7/6/08

Please keep arms and legs in the cart at all times.


Monday afternoon, we'll land in Springfield (again) and embrace a messy, lovely home and an extended to-do list. I've got big plans for the rest of July so WATCH OUT WORLD!

We left our house a mess on the 2nd of July, got in the car on a whim, and drove to Oklahoma to surprise my parents and grandma who weren't expecting us until the next day. Part of the need to dash was to escape the chaos that our sweet house was in. I had forgotten how out of sorts you can feel when you can't find your drinking glasses, that brown skirt that goes with everything, or the small drill bit that you need to hang anything on your plaster walls. We had packed so well and even remembered to put the bedding, trash bags and interior shower curtain in the same box so we wouldn't have to dig for hours upon arrival. However, the piles and piles and piles of stuff made me terribly anxious. I needed order. I needed it right away.

We weren't able to get into our home until 9 p.m. on the night of July 1st but with the help of some great friends, we cleared enough space out of our bedroom where everything had been stacked and stored for two weeks so that we could climb into bed. That night was Sebastian's first night in his own room and his toddler bed. What should've been a welcome change of pace had me awake with worry most of the night. What if he fell out of bed? What if he woke up and didn't know where to find us? I was a mess.

We all got up at 6:30 the next morning and dragged ourselves through the to do list. Brett ran errands with Sebastian while I unpacked more boxes. We both felt like dropping dead by noon. If ever there was a time to get a babysitter, it was this day.

As cranky as I was on the 2nd, I am thrilled that we have this space to make our own. I'll post pictures of corners of our home as they are put in place this month but first on our to-do list is getting the July kits sent out. After supplies for July are ordered, I've got plans for an online class for the end of the month! (More details to follow.) THEN, another surprise for the first week of August! There will be a lot of action in the working half of our dining room so I'm sure that will be the first space to be sorted out.

Thank you to everyone who is still reading the sporadic posts on this blog. I appreciate each comment and all the well wishes in our new town. I can't wait to bring you a visual representation of our new life in the coming weeks.

Oh, and I'd LOVE to hear your moving stories. How long did it take you to unpack? How long did it take until you loved your space? How many times did you rearrange that first month?

~Rachel

35 comments:

Jessica said...

oh i am so feeling your frustration. we moved last year, but the feelings of anxiety and overwhelmingness(is that a word?) are still so fresh! and after a year, i am still pulling things out of our garage here and there.we are mostly settled, but it took us awhile. good luck! i am so excited for you to be in your own space! cant wait to see it as it gets all decorated! what a lucky house!

dainjb said...

we've been in our new home for 5 months and i'm still changing my mind constantly about where things should go, and have boxes in storage yet to be unpacked, and i'm buying furniture as i fall in love with it. this weekend it finally started to feel like HOME, and i finally feel like the end is in sight. good luck, stay calm, it will all come together! can't wait to see pictures because i'm sure they will be amazing and give me new inspiration for my own place!

Mandi Johnson said...

I love love loveee your midcentury modern furniture! Can't wait to see it all set up. We're goin through the same thing right now... and I can't wait even more until I see all of OUR stuff set up! haha

emily anderson said...

you look stunning in that photo...seriously girl...you are gorgeous!!
we just moved here 6 months ago, and i think i finally feel like everything has it's place...that's a good feeling!
good luck with getting organized!

Unknown said...

We moved in September into this one bedroom apartment....so we got rid of A LOT of stuff in the packing process...and even now we're still putting together boxes for goodwill...it's amazing how much we have that we don't really need.

Lindsay said...

I hope the moving in part goes well for you! My Mom and I are currently looking at moving for the first time in 21 years...yep, since I was, like 2. Scary. I'm so concerned with if it's going to be cute or not. Looking forward to seeing what you do with your new place!

And I was just reading the June/July issue of ReadyMade...I noticed in the reader emails, a Brett Denbow from Fresno, CA wrote in...I'm assuming that's your husband, right? haha

Take care,
-Lindsay

Cassie said...

I love Missouri!!
I am up near Kansas City.
I hated moving, packing, unpacking, all the yuckiness.
I hope you get it all arranged and re-arranged and re-re-arranged just the way you like it.
For now.
~Cassie

robin said...

hey rach..hang in there..I feel your overwhelmness!!! nowhere to turn ,boxes and crap everywhere..from all the cool thrift store finds and redo's you've done..your home is going to truly reflect who I think you are.
please let us see some pics..cause I'm always so inspired..wowing at the ideas you have . Congrats on your new home..know sebastian will love the new explorations he's going to have!!

Veronica Milan said...

