There were a few things I knew I’d find in the process of cleaning out my bedroom closet.
• Clothes I haven’t worn since I moved in last May
• This tiny hat hair clip I bought for New Years 2015 and will never wear again
• Every newspaper clipping of mine since the beginning of college
• Approximately 9,130 partially used chapsticks.
• Four pairs of sunglasses
I was close. Found all of the above, though the number of partially used chapsticks was closer to 8. But the 9,000 number makes for a better lead. #journalism
And there were three pairs of sunglasses. Damn.
See here’s the thing. I get sunglasses and chapstick – apparently at the same time, because I have about the same amount of each. Then I use/wear them all of about 2 days. Then they’re lost in the abyss. And by abyss, I apparently mean my closet.
Too many apparentlys in that sentence. Soon I’m gonna sound like this kid.
As part of my first month of the Me Project, I eased on in and spent a couple hours last weekend going through my bedroom closet. It wasn’t out of control, as you can see by these pics…
But I knew I had shit in there I didn’t need that was just taking up space and it made me anxious. And if you know me in the slightest, you know this girl doesn’t need any more anxiety in her life.
I started with clothes.
Note on my clothes. I am not fashional. I am working on it though, so I used that as motivation to get rid of some of the stuff I was questionable on.
The shelves weren’t bad, but I do have every color of the rainbow as far as tissue paper goes because I kept buying it thinking I was out. In reality it was all hiding in the corner of my bedroom closet. Where I do all my present wrapping.
I filled two entire garbage bags with trash, including some clothes with holes in them or that I didn’t even want to inflict on the nice people shopping at Goodwill (I’m looking at you, high school marching band wind suit with giant coffee stain on the inside).
I even wound up with an entire trash bag full of clothes to give to Goodwill. And I got to organize my clothes by type. BECAUSE I AM A FREAK OF NATURE.
I realize this all may not be that interesting to you all, because I didn’t find anything too crazy (but the guest bedroom closet is still to come, and that’s where the magic’s gonna happen).
And in return for you making it this far, please enjoy these photos of my best friend, Ashley, with some of the treasures she found in her closet clean-out. She got motivated by my first post and tackled it last weekend. And I for one am really happy she still has those bright white Basic Editions from her Patti Mayonnaise costume.
After the clothes were properly, obsessively put up and the shelves cleaned off, it was time for the binders.
You guys, I have a disgusting amount of binders. BUT THEY ARE SO USEFUL. I have binders for work, two for youth group (that I separated out from one giant one and it made me insanely happy). And probably 10 just filled with my clips from working at the various newspapers over the years. Because I want to have them someday, if and when print goes extinct like some people think. Also because I’m a narcissist. (One of those statements is a lie. I’ll let you guess which one).
There they are. Also included – the binders full of things I didn’t want to throw away for whatever reason. Cards from various years’ birthdays and graduations and stuff, wedding invitations and whatnot.
Plus things I should never throw out like these signs and notes made for me in high school, toooooootally not during class or anything, ever.
Oh and there was this time when I was immature and got this hat because it said Peckers. And also because the guy I liked was called that and I thought it was cute and funny and I should not have admitted that out loud….
But who am I kidding – I still am immature and think it’s funny that it says Peckers and I would wear it but it got all gross.
Next up is the guest bedroom, which I’ll likely tackle after Derby, because I’ve got company in town next week and also this is Louisville and EVERYTHING stops for Derby.
Have you all done any major cleanups lately? How’d it make you feel?
I know for me, going into that closet now is definitely less stressful because I’m not staring directly at the row of shirts I don’t wear anymore.
Lesson one from this project: It’s the little things.
On account of... 