Creatively Organized Spaces
I began the year up in the clouds at 3100′ elevation and I’ve been watching the birds soar at the beach so I know this is the right word for me for 2012. I’ll share a little more about why later but for today I just wanted to stop in with this image and say Happy 2012!
This year I intend to SOAR! What is your intention for the year? Right Here is a fantastic comprehensive list of word ideas if you haven’t picked a word for the year yet.
We’ve been here for about 3 weeks now and it’s funny how some new routines have already been established and some old one’s have maintained. One routine I’m having a hard time re-establishing here is blogging so bear with me in my absence please!
We are now officially residents of South Carolina having made multiple trips to the DMV, courthouse and Social Security administration. You wouldn’t believe all the documentation required to prove you are who you say you are here! Anyways, that’s behind us and I’m looking to plant my feet as firmly in the sand as I can now. Hum, sand shifts around a lot and that’s a perfect analogy for how I’m feeling about settling in here. I’m not quite there yet!
I miss my three times a week yoga class, my monthly meetings for volunteering and organizing, my regular client appointments and visits with friends and my local food/farm sources. I’m loving my new routine of going to the beach in the morning to watch the sunrise, write in my journal and walk. I’m not doing this daily but a few times a week so far. I also love going to watch the sunset on the Waccamaw river.
I’ve scouted out a few sources for locally grown food, one road side stand is just a few minutes from our house. I’ve already got my local library card and checked out a stack of books. I’ve made contact with the local NAPO Charleston chapter and plan to attend my first meeting next week. I’m also currently working on getting involved with the local Master Gardener program.
I think it’s funny how easy it is for some routines to follow you wherever you go and other routines are more difficult to re-establish. I’m looking forward to both establishing new routines and carrying on with the best of the old ones.
So here we are in South Carolina!! It’s been 2 weeks since I posted last on Moving Monday because last Monday we were right in the midst of the move and well, I just didn’t have the time to write something up before hand! Things got a little crazy as would be expected the weekend of the move. Leave it to me to make it even crazier by having a Moving PARTY on 11:11:11 the night before we got and loaded the truck. We did it though and it was worth it to say goodbye to friends and family who made it over to our box filled home. And at 11:11 we did make a toast of farewell to our friends and a wish for happy new beginnings.
Saturday started out quite well with the expected friends showing up to help us all through the day. About mid-day though we began to realize there was a strong possibility, not everything would fit on the truck! AHHH My husband had spent some time the previous week taking measurements of boxes and furniture and drawing up a rough schematic but despite all that it seemed clear it wasn’t going to work! The BIG problem was that the truck was about 1′ shorter than expected. That might not seem like much but over a 26′ truck length it adds up and most packing boxes are made to fit in certain size trucks a specific way. If we had that extra space we could have packed the truck a bit more efficiently but trust me, they packed the truck without an inch to spare. FYI, this truck said it would hold a 5 BR capacity which is nonsense! Our house was approximately 1600 sq. feet and three BR’s but only one BR worth of BR furniture (office, tools, art studio and other normal household furniture).
In the midst of my almost moving meltdown I had to run out to a eye Dr. apt and thank god for my friends and mom who stayed behind diligently packing and cleaning at the house.
It was actually very good for me to step away for a bit to put things in perspective. My mom gave me some great advice that day and as simple as it is it’s worth remembering. Everything takes time! So I just tried to remember that for the remainder of the time it took to load what we could. Sunday AM we had planned to leave around 9 but because not everything fit we had to make some last minute trips to drop stuff off to be donated and stored. We threw out and gave things away that we hadn’t originally planned to but nothing that we can’t live without after all, it’s just stuff!
With the house empty and cleaned we finally hit the road for our 8+ hour drive at 4:30PM. The drive was slow with my husband driving the big truck and me in my car. It ended up taking us 11 hours but we made it safely and boy was I happy to see palm tree’s and Spanish moss! Somehow after only 4 hours of sleep we got up and unloaded the truck into our storage bin with the help of my husband’s parents and one kind neighbor friend. It took 5 hours to pack with 10 people helping and only 1.5 hours to unpack with 5 people.
What a relief to have it all unloaded and in storage now. The next phase of our life involves living in a furnished home for about 3 months with a minimum of our belongings. We can run down to our storage unit and get things as we need them but when we packed we selected the items we would need for about 6 months and made them mostly accessible from the time we arrived. We are on our own now and are nesting in our new, temporary home. I’ve spent the last several days cleaning because, despite the fact that this is a clean house, I guess I just need to put my own mark on it. I’m also feeling a little lost since we are not in our final destination so this is my way of making it feel like our home. We re-arranged furniture and have cleaned, unpacked and even done some cooking here. As you can see by this post, I’m also starting to get back into the swing of my old routines…integrating the old with the new.
