a bonus pattern daily and unlimited access to their archive. Their designs are cute, easy to follow, bright and colorful (major raccoon sense appeal). There’s something for everyone and every occasion: Christmas, Halloween, spring, fall, birthday, new baby, home, office, coffee breaks, bathroom breaks – you name it. You’ll have more designs downloaded than you can ever begin to cross-stitch. They even have an adorable raccoon for you to try.

For even simpler patterns with edgier designs, try Subversive Cross-Stitch by Julie Jackson. Please note this book contains explicit language. However, if that isn’t a problem, you’ll find easy to stitch sayings with simple motifs decorating each piece. As a bonus, many patterns use the same colors of embroidery floss.

There are also a number of patterns that you can find on Etsy with hip, modern styles. If you’re a beginner, try one with a simple design, not a lot of shadows/highlights, and is fairly small. Good designers will list recommended supplies and dimensions of finished product in the item listing. RingCat on Etsy is just one example of a cross-stitch designer whose patterns are suitable for novices.

2. Aida

Aida does not have to be bland and white. Bright yellow Aida by DMC

Now that you’ve picked a pattern, it’s time to look at cloth. Cross-stitch is generally done on Aida, which is a woven fabric with an obvious weave and weft fibers. Aida’s weave is evenly spaced and has holes where you can insert the needle. 

The pattern you chose may say something like “11 ct. Aida” or “14 count Aida.” You might be confused by the count numbers. Don’t panic! The number simply refers to the number of stitches per inch. So, 11 count Aida will have 11 stitches per inch, both vertically and horizontally. 14 count Aida will have 14 stitches per inch, and 18 count will have 18, and so on. Common counts range from 11-28. The higher the number, the smaller the stitch.

You can use the count to help determine the finish cross-stitch size. If the pattern lists 121 x 88 and calls for 11 ct. Aida, the finished product will be 11 inches by 8 inches. Just divide each number of stitches by the count number and voila! There’s your dimensions.

Bear in mind that this formula does not include a border or excess for stitching in a hoop or mounting the finished piece in a frame. You’ll need to add two inches or more to each side of the project. For example, if your piece’s dimensions are 11 x 8″, you’ll want a piece of Aida that is 15 x 12″.

DMC needles specifically designed for cross-stitch.

3. Needles
You can’t escape the need for needles when cross-stitching.  The nice thing about cross-stitch is that you don’t need the super sharp needles designed to pierce fabric. You can use tapestry needles with a blunt point or specially designed cross-stitch needles.

One thing to keep in mind is the needle gauge. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the needle. With lower count Aida, this doesn’t matter too much. However, you might want to keep gauge in mind when stitching on 18 count Aida or higher and select a thinner needle. Common sizes range from 18 – 24.

4. Embroidery Floss

Want all the colors? Get this pack of 447 generic skeins of floss. Each one is labeled with the equivalent DMC floss number.

My favorite part of shopping for cross-stitch supplies is purchasing floss. It’s fun to stare at all the colors.

Embroidery floss comes in skeins, and is made up of lengths of 6 threads. You’ll need to separate the threads when cross-stitching. Most patterns typically use two threads. To look fuller, you can increase the number of threads, but bear in mind this makes it harder to manage the floss and pull it through the Aida.

Pretty colors by DMC

DMC is by far the most popular brand of embroidery floss and can be found in brick and mortar stores sold by the skein. Some stores will carry a cheaper brand of floss, which may not be as shiny or as light-fast as DMC.

If a pattern needs a lot of a particular color, it will generally be noted on the pattern if extra skeins need to be purchased. When buying multiple skeins, be sure to compare the skeins for color variations caused by differing dye lots.

When threading your needle, use between 18 to 24 inches of floss. Too much floss gets tangled more easily and is a pain to pull through your fabric. Too short and you’ll have to re-thread and start a new run frequently.

5. Embroidery Hoop

Colorful embroidery hoops by Caydo

You could theoretically skip an embroidery hoop, but it keeps your Aida taut and even, allowing for more consistent stitches. Why put yourself at a disadvantage when for a couple of bucks you can easily improve your work?

