"Love Your Home"

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Tale of Two Auctions

We've already identified that I am not patient. I am also deeply affected by shiny things. Let me be the first to inform you, oh dear reader, that these are a deadly combination. At least when one is attending a furniture auction. Or better yet, TWO furniture auctions. 

Case in point. 

Over the summer my friend and partner-in-crime decided to attend a local furniture auction that I have bought from in the past. Their auctions were always on Saturdays which meant that I would do a write-in bid and that was that. Sometimes I won....but mostly I lost. It may or may not be because I'm so danged cheap. I'm not admitting any fault. 

But with my new business and life of leisure, I don't always work Saturdays so we decided to attend. I did my due diligence and the day before I previewed the furniture pieces (but not the box lots) and made notes as to the items I was interested in and how much I was willing to pay for them. 

I was prepared! 

So Sam, G-Man and I showed up bright and early to preview the box lots and make our notes. We decided to divide and conquer (mostly because all the ones I was interested in were later in the auction and I don't have the patience to stand and wait) Sam bidding on box lots and I would bid on furniture. It went wrong from the beginning. The very beginning. The bidding was fierce and items were going for retail pricing and above. It was borderline ridiculous. But something stopped me. 

After the 10th item I was interested in went for 3x what I would be willing to pay for it and I lost a few good deals because I wasn't first bidder, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I would be first bidder on everything that came up....that way if other bids followed I could bow out....if they didn't....I would have gotten a bargain, right? Seems reasonable? Yeah....to me too. 

Until the next item. 

Up went my bidder number! 

And then.....crickets.....just crickets....of course except for the annoying yip and cadence of the auctioneer pounding in my ear. 

And in the blink of an eye it was mine. All mine. 

Then I decided it might be a good idea to take a look at what I had just bought. Since it was a china cabinet. 

A humongous china cabinet. 

A gargantuan lump of a huge 1960's china cabinet. 

Heaven help me. 

Check back tomorrow for the end result!

 

Day 16 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-My Thoughts On Education

My Thoughts on Education

Well that took a serious turn in topics! Education is such a broad topic and my opinions are so narrow. The funny thing is that I rarely think of formalized education anymore since my kiddos are out of school. It's amazing how it consumes your life for so many years: Teachers and books and fundraisers and childhood drama...and then all of a sudden it's all gone! In the blink of an eye really. But I guess I'll jot down my random thoughts on the subject and see what comes of it. 

Learning was always very easy for me. I was fortunate to go to a school district that a) had plenty of money to devote to individual education and b) was forward thinking enough to realize that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to education. I was an extremely fast reader and had comprehension far beyond my years. My teachers acknowledged that and took great care to make sure I was always challenged in class. Well maybe not challenged, but at least not bored. 

Little Jen (wasn't I cute?)

It probably helped that my mom was a bit of a ball-buster when it came to my education. It embarrassed me to no end when I was younger, but as an adult I appreciate that she always made the effort to advocate on my behalf. She also always made sure she was involved volunteering, etc at the school so she was in the loop of things going on. I definitely had every opportunity for learning and growth given to me growing up. 

This was in the days before Common Core and other bureaucracy-mandated educational systems that have overrun education today. I do believe that individual teachers still make a huge difference and caring, compassionate teachers are the rule rather than the exception. But I also believe that in many ways their hands are tied behind their backs. Underpaid, overworked and under appreciated seems to be at the top of the teacher list.  

I usually don't like to complain about things unless I have a valid solution. I don't. So I don't complain. But that's easy for me because I have no more children in school currently. And no grandchildren on the horizon. But it is my greatest hope that just like many other broken systems that we have in this country, that education continues to improve and grow and develop to go back to the tenants that I remember when I was in school. Not a national program that touts "No Child Left Behind"....just don't dismiss the needs of one child at a time. If that child is struggling or if that child is ahead of the curve. Keep class sizes small enough and administration nimble enough to put the needs of each child first. One kidlet at a time...

Those are my thoughts.....take them or leave them...

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog on my favorite blogs (sung to the tune of My Favorite Things)

Day 15 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-Where Will I Be In 5 Years

Where Will I Be In 5 Years

Gosh, where will I be in one year? I've shaken everything up so much this year that I truly have no idea. I feel like anything I type here is either defeatist or pie in the sky thinking. But I've been guilty of both so here goes nothing.....

