Sunday, October 19, 2008

Small Adjustments

We live in a one+ bedroom apartment (in Bay Area real estate language, that means it has a small bonus room, which is our office/art room). It's not huge, but it's not cramped, either. It's totally fine for us. However, lately I've been noticing the little piles everywhere, sitting there gathering dust and fluff, cluttering the edges of our cozy little home.

So, since I was finally feeling better today, I did a little poking around at these piles. Most of them simply need to be sorted and stored. A few things need to be gotten rid of altogether. One of the things I have decided to get rid of is my huge bead collection. Well, most of it.

A couple years ago I unintentionally started a very small, very thriving jewelry business. For about six months, my beaded necklaces were inexplicably very popular. It was quite fun, and I learned a lot... mostly that I do not want to ever have a bead business. By the end of the six months, I had to quit. I haven't really picked up my beading equipment since. I have stacks of lovely beads... but I have NO desire to do anything with them.

So, I'm going to sell most of it. I'll keep my tools and a small selection of favorite/antique beads and a small stock of materials in case I feel like playing with it sometime, but the rest of it must go. I can use the space for something else, and I really want the psychic weight of this gone. Every once in awhile someone will ask me if I'm still doing necklaces and I get an inadvertent shiver of dread. Clearly I am not ready to play with beads anytime soon.

I can't wait to continue clearing out all the corners of the closets and under side tables, etc. It feels great to get rid of stuff, especially stuff that weighs you down in any way. I've been doing this with the stuff in the garage for the past couple of months, too. Every couple of weekends I'll go down there and see what else I can throw out.

So if you happen to know someone who wants lots of pretty beads for a great price, let me know.

***
In other news, I'm finally feeling better. I've got the random uncontrollable coughing thing, but other than that, doing good. I was even able to make dinner tonight. Red lentil dal. Yum. It's all chilly outside, perfect for creamy coconutty spicy dal.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Daph - I actually do know someone who may want those. A couple of women I work with do beading & jewelry and sell at craft fairs, etc. If you have pix and/or some kind of list and the price you'd like, I'll pass it to them. They'll prolly take everything you have.

-Lara

D'Arcy said...

I might take some, too, but it might be easier to sell them to the people Lara knows if they're closer to you.

Kate said...

Doesn't it feel so good to overhaul and rid yourself of THINGS?!?!?! We're sort of doing that at our house - J. is moving his studio to the basement, which means more space for him and better organization; I got tired of putting up with my next-door neighbor and suddenly moved the bedroom across the house, which means a lot of cleaning - goodwill bags, trash, etc. It feels so good. I'm working towards a monk-like aesthetic. I'll never make it, but it's good to have goals.

Daphne said...

Lara: thanks! I will let you know.

D'Arcy: I will make you a grab bag!

Kate: I love getting rid of stuff, it feels so good. My Virgo dream is for neat and tidy closets with only things that we love, are useful, or beautiful in the house. Alas, that is still a dream because I am, in reality, not that great a housekeeper. But throwing stuff out is great!