I've moved twice, so, I'm no expert. :) BUT, I need order JUST like you, and usually it takes me a week to get everything perfect!

Melonie said...

OMG Rachel. We have been in our house for 7 years and I am just now getting my living room to a point where I like the way it is arranged. We've had it every imaginable way and nothing felt exactly right. Just play and have fun with it.
As you unpack that overwhelming feeling will go away. I promise. Can't wait to see pics of what you do.

Sheyb said...

We just moved to Arizona about 1 month ago. It took me 4 or so days to unpack just about everything. And this was with a 6 year old and an 21 month old. I knew that I would be glad once the unpacking was finished, so that was my motivation to get it done ASAP. :) Our house is old, and needs A LOT of work, so it's done near completion, but with all of our stuff in it, it feels like home. :) Good luck getting it all done.

Paz said...

WOW, sounds like a very stressful as well as exciting time. I am in the process of moving once again. I have moved more then I can keep track of, but its the packing and loading and unloading parts that always kill me. Sometimes I just wish I could throw everything out and just have one small suitcase full of things, however I am to sentimental and must keep it all. Good luck with your new home setting up!!!!! Heres to many many good times in your new abode!!!!

Unknown said...

Girl your moving story has anything i have to say topped! I know you are gonna have a wonderful home! Its gonna look hella cute! HEHEHEH i said hella just for you. Dont u miss california?? I bet not but thats ok we miss you! Give family a big hug and kiss and i will be praying all the stress and frustration goes away quickly!

Meg said...

Glad to hear you are in the new place. I understand being frustrated. I need order and go NUTS if I don't have it. The last time we moved (3 years ago) we were completely unpacked in 1 week! I was shocked. Even hubby was dead set on getting everything put in its place. I'm finally starting to get happy about it now :)

Anonymous said...

I just moved about a week ago, so I am definitely feeling your frustration. I am one of those crazy people who can't go to sleep until a room (doesn't matter which) is unpacked and organized. which makes for a miserable couple of days! Good luck getting everything unpacked and settled! Can't wait to see the new place! :-)

nancy said...

I don't know how many time we rearranged, but I do remember this story from our first week of marriage: We had gift cards to a certain store and went and picked out lamps. We tried to compromise a lot that day on what we got, since we had different tastes. We finally got home with two bedside lamps. We fell into bed exhausted and started arguing in the dark, and to our shock, the truth came out... NEITHER of us liked those lamps. In fact, we both hated them. That was the first lesson we learned about compromise... and how to be more careful with it.

Enjoy your new home!

Anonymous said...

I have a random question... what kind of hair products do you use? your curly hair always looks amazing.. my curly hair.. not so much!

~michelle

Michelle said...

I wouldn't stop reading your blog just because you're moving! You're posts are far too interesting to miss. I've never moved before but I have helped people move and I do know its not an easy task.

And as far as moving furniture around, my sister does it every time she cleans here room. She completely rearranges where her bed goes and if she wants the canopy on or off, along with her keyboard and chair and other furniture.

Niki said...

I had to downsize from a house to an apartment in May 2006 which involved getting rid of about 40% of my belongings. And STILL there are 10-15 boxes unopened in my sunroom. They are either things i still want but haven't found the right room arrangement yet to warrant unpacking them,like my collection of vintage barware (though oddly the liquor bottles all made out within the first 2 days) or things that i am ready to part with, but have to take pictures of to scrapbook before they leave me forever like my unicorn collection.
One of my new year's resolutions this year was to finish every box. It's July 7th and i've done 2 out of 15. sigh...

Jenna said...

well it seems both times we've moved i've been pregnant. go figure. and moving with a toddler is just crazy, while you're pregnant. i can so relate to being overwhelmed suffucated and tired of looking at unorganized boxes and piles and blah all over. one.box.at.a.time. you totally get on a roll. and then reward yourself with ice cream. oh wait, i was pregnant then and that's what i was craving. but definitely reward yourself with something for all your hard work. and post pictures! we can't wait to see all your new finds in your house! :)

♥Lizzy said...

Let's see...it's 2008? Then it's been nearly 4 years and we've still got boxes that haven't been unpacked! I'm sure you'll be more than motivated with all the cool stuff you've gotten from flea markets. I like your tastes mucho, Rachel! :) Good luck with your new home!

Michelle said...

Oooh..sounds like exiting things are coming up! And I totally know that overwhelming feeling of unorganized boxes everywhere! Yikes! When I moved out of my parents house a few years ago, I knew way ahead of time and poured over decorating ideas and poured over books and collected goodies. I seriously had the layout and everything planned before I even left...lol. I am such a dork...but I loved it and it prepared me to unpack and feel 'home' super fast! =) Happy settling!

