How it works

Today I brought my apartment forms to work so I could ask a few questions about a couple of the boxes I couldn’t figure out how to fill out. Overall I’m sort of amazed at how much I do understand. All done!

 A facebook reader asked me:“How many rituals are involved in this? Do you have to bring a gift? Does it need to be wrapped just so? Does signing involve those little wood cut blocks with the kanji on them?”

I thought you might have questions about this, so here’s the skinny:

( Step by step )

How it works

Today I brought my apartment forms to work so I could ask a few questions about a couple of the boxes I couldn’t figure out how to fill out. Overall I’m sort of amazed at how much I do understand. All done!

 A facebook reader asked me:“How many rituals are involved in this? Do you have to bring a gift? Does it need to be wrapped just so? Does signing involve those little wood cut blocks with the kanji on them?”

I thought you might have questions about this, so here’s the skinny:

( Step by step )

So I can find it later

I am planning "money-saving time-filling stash-busting" redecorating adventures. I'll probably be painting and decoupaging my night stand (which i got from the trash a few years ago and I7ve been covering with various silk scarfs for years) and making a new tissue box cover (as I use a different shaped tissue box than the last time I made a cover...) so this is a tutorial I don't want to forget.

http://thesmallobject.com/stenopad/wordpress/?p=534
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-to-decoupage-fabric-onto-furniture.html

So I can find it later

I am planning "money-saving time-filling stash-busting" redecorating adventures. I'll probably be painting and decoupaging my night stand (which i got from the trash a few years ago and I7ve been covering with various silk scarfs for years) and making a new tissue box cover (as I use a different shaped tissue box than the last time I made a cover...) so this is a tutorial I don't want to forget.

http://thesmallobject.com/stenopad/wordpress/?p=534
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-to-decoupage-fabric-onto-furniture.html

Restart

The good part of moving is that it gives you the chance to clarify and revisit your living space and what you put into it.

I suspect if I had had to move into an apartment I felt iffy about or was smaller than where I live now, I would have a harder time getting rid of things I don’t use or don’t use often enough to justify keeping them. I’d be clinging to “my stuff” for comfort to reassure myself that I hadn’t lost anything by this unfortunate series of events…I mean, in addition to my money, a possible side trip to Taiwan, and my cool.

But I’m not going to an iffy place, I’m going to move to a place I like. It is roomy: a full room larger than where I live now…and that makes me ready to let go of stuff to make my next space, well, spacious .

The clutter has been getting to me. It’s been forcing me to “manage it” every few days , to chase it into cubbies and piles and behind things and more and more often I’ve just said “fuck it” and slunk into bed. 

I have at least 10 boxes packed already. I have free-cycled books. I have taken in two bags of book and two bags of DVD for trade into Tokyo. I still don’t feel like I’ve made a dent in it and this is spurning me to freecycle and trade-in more stuff…and I will probably reduce some space by getting rid of my ancient 13-inch tube tv and eventually replacing it with a “recycle shop” (used) flat-screen tv a few inches larger. I do have to get a new range top, because I’m switching from city gas to propane…but it’s nowhere nearly as stressfull as having to get a used fridge/rangetop/washer like my last move (items which, in addition to my bed, were delivered to my current apartment and are why I am hiring a moving company for this move.)

I’ve done some of this just to stay busy/productive while being burned-out and stressed over the last two weeks. There was only so much ice cream I could stress eat. Let’s here it for tiny Japanese food proportions keeping me in check.

But now I am looking at my furniture…or thinking about it because I am at city hall. I’m mentally organizing my rooms. I’m wondering what I can do to take everything up a notch on budget. The chairs in the front room will be getting new homemade covers. I think my end table is getting sanded, painted, and maybe some funky fabric decoupage accents. I’m wondering if I want to do my bed to match…the craft table could use a new surface as well.

The station that is a 15 minute walk away? That train line leads to TWO Ikea, but I wanna be smart…I’ll probably haunt the outlet/damaged/clearance areas from time to time…but I think my first trips once I’ve done some planning are for sand paper, primer, and paint…after I’ve explored my fabric stash a little more…and my design idea notebooks filled with a few years worth of things I cut from home decoration mags, ready made, and more…

 

 

Restart

The good part of moving is that it gives you the chance to clarify and revisit your living space and what you put into it.

I suspect if I had had to move into an apartment I felt iffy about or was smaller than where I live now, I would have a harder time getting rid of things I don’t use or don’t use often enough to justify keeping them. I’d be clinging to “my stuff” for comfort to reassure myself that I hadn’t lost anything by this unfortunate series of events…I mean, in addition to my money, a possible side trip to Taiwan, and my cool.

But I’m not going to an iffy place, I’m going to move to a place I like. It is roomy: a full room larger than where I live now…and that makes me ready to let go of stuff to make my next space, well, spacious .

The clutter has been getting to me. It’s been forcing me to “manage it” every few days , to chase it into cubbies and piles and behind things and more and more often I’ve just said “fuck it” and slunk into bed. 

I have at least 10 boxes packed already. I have free-cycled books. I have taken in two bags of book and two bags of DVD for trade into Tokyo. I still don’t feel like I’ve made a dent in it and this is spurning me to freecycle and trade-in more stuff…and I will probably reduce some space by getting rid of my ancient 13-inch tube tv and eventually replacing it with a “recycle shop” (used) flat-screen tv a few inches larger. I do have to get a new range top, because I’m switching from city gas to propane…but it’s nowhere nearly as stressfull as having to get a used fridge/rangetop/washer like my last move (items which, in addition to my bed, were delivered to my current apartment and are why I am hiring a moving company for this move.)

I’ve done some of this just to stay busy/productive while being burned-out and stressed over the last two weeks. There was only so much ice cream I could stress eat. Let’s here it for tiny Japanese food proportions keeping me in check.

But now I am looking at my furniture…or thinking about it because I am at city hall. I’m mentally organizing my rooms. I’m wondering what I can do to take everything up a notch on budget. The chairs in the front room will be getting new homemade covers. I think my end table is getting sanded, painted, and maybe some funky fabric decoupage accents. I’m wondering if I want to do my bed to match…the craft table could use a new surface as well.

The station that is a 15 minute walk away? That train line leads to TWO Ikea, but I wanna be smart…I’ll probably haunt the outlet/damaged/clearance areas from time to time…but I think my first trips once I’ve done some planning are for sand paper, primer, and paint…after I’ve explored my fabric stash a little more…and my design idea notebooks filled with a few years worth of things I cut from home decoration mags, ready made, and more…

 

 

fabric love

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/cottonconnection/us_frs001/

fabric love

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/cottonconnection/us_frs001/