Shopping. Or Not

So, we bought a house!!! I'm really excited. Since being married, we have been cooped up in small-space apartment living. And now we are going to have TONS of space. I cannot wait to sprawl out and enjoy our roomy digs.

I can hardly wait to move in. I am going to creatively explode all over our home once it's officially ours. Ben may subsequently explode, although in a more literal fashion, as he seems to think all of my creative ideas for interior design are foreign and, subsequently, tragic. It could be one big explosion after the other. Let's hope the house (and the couple) survives the impact.

Oddly enough, Ben and I made a point of getting RID of stuff for our move. This was in an effort to not pay to move crap we don't really need/want, and in an effort to not own stuff like that. :) But the funniness of the concept comes in as the two of us realize we have enough stuff to furnish the basement of our home (maybe) and that's about it.

As we're up-sizing, this new home makes us (and our stuff) seem very downsized by comparison. For some reason I really like that. And it's possible this relishing of downsized-ness and downsizing won't stop at the furniture.

We have had our stuff in storage for the last month and half. Along with our furnishing, kitchen supplies, books, etc, this also means about 1/2 (at least) of our wardrobes are also inaccessible and in storage. And, believe it or not, I kinda like it. This is a very unlikely conclusion for a girl like me to come to. It's dangerous to say it, really. Good thing Ben doesn't read my blog.

To put things in perspective, I'll admit that I have limited needs for a wardrobe since we have moved to the land of Wisconsin. I telecommute to work from my couch, don't have parties to attend, ya know ... it's been kinda low-key. So maybe it's a false indicator. And, as a result, I promise not to do anything rash or prematurely brand this as my life-long mantra for wardrobes. This is more just perusing an observation of the current state of things and hypothesizing about it's implications for the future. And so far, from what I can tell, there have been perks to having less stuff in my closet. While there is the downside of having fewer options, I find that I am more creative in putting those options together and less flustered when I look at my closet. And this seems to outshine the downside. So maybe less is more?

Have I lost my mind in Wisconsin? Well, maybe. But maybe not. I also have fewer shoes right now. In addition to some being in storage, I permanently parted with a third of my shoe collection before we even left Ohio because the shoes weren't worth bringing along (they either injured my feet or were so dinged up and worn out that the needed to be retired). This event may or may not have caused me to be on the brink of hyperventilation. And while I'm really into downsizing a lot of stuff, this leopard has not completely changed her spots. I've noticed even recently that I "need" some new shoes. And come warmer climates  and fancier parties, I will wish for several of my storage-ridden shoes back. So, there is some proof that I still have access to oxygen in Wisconsin and that there is some normal brain function happening here.

But, at least to some extent, I am starting to think I can dig a life, and closet, with less stuff. And I conjecture that when we get our stuff back, we'll get rid of belongings, even as we slowly identify and purchase other belongings that suit our new home. My wardrobe COULD be one of my biggest targets for divestment. Ironic, now that I will have a huge closet. Very ironic.

But don't get the wrong idea. I'm still all about more. At least when it comes to space. And shoes. Yin and yang, right?

Updates From My New Home: Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

You read that right. I now live in Wisconsin. Ben got a job in West Bend, WI and we moved up here on Oct. 15th. I am still telecommuting to my job with the University of Cincinnati while they seek my replacement and I seek to replace them. And that's where we are.

So, how did the move go, you ask? Well, it wasn't so bad. Once we figured out HOW we were going to move, the process was relatively seamless.  We had about a month's worth of warning. So, we did a lot of packing on the weekends and on the Friday of our move, we hired two fabulous, professional movers to load all of our stuff into a storage bin that was dropped off the day before. My suspicion at the time was that we had way more crap than would fit into at 16 foot storage container and that we were kinda screwed since I'd only ordered one. To my amazement, however, the movers were descendants of Houdini (I can only assume) and they magically fit everything we had in the container, with a full 3.5 feet left over for the odds and ends we hadn't packed yet and/or actually might still need. It was awesome-- the best $400 I ever spent. It also made me feel slightly guilty and incredibly aware of the hack job of packing we had attempted to do when having helped other ward members move in the past. Oh well. The bright side -- we did not charge for it.

The news of our fast and expedited packing was not pleasing to all. The ward missionaries came over later that afternoon to help us move and were dismayed to see we had very little for them to do. Fear not! We found a way to make them useful and had them help us vacuum, dust windows & closets, etc. They were awesome. Then we had the mutually beneficial exchange of dumping all of our perishables on them that we would have otherwise had to throw away, and bequeathed them an old, beat-up office chair that we were about to send to DI. Happy scripture studying on that!!! :) And thanks for your help. It was great to see you before we left.

Saturday -- we just had to finish our cleaning, pack up the last few things and then we were out of there! We thought we were going to be out of there early. Boy were we wrong!!! I underestimated the time it takes to deep clean a kitchen. :) We started working on things at around 8am and didn't get out the door until 4pm -- a full day's work. But it got done, and it was just fine since we weren't really on a schedule. We locked up the container, left it there, and then proceeded to caravan up to Wisconsin, with me in the Subaru and Ben driving the Jeep right behind me. We drove up halfway to our final destination and stayed overnight in a hotel off the highway just north of Gary, Indiana after 6 hours of driving. The gym at the hotel was rather pathetic -- a broken treadmill and an elliptical machine in desperate need of some DW40. But it was otherwise delightful.

Sunday -- we finished our drive and arrived safely in Germantown, Wisconsin. Since we were weary travelers in a new place, and incredibly hungry, we broke the Sabbath and ate at a nearby Cracker Barrel (yum!) before we met the landlord of our short-term furnished rental. We were delighted to find that Germantown is a pretty populated place and the condo we would be staying in was surrounded by shops, restaurants and other handy amenities. The landlord met us right on time, gave us keys and we've felt right at home every since.

So, you see, easy peasy. Of course, our stuff is still in storage (at least everything that didn't fit in our cars). And we're in the depths of house hunting, which has been a fair amount of torture over the last few weeks. But it does keep us busy and entertained -- no small feat for being in Wisconsin in the beginning of winter, where we have no friends (yet).

Bright spots--

Chicago is only 2 hours away and I already can't wait for a Saturday trip into town! MK's, I will be making a reservation for truffle fries & cream and your lush desserts post haste! :)

I hear there's a cool little vintage shop area called Brady St. in Milwaukee (20 min's from here). I have some exploring to do.

Found a fun cafe to eat at on my b-day. The restaurant scene is not completely absent

I think we may have found a house. And if we get it, please be aware that my Four Seasons accommodation promise will be more than fulfilled and we will be accepting guest reservations year-round.

Here's to adventures, new friends and a new chapter! We've waited for this for a long time. I'm glad it's finally here.