I think in 5 years I will still be living in Phoenix. Since that is probably inevitable I'm going to assume that I take one long and several short jaunts out of town every year. 1/2 with hubs and 1/2 with girlfriends or to visit Mom & Daddy-o. 

I will be self-employed. I will be doing what I love and something others love as well. I will employ and inspire other women. 

I will still be writing this blog. It may evolve...it may change.....but I will not stop writing even if it's only to hear myself type. 

My children will be self-sufficient and happy. They will be fulfilled and functioning but still need their Mom every now and again. Someday I will get one or both of them in the pool. How did I raise such land-lubbers? 

My hair will be a color. It will not be natural. It will not be my original. But it will be mine. And I will work it. And I will already be planning on the next color. 

I will be driving a truck. Yes a truck. I'm tired of trying to fit this square peg into a sedan-shaped hole. I'm not a sedan girl. I'm not the short skirt-long jacket girl anymore either. I live in my vehicle and I need it to function for me. Loading junk into a sedan sucks. And it's ridiculous. I need a truck. 

I will be healthy but probably still trying to lose weight and still bemoaning the fact that ice cream has calories. Of all the stupid plans for the universe...the whole cause and effect thing of eating just isn't fair! 

I will learn how to golf. I will never be good. I will never even be bad...I will be way worse than that. But I will try....and I will laugh at myself almost as much as others will laugh at me. But if you can't learn to golf in Arizona where can you?

I will have two doglets. One will be a German Shepard. Puppers will be dragging tail at the ripe old age of 13. He will still be a princess and prefer to be carried to bed. 

I will still be involved in service work. To a fault. At the expense of much....because I can. And because someone did it before me. 

I will still over-commit. And struggle to say no. And be a good friend. I'm ok with that. 

Day 7 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-My Five Favorite Songs

My Five Favorite Songs

I have to pick just five? That's nearly impossible!!! That's crazy! Do you know how many songs I have on my IPod? It's 8 GBs!!

Ok here goes nothing:

1) Anything Anything-Dramarama

This song clearly represents a time in my life. A somewhat carefree time when all was fun and light and a little aggressive. That was all denial.....it wasn't real but I was danged determined to pretend that everything was all right and that I wasn't lost and foundering. I was having fun! I was I was I was!!! I do appreciate the Buck Cherry version as well

2) Time After Time-Any Cindy Lauper version

In my humble opinion...which matters not a whit, this is the best song ever written. It makes me FEEL...in the real, authentic way that so few songs do anymore. It's a real song that really matters and although it's been covered a bazillion times I think it doesn't get the credit it deserves.

3) Bella's Lullaby-Carter Burwell

I know..I know...it's on the Twilight soundtrack. But this song I think is so lovely. It makes me want to play piano again. It's haunting and has a wonderful internal energy to it that swells my spirit. Listening to this song is almost a spiritual experience for me.

4) Rhiannon-Fleetwood Mac

Do I even need to justify this one? It's Stevie for heavens sake! I've never been a huge Fleetwood Mac fan growing up but in my forties some of the classics have grown on me. That rasp though!

Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and
Wouldn't you love to love her?
Takes to the sky like a bird in flight and
Who will be her lover?

All your life you've never seen
A woman taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
Will you ever win?

She is like a cat in the dark and then
She is the darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark and when
The sky is starless

All your life you've never seen
A woman taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
Will you ever win?
Will you ever win?

5) The Thunder Rolls-Garth Brooks

This song is such a good quiet brooding song. It's the best crescendo song I can think of with a huge build and an amazing delivery. I realize sometimes that I forget to breathe during it and it leaves me gasping for air a bit. I'm realizing that this is the only "country" song on the list despite the fact that I generally listen to country music these days...Interesting?!?



Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog on My 5 Current Goals

Day 6 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-What I'm Afraid Of

1. Failure
2. My mouth
3. Scorpions
4. Getting old
5. Not traveling
6. My kids getting hurt
7. My husband dying (or getting hurt of course...but the actual fear is of losing him)
8. Not making a difference
9. Making a mistake
10. My parents aging
11. Being told no when it really matters
12. Losing my conscious contact
13. That our generation and those before have irreparably damaged the planet
14. War
15. Being in a car accident
16. Being out of control
17. Losing my eyesight
18. Letting my husband down

Not necessarily in that order. List may be larger than it appears. No judgement....scorpions are scary here in Arizona!!

