The Crazy Thing I Did Today

This Saturday is the big garage sale event at the Dome Center. I went ahead and signed up for it today to set up my jewelry table. The crazy part is I only have 15 pendants in stock because I filled two consignment orders this week. Yikes. I guess we all know what I will be doing 24 hours a day for the next two days. I might run out of glass!

To Greener Pastures

My (second) best friend is moving to Texas today. Boo hoo! I’m very sad about this. She is such a wonderful and beautiful woman, mother, and friend. I met her at my old job helping people with mental illnesses. She has the biggest heart for helping people. We just really clicked as friends at a dark time when I thought any new friends were never going to happen for me. It feels like I have known her all my life. Yes, we are that kind of friends. I’m so lucky.

They are packing the truck as I write this. She called earlier today to ask if we wanted a couch and loveseat because they cannot fit them in the truck. I said “sure” without thinking about how I could get them to my house. The last hour was spent wrangling people and trucks to get this furniture so my friend does not have to worry about one more thing today. She sounded a bit frazzled on the phone.

Now I’m going to have a couch and loveseat that will remind me of her everyday. It is probably going to make me miss her more and more but the constant reminder of her will be good for me. I’m more likely to keep in constant touch with her this way. It might be painful at first, but I know she is going to be happier where she is moving to and away from these cold, endless winters.

Good luck, my dear good friend! I miss you already! Sniff.

Bye Bye, Renting!

I’m trying not to be that annoying person who has nothing to talk about except house buying. I know it can be boring for those of you who have either already gone through it or have no idea of the stress I’m talking about. But I have more exciting news! We put a bid on a house and it was accepted after a little counter-offering banter. The inspections were today. So barring any complications there, we have bought a house! We bought a house after only being in it for about 30 minutes. Seems a little hasty to me, but I guess this is how it’s done. I am in looooove with it!

I am both exhilarated and terrified. Did we do enough looking? Can we afford this? Are we going to be happily-ever-after in this house? Will I ever be able to sleep again due to the excitement?

I do know one thing for certain… we are finished with renting. We had a pipe under the kitchen sink literally crumble in my hands last week and were without the use of our sink for three days until our landlord could come replace the pipe. If it were OUR house, it would have been fixed the next day. I’ve never seen metal crumble in that way. It had leaked so much the downstairs neighbors called with a question I have dreaded since we moved into a second floor apartment. She asked, “Do you have something leaking in the kitchen?” Panic stricken, I went to check, and everything was soaked under the sink. It was dripping down into their sink through the ceiling. I am so glad it wasn’t worse and the ceiling did not cave in. All is back to normal though I doubt the landlord fixed anything in the floor or ceiling. Not my problem after June!

Working Under Stress

We didn’t get the house we wanted. Oh, well. Wasn’t meant to be. I think we got outbid. We’re looking at three more houses today.

This entire house buying business has put my work motivation into overtime. I need something to do to keep my mind busy. I bought three skeins of yarn to knit my way through this. I am making another felted bowl on circular needles in red and deep purple. In two days I have glassed, taped and soldered 9 pendants, made proofs for a custom order, and painted up some new art designs for pendants. That is getting a lot done for me these days.

Pendants waiting for solder.
I am happy with the pendant art I’ve been doing. Painting and drawing is a different way to make them for me. Now they are more like miniature works of art behind glass! I challenged myself to make five designs very quickly just to see what would happen. They turned out to be my favorites of the bunch! They are mostly just torn paper and some line drawings. Leaves and floral designs are popping through my head all the time now that spring is poking its head up.

Hurry up, Spring! I have missed you!

A Very Very Fine House

We began our search for our first home last week. We fell in love with a house online. An internet crush, if you will. We got to see it in the real world Sunday. We love it and are thinking about placing a bid.

This house has a lovely dining room that will accommodate our very large table, lots of closets (I think I counted about 8!), three bedrooms, a sunroom, a great yard, and a garage. The kitchen is a bit out dated but we might have it redone someday. It needs new appliances right away.

We don’t even have an agent yet! We did not expect to find something only into our second week of searching. Today and Tuesday bring appointments with realtors so we can pick one.

This has me doing all sorts of dreaming about what my studio space in one of the bedrooms will be like. I have studio space in our apartment, but my room will be bigger in the new house. (I’m speaking like we already own it.) The bedroom I already chose has southern exposure!! It’s all bright and sunny. Great for photographing my Etsy items. We’ll need to get more shelving for my supplies and maybe another table for sewing. Good heavens, I cannot wait!

Wish us luck!!