One new routine I’m loving so far is walks on the beach every day!
How do you get settled into a new place? What is nesting like for you?
We are really in the final days before moving now! I can’t believe I began writing about this move 6 weeks ago (or maybe a bit more?). This has been a really bittersweet time with the prospects of the future ahead and making our dreams come true but also saying goodbye to two members of our family household that we will miss more than we can say. Both Tai and Leo were our kitties for 17 and 16yrs (respectively) and they were both Maryland kitties with us from the beginning of my husband and I’s relationship. Maybe it is fitting that we have left them here but they will always be in our hearts and their sweet spirits will live on with us forever. We are working through some health problems with our youngest kitty, Sachi but she will be coming with us and she is our Savannah kitty so she’s going back to her low country roots. Thank you everyone who has offered kind and supportive words of love in this difficult past couple weeks!
We are ready to move forward and we are buckling down to the tasks ahead for the week. We will pack the remaining items that we will not need in the next few months into boxes and have sorted out those things we will need to come with us in luggage and bins for short term use while we are in our temporary housing for a few months. Since we will be in this transitional period packing has been that much more challenging, trying to figure out what we will over a 3-4 month period!
This week our agenda includes canceling our utilities, notifying important people and companies of our address change, packing, cleaning and saying goodbyes to friends and family!
It has been a truly spectacular fall here in Maryland and I will miss the rolling hills, fall color and yes I will even miss the snow a little, but it made a sneak appearance for us last weekend as we were packing. I can say I’m truly getting excited now! This year began with a focus on finding Clarity and I’ve truly found it by allowing myself to try new things, face my fears and live more boldly. We created this change in our lives by setting our intentions to live a more fulfilling life and the challenges that have been thrown at us will make us that much stronger! These words by Mary Anne Radmacher sum up how I am living life going forward.
It has been a truly spectacular fall here in Maryland and I will miss the rolling hills, fall color and yes I will even miss the snow a little, but it made a sneak appearance for us last week.
One week from today we will be in South Carolina, just a few minute drive from the beach! We will be unpacking all our belongings into storage and settling in to a new routine.
Wow, it’s really only two weeks away now. The last week my head has been in a fog from grief, stress and a cold! We are closely watching our eldest cat to see what the fate of her coming with us will be. She was diagnosed with both cancer and kidney failure early last week and we just don’t know how long she will be with us. It’s a matter of time and we are just trying to enjoy each day we have with her. It feels as though all the world is conspiring to make sure this move is bittersweet! Although so many wonderful things have fallen into place there have also been challenges. That is life though and I’m trying to embrace the process.
This week we have had some help packing, made sure the storage unit is reserved and are starting to say our goodbyes to people we love here. We have also submitted our change of address with the USPS (recommended 2 weeks ahead of time). We’ve begun to line up our moving help, this time enlisting the help of lucky friends and family:) On Friday before the bad weather I went to my community garden plot and pulled out most of the plants that were done producing:( I had a pretty great yield from a 10’x20′ plot! Saturday was a great day for packing since we experienced the freak snow storm that hit the DC metro area (all of the north east). I thought surely we would be out of here before we saw snow but I guess not!
Next up we will begin to pack clothes, toiletries, staple food items and small furniture. We will also begin to notify our utility companies. I’ve only gone to buy groceries one time in the past three weeks since we are trying very hard to use up what we have on hand. If the weather cooperates this week I will also dig up a few special plants from the yard to take. In the past I’ve taken far more garden plants but I’ve found that as a Master Gardener, plants tend to find their way to me through other generous gardeners. So far over 40 boxes have been packed. My mom gave me a good push and a reality check, she seemed to think we have a lot to do and I thought we were doing pretty well. Either way, we will get it all done by the 12th but I feel like we are pretty close to being on schedule.
This past week has been a roller coaster ride, quite literally! On Saturday October 15th I photographed my first wedding “professionally”. I feel it was a great success, still working on editing the photo’s but with my husband as my backup/assistant we covered the event well with over 850 photo’s shot. I’ve narrowed it down to 25o for the couple to choose from. Next thing on my ride was taking the train up to NYC for a quick visit and interview! I arrived on Sunday PM, checked into Noliatan on the lower east side. I was lucky enough to go see the de Kooning retrospective at the MOMA on Monday AM and then interviewed in the afternoon. No, this doesn’t mean we have changed our minds about moving, if the job works out it would be a telecommute situation. I did a bit more visiting with friends, family and museums on Tuesday before returning home.