Anonymous said...

I can totally understand the frustration with moving...I swear next time, I don't care how much money it costs or puts me out, I am hiring a moving company! I have moved 3 times in 10 years...the first wasn't too bad because I was working away, so family basically packed me and moved me. The second time was THE HOTTEST, MOST HUMID day of summer....I swear we all were going to die...thank GOD for use of my uncles pool. This last time, which was just at the end of last August, I fell down in the basement of my old place bruising and twisting my knee so bad I could hardly stand so my family and friends moved everything. It was unreal...I swear I have horrible luck when it comes to moving!

Sarah said...

We moved 2 months ago and everyday it feels more like home.... then something breaks, I find a new critter in the house, etc. It has been a rough start but not that bad. I still LOVE my cute 1880s house and want to live here forever!... That is the key forever mean I have looooooooooong time to make it mine. =) Everything in perspective!

Unknown said...

I would love to see your house! we live in our little appartment for about 2 and a half years now.. At this moment I am not unpacking anymore, but we keep resetting the furniture. It took me about 1 minute to fall in love with this house.. :) But I still keep adding more personal stuff to make it my home...
Good luck!
Martine

Anonymous said...

Wow, Isn't it nice to be just a drive away from family and to be able t just go and escape the chaos. I know about anxiety. Now be sure to create a bedtime routine both for him and for you. He'll be fine!
Teresa aka Tess
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/862583/beauty_of_a_woman.html?cat=10

Anonymous said...

We have been in the process of moving for about a month now. Everything in the big rooms(living room,kitchen,bathroom,bedroom) is unpacked. But everything we didn't feel like unpacking is stacked up in the baby room(I'm due in less than a month). We had a false alarm and it scared us to death because all we could think of was if he came, we'd have no place to put the little guy. So we have been in a frantic unpacking and organizing mode since! Good luck getting everything done!

Divine in the Daily EJPhotography said...

sarah and i are happy for these updates, yet sad that you aren't just down the street anymore.

and by-the-way, we still have unpacked boxes in our garage.

Genevieve said...

We just moved back in June and although it didn't take long to unpack everything (about a week), I'm still trying to figure out how and where I want everything to go...then there's painting, buying furniture, decorations, curtains...and trying to do it all on a budget! It's tough, but worth it when you walk in the door and truly feel like you are home :)

Can't wait to see your new place, I love how you thrift/DIY most of your things, it'll be amazing when it's all done I'm sure!

we*love*herbie said...

this is a gorgeous picture of yoU!

Anonymous said...

HAH! we're STILL unpacking... we moved in on June 14th. It's now July 9th. (sigh.) it's going EXTREMELY slowly, given that neither me nor my husband feel like coming home from work and working some more around the house. And FORGET about trying to keep us both indoors on the weekend. We want to have a housewarming party, so husband suggested we pick a date and then we'd pretty much be FORCED to have the place looking nice by then. works for me!

Holly said...

Glad to see that you made it to your new home safely, and I can't wait to see the pics after you have the place all pretty! As for moving...I feel your pain. I despise the act of moving. Although, finding the perfect spot for all of your stuffs in your new environment is always a little thrilling. I'd better find some sort of silver lining because we'll be in the same boat as you come November.

Melody said...

Oh my, I absolutely hate moving. My husband and I have only moved a couple times during the first year or two of our marriage. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it would be to move now. We have accumulated so much stuff, including all my creative/crafting stuff and a nursery full of furniture and clothing from all our lost babies.

LOL, we still have boxes in storage that were NEVER unpacked. I got so fed up with unpacking that we just stored them away and if I needed something I just bought new. *hides in shame* I know how wasteful of me. But one day when I get to the back of our storage (I'm halfway there now), it'll be like Christmas all over with 'new stuff' to use.

I can't wait to see the new pics from our home and life now.

BTW, I've lived in my home for almost 8 years now and I'm still changing rooms around at least 2 times a year. Living in a small space tends to necessitate those changes.

Charin Adams said...

Just to make you feel lots, lots better about yourself I'll share my secret shame...I STIll have totes to unpack from when we moved into this house. And that was in 2004!! Haha!

I really think at this point that I just need to donate that stuff or have a yard sale, obviously we haven't needed it :)

Alicia said...

it's funny that you ask cuz i was just about to comment anyway on how i admire your ability to 'get it all done'! i moved into my sweet little spot back in October (wince) and i STIll have shelves and decorations sitting on the floor! ugh Thanks for all your posts and shared favorite decor information...maybe one day i will get it all done too!