More treasures

Over the past few days we've made a bit of head way in our office/library/crafty space. That's a pretty big deal considering the amount of books we've got to deal with. There's still a pile of stuff sitting in the middle of the room and a few boxes waiting to be sorted in the hallway but I think I'll be well on my way to crafting very soon. If I can only find my brushes and glue....



Here's my stash of crafting books and specialty papers. That old green file on the right holds the old photos I've collected over the past few years. Not quite organized just yet but it's getting there.



I mentioned that D and I found a bunch of old bottles buried in our back garden last week. Today we found some more broken glass as well as two more intact bottles. That wasn't the only treasure I found today though. Take a look at this...



For the life of me I don't remember buying this but it's a discard from our old public library so I must have grabbed it... or the Mr. did and forgot to mention it to me. The projects range from a snake made out of rolled up foil balls to a more elaborate doll tea service and palace with guards. Who knew foil could be so much fun?

Holy crap we've moved!

It certainly has been a crazy few months but we are finally in our new home and very slowly getting settled. There are boxes everywhere and the place is a disaster but it is quickly becoming home.

There are a few things that we did not expect: the leaky drain in the kitchen, the sweltering heat in the upper floor, the crazy loud airplanes that occasionally pass by. I think that we can deal with all of it because there are so many nice things about being here. Just get a load out of the view from my office window...



It's been nice to spend more time with the Big D also. Last week we went on a treasure hunt in our back garden to dig up some old bottles we saw. Most of them were smashed to bits but there were a few survivors.



Pretty neat eh?

It's been a hell of a move. Seriously, it's been all sorts of awful in so many ways. But I'm thanking the gods that it's pretty much over and I can get back to life.

Withdrawals

It seems like ages since I've done any crafting and it's starting to get to me. I'm on the verge of getting the shakes and must be careful not to go near any crafty supplies or else I will lose my mind and start eating glue. "It will all be over soon" I keep telling myself. In no time at all I will be able to crack open my boxes of dear, sweet, crafty goodness and get to the painting and pasting once more.

To tide me over I've signed up for two craftster swaps. The Birds, Birds, Birds and the Jar of Whimsies Rnd. 6 swaps.

I'm not really nutty for birds but I do think that there is an awful lot of cute birdy stuff around at the mo'. Aesthetically I think that crows, ravens and wee songbirds are loveliness. In real life (and perhaps not so pretty) I like seeing cranes fly, baring witness to humming birds fight over nectar and watching penguins swim.

I'm off to the new house tomorrow to sign some papers and show it off to my mum. I'm excited. The big move is on Monday... and I still have packing to do. Can't wait to be up and running again very soon!

P.S. This is a great video...

We've got a lot of stuff...

Everywhere I turn there are boxes. Lots and lots of boxes.

Between the wine stash, the books, the cooking gear, and all that regular stuff that fills a house, there is an overwhelming amount of things to pack. We're living in a cardboard jungle at the mo'. Some people have said "Oh, you'll have to get rid of your (fill in the item here)" when we mentioned our long haul. Well... the winemaker is determined to keep his cellar intact and I will not willfully give up my stash of crafting goods. We are both in love with our crazy number of books so that is out of the question. How in the world are we going to move everything?

I'm still not sure. Ug.

In crafty news... all of my goods are packed and I am going through serious withdrawal. I've signed up for a bird swap on craftster and plan on crafting like a crazy lady once my boxed goodies are unpacked. Hurrah!

Something else I want to get my crafty little hands busy on are these...



How wonderful are these?!? Made by the insanely talented Phizzychick over at craftster.org this wee town is made up of teeny houses. The square front of each house measures only 1 inch square! LOVE them and totally stealing the idea to make own village.

Here's the project link http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=313936.0

The countdown continues

It was a crazy day today. Thunderstorms brought buckets of rain that flooded the streets of the East end of Hamilton. Just blocks from our house basements were underwater and streets impassable. I feel for those friends and neighbours who've been affected by the rains... for some this is not the first round of flooding they've dealt with.

We're packing like mad. There's only 14 days left till moving day. The Mr. is starting to panic about the logistics of everything and the sheer amount of stuff we have to move. I'm totally excited and think that the packing is going fairly well although I do keep thinking about all the unpacking with each box I tape shut.

As a gal who has lived in a rather large city for the last 20 years moving to the sticks is a big change. While laying with the kiddo, trying to get him to sleep, I thought about the noise and wondered for just a minute if I'd miss it. Will I miss the sirens, the motorcycles, the busy street traffic and the noisy bar across the way? Not a chance!

I wonder if the scene in my mind will come close to what the reality will be once we move. Will this city gal be pleased as punch to stay home and make pie and craft? Or will I quickly feel the need for a big dirty city and start up a cult or hooker ring in my new home town? Hey, there's a great sushi place about 20 minutes away from the new house... I'm sure I'll survive.

The light at the end of the crazy tunnel

Here she is, the reason that my sanity is almost still intact, our new home!



Knowing that we'll be moving into this lovely place (which I still can't believe) is keeping me motivated. I keep thinking that all the stress, all of the headaches, the lost sleep, and hard work is for a purpose and will be worth it in the end. Heck, I can even deal with the loss of all my books and crafty supplies (all packed up in moving boxes) for a while if it means living in my dreamy home.

I am totally stitching a "Home Sweet Home" thingy for this place :) *sigh*

Wheee! What a roller coaster ride!

So I've been missing. I still will be for a month or so, but it's all good and I think I can share a bit of what's been going on.

Here's a mini-rundown of the past two and a half months...

We've dealt with job loss, gained employment, gone to a gazillion birthday parties, prepped our house for sale, decluttered, painted ceilings and walls, cleaned our fingers to the bone, we've battled a nasty flu, gone to swim lessons, soccer practice, soccer games, cooked, done laundry, worked full time, done grocery shopping, made curtains, steam cleaned carpets, sold our house, shopped for houses, bought a house (just a couple of things before it's official!), slept (a tiny bit), and loads of other stuff that is escaping me at the mo' as well as trying to make sure our kiddo is a-ok while he only has one frazzled parent at home and the other is away working.

We've been busy. So busy that much of our 'outside' life has gone completely neglected.

I'll be back in the latter half of August to share the fruits of all this madness. For anyone who has emailed me, I'm sorry you've been put on hold, I'm especially sorry if I've worried anyone, but I will get back to you once our move is complete. As much as I'd like to do it all, I can't. Something had to give before I lost my mind. I've been on the verge of a panic attack for the last month but things are finally slowing down and I'm starting to catch my breath.

Once again, I'm sorry to those of you that have emailed and haven't had a reply. Please just hold on a little while longer and I will get to you as soon as I can! I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your patience and understanding.