Yes, Justin and I have already moved five times in the past three years (!), so, why not one more move? This decision was actually just an idea, until everything very quickly fell into place, pointing us towards moving on June 1st. Justin was offered his job back at a small vitamin and natural foods store that he worked at before we moved to western mass because the owner is losing his only employee this month and needs knee surgery. This happens to be the very best excuse for Justin to finally quit his job at Whole Foods (which he has wanted to do probably since his first couple weeks there - two years ago). He'll get the chance to work for someone who actually shows him respect again, while also managing and running the whole store alone, with out the corporate eye breathing down his neck.
So Justin will be living with some friends for the summer, and we found a great little one bedroom apartment for me to hunker down in while he's gone. Though we'll miss each other terribly, we're also both really looking forward to having these months to be, well, a little bit selfish. We both want to be allowed the time to focus on our art with out getting in each other's way. And the apartment we found is perfect. It's in the back of a three family house, with a small kitchen on the first floor, and the bedroom, living room, and bathroom on the second. It's right downtown, yet some how super quiet and surrounded in the back by trees. It had a slight cabin in the woods feel, and I like that. Even before Justin was offered his old job back we were looking into downsizing, and this place will be great when he comes back. I will very much miss this beautiful studio, and the view and sunlight all day long, but I think we will be much better off saving those extra few hundred dollars every month. Maybe then we can actually save up for a wedding bash, and stop postponing it already!
Now it's time to start packing again. And we still have boxes we haven't emptied from moving in here in September! But that just tells me that we have too much stuff that we don't really need. With this move, since we're going from a five room apartment to a three room - and since Justin will be living in just a bedroom in Beverly, we will be doing some serious sorting and will hopefully have either one huge yard sale, or a couple smaller ones before June. I want to be really strict with myself and move as little as possible. When did I collect all this stuff?? Having this big apartment probably hasn't helped -separate studios and with a closet in every room, allowing us to stuff things in, not to be looked at for weeks (or in some cases months!). I am being hopeful that having a tiny apartment will force us to be more organized with our space and think carefully about what we buy to bring into it. I'll keep you posted on how that goes!
So, besides doing some major spring cleaning, packing, holding yard sales, and moving this month... we will also be preparing for Renegade, that conveniently falls on the first weekend in June! Yay! (That's a bit sarcastic, if you couldn't get that.) Well, there's a chance now that Justin won't be able to go because he may be working for a boss who's leg is out of commission, which means he'd be working crazy hours in Beverly, and I would go to Brooklyn alone to sell my goods and his. I am so glad we're sharing a booth with Alice so I wouldn't end up sitting there alone altogether (and I am really hoping that the Renegade crew honors my request to be near my friends ArgyleWhale and Be Planted. That would be really great!). Needless to say, these next few weeks are going to be a little crazy, but fun and exciting too! (Well, packing and moving is never really that fun - it's the unpacking and settling in part that's fun!) I do really kind of enjoy the stress of preparing for a fair though - with that kind of deadline I get so many animals cranked out it feels so good! High speed production while also sorting and packing starts tomorrow!
Oh, did you see this new little fawn I added to the shop? I completed her last week, and I really love her little flowers and pretty girlie eyes! I'm sure I'll be back in the next day or two with some new little ones for the shop. I think I am over due for a decent update. Good night!
Whooo hooo! What an adventure! My partner and I are prepping for another cross-country move and downsizing. Exciting and a pain in the arse all at the same time. C and I met at "the Whole" in a town where it had eaten up the independent health food stores. I worked there for five years...had started when it was still kind of a cool place to work and experienced the demise into corporate watchdog Hell, and all the small businesses I supported as a buyer get dropped like trash in favor of big companies who could offer national deals. Of course, now that I'm a small business owner myself, it's painful to think about all the local folks whose places on the shelf I couldn't save. I have no love for the Whole.
ANYWAY, due to the move, I didn't apply to Renegade but I'll try to make it up to play if I can! I'm hoping to do the SF one...
btw, I adore that sweet fawn and her flowery collar!
Hope your transition is smooth...sounds like a great move for you both!
Posted by: shannon | May 06, 2009 at 10:42 AM
the flower garland is fantastic! i'm loving all of the little prints you create with, your cloth storage must be incredible! happy moving! have you started painting yet?
Posted by: anastasia | June 13, 2009 at 07:30 PM