Choose a hoop that will allow you to stitch a lot without having to reposition constantly. For example, for a finished 6×6″ piece, I might use a 5 – 7″ hoop. This is where the extra Aida fabric is useful – without it, I wouldn’t be able to stretch the fabric over the hoop when stitching the corners.

Wood or plastic hoops? It’s up to you. Some people think that plastic tends to loosen over time, causing uneven stitches. Some people hate the feel of wood hoops. Personally, I prefer wooden ones as they’re cheaper and don’t want to risk the piece slipping.

Bonus Supply: Scissors

You probably already have a pair of these. Ones specifically designed for embroidery are not necessary, but are very nice to have. With the smaller scissors, it’s easier to snip mistake stitches.

All the supplies you could need on one simple list

There you have it – the five supplies you need to start cross-stitching. For your shopping delight, I’ve created an Amazon Idea List, Cross-Stitch Craze. This is an affiliate link, which means I get a little change when you purchase items through it.

I plan to continue this topic with tips and tricks I’ve learned for better, easier cross-stitching. Subscribe to my e-mail list so you don’t miss out!

Questions? Comments? Leave them below! 

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Chronically Disorganized

Photo by Celia Spenard-Ko on Unsplash

It’s my dirty secret: I am chronically disorganized. I get easily overwhelmed by things, and have a hard time finding an organization system that works for me. I also love to collect and have a tendency to be over-prepared for situations. Example: my purse has a half-dozen pens, two notebooks, my medications (in case I remember I haven’t taken them while on the go, although that hasn’t happened in months), several lip glosses, two sets of keys (in case I leave mine somewhere), band-aids, an eyeglass repair kit, and more. My mother had a similar purse, and I think I learned by example. It is a pain in the rear to lug all this around. 

My turning point happened slowly. It was like waking up gradually. I was tired of trying to find places to put things. I decided I wanted my craft room back. I didn’t want to take all my junk with me when I moved.

I began clearing out with a yard sale. It was a lot of work for $46, and emotionally exhausting to haggle with people and strong arming them into taking my stuff. I wound up dragging half of it to Goodwill. I figured in the future, I’d skip the convolutions and donate it straightaway.

Then I found that my fiance was concerned about clutter being a problem in our new house. I started decluttering in earnest. But I was hitting psychological roadblocks, and so I decided to find a therapist specializing in chronic disorganization. There were four in a 50 mile radius of the metropolitan area I live in. Using the Pyschology Today therapist directory, I chose one based on her profile. From the start, she was terrific! Great communication and rapport was established even before I went to my first appointment. She is helping me not only with chronic disorganization, but issues underlying.

The plan, abbreviated. (Even my handwriting is messy. Please excuse it.)

As moving and marriage are rapidly approaching, I had a stroke of inspiration and devised a stunningly simple plan. Begin Operation: POP.  POP stands for Purge Organize Pack. I’ve divided my house up by room, and further by small, logical sections. Every day, I start with one section, and each day, I work my way around the room. It isn’t a grand frenzy of cleaning and purging like I want, but I am making progress.

While I have tried before to declutter by selecting a small area to work and moving around the room gradually, this time, something is different. My anxiety related to parting with my possessions is gone. I’m no longer puzzling over whether to keep something. I’m making quick decisions at least 85% of the time.

There is no gimmick. I’ve read countless articles and books on killing the clutter, and found all methods to be valuable in one way or another. I had to detach from my idea that every object was going to bring me joy or be useful, as in the Marie Kondo approach. I had to realize that my belongings weren’t helping me and I didn’t want the burden of them any longer, as with Swedish Death Cleaning. I used the stereotypical magazine clutter-busting questions of “Does it fit/work? Have I used it in the past six months? Do I have other things that serve the purpose?” I try to only handle the object once and make 10 second decisions. If in doubt and it’s easily replaced, I donate.

The key was that I had to be ready. 

