Packing Boxes

I figure since I have until December 31 to get out of this house, I might as well start early and pack up what I can.  It never hurts to get started on a "big job" as early as you can.  As I'm packing, I'm also looking at things that I don't use any longer, or haven't used in 3-5 years...things I'm tired of looking at, dusting, packing up, you name it.  I'm trying to move "lighter" than I moved into this house.  Time to minimize as much as possible, take things to Goodwill.  No more garage sales, no more time spent on it.  My time is more valuable spend elsewhere, with my granddaughter, on crafts, visiting friends, vacationing, etc.

I'm starting in my bedroom, where it is half bedroom, half craft room.  So much to go through and pack.  Most of the craft things I will keep, but I will be getting rid of some things that I just haven't used and probably will never use.  It's so hard to make a determination of what to get rid of.  In the past, when I have gotten rid of something that I haven't used in a couple of years, almost automatically the next week I'm needing it.  It has happened with kitchen items especially.  Can be quit frustrating.  Or I can find alternate things to use.  It just depends.  But it's time to get rid of "stuff" I will never use, or at least not miss.

I've made a list of things I need to do to the house to get my security deposit back.  And there again, it depends on timing.  I will probably to up to Ukiah and get a storage locker, and move boxes little by little.  I can have Scott take them up during the week for me, as he is there every week to work now.  With 3 of us in the house, there is no room to store packed boxes, so they will have to be moved periodically into storage.  A storage locker here in Martinez goes for more than $200 (10x10).  In Ukiah I can get one for $65.  Such a difference.  So that's what I will do.  I'll go up one day and sign up and pay for one, since you have to do that in person.  Then weekly or so I'll have Scott take boxes up there for me.  It will then allow me to rent a smaller U-Haul van to move all the final furniture and stuff, when it comes time.  Once I get more boxes out of the house, and a little more room to move around, I can start washing windows, blinds, cupboards, etc.  I won't clean the carpets until the last week, but I can get other things done before that.  I'm so thankful that I am retired that I can spend the time on this now, rather than going to work and doing a few hours every night...thank you God!

I've been looking at houses for rent in Ukiah and they are definitely less expensive than the bay area, much more affordable.  I am in a 2 bedroom house for $1750 and can get a 3-4 bedroom 2 bath for $1200-$1400, with a 2-car garage and large yard, and maybe even a view of the valley.  Woot, woot!  So much more affordable...and less traffic, less people (Ukiah's population is under 22,000).  They have all the shopping stores I'd ever want, people are friendly, neighborhoods are family oriented.  I can't wait.  My sis-in-law, Tresa, went up there with me about a month ago, checking out the area, and it's going to be quite pleasant.  We found an Applebee's for lunch, they have a couple Starbuck drive-thru's, WalMart, Michael's, Kohls, Lucky/Safeway/Raley's/Grocery Outlet...a nice farmers produce store...all the things to keep me happy.  So I'm looking forward to the move.

Well, off to packing now, and hope I get lots done.  Be back soon...

Rain Finally

Here in northern California it has been soooo dry all year, and we are finally getting a little rain.  They have been warning everyone to stock up on flood supplies, groceries, etc. but after all it is only going to be pretty light, nothing heavy.  Aside from the slick streets, we shouldn't get too much rain.  More in the north, but here in the bay area, not a lot of rain.  However much we get, it's nice to have it.  It clears the air and makes it smell cleaner.  It cools things down and makes pumpkin coffee taste even better.

Making final preparations for the Glorious Junk Day show this weekend in Fresno.  I got one Christmas album completed, but it looks like that's all I'm going to get done that is new for the show.  That's okay.  The week has flown by, no major issues, but I didn't get two albums done like I wanted to.  Oh, well.  Hopefully people will be looking for Halloween items, and my albums will be popular.

Joel is going to pick me up tomorrow morning and we will drive to Fresno (about 3 hours).  It will be nice to just sit and chat with her.  Now that we don't work together, we don't get a lot of time to see each other, though during the summer we would meet at Allison's house once a month to do crafts, and I would see her then.  We've known each other, what, about 10 years now.  Can't believe it's been that long.

