Photos by the amazing Ashley Kelemen | Hair + Makeup by the ever gracious Melissa Hoffmann

I am so thankful I did this project…

I don't think I did it very well, but I learned SO much about myself, my style, and my spending and shopping habits. I wish I had done it years ago.

First of all, I broke the no-buying rule. It was too hard! Especially when I'm traveling. I couldn't resist buying a pair of pants at an incredible boutique in Portland. And when I went to Palm Springs I added some items to my "vacation capsule" (I'm calling it a thing.)

The good news is that trying to maintain a capsule wardrobe forced me to stop my impulse/stress shopping.

In the past I didn't realize I had been doing this. When I had to purge my closet, almost EVERYTHING I got rid of had been an impulse buy.

Now I'm trying to think of clothes in categories.

For example,

• I know I have a weakness for baggy tops, but how many do I really need? Usually I just wear my favorite. So now I feel better equipped to make smart purchases.

• Things I learned about my style -- I like simple things. I get tired of patterns and too much color. I like minimalism. Pencil skirts or a super tight fit don't work on my long and lean body.

• Volume works for me. I love the way high waisted pants make me feel, but I get tired of wearing them all the time.

Lastly, I realized again how much I gained from paring things down. I like spending less time getting dressed. Especially having a child, I LOVE having go-to outfits in my closet for my everyday life that I know I feel good in. The simplicity is freeing.

I don't know if I'll follow the capsule wardrobe again to the T, but I'd love to figure out how to apply some of the principles to my closet.

I want to have an intentional wardrobe.

Just like with every area of my life, I'm striving to spend less time on what doesn't matter, so I can focus on what really does. Like this little lady. She's my world right now, and I like it that way.

XO,

Em