PSA Time: If you or a loved one are ready for help with chronic disorganization or its scary older sibling, hoarding, please reach out to a professional to confront the underlying issues. Find a local therapist specializing in hoarding/chronic disorganization

Already working with a therapist? A professional organizer can be a great resource, too. Find one in your area at the National Association of Productivity & Organization Professionals website.

Additional Reading

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization – Fact sheets about chronic disorganization. Helpful for difficult conversations with loved ones about this disorder.

Your Household Clutter is Costing You  A Bundle – Stuck in the clutter rut? These statistics may help encourage you to start climbing out.

Welcome to My Hoarded Home – A helpful article that takes some of the stigma out of hoarding and shows it’s easier to slip into than one might think.

Hoarding in the Time of Marie Kondo – Poignant and piercing, this article pulls back the curtain on the baffling disorders.

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2018

At the beginning of every year, most people resolve to be different in some way. Lose weight, cut back or eliminate bad habits, save money, or be more organized are a few popular goals.

I’m not one for making resolutions to start on January 1st. I do still make goals, but it’s hard to be consistent and achieve them. So this year, 2018, is going to be my “Try (My Best)” year. How can I fail if all I have to do is try? I can only fail if I don’t begin. Trite but true.

Living with depression. Illustration by Clare Jarvis, courtesy of Smosh.com

If you live with depression, you know how hard it is to even get out of bed some days, much less take care of the minor ordeals life can bring. If you have perfectionism of any sort, you know it’s challenging to begin something without knowing how it will end and that the final result will turn out the way you expected.

But if I try, regardless of what my mind is telling me… If I just start, without listening to that nasty voice of expectation… maybe something will happen. Maybe I’ll start enjoying life again.

So here are a few things I want to try this year:

  • Bullet Journaling – If you’ve been anywhere near Pinterest lately, you’ve heard of bullet journals. Supposedly, they are amazing things in which you can dump your whole life, track your progress, increase productivity, and keep memories. And, oh, the decorative opportunities! I have a lot of skepticism about it, but hey, it’s a chance to play with all my lovely coloring tools and office supplies.
  • Reading – I’m out of the habit of reading regularly. I have trouble focusing for more than a few minutes, and it’s scary how little I recall. Again, the mantra of this year is “Try.” I miss reading, and I want to be able to get back to where I can devour multiple chapters in a day, if not a whole book.
  • Sewing – I can sew. It’s a nice skill to have when perfectionism isn’t crawling on your neck, demanding that the corners be perfectly sharp and the seams be expertly finished. Perfectly serviceable should be acceptable, right? Another obstacle to sewing is my craft room, which brings me to the next thing I want to try.
  • Organization + Minimalism – Another super trendy thing I’m sure you’ve heard about is Minimalism. The great thing about it is you can define what minimalism is for you. So, minimalism for me might be sticking with two Ellowyne dolls instead of an army, or four sets of colored pencils instead of 12, or all 12 sets if I’m legitimately using them. (I don’t know how many sets of colored pencils I have, but I have made the decision to part with at least two sets). Once I’ve minimized, I will be able to organize more successfully. It sure will make packing a lot easier.
  • Research & Learn – My favorite thing in school was writing research papers. I even did it for fun outside of class. I miss amassing facts with which to bore or astonish people. I miss the challenge of trying to make the potentially dull interesting.
  • Write – I write a little, mostly for this blog. I would like to improve the quality of my pieces, and be more prolific. I think using my journal again, in addition to making a commitment to publishing more entries in this blog, will be a great start.
  • Goal setting – This is a skill I need to improve. My goals are nebulous at best, just like my resolution to “try.” While “Try (My Best)” is the main target for the year, I have to learn to set small goals so that in the future I can aim for loftier ambitions. Maybe 2019 will be “Dream and Achieve.”
  • Affirmations – I’m not talking about the touchy/feely sort of affirmations that you say in the mirror every morning to make yourself feel better. This is more akin to goal setting, like “I will be a millionaire,” or “I will have a famous blog.” I found this take on affirmations in Scott Adam’s book, The Dilbert Future. It’s worked somewhat in the past, but my commitment has always been lacking. I also can’t tell if I’m using magical thinking or attributing certain positive outcomes to the method inaccurately.

