Life in Redoux :: Being Seen...

As I was saying yesterday...I got rid of my armoire.  The big pine one that sat in the corner from the minute I moved into this house 8+ years ago, being moved of course, from my other home where I lived with it 3 years before that.

I loved it...I did.  I picked it out for my eX and I, and while it served me well...it was for our TV and our TV just outlived its lifespan in my house.  I have been toying with the idea of getting a new TV for quite some time now, so after a whole lot of asking around and researching, I settled on something new and with that came the problem of where and what to do with the new piece of electronica.

So...out with the old, ahem...which is pictured above (and believe me, I had to search for this picture of the armoire) and in with the new:

New console.  And yes, that's a rather large hole in my rug.  I wish I could figure out a way to hide it better, but I just can't...however, this is a 1920's hand tied silk Chinese rug that I bought at an estate sale for $25.  Without that hole I would have paid hundreds of dollars more.  That hole saved me a TON of money...so in a way?  I'm totally celebrating it.

After searching and falling in love with many other consoles, I had this one delivered from JC Pennys (for free and right to the house, and loads cheaper due to online coupons) where I assembled it right on the spot.  According to Dina, the same company that makes furniture for the Pottery Barn makes it for Pennys...so if it reminds you of them, that would be the reason.  I absolutely adore assembling most things, so this went together pretty fast.

The three little drawers that are in the center of the console are actually not drawers, but a door that opens to reveal three shelves!  This is a perfect place for Blu-Ray's and Wii's (in case you have such things) but not so much for your stereo system (which actually can fit quite well to the right of the whole shebang...and may move later or be replaced with something that can fit on one of those shelves behind the door)

Unloading a armoire that you've used to ummmm...stuff store throw things in and quickly shut the door organize your household paperwork and other electronic items in for many years is an adventure within itself.

I had a ton of DVD's (which are now stored in my coffee table) old taxes (which have been gone through and organized and stored in another location) and a ton of warranties and instruction manuals...which have been thrown away (if I no longer even own the actual appliance it was for...good grief) or stored (if I still actually did own the actual appliance it was for)

Phew.

Seriously.

And there were four extra little shelves, two on each side...that I now had the responsibility of filling up.  This (as you can imagine) was not a huge problem.

In said large armoire, I had quite a few things I'd been saving for myself.  The only problem was, I never could see these little things.  I have had them for years (in the case of the small wooden dolls, which were brought by my father to me, from parts all over the world when I was a small child...the rest I've just saved) and I have been storing them.  For what I don't know?

So, I decided that they needed to come out and be displayed and enjoyed.  I realized as I stood with my hands on my hips organizing everything, that I've spent my whole life collecting all sorts of lovely things and...well?  I can't see a lot of them.

These lovely things are packed away and hidden.

It all of a sudden started to dawn on me that this is a bit ridiculous...and then I realized that my whole house is full of things I've collected, and it may just be time for me to start going through things and saving only those that I truly love, and also actually have room to display and enjoy...all without cluttering the place up (like it has been)

I realize that I may just have my work cut out for me here.

So...out came the collectibles I wanted to keep (including one of the most rare Flinstone items ever made...that crazy plastic "rock" phone up there) and the others went to the new Snap Snap to be sold.

And you know what?

Getting rid of things wasn't even that painful.

It was wonderful to reorganize, dust, and display the things I've kept hidden all these years.

Really wonderful.

After the few days it took to totally unload, move out, rebuild, and situate the new TV I sat with my feet propped up enjoying my new HD picture and looking around my newly refreshed living room...my totally completed new paint job (that pesky corner that had been waiting to be painted and matched to the rest of the room, but was behind that armoire that I couldn't move by myself) and two totally new walls for the art I have had waiting for such a space to open up...I was just getting ready to toast myself to a job well done, and that is when I heard the whispering.

It was coming from the bedroom...and it was my old bedroom furniture.

Now it's ready to leave too...ready to find its new forever home away from Foolsewoode.  It's sitting at the ready already unloaded and waiting to be moved out.

Who knew?

It was at this point that I realized that I have been thrust into the middle of a total life redoux...

Now all I need is a truck and some muscle.