unpack

As I’m slowly unpacking, I’m acquiring new stuff. My foster mother passed away in January and I have her daughter bringing me some of her old stuff. Some of it is very difficult to sort though and pass on to a good home. Some of it is easier, french cookbooks and pilates VHS for example.

I’ve been given a really nice marble table and a glass display case, which I love. There are a whole bunch of trinkets that I think I might hang on to. Then there’s the artwork, which I think is much too nice for my apt, but I can’t bring myself to give away. These are pieces that I grew up with on the walls. There’s always Freecycle, but… just no.

And finishing the bookshelf let me unpack the bunch of books that were lurking in boxes. Now I need another night stand so that I can retire the boxes holding my alarm clock :P

So lots of progress today. Now I think the next task is to save up some money so that I can buy furniture that I’ll love to have in my apt, not just stuff to fill up the room, because I think that I need it, then end up hating it completely.

Tackled a whole bunch of boxes over my weekend this week. Now I basically only have my books in boxes so that I can paint the bookshelf and various and assorted papers and random stuff that doesn’t quite have a home yet. There also my pile of posters and stuff that has to go on the wall. Then of course there’s the stuff that lurks, that you don’t even realize that you have.

I should post some pictures of my progress. Maybe I’ll post that when I get home.

Finally started a little bit of decorating in the new place. Has it really been a month since I’ve been there already… WOW does time fly!

I have this collection of pictures, a sort of time line from my childhood to a few years ago. I had it up on the back of my kitchen cupboards in my last place. I had the idea that I wanted to have a sort of “long and winding road” of memories in my new place. I finally took the time to put it up the other day. It makes a big difference in making the place mine.

I also hung up my coats and jackets the other day. I should unpack my shoes. I’m waiting to paint my bookshelf to be able to put all my books away. Then there’s the pile of paperwork, which always ends up being unpacked later (MUCH later!)

Was talking to a friend about his insistance that I need a couch. I really hate most couches, I find them ugly and not very comfortable. Then I realized that I would actually like to have a leather couch. Not a new one of course, but we’ll see what we can score off of Craiglist in the next little bit after I build up my cash reserve again.

Then there’s the living room table (since it won’t fit in the kitchen). Right now I’m eating off of my desk when I’m home alone. I have this little unit that I’ll unpack my money “shrine” onto eventually, but for now when I have company it’s my little buffet unit.

Then there’s the computer chair that I’d like. I’m surviving with a fold up chair for now, but that’s a temporary solution.

Still, I’m comfortable with what I have now. And as I keep reminding myself, I didn’t accumulate everything I have now in one shot, it took years. Therefore I don’t need to have everything now, I can learn to wait for stuff that I’ll love to have, instead of rushing and just getting stuff that I hate to fill a space.

Had some friends over to help me with the huge monster of unpacking.

As it stands:

1) Need a part for my stove… Went to one store, but they don’t carry it, need to try another store tomorrow.
2) Got my bookshelf assembled and started unpacking stuff onto it.
3) Got my cupboard for my room assembled. Now need the fabric boxes for small things like underwear and socks and etc.
4) Still need my curtains to be hung.
5) I’d like to repaint my bookshelf, I pulled it out of the trash many years ago and it’s seen better days. I’d also like to repaint it to match the sun and moon theme that I have running through my house.
6) My landlord is going to install ONE three prong plug in the living room. I had a power bar and pulled out the ground so that I can plug in my computer, not the safest option, but I do leave my computer unplugged when I’m not at home.

I’m starting to get tired of eating restaurant food and sandwiches. I picked up some canned soups today too. And it’s really all the little things that will kill you.

So I’ll be going on a bit of an unpacking blitz tomorrow as I’m off. Working evenings means that I never seem to get anything done, being the Snooze Queen herself.

I have my ex coming over to hang my curtains, see if he can fix my stove and fix and install odds and ends.

I hung up my shower curtains after I bought the more spendy shower curtain hooks for them, but they are very nice. I’ll be looking for a red picture/mirror to complement the black, white and red look that I have going on.

So I’ve finally moved into my new place. The stress just seems to have evaporated. I’m still not sleeping properly at night, new (old) bed, new place, uncertain future, all probably contributing to this, but such is life.

I’m taking pictures of my progress as I unpack, which I’ll get to post here eventually. I spent Sunday unpacking and cleaning the kitchen, which is mostly done now. It seemed to be the easiest place to start.

I don’t have three prong plugs, so I’ve got the computer in the kitchen now, the only place that does have one. Plus I can’t connect the net until I can plug everything in, so no phone. Sigh. Spoke to the landlord about installing it, we’ll see how that goes.