Hooray for Nantucket

The movers arrived in Boulder on Wednesday and all our stuff was packed up and moved out to head to Baltimore by 8pm Thursday night. I won't even get into the tears and emotions we all had wandering around our vacant house on Friday. It's too raw and sad for us.

We put our Boulder house on the market on August 5th or so and have barely had 2 showings. Broker says bad time, vacations, back to school, etc. etc, but, I kept feeling like - Ugh! we should have skipped our Nantucket vacation the last two weeks of June/July 4 and gotten the house on the market at the beginning of July. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda.  I was feeling pretty down about it until I looked through my photos from that vacation - nope, we needed every sweet, poignant, fulfilling moment we had there.

Nantucket is stunningly beautiful and you can't help but relax in its beautiful vistas and vignettes.

I was soothed by everything around me.

We had critical fun time with Daddy - who promptly left us for his new job in Baltimore the next week.  Until yesterday, we hadn't seen him for six weeks!  

We had essential silly time and lots of goofing off.

We ran around on the beach, went on long walks, played baseball and ate lots of ice cream.

We all got lots of Grandma love . . . 

 which is especially important for me!

 Every girl needs special time with her Mama!

Because of the move, we had to cancel absolutely everything else about the summer–other trips, sleep-over camps, parties, camping plans with friends. I am so glad we didn't take a single moment from Nantucket away from them, or from me. We all needed it. We needed time to adapt to the idea of a new life and time to let it all go! I adored seeing all the smiles and happy faces.

Now, it's on to new adventures. We arrived in Baltimore yesterday. We close on our new house on Tuesday. Kids start school Wednesday. Our stuff arrives Thursday. All lined up like a perfect set of dominos.  Help me hope for them all to fall in a nice, neat little row . . .

Forward Looking Inspiration

This is a photograph of our new house in Batlimore. I am still here in Boulder, crazily preparing to move my family across the country. Meanwhile, Sandy works nutty hours in the Ravens training camp in Baltimore. I don't like the separation at all. It's kind of getting me down. My late night solace comes from the building excitement about our new home, though. In Boulder, we have spent the last 8 years in a newly constructed home. The home we're purchasing in Baltimore was built in 1900.  It's beautiful and full of so much promise, I am giddy at the thought of it.  It is a blank canvas just waiting for us to arrive.

For one thing, the kitchen is in the basement and there is a butler's pantry upstairs–this means a new kitchen!

Secondly, there is a lot more wall than our current home–new art!

Thirdly, fourthly and fifthly, the bathrooms need to be redone–new bathrooms!

Also, just a small item, the house needs A/C–most definitely new A/C!

Okay - so its a little bit of a fixer-upper, but a gorgeous one. Wait until I show you the details.

Well, I figured that I best start pinning some ideas–so I fell down that rabbit hole that is Pinterest. The last half hour before I fall asleep (okay, and maybe the first half hour after I wake, also), I have been pinning madly. It innocently began with kitchens (apparently I like white ones) and then just blew up from there.  

I am fully addicted now. This may also have to do with the fact that my entire studio is packed up in little boxes and bins and shoved away in closets all over my house–heaven forbid that it actually looks like you live in the house when you are trying to sell it. I have nothing to make right now–even my nice camera and most of my knitting is packed away. I think my creative passions have been craving an outlet, big time. Well, since I have nothing original to show you right now, and may not for a bit (we leave here in two weeks and who knows when I'll unpack my studio!), I figured I show you some of my favorite finds, starting with some amazingly talented artists.

Wise Math Print by Michelle Armas

A Midsummer's Meadow by Jessica Torrant

Water color flowers by unknown artist - found here

Western Sonoma County, by Karen Smidth

Algae by Michelle Armas

The Big Bang by Amy Borrell

I've spent so much of the past year coming up with new things to make, it is kind of nice to kick back and just revel in others' creativity.  Beautiful.  Which one do you like?

Moving is Hard

Moving is hard.  I have an entirely new respect for people who move their families from place to place, regularly. It is difficult to find your way in a new city–find schools, find neighborhoods, find a home, find a place. That part is hard enough without the unbearable actuality of leaving your home town, where you must organize, pack, stage, sell, and the worst, say goodbye to fabulous friends and a community you love. We've lived in Boulder for twelve years. Just the thought of leaving is crushing, but right now, as a single parent (Sandy is already in Baltimore working), doing everything that needs to be done to go, and continuing my day job, has me w-i-p-e-d  o-u-t! This blog suffers, sorely neglected as a result. Please hang in there with me as it is squeezed to the margins over the next two months as we transition. I will be back stronger than ever after we settle in to Baltimore.

Much love to all of you. anne