it's yer birfday, heidi marie!

The birthbug of October graciously agreed to help me wish you a happy birthday. Inny cute? So festive and Halloweeny! I hope you're having a lovely day, and I wish you were here so that we could have a floor picnic to celebrate. Love, love, love~

blargh

Excuse me, but moving is very overwhelming.

happenings are happening

I walked into the manager's office and said, "I'd like to move!" I told her my ideal situation... and the maintenance folks just happened to be working on just such a place. It had just become available, and I move in next weekend. Almost twice as much space, and quiet... No shared bedroom walls!

I knocked on the noisy neighbor's door and said, "I have good news!" Now we don't shoot daggers at each other any more.

My little apartment was perfect when I moved in~ tiny and cozy, with nice, quiet neighbors. But I'm So Very Ready to move now. I'm looking forward to not feeling cramped, and to sleeping soundly again. I'll have room to have people over! I used to have great parties (great, not crazy) and I've missed being able to do that.

I have an interview the morning that I start moving, and two other applications are awaiting responses...

New apartment, new job (enough money!), and then- please, oh please- new government! These are good developments.

Now, a few things have been back-seated because I'm suddenly moving, but it's ok. My internet also konked out the day I decided to move, so that's annoying. I wanted to do a bunch of Etsy stuff, but it'll just happen more slowly. Actually, here I go to post a few things right now~

changing with the season

I think this is the fourth time I've changed the layout of this blog. I think that it helps me to shift gears outwardly... I keep trying different ways of pulling myself back, continuing to write without expectation.

(NaBloPoMo is starting again soon, and I'm planning to give it another whirl. I have a page in one of my notebooks with a long list of blog post ideas that have somehow never made it onto the virtual page.)

As we're transitioning into fall (lovely, glorious fall!) I'm actively seeking a transition in my work life and home life. I applied for a job a few weeks ago, and found myself more than a little bit disappointed when I wasn't offered the position. It seemed so perfect.

And it also made me realize that what I'm really craving right now is stability. Clarity. Security. I want to know that I'll be able to pay my bills every month. I want to know what to expect a little more than I do right now. I've decided not to renew my NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) membership, and I'm looking for full-time work. One job. The younger of the two girls I take care of will start preschool next August, which suddenly seems extremely soon, since at that point I'll no longer have a job. And as much as I love working as a post-partum doula, I just can't rely on it. I haven't had a doula client in two months.

So, I'm keeping my eyes and ears open, applying for things... I'm also going to be adding more to my etsy shop now that the summer art fairs are done. I have tons of cards and 8x10 prints and jewelry that need homes, and will be making more goodies all the time.

The other change I'm really ready for is a change in my living situation. This little apartment was perfect when I moved in just over two years ago. I loved the smallness, but now it feels cramped every single day. And I had quiet, friendly neighbors, and that's no longer the case, either. Now I wonder as I fall asleep, just how long I'll get to snooze before I'm rudely woken up. I need a little more space and a little more peace...

Now I'm going to work on etsy stuff! Lots of photos to take and edit for the listings. Happy trails to me! And to you. :)

don't leave home without it

A couple of weeks ago, I was cramming myself into my car, carrying too much stuff. One of the stuffs was a coffee cup, a coffee cup which is not my usual green travel mug with the snap-shut lid... which led to my forgetting that one of the many things in my arms contained hot, spillable liquid... which led to actual spilling of hot liquid. All over me and my car and my bag.

Now don't worry about my arm skin! It's fine. The real tragedy is the bag. Covered in coffee, and they won't dry clean it, and it was the only bag that I can nicely fit all of my essentials into. I had a system, and it was built around the central and most essential feature: my camera. I can't go anywhere without my camera.

Today I had breakfast with my Papa, who is in town for a visit, and while I did bring my camera, I left it in the car. It's awkward to be carrying two bags, and I thought that I probably wouldn't need to take any pictures in the cafe. After all, I had my camera with me all day yesterday at the Farmer's Market art fair and didn't use it. I decided to push my boundaries and experiment with not having it readily available.

Of course, then my ginger peach tea dripped down into the saucer and made a Moomin. So I had to go back out to the car to get the camera and document the cuteness. Voila!

P.S. Best thing ever.

P.P.S. What can't *you* leave home without?