Day 4 of 30 Day Blogging Challenge-My Dream Job

My Dream Job

My idea of a dream job-NOT!!

Now this is a tougher thing to talk about for me. I am one of those strange people that has no boundaries around my job. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I am blissfully unaware of where ME ends and the JOB starts....and vice versa. Now the good thing is I've always had jobs that I've loved. They've never been J-O-B-S for me....but how I lived my life.

Except for one....I had one job that I worked at for a year when I was 19. It was a bakery. I was the manager. It was horrible. First of all...yes the smell of carbs can be exhausting. But that never stopped me from eating them. Second of all bakers are flakes. Let me say that again. BAKERS ARE FLAKES!!! SO there were more than a handful of days that I'd work all day and then get the 1am call that the baker hadn't shown up and I'd have to bake all night then work again all day the next day. All on salary. Dang it! Plus....you've been kind enough not to mention which anyone who knows me knows. I CAN'T COOK! I suck at it....so I'm sure I was brilliant at my job. I walked away from that one with zero regrets.

And 20 extra pounds.

Dang it!

So now 30 years and many many many hours later I find myself in a position that I get to choose my dream job. And take my life and make it into what I want it to be. I've spent countless blood, sweat and tears working to help others succeed and now I have a chance to do that for myself. My expectations are different. My goals are different. My needs are different. So here they are:

1) To make a difference in the world
2) To be creative, not just with my mind, but with my hands and my heart
3) To get dirty
4) To not have to wear makeup every day
5) To have something tangible that I can be proud of
6) To make people happy
7) To inspire someone
8) To collaborate with others
9) To innovate
10) To have the ability to stop what I'm doing and meet a friend for coffee and an attitude refresh
11) To have the occasional weekend off with hubs
12) To hang with my fur-kid

And there she goes....wish me luck!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's topic: Your proudest moment

Day 2 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge-20 Facts About Me

20 Facts about me!?! I'm not sure I have 20 interesting facts but here it goes!

1) I love travel! I would go anywhere for just about any reason. And I get wanderlust really quickly. I usually am planning one trip while on another. I can fool myself sometimes by just going somewhere for the weekend to reset my "impulse" button.

2) I don't drink alcohol. Although I frequently find myself in bars since hubby is a musician. It is way more fun watching people drinking and being idiots than being the idiot myself! 

3) I love my dog! Probably not a surprise to many of you since he has his own hashtag. #puppersthejunkyarddog . His name is Puppers and he absolutely rules the roost here. The other truth is that I love him way more than he loves me. He is totally my hubs dog....totally. I just beg him to love me and he tosses a bone my way every now and again!

4) I am a book fanatic. I only read at night now and I frequently lose track of time and read into the wee hours than feel regretful and remorseful the next day while I'm trying to haul my tired butt out of bed!

5) I'm a goofball. I accept and embrace my goofiness however hubs who is a closeted goofball thinks he's hip, slick and cool...He's not. As evidenced by this photo...he's a total goof too. It's one of his finest qualities!

6) I was a mighty cute kid! And I was raised in San Diego. Both of these facts are equally important to "who I am". I did, however, have no hair which I'm sure you are all kind enough not to point out! 

7) I have ZERO patience! Waiting in line? Nope! Holding on the phone? Absolutely not! Filling out forms? Are you kidding me? I'll be tapping my fingers and fidgeting and swearing under my breath. The photo below is one that I IG'd waiting in line at the Post Office which was making me seriously Cray-Cray (As if taking a photo at the Post Office isn't crazy enough)! I just have people to see and places to go and if you are in my way....YOU ARE IN MY WAY!!!

8) I'm a warm weather gal. I've lived in three locations in my life. 

• San Diego
• Hawaii
• Phoenix

Get the picture? I am one of those that throws on a light jacket if the temps plummet into the 70's. You get it, right?

9) I like to color my hair. Alot. Different every time. I'm not one of those that you can call a brunette, or a blonde or a redhead....I'm more like all of the above...and then some. Who knows what's next? Red?

10) I have amazing, talented, beautiful, kind, ingenious daughters. Two of them! They challenge me, and fill me with love, and drive me crazy, and love me to pieces. I never thought of myself of the nurturing kind of parent...and they would probably tell you that I'm not, but they sure changed my life and I can't imagine a minute without either of them!