Then tonight after Nettie works the DVC game, she and Aria are driving to Ukiah to be with Scott.  There is a parade tomorrow in Ukiah, and Scott's boss has asked if Aria wants to ride in the "cherry picker" truck.  It's Pumpkinfest, and it starts with a parade at 10 a.m. and lasts two days.  I'm hoping next year I can have a craft booth all set up for selling stuff.  We'll see how it goes.

Anyway, stay safe today, and if you are out, drive safe and enjoy the rain while we have it.

Moving

Even though I won't be out of my place until December 31, there is so much to do.  I haven't yet found a new place to move into yet.  But I know I will find one within the next month or so (hopefully).  Over the past couple of years I have tried to downsize.  It is hard to do, because for so many years I wanted to be Martha Stewart.  I wanted the 5 sets of dishes, the linens to end all linens, numerous sets of sheets, blankets comforters, 25 cute teapots, antique collectibles like the butter churn, coffee grinders, kitchen gadgets, not to mention the plethora of books that I collected (and yes, cookbooks).  When I moved into this house, I probably sold 20 boxes of books before I got here, so came with about 20 boxes.  Since I've been here, I've gotten rid of probably 17 boxes of books.  I love paper, books, anything to do with paper.  But over the past 5 or so years, I have "given up the dream" of being Martha.  I've gotten rid of some things, but am prepared in the next month or so before I move to get rid of tons of "extra stuff" that I don't use any more.

Over the last couple of years, we have had quite a few garage sales, make a few dollars, but still I have too much stuff.  So I've decided no more garage sales, just pack it up and take it to Goodwill.  I'm so tired of moving it, dusting it, cleaning it, ironing it, whatever.  Out of the 25 teapots, I will only keep 3-4, ones that family have given me, like the Mrs. Pots musical teapot my daughter gave me, my grandmas teapot, and once that belonged to my brother (passed away).  I have already gotten rid of the numerous dish sets, and only kept my Desert Rose, which I use for every day.  I don't have any that I keep for "good" because they won't get used.  I used the good ones for every day.  Why not, I have an abundance of them, so if one breaks, it won't hurt the remaining ones.

I have gone through the linens once, but am thinking I should do it again.  You know, I'm 62, and I don't entertain much anymore, so I don't need those big, honky tablecloths that fit the long table that I no longer have.  I want a tablecloth that will fit a table to fit 6-8 people, not 12-20.  I don't need the numerous fabric napkins that take forever to wash and iron (who irons anymore???).  I've gotten rid of the kitchen gadgets, the butter churn, the other antiques that just collect dust.  But I'm considering still getting rid of more stuff before I move.  I just need to get it done.

It's nice to pack before things get rushed, because I can take a little time and don't have major deadlines.  I can move some boxes up to the storage place, even before I find that perfect rental house I'm looking for.  Just wish me luck and hope that I succeed where I need to and get things to Goodwill before I move, and moving boxes to the storage place before I even find a place.  Things will work out as they are supposed to, they always do.

Wish me luck!


I also went to my Stampin' Up Stamp Camp this past Thursday evening at Gina's house.  I used to be a demonstrator, and she was my upline, but I no longer sell, I just go to her monthly stamp camps.  Last Thursday we made the below 3 items, two cards, and one pad portfolio.  They turned out so cute.  Gina always gives us great projects to complete, and I always spend way to much money ordering new product.  I love Stampin' Up, it's the greatest!

Card #1

Card #2

Portfolio

Portfolio - Open

So that's it for today, I think I've said enough (smile).

Fall Is Almost Here

So now that it is fall (September 22), the mornings are a little crisper, a little chill is in the air, we got a little rain yesterday (unheard of for the SF bay area), pumpkins are everywhere and I feel like making soup, soup, soup.  It's not quite cold enough to make lots of soups yet, but I'm collecting recipes to try, and getting in the mood for the oven being on more often.

Getting ready for Halloween, have been for about a month.  Am also getting ready to do a craft show with some friends in Fresno in 2 weekends.  It's called "Glorious Junk Days" and takes place October 15-16 in Fresno.  I'm in a booth with my friend Tami, so I'm getting a few more halloween themed items ready for sale.  Working on some halloween houses, a set of 3 that vary in size, and some more greeting cards.  Have about 5 halloween hand-made photo albums all ready to go, and will hopefully get 1-2 larger Christmas albums completed to sell.  This will be my last sales event for the year.  I probably won't do another one until mid-2017, as I am moving in January and do not know the logistics of craft fairs where I am moving to yet, but still plan to do 3-4 shows a year.  It's what I love to do.  I love to make photo albums, but sometimes you just don't know what a buyer is looking for.  So trying to decorate the house, complete items for a show in 2 weeks, packing up some items getting ready to move in January.  The next two and a half months will be quite busy.

