Movin' On Up

Somehow my search for the perfect home has come to an end. Well, it's not quite perfect. The drive to work will be a bit longer and I cannot go jogging in the neighborhood. But... I have found something gorgeous. Nestled next to a stunning historic district, the place is minutes away from my favorite haunts. Tall ceilings, crown molding, hardwood floors, custom cabinetry (with a built-in wine rack!), gated parking and most importantly, an extra room which will be dedicated to craft-related pursuits. I fell in love with the charm of the place and the residents I saw looked artistic and friendly. Best of all, the property owner has a warm personality and gave me a flexible move-in date. This way, I can have some extra time before my current lease expires.

I have been silent on my favorite websites due to the nightmare I encountered trying to pack. Before actually starting to put my worldly possessions into boxes, some decisions had to be made. Being a lifelong pack rat definitely has its disadvantages. My first order of business was to completely clean out my closet and mercilessly judge every article of clothing. This was a lot of work and the end result? A full two thirds was donated to charity. I thought I would feel a sense of loss, but this quickly became sheer relief. The next phase was the craft room. This has been home to every scrap of paper and item that I thought I couldn't part with. This was a bigger task than I could take on, so I gathered up everything that was obviously unnecessary and will be selling things at a yard sale next month.

After I finished going through both rooms, the actual packing began. After a few weeks, I think I am finally starting to win! The new apartment has very little closet space and I think having fewer things will help me in the long run. The game plan is to avoid making frivolous purchases and focus on big ticket items, like shelves and a sofa. Wall art is also a priority since I want to completely reinvent my living space. Decals are an attractive option, but I can't reuse them when I move. I found a knitting decal, but I can't get over the creep-factor of having giant hands on my wall. I found a few tips on making DIY stickers with contact paper, but they may not look professional enough with my poor cutting skills. Perhaps I need to bribe some of my more dexterous and creative friends to help.

Due to the chaos of the move and endless days of rain, I have been unable to take photos of new knitting projects. In reality, I am only working on the lap blanket. It is a completely mindless endeavor and I may reach my goal of finishing before I settle into the new home. It's quite exciting to de-stash 1,600 yards of an impulse purchase. Especially since I am vowing to not indulge such egregious behavior in the future.

[EDIT: I drafted the beginning of this entry on May 3rd, but I am actually posting on May 24th. Odd, no?]

Doing Grown-Up Things

Aside from searching for a new home, I have decided to start a few minor self-improvement projects. Today, I purchased a new pair of black plastic glasses and, more frighteningly, contact lenses. This gives me a couple of options instead of the boring day-to-day look. Since I have never worn contacts before with any success, my eyes need to be "trained" to handle them. This results in a week of keeping the lenses in for a little longer each day. After three hours this afternoon, my vision began to blur and the scratchiness began. I hope this clears up when I have finally acclimated to handle having foreign objects in my eyes. To make matters even more surreal, the new prescription is very different and much stronger than the last. If it looks like I am zoning out for the next few days, it's because I am trying to focus.

The next items on the list are the bleaching strips I bought for my teeth. Years of drinking dark things are starting to show in a manner I find most unseemly.

Finally, working out and eating healthy food is definitely paying off. If my scale is to be believed, I have lost 25 pounds. I have a few more to go before a personal trainer needs to be hired to help give me *gasp* muscle tone. Huzzah!

In preparation for the move, I de-stashed some of my yarn by sending a few skeins to a good home. She said she loves everything, so I can sleep well knowing my babies have a new mommy who will knit them into something lovely. Other de-stashing is coming to fruition as well. The lazy lap blanket has eaten up at least 580 yards of soft, worsted-weight acrylic and I have two more balls of similar size to attack. If this keeps up, the blanket will be large enough to snuggle with on the couch while watching Dollhouse, my latest television obsession.