 11) I live in Arizona. This is quite a fact. I never thought I'd live here but I've actually been here 10 years August 1st! It's been a long strange trip! In my time in Arizona I've come to the following conclusions:

• I love monsoons...they are super cool. And saying the word "haboob" is even cooler!
• I've developed an appreciation for the desert landscape. All cacti are not created equal
• Spring and Fall here are absolute Heaven. Summer is Hell personified. Winter is cool
• Misters are awesome. Pools are awesome. And the people are the best

12) I love old stuff. I often wonder if I were born in another time or another place. It's possible! But I am so drawn to the gentility of another time and the lifestyle of another place. Since I can't be there....I try to fill here with as many old things as I can that speak to me or lift me up!

13) I'm adopted. That's just kind of a fact...not terribly interesting. I was adopted by an amazing couple when I was 3 months old and I always grew up knowing that I was wanted and adored and took a journey to find my family. Then several years ago I got the chance to meet and get to know my birth family and they are amazing people too! I just couldn't be more blessed!

14) I adore my girlfriends. I have the best and the most beautiful girlfriends on earth. I love them fiercely and they are my family. That is all!

15) I am very sarcastic. I speak it fluently. To a fault. Not everyone appreciates it. Sucks to be them....Ok but to be honest it is not just my defense mechanism but also evidence of my sparkling personality and quick wit. If I'm not sarcastic...how do you know how smart I am? I do try to close my mouth and only be sarcastic in my head but see #18

16) I suck at fishing and camping but I actually like both. I'm a terrible fisherwoman (see #7) and I don't like to get dirty or have worm guts under my nails but as long as someone will plop me in a chair with my toes in the water and help me cast so that no one loses an eye when I try it....I'm 100% in! As far as camping...again....do the setup and give me smores. I'm your girl!

17) Coffee is a non-negotiable. I've tried...I've cut back...It's not pretty. I need coffee in the morning and I need it bad. In fact, I can't really make coffee without coffee first so it's preferable that you hand it to me in a steaming mug while my feet are still in slippers. For you that is.....

18) I have resting bitch face. I have exercising bitch face...I just have a bitchy face. And I can't hide my emotions....my every thought comes right through my eyes. Whether or not they are rolling. I can't hide one single tiny thought....it's all right out there for the world to see. Dang it! 

19. I like to write. Probably comes from having a father that's an English professor and a mother that's an attorney. Words and wordsmithing comes easy to me. I guess that's the blogger coming to life, huh?

And finally......If you've held on this long....drum roll please!

20. I love Bravo. It's my biggest dirty secret. My hugest shame...The housewives, the yachties, the cooking shows...i love it all....I watch it in the middle of the night or Sunday mornings when hubs is still asleep (he won't tolerate the nonsense). I just love it. There...it's out!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post: My Favorite Quote

Ok...Ok...I'll join in! Day 1 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge

I've seen this all over the blogosphere and I've never really been tempted. Most of all because I always think my clever ideas are better than other clever ideas. I'm sure you agree, but here I am trying to get into better blogging habits rather than being STRUCK by brilliance and then emoting all over the darned page. So here I find myself with a challenge to blog every day for 30 days. Can I really follow directions? Conform to the masses? Find something quippy to say every single solitary day? Access both my keyboard and my brain every day for 30 days (successively)? Well here goes nothing!

Day One: Your Blog's Name

This one should be easy. I've always been about a bargain. I've always seen beauty in the "broken, battered, or bruised" pieces of life. About 5 years ago I started to develop a love...no...an obsession with vintage and vintage-inspired decorating. I loved the recycle-renew-reuse concept and felt the pull towards the past. Living in Arizona as a transplanted San Diegan I truly missed the value of the historical. San Diego as a city is not as old and historic as places back east and down south and I really felt drawn towards them. Almost overnight I developed wanderlust.

Unfortunately I did it alone. Not with my husband and partner. Coming from Philadelphia, he has a much more dismissive approach to anything old. In fact, to him, new is much more desirable and is inspirational. So I found myself at odds with this and struggled to include him in my journey.

So Junkyard was a natural for me....I love everything rusty and dusty, metal and wood. Shabby to industrial and everything in between.

Jezebel to me represented everything forbidden, secretive, and felt...well...a little bit wicked! I wanted to be the "bad-girl" of junking...so what better name?

It was then that Junkyard Jezebel was born!

Stay tuned...tomorrow will be 20 Facts About Me