This past week, I’ve been doing a deep clean of my room post-sophomore year of college. Considering I was surrounded by duffel bags full of clothing and boxes of miscellaneous objects … it was much needed.

I still have a few last-minute touch-ups to do before I can officially call it ~done~ BUT those touch-ups might take a bit longer than expected (e.g., my broken shelves). So, I thought I’d post another update in the meantime!

After Pics

Since my bed and bedside area weren’t all too messy to begin with, there’s not much difference between the before and after pics! That is, except for my bedside table drawer.

Before, the drawer was a tangled mess of random items like stickers and lip balm. Now, it’s important things like my journal, earbuds, wallet, and gum.

The areas of my room that I use very frequently (second only to my bed) is my bookshelf-vanity thing. It’s where I do my hair and makeup in the morning and store my beauty products. Once very cluttered, now my vanity is decorated a bit more minimally and feels … clean!

Here’s where I keep my every day beauty products, such as deodorant, toner, moisturizer, exfoliator, and perfume.

Pictured below is my trusted ceramic pet elephant, Alfie, who carries my rings and bracelets when I’m not wearing them. He’s adorable and a great multitasker — not only as a jewelry holder but as decoration!

Here is the updated art in my picture frame, a super easy DIY that fits my room aesthetic a bit better than my bright red monogram from middle school. Also pictured are the beautiful peonies that my mom picked from our garden inside a mason jar-esque vase I got from Target.

I’m not sure if you remember just how messy this corner was just less than a week ago, but it’s SO much better now! This is basically where I dumped all of my duffel bags when I came home from college last semester, so I’m really proud of myself for getting rid of all the junk and finding what really matters to me.

These shelves are still on the to-do list… I plan to get some new ones from Target soon so that I don’t have to rely on rulers to hold it up.

My closet, which is pretty small to begin with, has been incredibly messy for basically my whole life. Now, I am actually aware of the articles of clothing that I own. Not only that, I am able to find them when I want them because I labeled all of the boxes! It’s important to make sure that everything has a distinct home and I know how to find everything easily.

Looking Ahead

These are the items next on my to-do list:

1. Donate or sell items that do not spark ~joy~
2. Organize detailed spaces such as drawers.
3. Swiffer the floor and wipe down surfaces.
4. Buy new shelves.

See y’all later for the next (most likely, final) update!

To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. And if you no longer need them, then that is neither wasteful nor shameful. Can you truthfully say that you treasure something buried so deeply in a cupboard or drawer that you have forgotten its existence?

Marie Kondo