gone girl

Did you know the term "jazz" was coined in Chicago back in 1914? When I think of that place, I think of the Blues, Oprah, hot dogs, snow, the Obamas, Ferris Bueller, Al Capone, Second City, Kanye, did I mention snow?

I have spent 5 years in Seattle. Seattle was a surprise. I expected it to rain more...Atlanta still wins when it comes to rain...at least in my somewhat limited experience. As a nature lover, Seattle is pretty close to heaven and when the sun is out...you bet this city sparkles. The people here are tough nuts to crack...and I don't really like cracking shit. That said, I made some good friends and will leave here feeling like I got to live in a really special place.

Life brought us here and here has been a wonderful revelation, but it's time to go. My husband works in advertising, I work in graphic design. Other than being settled, there's no real benefit to staying with the same company for 20 years. We weren't looking for anything else, but when we got a call out the blue...well, they made us an offer we didn't want to refuse. So we are off to Chicago. Thankfully we have a few friends there, but I've never even visited the city.

I'm ready for a new revelation. To live somewhere I've never been. It's one thing to visit a city, it's something else to actually live there. I love the newness of it. I love all the learning. It's incredibly stimulating. I'm not as socially awkward as I used to be and I think that has a lot to do with all the moving. Moving as an adult comes with a whole slew of challenges, but I'm okay with that. Life is full of possibility.

I will be documenting this whirlwind move as I have in the past. We've got about two weeks with Thanksgiving falling right smack in the middle. You can read more about my other moves here and here. I will also be driving from Seattle to Chicago with my dog. EEK! So if you live in Chicago, let's be friends. I'm gonna need someone to show me the ropes:)

relief...

so we found out today that we don't really have to do any packing. We can if we like but we don't have to. WE DON'T HAVE TO. Yippee...three cheers for the movers. I think I may still work on the studio since all that stuff is really precious cargo, but as for everything else...they can do it.

Now that the issue of packing is off my mind Keith and I have been really trying to figure out the whole furniture situation. Our aesthetic has evolved a bit and we don't want to continue to invest in pieces that won't work. It's a trying thing, but we'll figure it out.

photo courtesy of little willow

I am also thinking about Christmas. I will probably be celebrating in Atlanta, but don't want to be surrounded by boxes. I saw this adorable Christmas tree idea and it looks easy. I'm not trying to go nuts, but I do want to be a little festive. Let me know if you have any quick and easy holiday ideas.

packing vs. anything else

photo courtesy of getty images.

I wish that all my boxes could be so neatly packed and tied up in a bow...but alas, such is not the case. I am having a terrible time getting motivated. Case in point...i could be packing rather than blogging right now.

But I'm not.

My mom would say..."i think it's because you don't want to go."

the truth:

i don't want to pack.

I decided to begin with the studio and my goodness gracious...I have no words.

None.

I do have packers who are set to come the day prior to moving, but I'm not letting them anywhere near my crafty accoutrement.

but that may change.

Maybe I need a mixed tape...something with a moving theme.

on a weekend of fecundity...

...the creative sort to be clear. Keith and I have been hard at work trying to discover our next domestic situation from afar. It is a trying endeavor to be sure.

The issues are as follows:

#1 Many of the homes in the area near the agency look like this....



for the record...this is NOT in our price range

#2 The younger professional crowd live a bit further south in hip happening urban communities such as this...



which is also beyond my budget (understatement)

#3 I don't trust craigslist because what they describe often ends up looking like this:



which is in my price range...way in

So what's a gal...and guy to do. We've already run the gamut of excitement...until we discovered apartmentratings.com which resulted in a brief state of melancholy ...then a return to excitement tempered by caution and low expectation. Frustration has led me to threaten violence. Keith has suggested I relax several times. Incidentally, I despise being told to relax. I hope that my active nature and his passive one serves us well during this shitf!ck of a process. Yup, I said it...and I'm actually restraining myself.

We have a list and several appointments but feel as though we can't really do much until we get out there. Thankfully the agency will be flying us out on Wednesday of next week. Then we have exactly two days to find a place to live.

two

days.

shitf!ck!

foe-show

Yes. it is now "for sure" and officially official. I am outta here folks. By out...i mean relocating and by here... I mean California.

Keith and I have spent the last 10 months interviewing, and contemplating, waiting and sometimes refusing, hoping and dreaming and then we stopped. We got tired of it and decided to just do our own thing. Well last week he got a call...then he flew out for an interview and less than 24 hours later...they made an offer. The one we were waiting for, the agency we were waiting for...but not exactly the city we were waiting for...

at first.

But after some investigation...we are excited and happy to announce that this will be our new home:







A few more deets:

we are going to be moving into the Buckhead area of Atlanta and it will all happen very quickly. I have spent an inordinate amount of time on Craigslist...but you know how that can be. The company is offering to fly us out for a weekend to do some home hunting...but with the holiday...not too sure how to fit it all in.

Of course, I am writing lists galore and feeling a bit overwhelmed since the initial giddiness has subsided. There's so much to do in very little time and Keith will probably have to depart earlier than I...which leaves me to do the packing.

Like a dude...he's all "let the movers pack it." But I won't hear of it. Moving, in my opinion, is an excellent time to purge and there's no way I'm hauling all my crap clear across the country. Much of it I am passing on to dear unsuspecting members of my family. The rest will either be donated or discarded in a more ruthless fashion.

BTW...if I haven't told you the good news and you're wondering why you had to find out about this in a blog post....

it's either because you didn't answer your phone, failed to return my call or text, have yet to hear your messages or haven't checked your email. So don't get huffy. I tried.

As for everyone else...this blog may be absconded by a lady who can only write of moving and packing and having fits and tantrums until the move is complete. I will try to throw bits of craftiness into the wild. I hope you will join me on this little journey, for it will be far easier with your support.

Incidentally, I was going to start a whole new blog to chronicle my exit but I thought that might be a bit lame. First...not enough people read this blog to take the high and mighty approach of "now they will read my other blog." Second...who has the time to juggle two...i can barely handle one...but I will be happy one day that I spent a bit of time documenting our journey. So NO, I will not create a blog 2 with a cheesy title that is a stupid play on the word peach...I won't do that.

Last thing...If you're wondering...yeah, I'm sad, but trying not to dwell on leaving my mommy and daddy. My mother faked happiness really well...my father isn't as good an actor. My chest gets tight whenever I think of it. I have lived within ten miles of my birth my entire life. For those of you who are out there missing your families...how do you do it? I will need your help and of course once I get everything pretty...you may all converge on Atlanta and bring your sleeping bag:)

xo