I’m sure there will be more things I’ll try in 2018, and will probably blog about all of them. I wish I had a better denouement, but I want to get this published and my intentions into the universe.

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Avon Calling!

I’ve been playing with my cosmetics in preparation for the wedding. It’s been a lot of fun to experiment. Luckily, my best friend is an Avon representative, so I have easy, fast access to samples.

Without cosmetics, I’m still acceptable looking.

But after an application, va-va-VOOM!This is the result of one trial’s efforts. Thanks to Avon, nice lighting, and a good angle, I look wonderful, if I say so myself.

Here’s what I’m wearing:

I love the results, and think I have a new hobby.

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Color Me Creative

For over two years now, I’ve been coloring. It started as a soothing activity, and quickly became a full-fledged hobby. I really enjoy experimenting with different brands and varieties of colored pencils, pens, and markers. I’ve learned a lot about color perception and coloring techniques in the past two years.

Now is a wonderful time to get started coloring. Media prices have dropped significantly in the two years since I began, and the hobby is relaxing as ever. Here are a few artists I enjoy and the colored pencils I like to work with:

A small, colored excerpt from Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden

Artists

  • Johanna Basford is probably the most widely know and overall popular coloring book artist out there. Her detailed and crisp nature scenes are a pleasure to color.
  • Millie Marotta is another well known coloring book artist. She illustrates animals made up of smaller shapes, which can instigate interesting experiments in gradients.
  • Another wonderful artist is Scandanavian Hanna Karlzon. Her drawings are nature based, bejeweled scenes. A terrific choice if you like bright and clear colors.

Colored Pencils

  • Marco Raffine colored pencils, 72 pack are great for the beginner colorist. While they don’t color as smoothly and easily as higher-end pencils, they still lay down color nicely and blend fairly well. As they are oil based, gamsol is terrific to use as a blending agent, but a white pencil or blender pencil will do the job.
  • The Prismacolor colored pencils, set of 150 is fabulous for the more serious beginner or intermediate coloring artists. A dream to blend these wax based hues, with or without the blender pencils. Favored by many colorists.
  • A squirrel
    Colored with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils, this squirrel is my favorite thing I’ve done

    With Derwent ColourSoft pencils, set of 72, you can experience the quality of the legendary brand. One of the easiest to blend pencils I’ve encountered.

  • Faber Castell Polychromos, set of 120 are a favorite of colorista extraordinare, Peta Hewitt, and me. While Peta prefers to blend using the oil-based pencils themselves (at which she is adept), I love using gamsol for my blending. Simply stunning results, either way.
  • For the intermediate to advanced colorist who hasn’t found the perfect pencil yet, I recommend Caran D’Ache Luminance series. They’re known as the Mercedes of colored pencils, and the price tag can be shocking when you consider the complete range is 76 pencils. These pencils blend smoothly and have superior light-fastness.
Pebbles colored using Koh-I-Noor Tri-Tone colored pencil

As for specialty colored pencils, I have two recommendations:

  • Koh-I-Noor Tri-Tone colored pencils have three varigated colors in a single pencil, making it easy to add depth and variety to your coloring. For an example, see the photo on the left.

In upcoming blog posts, I plan to discuss colored pencil techniques, review markers and gel pens and suggest the best things to color with those. For now, you can explore my idea list on Amazon, Color Me Creative.

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My Momoko Journey

You briefly met Momoko on Halloween. She’s my latest doll craze, and has inspired me to create a lot.

Momoko, holding her plant by It’s Perfectly Petite on Etsy, dressed in Sekiguchi Petworks skirt and shoes, cardigan by Clear Lan, with her cat, Ichiko.
Momoko and her goodies. Pants by Inomi on Etsy.

