Exciting Times With Spring(ish) Cleaning

I am truly awful at maintaining a clutter-free home. I love living alone and usually tell myself that this is because I am an introvert, but it's also at least 30% because no one is around to tell me to deal with my clutter. (I feel like this is the song of all people who live alone so I'm giving myself a break about it.  Possible adulthood fail.)

Sometimes creations on someecards are just perfect.

The problem is that cleaning is really boring and also super overwhelming after it has been left for a long time. On the other hand, rambling about mundane life events is entertaining. THUS, I am now going to detail the exciting process of decluttering my apartment. It is going to be very fun for all of us. (By "all of us," I pretty much mean myself, because I am sending these thoughts out into the universe with no real expectation that anyone will read them. TBH I have not really figured out the point of my blogging.  I think I'm doing it wrong, but then I find it amusing, so. Anyway.)

TASK #1: Boxes. I have so many boxes. I'd like to say I just moved, but nearly all of the boxes made their way to me via online shopping. It may be a bit much to cover clutter + shopping habits in one post, though, so back to getting rid of the boxes.

• Task 1(a): Unpack boxes that have not yet been opened. Report: Took only about 15 minutes.  Remembered that I ordered some fun Sephora goodies, but also that I made some questionable purchases, like this, which claims that it will firm my cellulite-y legs while I am sitting. I am skeptical re whether this is a thing that is possible, though. Also, reviews talk about a burning sensation, which scares me because what is it?! Must investigate.
• Task 1(b): Crush/flatten boxes so they can be taken to recycling. There is no way to make this sound interesting so I am going to skip the report on this task.

TASK #2: Clothes. I really need to implement some sort of rule prohibiting me from buying clothes if I do not have space to store my current wardrobe. Hmm this post is making me realize that the clutter issue may be related to a larger accumulating-too-much-stuff issue. For now, I will tell myself that the clutter is just a result of inadequate storage space (because New York). Currently, my clothes are distributed among my closet, a wardrobe, and a bunch of baskets on my bedroom floor (from the last time I did laundry and did not bother to put things away). It is... not attractive.

• Task 2(a): PUT AWAY YOUR CLOTHES LIKE A REAL ADULT, SELF. Report: This took like two hours and it is still chaotic (but sort of better). I think the next decluttering project will be to come up with some sort of wardrobe organization system. Right now everything is just, like, there, in piles or hanging up in no particular order. It makes me a little crazy, but then I remember that the chaos is a function of my own laziness. Bah!
• Task 2(b): Deal with the large quantity of dry clean only clothes (ughh). Report: The downside of putting off sending away your dry cleaning is that eventually you accumulate a massive, expensive pile of dry clean only clothes and it is a little frightening. TBH, I am also just embarrassed to take in all this stuff at once. But not embarrassed enough to make two trips, so.

TASK #3: Go through mail. Report: Are there people who keep up with their mail regularly rather than accumulate piles of mostly useless papers? I wish all these people would just send their catalogs via e-mail or something because, while I love you, JCrew and Anthropologie, I never look through these things ever and the waste of paper saddens me.

I realize this is the point where one would post pictures and be all, "look at my newly organized apartment!" Mine is still kind of disastrous, though, so I will refrain. I am embracing it... less chaos > more chaos at least?

Retail Therapy: Pretend Beach Life

Sometimes I like to use online shopping to pretend that I can will my life to be a certain way through my purchasing choices.  It is irrational and possibly unhealthy but also super fun.  Lately, I have been thinking, as I do every year, that it would be nice to avoid the upcoming east coast summer.  I love NYC, but the sticky hot, humid summers make me a little ragey.

My latest in online shopping fun may have been influenced by my imagination, in which I am spending my days near a beach, where it is about 75-80 degrees every day with a slight breeze.  Some recent picks:

1) I have been all about Wildfox Couture lately, which is pretty new for me given that I haven't shopped for casual fun (rather than for work) in a while.  I definitely get the hype around this stuff -- the graphic tees/sweatshirts are just too cute to resist.  I usually go for the Baggy Beach Jumpers, which are super comfy and sweatshirt-y but still light enough that they don't add bulk and you can wear them in the summer.  (Err, in *a* summer.  Maybe not the summer I'm about to experience.  Okay, maybe more wearable in fall/spring or on the west coast.)

This week's buy was the "Coco" Sweatshirt, which is available at Nordstrom (now 40% off - woot!).  It fits the same as the usual Baggy Beach Jumper, so I assume it is the same style.  I love bows and needed to have this.  The color is actually a bit more pink/less greyish-pink than pictured, which I think I like more.

Wildfox "Coco" Sweatshirt at Nordstrom

2) Keeping up the Wildfox obsession-of-the-moment (this obsession may last a while, though, since I am a sucker for cute, girly things), I picked up a pair of the "Juliet" sunglasses in black.  I needed a pair of everyday black sunglasses and I usually go for a wayfarer style.  These ones have stars on them and I therefore think they are adorable.  Grown-up sunglasses with stars!  Excellent.

Wildfox "Juliet" Sunglasses

Fortunately, I should be able to get some wear out of the sweatshirt before it gets too hot in NYC, even if I don't end up transporting to a more moderate climate for the entire summer.  Now to find a way to spin a slouchy pink sweatshirt with a large bow on it as "business casual" so that I can wear it on weekdays.  IF ONLY.

HELLO, INTERNET!

I have started a blog. I hear that the kids are all over the blogging these days. It has taken me a while, but I have come around to seeing the fun in sending one's thoughts into the internet universe. Mostly because WHERE ELSE WILL THEY GO?