Moving to a new place makes me a little leary.  I've lived here (Martinez) for most of my adult life.  I don't necessarily want to leave, however a couple things have made it necessary for me to move.  In the first place, my landlord raised my rent $450 per month, making it impossible to stay here.  With rents skyrocketing (greedy landlords), I can't afford to live in the bay area any longer.  Being retired and living on a fixed income makes it impossible to stay.  In the second place, my daughter's partner got a new job in Ukiah, so my daughter/granddaughter will be joining him in January.  So I figured since daughter and granddaughter have been living with me for the past 6 years, I have no choice but to follow them (I can't imagine a week without seeing my grandbaby).  So I'm moving also.  I haven't found a place to live yet, but that will come hopefully within the next 2 months.

In the meantime, I'm going through and purging what I don't use any more, so I won't have to move so much stuff.  I have too many teapots, too many dishes, too many linens, too many books, too many lots of things, so I'm trying to pare down before I move, only move the basics.  The problem area is my crafts.  I do so much with paper, punches, paints, etc. that they are much harder to pare down.  I'm looking for a place with a spare bedroom to utilize for crafts, so I won't be getting rid of much in that area because I use most of it.  I will be diligent in going through this stuff, to ensure I don't take what I won't use.  Easier said than done.

Anyway, I plan to enjoy the fall time; the wreaths and pumpkins are decorating the porch (actually the raccoons are already enjoying the pumpkins, or something is anyway).  The witches and goblins will follow soon, along with apple cider, pumpkin breads and scones, and pumpkin coffee has already begun, along with the pumpkin butter on toast.  So I hope everyone celebrates fall and Halloween and enjoys themselves.  My niece says that "fall has thrown up all over my house"...I like it!

The picture below is a pumpkin I made out of a paperback book, something I saw on Pinterest and decided to give it a try...I think it needs leaves and some curli-ques.

Happy fall, everyone.

A Little Halloween

So, it's been so long since I've had a blog, but I'm stepping back in.  It's October, fall is beginning to arrive here in Northern California and Halloween is in the air.  I want to post my projects, my life, my thoughts, my feelings, here on my blog.  I won't have any followers for awhile, but that's okay.  It will allow me to post something at a minimum once per week, something I've been working on, maybe something that's on my mind, what's going on on my side of the world, whatever I feel like.  I love to be creative.  I tell my friends it is what keeps me off the streets at night (hahaha).

I've  been creative my whole life.  When I was younger (I'm in my 60's), my grandmother gave me my love of crafts.  She taught me how to sew, bake, make resin grape lamps, how to tile, embroider, knit.  She gave me my love.  Then when I was in high school, I started to paint.  My brother, Gary, took me on a shopping trip to San Francisco and we bought all the art supplies: paints, brushes, canvas, carrier, and he was the one that encouraged me to paint.  I've been painting all my life, in one form or another.  Oils, water, acrylic, china (china painting is my all-time favorite, and I still want to do more of it). I've sewed clothes since I was 10 for myself throughout my life, frilly dresses for my daughter and niece, and more clothes to be made for my 4 year-old granddaughter.

I love to scrapbook...I have more paper and pictures than I know what to do with.  It's hard to keep up with everything, but I try.  If I never bought another piece of paper, I'd probably be fine for 8 years or so, but what's the fun in that?  I love art journaling, love the creative process, love learning new techniques, love teaching classes, love sharing my art.  I am retired and want to do more art, but some days there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day...oh, well, as long as I do the best I can, that will have to do for now.

I'll try to do my best to post something here at least one a week, more if I have time or if I want to share something that I'm working on...so we'll chat again later.

The picture above is of a tall candlestick holder that was painted an ugly gold with some sparkle paint on it.  I decided to paint them (there are 2) black, with silver highlights.  It turned out just like I wanted it.  I ended up putting pumpkins at the very top, but it could easily accomodate an eerie candle.  I loved how they turned out, so thought I'd share.