I’ve found lots of cute, scale accessories and furniture for Momoko.  I’ve loved creating tiny models ever since childhood, ranging from HO trains to school dioramas to 1:12 scale minatures. The little details I think to include make me happy. Now, I’m doing my most ambitious challenge yet: building a small sewing shop roombox for her, complete with roof, attic, and front porch. I’ve assembled dollhouses from kits, but I haven’t ever drafted plans, formulated a construction process (I always follow instructions, even when assembling flat pack furniture) or cut much wood. 

Momoko and her construction supplies. Outfit by Clear Lan.

Currently I’m working on the diagrams for the display and determining the assembly steps. While this is still in the theoretical stage, to encourage myself to continue, I’ve started purchasing the items I know I’ll need, and doing fun things like picking out the furnishings, decor, and color schemes.

As I build this, I’ll post updates to show how the project is coming along. You can also follow on Instagram, #mymomokojourney.

 

 

 

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Happy Halloween 2017!

Meet Momoko, a 10.5″ jointed fashion doll from Japan. I’m just begun collecting and creating for her, and plan to share my craftables here on the blog. You can follow her “settling in” on Instagram #mymomokojourney.

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To Every Season

In “A Matter of Tone,” I discussed trying to find my skin’s undertone. I had determined I had a neutral skintone. I wasn’t any closer to finding out what season I was. In fact, it felt as though I had taken a step back, because while I couldn’t be a “true” season, I had the flexibility of being a combination of seasons.

Pure winter palette. Colors I’m attracted to, but not necessarily for me. Source: Outfitideas4you.com

I looked at other factors besides skin tone. A lot of people are naturally drawn to their appropriate season, and I find myself collecting clothes in the winter color palette. Those are jewel toned, clear colors with striking contrast. I’ve been complimented more when I wear such hues.

There was a quiz towards the beginning of Color Me a Season that assessed your seasonal personality. I found myself checking off a few affirmative answers for each season, but was encouraged when I found that I answered yes to nearly all of the winter questions. But that wasn’t very definitive.

The book then goes on to describe hair, skin and eye combinations of the seasons. Because of the light hair and eyes generally found in Spring and Summer, those two seasons were ruled out. But I was getting frustrated deciding between Autumn and Winter. Many trips were made to the bathroom mirror to decide if my eyes were golden brown or dark brown. They looked red brown to me, but that seemed like an impossible classification. And what was my hair color as a child? Was it ashy or did it have red undertones? I couldn’t remember. Where my hair is growing out from the chemical dyes, it actually looks to be a very dark brown, finally matching my eyebrows that always puzzled me with their contrast to my natural hair.

I resorted to another book, Color Me Beautiful, the US classic version of seasonal color analysis. It opened quickly with the hair, eye, and skin combinations of various seasons. In the text about winter eyes, it listed it: red brown. Finally! I had the answer to my make-up issue. I was a winter!

Sample colors for Deep Winter. Source: Pinterest

But what sort of winter, if I wasn’t a true winter? I went back to Color Me a Season, paging through it. Towards the back of the book, there were illustrations of various seasonal combinations. I found one that looked similar to me, labeled “Firelight Winter.” By reading the description, I ascertained that it was that system’s term for Autumn-Winter, or Deep/Dark Winter.

Armed with this knowledge, I looked at the suggested make-up shades in the book and on Pinterest. I was now able to request samples of lipstick from my Avon representative, and purchase appropriate eyeshadow. I was now on my way to perfecting my wedding day cosmetics!

For reference, below are suggested make-up hues for Deep Winter:

Source: tealinspiration.com

If you’re on the quest to find your perfect colors, I suggest the following websites in addition to the books listed above:

  • Teal Inspiration – great source for color suggestions for cosmetics for any season.
  • Expressing Your Truth – an in-depth blog about determining many aspects of suitable fashion for you, from color analysis to determining your face/body shape.
  • Cardigan Empire – great examples of each season and sub-type in easy infographics.
  • Cladwell’s Color Quiz – great for determining your season
  • Kettlewell – a British clothing site, with color options for every season in every style.

In upcoming blog entries, I’ll cover the various ways seasonal color analysis has benefited me. It’s surprising what it can do for your confidence and shopping habits.