They Call it Chowdah August 4, 2009

So did you know that movers have a term for all the unpacked crap that is unyet boxed when they arrive?  I did not know until last Tuesday.

Sweet shit moving is hard.  A lot harder 7 years, 2 kids, a mess of lbs, and a festering thrift addiction later I TELL YOU.

I am embarrassed to admit that I actually had visions a plan to set my craft room up (in it’s entirety) the first night.  I am laughing at my former, less exhausted self and her silly plans.

I think I was prepared for the physical strain of moving but it was/is the emotional stress that has clocked me.  The public-ness of the process was not enjoyable, it felt a little like going outside with your pants down.  First folks come in and throw your stuff around, exposing all kinds of crud underneath, then they march out the door, displaying your junk until it gets to the truck.  Then you turn around and put on a show of excess for your new neighbors.  Delightful.

I (kinda) wish I had gotten a photo of all the trash we left in front of our old apartment.  It was an embarrassing mound, an embarrassing mound that spanned the entire length of the property – double lined.  And usually I am a good donater or freecycler but time was falling on our heads and we just put it all to the curb.  A couple of folks pulled over (after my own heart) to trash pick.  So much “chowder” was left in our apartment and we needed the stuff out in  2 days if we wanted our deposit back, and we DO. (Hello sectional sofa!)

I will stop complaining now because these are good changes that are happening.  I will appreciate and embrace them with grace, right?

Random shots from around the house:

Newel post at the base of the front stairway.

Above the stove.

Bit of the kitchen floor, original to the house, which is almost 100 years old.

Don’t YOU have a toilet in your yard?

Vintage Photo in Kitchen (will hopefully be back to Vintage Photo Friday next week).

The Bromeliads are from our thoughtful neighbors!

Snippet of the craft room.  Excuse the blur but somehow a blurry photo of cameras made me laugh.

More display of my collections in the craft room.

I still have a crush on my Etsy Boyfriend there in front.  Isn’t he handsome?  Wish he could help me unpack though…

I started a Flickr group called, Just Moved.  Please join if you’ve moved in the last year (or ever in your life!) and share your thoughts and photos.

Well, We’ve Gone & Done IT July 9, 2009

We are home owners!

It’s a beautiful old Victorian and we could not be more thrilled.

We plan to fill it with sophisticated period pieces, like so:

I hooked this (former) aquatic beast in the deep seas of Freecycle.   It was looking like this would be a ‘fish that got away’ story as we struggled to find the house of the kind offerers.  45 long minutes of One Ways, “Where the hell is that street?!!!”, No U-turns and “I have to peeeeeeeeee”.  We are in desperate need of a GPS.

But in the end, we bagged this super score.  It is 60 pounds of pure kitsch and goodness.

It was housing about 42 years of dust and former glory.  Legend has it that John, now 55, caught this at age 13 on a family trip to Mexico.  I am sure it was a proud moment and I am glad they memorialized it -taxidermy stylie.

John now lives in Missouri and shipping this beauty was out of the question so they passed it along.  Big thanks to them! John’s sister video taped us trying to gently shove our catch into our minivan (we roll hardcore) to show John we cared.  We promised to carry on the legend of the young fishing prodigy and to regale our friends, and blog readers, with stories of his young triumph.  I too hit my athletic peak young so I feel a special connection to Little J, as I like to call him.

Oh, and the photo is my dear husband (9 years of married fun today) who had just driven around way longer than most partners would have to find a free 60 pound swordfish.  At this point he was ready for me to stop marveling at our good fortune, put the camera down and HELP carry this into the house.  I was cracking up as this is the 3rd thing we’ve moved in.  What the  neighbors must think.  So far we have bean bags, my Paint by Numbers collection and the fish.  Class act all the way!

I have decided to pass along the love and have a GIVEAWAY.  Hold onto your hats people, this ain’t much.

Help us name the fish! The winner is the one who comes up with a name we feel fits our new “pet”.  The lucky duck with a knack for monikers will receive a photograph, yet to be taken, of the fishie and an assortment of fine doo dads and hoo has from my personal collection.  Folks interested in a timely mailing of said prize need not enter.

Line up people, don’t push, try your best and get ‘er done!

Edit to add, for some perspective, a photo of the fish next to my 7 year old: