Hiding from the Camp Fire smoke has proved to be productive. On Friday I was able to pick up another cabinet (also free!), this time with a bookcase hutch. It proved to be perfect for organizing my modest yarn stash and crafting books. It was also the impetus I needed to get my spinning fiber and equipment put away in the other cabinet I have out in the living room. The best part was I got to get out the sewing machine I bought years ago and never use. I keep telling myself I’m going to learn to sew. It hasn’t happened yet. Now that the sewing machine isn’t taped up in a box I may actually do it.
In the course of my sixteen plus years of marriage, I’ve lived in six states. In that time I’ve added to and gotten rid of at least two houses full of furniture. You learn quickly that the more you have, the more you have to move. The result being that I keep what I love for the move, and get rid of the rest. Usually, I end up at Ikea buying cheap things to replace what didn’t make it in the move. Sometimes it’s just cheaper than hauling it to a new state.
The result is that we when we moved into our own house (finally!) we didn’t have much in the way of real furniture. Sure we had beds and a couch, but not much more beyond that.
So I am now turning my attention to getting things to fill the house. And while Ikea is around the corner from some of the kids’ activities, I’ve chosen to go the thrifting route. I (and Doug) have been watching Craigslist, Free-cycle and a local group for things we really love and that will fit what we want our little homestead to be. I don’t really have a style picked out. I just know that Doug and I both love cozy and character, things that stand the test of time and can weather trends. We also want quality pieces.
Unfortunately, doing things this way takes not just tenacity and the time to dedicate to the search, but also speed and the ability to stomach some disappointments.
Then last month I scored three amazing pieces in one day.
I found this dresser for Doug:
This amazing roll-top desk for myself:
And the cabinet on the left there. It is actually a match for the dresser, but it is going to house my fiber stash
I’m still on the lookout for bookcases and a couch which better fits the feel of the house, but this is a good start.
Hello, dear blog. I’m so sorry I’ve neglected this space, but I had my reasons. Please, hear me out.
You see, dear readers, I (and D) have had a dream for a very long time. We have dreamt of a place where we could breath the fresh air. A place where wildlife is but a step away. A place were we could grow food, tend to our own animals, and let our children roam the land. A place were the city lights are far enough away to see the Milky Way stretched out above our heads on a clear night.
A little homestead where we could steward the natural beauty around us.
We always thought we would find that place once we returned to the East Coast. We have searched Landwatch and United Country for years, looking for the perfect place.
However, we knew with D’s job, that staying in the Bay Area would be a smarter move until we were ready to retire to our country dream.
But, have you seen the prices of rent and mortgages around here?! Oh! They are crazy. Just. Nuts.
Then, we were given the golden opportunity to live in a tiny (800 sq ft) cottage in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We loved the last two years there. D was able to work in town, but we were able to enjoy the quiet of country life.
Then, one day we were clicking around on Zillow last fall, as one is wont to do *cough, cough*, and we saw an open house not too far away (at a steal compared to the houses in the city!) We thought, “Why not? It will be fun to just go look.”
And so we went.
And now here we are:
The (blurry, sorry!) view of the morning from my front window
At the end of last month, we became the owners of an almost five acre homestead in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The view you see there is of the Santa Clara Valley.
There is a lot more to this story, of course. It was a whirl wind process! The deal went down in only 30 days. The fact it was the first property we looked at and then we got it is, from my understanding, unheard of in Cali. I truly believe we were meant to live here. So many things happened to make it possible, it was like the Universe aligned the planets, just to we could be here.
That’s not to say the process was easy. No! I lost ten pounds from the stress of it all (I was not looking to lose weight!)
Anyway, I finally feel I am ready to return to this space. I’ll be posting more often, and as we settle into this space, I will show y’all around.
Being home is the absolute best feeling in the world. As much as I love going “home” to Florida and seeing my family, I always love coming home.
Winter, for me is in rainy, wet NorCal.
It is quiet days with the wood stove lit.
Reading books.
Knitting.
Paying oodles of attention to my dog, Cassie, as she is a total diva when it comes to getting wet.
It is doing puzzles as a family.
Its is watching marathons of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter movies.
I love being home.
I am still recovering from jet lag and the little wrist injury I got while on vacation has me in a wrist brace. It has made unpacking, laundry, and the other 5,476,829 tasks I needed to do this weekend very fun (italics denote sarcasm.)
I am also in the midst of setting my goals and putting together my planners (yes, that is plural) for 2018. I know many people want to do this before the beginning of the year, but I love leaving it for after the holidays, when I have no other obligations pulling my attention away.
So, that’s it. I’ll leave you now so I can light a candle, listen to the rain on the leaves of the forest, and finish my vision board.
piligrace 