The Albatross Around My Neck

I cut my last post short admitting that I had to get off my butt, go upstairs and clean my dresser. It had become an albatross around my (accessorized) neck. I could hardly look at it anymore. I am a clean freak when it comes to my house. I am not quite sure how or exactly when it happened and I tried to fight it, but I failed. I have become my mother. Growing up I hated that she was such a neurotic freak about our house (I use the term "neurotic freak" in the most loving way, of course). She could not relax if the house was messy, it put her in a bad mood and everyone in the house knew it. I hate to say it...but I have become my mother (love you, Mama). I am the annoying person who is visibly uncomfortable when her house is in disarray and feels a bursting, almost weirdo sense of pride and calm when everything has been cleaned, organized, and put away. Every surface of my house is normally clutter free and dusted. Every surface that is...except the dresser in my bedroom. It is a nightmare. The bane of my existence. It gives me palpable anxiety and SO much pleasure at the same time. It has become the catch all for my accessories. If you have the patience to search, you are likely to find wonderful treasures on the top of that thing. The problem is, that it is so full of stuff that things get lost in the madness never to be found again. One earring will be in plain sight on the edge of the dresser and the other could be buried under 3 bracelets, 6 necklaces, 45 other pairs of earrings and backs, a headband, fedora, and a partridge in a pear tree. It's absurd. It's excessive. It's embarrassing. It was time to do something about it. A normal person may advise me to throw half of all of that "junk" away, but come on...that ain't happening. So...if you follow the pictures you can see my journey to a clean dresser. It didn't take me that long to do it either. I bought some cheap storage bins from Target (about 12 small containers and 2 canvas bins). I divided up my earrings into posts and chandelier earrings, then into silver/gold/wood/feather/etc. I took the necklaces that I wear most often and filled about 4 containers with them, filled one with cocktail rings and the rest....well, there wasn't any left when I was done doing that. My bracelets have always been stacked on metal paper towel holders (great idea if you have never used this trick). I took them all off, threw out the crappy ones I never wear and re-stacked the rest. I really only keep a few things on my dresser, but they are all important things. A picture of my dad, brother, and me at the bus stop my first day of kindergarten. A postcard from The Holocaust Museum with a quote that reminds me how important it is to "give a damn" about something. My all time favorite, hilarious card from my BFF and blog photog, Carrie, and this picture of one of my greatest heroes (heroines to be more precise) and college mentor, Vivian Garcia. This picture reminds me that I can have "it all" whatever I happen to define" it all" as. So...I guess you could say I had to clear my space of all of the crap "I like", to make room to showcase the things "I love". I am much happier in my room these days and I cannot stop staring at my new, clutter free dresser. Aghhhhh....feels so good to be neurotic.