Daughter Dearest

I've been an organizer since I came out of the womb. It's part of my DNA, it's innate, it's my 6th sense. I relish a well-organized closet and a chance to purge and present my clothes better. I was no different as a small child, you've never seen plastic fake food in a play kitchen better organized in your life! My stuffed animals were lined up at attention like General Patton was coming for inspection. Joan Crawford would have called me Daughter Dearest, and for the record she is right, wire hangers are terrible!

I remember the Saturday mornings, once in the Fall and again each Spring spent going through our clothes' closets with my mother and younger sister. We had to try on everything to see what still fit, post-growth spurt, what became a hand-me-down for my sister, or what was passed off to another family. It brought me great satisfaction to hang the clothes back up or fold them away in a drawer.

Now many seasons past I still adore a well-organized closet and time spent purging and accessing my clothes. Organization calms me, makes me aware of what I have and what I don't need, and reminds me of a favorite shirt that may have been pushed by the wayside or the belt that fell in the back of a closet and is wrestling a dust bunny. Most importantly it makes me mindful and grateful for what I have and reminds me that it is already more than I need. I'm pretty sure that Joan Crawford could have given a damn about my mindful shopping habits but my closet hangar organization system would have made her weak at the knees.

-Ashley

Ashley Ingraham is a very organized Mom of a daughter in Baltimore, Maryland. Always creative she was a double major of Studio Art and Education at Furman University and spent the beginning of her career as a teacher in Baltimore City. After staying home with her daughter she founded Home Perspective to share her Organization skills and life experience to make others homes and lives better. Her business has been featured in Baltimore Magazine, Oprah & Entrepreneur. When not busy helping people organize their lives she can be found at concerts all over the country or busy raising her tween daughter.