Once home I wasn’t able to focus much on the move as we quickly realized there was an increasing problem with our middle furbaby, Leo. We took him to the vet Thursday and discovered the problem he was experiencing was oral cancer. This was a devastating blow and we spent the next 2 days loving and caring for him as best we could. We made the difficult decision to put him down on Saturday afternoon.
In the midst of all this there hasn’t been much packing going on but since we now have a departure date of November 13th we have a bit more time. We also managed to book our moving truck and get rid of a few more things. Will all the challenges we are facing I’m not sure I will be posting as much to the blog. I am in no state of mind to be rambling on about much with such a hole in my heart and trying to balance the moving situation. I will just post when I feel up to it. Once we get settled down a bit I hope to return to a more regular posting schedule but some of the ideas I’ve got for the blog have now been moved to the back burner.
Go placidly, amid the noise and the haste and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly and listen to others even the dull and ignorant, they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of times.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But let not this blind you to what virtue there is, many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentile with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God; whatever you conceive him to be.
And whatever your labor and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all it’s sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
I found this poem in a book not so long ago, it was written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann. I enjoy the somewhat outdated language and the universal message, I hope you do too.
In the midst of the moving madness I’ve managed to continue to do a bit of textile work. Expanding upon my rust experiments I’ve done some rust dyeing on silk scarves, which I realize may compromise them in the long run but I couldn’t resist the rust!
This is a detail of one end of a long narrow scarf. I am so intrigued by the metallic shades, rainbows and oxidation that occurs on the fabrics. The effect here partially washed away after I rinsed the fabric.
I’m embarking upon the exploration of natural dying, slowly trying to learn a bit more about it because I’ve never really done much of it but am now very interested. It seems a natural progression bringing together my interests in gardening, sustainability and textiles. I’ve started with onion skin collected (from my local CSA) over the last couple years (because I don’t need to MOVE them!), both yellow and red.
I got a variety of hues and shades on both fabric and yarn varying from a green gold to a warm pale brown. I experimented with silk, cotton, wool and linen and used alum as a mordant.
I’ve also been experimenting with the process of natural dying via bundling bits of dirt, bark, lichen, leaves and other debris in fabric Ala India Flint. These experiments haven’t been tremendously successful but it’s new and fascinating to me so I’m enjoying the process. I think it’s time I get India’s Book “Eco Color” though so I don’t waste too much time and fabric in the learning process. I did have some faint success with fern leaves and with mud so far though.
Finally I’ve been trying my hand with a little textile and mixed media assemblage. This is a work in progress that I’m playing around with.
…PS…Knitting season has returned (I usually put down the needles in the summer) so I’ve picked up the needles again and have a couple projects going (they are gifts so I can’t show them yet).
Okay, it’s time for my weekly check in on our moving progress. I’m excited to share that the house is on the market and has shown a few times. It’s got to be kept spic and span which is a challenge in this state of affairs but it’s kind of nice! I’m enjoying having things looking neat and clean for our last amount of time here.
A few more items have made their way onto Craigslist and the flea market is behind us now. It was a wash out but we made a little money before it started pouring and the remaining non valuables went directly to donation. So, what’s the next step? Packing of course! When it comes to packing I wanted to share a little of my strategy. I have a list week by week of what I will be packing by category. I’m sure there will be a little overlap but it’s a plan and it creates weekly goals for our packing which will help keep us on track and feeling less overwhelmed.
By next week it will begin looking a bit more bare around here. This is the part I don’t like very much but I’m hoping to embrace the empty space and enjoy the simplicity of living with less.
Here are a few favorite things I found this week that fall into the categories of reuse and organizing. You can’t beat that combo!
Suitcase Side tables from Cupcakes and Cashmere
Crate’s are popping up everywhere and here are a few ideas for their use.
Crate Side table from Neet Magazine
Crate Shelves from Design sponge
Various shelves and organization by way of re-purposed crates, suitcases etc from Recreate
To see more ideas for re-using everyday stuff check out my Pinterest Re-Use It board. If you would like to follow my boards click Here.
There is a lot of discussion these days about how images collected on Pinterest are attributed, in my case I always try to link back to the original makers. In some cases, these items are for sale but may not be available. In other cases, they are simple ideas that no one would mind you reusing in your own way. In any case, I hope you will give credit to the creative makers who inspire us with their DIY inventions!