Midnight Vigor

from xxx_vintageglam at iconator.com

Listening to rain pattering on the leaves outside. That's right - both of my windows are wide open because this weather is fantastic.

Feeling über accomplished.

    For some absurd reason, when my family starts turning out their lights and closing their doors, I get a massive burst of energy that I cannot possibly ignore. Normally, I waste it by staying up until three a.m. doing nothing of any importance on Lucille (my laptop). But tonight, my friends, tonight I fueled the energy burst with a bottle of coke, so it was twice as bad. There was no possible way to sit still during this one. (That's what she said. Sorry, couldn't resist.) So I decided to rearrange my room.

    I twisted my hair up in chopsticks - that's when you know I mean business - and went to work. It took me roughly three hours, but my room looks great, now, and I feel so organized and mature. I couldn't help sitting down at my desk (no longer covered in clean laundry, and actually looking like I could do homework there) and thinking, "This must be what successful adults feel like when they get something big done. Like remembering to finish their load of laundry in the washing machine, or buying healthy groceries that aren't dinosaur-shaped." Even though dinosaur-shaped makes everything taste better.

    Not only are my clothes put away and my shoes off the floor, but I moved all the baby clothes my mom had been keeping in my closet downstairs. Now I have room for my own clothes. On both sides of the closet. And I organized all of my flats into my sister's old barbie doll hanging holder she'd put on the back of my closet door. Once you take out the naked and unfortunate-looking dolls, it works perfect for shoes, I swear. Greatest idea ever. A few weeks ago, I'd gotten rid of extra clothes in my closet and dresser, and folded everything nice and neat, so that's all organized. I'd cleaned out my desk, too, so all those drawers have been put to good use. (That was when I had my demon/scorpion/stalker/murderer experience. The little freak was just chilling in my shirt. Yes, in. As in the shirt on my body. It wouldn't die, either! I crushed him with a binder, one of my black flats, and a stiletto, and the thing reincarnated itself every time! I finally went at him with hairspray until he was glued to the carpet, and he was still trying to kill me even as I froze him in place. Then I plucked him from the floor with jewelry pliers and flushed him to kingdom come. Hear that, arachnids everywhere?! Come near me and I will kill you, dead!) I even found a place for most of my books. I couldn't fit them all on my bookshelf, but I got them off the floor. 

    I also realized that I am in the middle of ten different books right now - despite the fact that my little list on the sidebar only has about five or so. I'm really bad about that, reading more than one book at a time. I'm almost finished with one, though, and two of the others are story collections that I just read when I can't sleep or something. And I found three different pairs of glasses.

    I'm still really energized so I think I'll work on my book a little. I'm in the process of rewriting the beginning. Again. We'll see how it goes. Wish me luck, my lovely lit. lovers!

A Coffee-Fueled Cleaning Frenzy

Listening to Hello Seattle (the remix) by Owl City

Drinking a mocha latte from Starbucks (which is actually pure happiness in a handy to-go cup)

    Brace yourselves. I cleaned my room.

    And my definition of clean has changed from "making a semi-clear path from the door to my bed that may or may not cause you to fall and break something" to "actually putting things away, clearing out all the trash, and making room to use my desk as an actual desk." Those of you who know me personally know what an extraordinary feat this is. Yes, I still have stacks of books all over my room - there are five on my dresser, two on my desk, one on my bedside table, and so many I don't feel like counting them all on my wire rack by the door, but personally I see nothing wrong with having more books than my bookshelf can hold. 

    In my future house, I intend to have numerous bookshelf-lined walls, completely full, and at least one shelf full of my own books. Or maybe just one room with bookshelves on every wall, and a big comfy chair for reading, an electric tea kettle, a desk by a window overlooking whatever fantastic view my future home surveys, with the most well-oiled spinny-chair in the history of home office furniture... 

    I digress. This post is not about my future home and rooms, it's about my current clean room, and the massive success I've had in organizing it. 

    So guess what I've got? Before and after photos, so you can share in my rejoicing! Indulge, dear reader:

First off...

 

 Then, I took on my desk and the rack beside it. I can't tell you how much crap I threw away. (Actually I can. There were three full-to-bursting kitchen-size trash bags.)

Next came the wire rack that's beside my door. 

Notice the alarm clock in the "after" photo. Now I have to get up and cross the room to turn the darn thing off!

Then came my bedside table...

I got rid of the old alarm clock which didn't match my room at all, and added a Reese's (which has since been eaten).

Last came my dresser, which I'm super proud of. 

Who knew I had so many different perfumes! I only really wear one of them.

I even put all my pretty pillows and the throw on my bed, just for this post. 

My bed will probably never look like this again.

 And all of this was fueled by my little friend, Mocha Latte (which is funny, because up until about two weeks ago, I hated coffee. Then my friend Emily made me a mocha at work, and I fell head over heels). I now know why no one seems to be able to function without coffee. I was also sort of irritated at the time, so the mix of coffee and frustration was the volatile kick in the butt I needed to totally dominate my room.

The love of my life.

Perhaps, with the help of coffee and irritation, I can pretend I'm a functional adult and actually get things done.