As a professional "mailer", if I said I didn't wait for the mail carrier to come every day, that would be lying.  I have been known to stalk, track down and meet my mail at the door.  The US Postal Service is my life line on long days of tantrums and PBS kids programming.

Every time you move houses, there is a significant lag in mail delivery.  The post-relocation flow is one, maybe two pieces of mail per day; not enough to keep an addiction at bay.  That was until yesterday.  THEY HAVE FOUND ME!  Like a marooned traveler out at sea, my new blonde mail-woman has thrown me a life line.

In individual slow motion the catalogs came tumbling out as I opened the tin door.  Nothing could have been more satisfying in that moment.  I retrieved them one by one from the ground.  To the Pottery Barn, I made the "I love beautiful things" face, to Pottery Barn Kids, the "kids don't need designer room decor" face, to Athleta "I wish I were still an athlete" face, to Garnet Hill "this is more my speed, stretch jeans" face, and to Sundance, the crown jewel of my catalog addiction, "I'm home".

I could hardly sit still while putting Axel down for a nap.  Missing a whole season of catalog meant two things.  One, everything would be "all NEW".  Two, the Spring collection pieces would already be clearancing on-line!  The second his eyelids closed, I was balcony bound with catalogs in hand.

Worth mentioning is the JCrew catalog which is not pictured.  I have learned from experience that JCrew needs to be put away immediately, temptations are to be avoided at all cost.  A catalog photo shoot would only be the gateway excuse to excess spending.

Feeling like I am emerging from a shelter post tornado, we are "settled" in the "Chateau Del Mar".

The closing on our property is less then 48 hours away, Axel has only asked twice "please lets go home", and I have managed to tearlessly lead the exodus and final cleaning.

Despite our tiny living quarters, I have managed to create a liveable version of the home we loved so much!  It also helps that I am very fond of our new town.  Not sure if it's the nostalgia of returning to my college stomping grounds, the smell of the food co-op or the library that is more beautiful than a Rocky Mountain lodge, I am happy to be here.

Being so "snug", I am learning quickly to think verticle.  Every shelf has a purpose and every shelf top is utilized as well.  I am secretly pretending that "Chateau Del Mar" is in New York City.  I've wanted to live there possibly my whole life and I just consider this practice (or maybe the closest thing I'll get).  Never mind the shabby siding, I see our place as a lovely brown stone on the upper east side...our door man just happens to be on an indefinite vacation.

Well, more to come when the closing on 810 Baker is actually over and I can officially breathe again.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT MY ETSY SALE . . . see previous post.

Ok, really.  I need to get my butt in gear.  We have access to the apartment in less than a week, and from what you can tell, my house is NOT ready for the move.  I am trying to keep things as normal as possible for Axel and our routine, but when I decided to sit down for a beading project last night, the procrastination appeared to be out of control.

Can you blame me?  Nana's birthday is coming up, she turns 49 AGAIN!  Lucky girl.  So, I had to think of something worthy.  In my private stash, I had been hoarding a few picture charms (the add your own type of deal).  Well, for lack of better things to do (like pack), I dug them out from possibly the only bins that were ready to go.

Adding a charm here, a bead there, I created what I think is a LOVELY little neck piece.

Worth mentioning here...The plant featured in a blog post nearly a year ago (the plant I refer to as my "plant, dog, kid experiment plant")?!  I think I killed it.  After a long winter indoors, the plant is nearly deprived of life and as soon as I can, I slip it outside into the sun.  Well, a little too early this year, forgot it out over night, it froze.  In a desperate attempt to "buy" my way out of it, I bought it a larger pot, new potting soil, plant food and have spent hours doting on it.  I'll keep you posted.  Jade plants don't particularly like 30 degree overnight weather!

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WARNING.  Speaking of the weather, it hit 70 degrees in MInnesota today.  This can only mean 1 thing.  HURRY and get your emergency candy stash out of your car.  It could be that I'm the only one who keeps a stash there, but sometimes all you need is a little escape, a drive alone and a nice variety of sweets.  Not realizing the temperature, I reached for a handful of deliciousness today and it was a little soft.  So, closet candy fiends, you've been warned!  Nothing worse that 10 bucks worth of candy melted into goo beneath your car seat.

Ok, enough of this nonsense.  Back home to get something DONE!!!

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The toughest part is when you realize that until the closing on your house, you are in total limbo.  You are now living in someone else's house, not wanting to do any work to the house, and eventually you even stop cleaning.  I have spent the last few weeks purging of furtniture on Craigs List and sorting storage stuff from aparment essentials.  It's really hard to determine the 10 bins of stuff that will a) fit in the cramped living quarters and b) actually be needed.  As a person who loves to throw, I find myself wanting to just dump it all and start over; if we ever do get to that next "permanent" location.

So...instead of making tough decisions or boxing up a house full of baby firsts and memories, I have resorted to knitting and guitar sing alongs.

Axel has resorted to taking advantage of my knitting concentration, and has fallen in LOVE with jelly beans or as he calls them "birthday beans".  I caught him on the kitchen chair (which is a bar height chair) eating just the black beans ("they're hot mommy").

Knitting has brought peace like it always promises to do and even though winter is another 9 months away, 2 color wool hats are on my mind.  I found this AWESOME pattern, modeled after the US Olympic hats by Polo.  Since the Olympic hats were selling online for over $400, I decided to knit them for under $10.  Here is a link to the pattern.  CLICK HERE

* If you do wish to try this hat, I will warn you of a couple things.  It makes a HUGE hat if you follow the directions exactly.  I would use smaller needles (4's and 5's) and would possibly take out a couple of the solid white rows.  Also, make sure to tie-in often (if you are a 2 stranded knitter you know what I mean).  Watch the charts closely, they are a little off towards the bottom.

Below are pictures of my first olympic hat.  In my own classic style I stitched a name on the inside.  I am not revealing the name in the photos so as not to ruin the birthday surprise!!

Also this week I decided to put an end to YEARS of brainstorming.  I have always been wondering what to do with the bibs from the countless running races Jahred and I have done.  I snagged a couple of his running bibs from his childhood room wall, and a wallet is what I came up with!  I plan to give it to him for fathers day (completely a safe announcement since he wouldn't read my blog if I paid him).

Well, enough procrastinating.  With 2 weeks until apartment access, I have to collect myself, my crap and my family for one of the final steps in our "5 year plan".

Although I've always seen the world through an artistic lens, I've never slept with actual art on my sheets!

Trying to let Axel exhibit some independence while I clean, pack and purge, I never realized that my bed would erupt into a canvas.  On the loose with a green crayon, he made a few nice drawings on the largest blank slate he's ever had access to.  Must have been amazing for the 5 minutes before I caught him.

I was happily cleaning out the linen closet, ridding the bathroom of old product; literally I was just inches from him.  Trying to avoid eye contact...he was playing so quietly...should have been a sign.

My tip off was when he came in search of paper towels to "wipe".  He had attempted to clean the crayon with Windex off my night stand, and realized after soaking my pillow in Windex that he had gone too far.

Well, I've found out that although I claim to be a "professional re-locator", this is my first experience with child.  hmmmm, really takes the enjoyment out of the process.

Between the kid and the craptastic apartment we are not "moving into", but only "staying at for a short time", this is bound to be the most interesting move yet.

The move is sensed by all.  The dog especially.  I found him yesterday afternoon staking out the roof of his dog house ("This better be coming with us!").  Axel decided it best to hide with the one thing I am sure to not leave behind, my china.

Today we celebrated our last birthday in this house, Jahred's.  I'm secretly jealous that everyone got to spend one last birthday here...while I will be spending mine in a less desirable place.