Hello everyone! Long time no post, right?!? Well, a lot has happened since November in my family life, so there wasn't a whole lot of time for making minis. We hosted the holidays at our place, my parents came up from AZ and then we all got snowed in for an extra week. During that time our daughter Tasha and her partner Brent bought their first house. They finally got to begin living there last weekend, and are really excited about their future!
Russ and I had a lot of opportunity to begin thinking about our future, too. With Tasha moving a two hour drive away, and our son well on his own and saving for his first house, we just don't need our 2,500 square foot house any longer. A one level ranch with half that square footage would work really well for us. It just so happens that Tasha's property is five acres, is zoned for a guest cottage and in addition to their house, already has an additional septic and services at the opposite end of the property. And, she and Brent really want us to come homestead with them. Pretty exciting, huh? It's pretty great when your grown up kids enjoy having you around. :O)
So what does this mean? It means Russ and I have a one year goal to reduce the amount of our possessions, prep the house for selling and to pack the stuff we can't live without. Also, it means researching what type of dwelling is the best option for us to move into. Mobile home? Build a structure? Or go with something like a Boxabl Casita? There's already a 1,700 sq ft shop on the property, so hobby space outside the actual house is possible.
Of course I've been thinking a lot about my miniature projects. Which ones will I never part with? Which ones could I let go of? What should I do with them? Would anyone want them? What's the best method for selling them: dismantle or sell complete? What's the best platform? Ebay? Etsy? Facebook?Craigslist? I would so much appreciate any advice!
In addition to the minis, I also have an entire household of "stuff" to sort, sell, donate or pack. I think this may be a very busy year! Hopefully, I'll still be able to sneak in some mini time here and there to save my soul! I have so missed my creative outlet!
Hope to be back really soon to share the progress on the Beachside Bungalow's bedroom, as well as some new lamp designs I got to play with using the 3D printer!
Hope everyone is well and making great progress on your dreams!
xo xo,
Jodi
Congratulations on all the new plans and changes. What I am most impressed with is that you are making a plan. You are so creative with mini living spaces, I am confident that you can create a wonderful real life size living space, be it a Boxabl or something else.
ReplyDeleteGosh Jodi what a mouthful! It sounds like you had some wonderful family time over the holidays. Having your daughter and Brent move close by and even 'inviting' you and Russ to make the move and share their block is so super exciting for you.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your sorting, packing and unloading - it is a massive task, we are in the midst of it too.
Anna X
Congratulations. This is a huge life style change with so much to do to get ready. The property looks beautiful and to be close to your daughter will be wonderful. In 2007 just about this time of year, I slipped on ice and broke my ankle so badly that I was non-weight bearing for 15 weeks, living in a two story with stairs to each level of the house that I could navigate. I told my husband we needed a ranch house so we moved to a ranch home on 5 acres. The house has more square footage that the old one, but it is one level with a basement. I loved my other house and still miss it.I'm 75 now he is 71 and 5 acres are a lot to take care of, so our downsizing sort of went backwards for us. You are wise to give up the big house, the stuff, and be with family. This will be an amazing journey.
ReplyDeleteReal Life can be exciting as our pretend lives, and this new journey which you and Russ are now preparing for, sounds like it's meant to be!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on being ready, willing AND able to embark on it, Jodi!
Amazing Jodi!!! Interested if you can donate some minis as i get nothing on miniatures in my country. Seeing your miniature creations, step by step tutorials, progress posts made me satisfied in some form as i am getting into enjoying your miniatures.
ReplyDeleteWish you luck for your new plans this year!
Cheers,
Papitha
Cuantos y buenos proyectos.
ReplyDeleteEspero que todas las dudas o dificultades se resuelvan pronto bien.
Es fantástico poder tener a la familia tan cerca.
Saludos
Muy emocionante el futuro que nos cuentas y lo mejor es trasladarte con tu hija y a la vez estar independiente. Mucho trabajo por delante y decidir lo que se queda atrás , así que mucho ánimo te deseo la mejor . Besos
ReplyDeleteWow, Jodi, What a News filled post! I'm so glad you had a wonderful time over the holidays! And clearly the family gathering produced some awesome plans! You will have a lot to do this year and minis will hopefully travel with you to your new spot. You will be missed here... but I know you will be having a really wonderful time with your new home situation! I "downsized" to my current home 15 yrs. ago when the boys left home for the big world... I wanted a smaller, manageable house... but oh boy do I miss my old spacious studio! :) I do hope you keep us updated from time to time! :):):)
ReplyDeleteEs una gran noticia que puedas vivir cerca de tus hijos y con un taller para seguir con tus hobbys aún mejor.
ReplyDeleteyo me llevaria mis escenas conmigo porque luego puede que las eches de menos.
Un saludo
Oh, Jodi, what wonderful things are happening! You'll have the best of both worlds with a smaller house to look after, close to your daughter AND there is another building on the property so you can set up for working on minis and not have to clean everything up after every session! How exciting. I look forward to seeing your progress. - Marilyn D.
ReplyDeleteYou know, Jodi, I've been thinking about your downsizing since we have to go through the same thing this year. You know what we need (if if doesn't already exist)? We need a site similar to Kijiji but restricted to only Miniature makers and collectors wishing to sell their used items - no new makes or other retail stuff. There are many of us downsizing and moving to smaller homes or apartments and we have dollhouses and room boxes that just can't come with us. And that's not to mention all the extra tools and "stash" items we need to reduce as well. Does anyone know if such a site already exists that is limited to only these this type of situation? - Marilyn D.
Deletewow Jodi, exciting times ahead. My last move was 11 years ago, I had to go through 20 years of sutff!! Looking forward to sharing your progress :-) That's a beautiful house. The Boxabl Casita looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteOh Jodi!! todo son buenas noticias! Está muy bien que los hijos puedan empezar a vivir su propia historia y aún más que quieran teneros cerca.La idea de una casa más pequeña está muy bien sobre todo sabiendo que tendrás tu propio espacio- casita para seguir trabajando en tus aficiones!
ReplyDeleteRealmente no tengo ni idea de cómo hacer para poder vender aquellas casas o escenas de las que tengas que desprenderte, nunca me he visto en esa situación, si me enterara de algo, te lo haré saber.
Mucha suerte!!Ya nos vas contando.
Besos.
Hi Jodi! Wow, those are some exciting news!! It´s wonderful to live around your kids, that is something I miss every day. I hope everything goes smoothly and you can make the best decisions for you. Loads of work ahead, but the goal is wonderful so I wish you enjoy the journey. All the best xxx
ReplyDeleteJodi, I'm gobsmacked. (in a good way!) what exciting news! A lot will come your way but you and Russ will no doubt make the right decisions. the shop sounds exiting too. I gather that zoning does not permit that structure to be used as a home?
ReplyDeleteGosh, I wish you a lot of luck wth all the steps to come. Enjoy the process as much as you can. I have no doubt that you will love living there!
Huibrecht
Congratulations!!!! Its going to be a busy year but it'll be worth it in the end!!!
ReplyDeleteSon unas excelentes noticias. Estar cerca de la familia siempre es muy gratificante. Aunque vas a tener mucho trabajo por delante, pero es un gran aliciente la nueva vida que te espera.
ReplyDeleteWow! Exciting times! You never know what you'll want to keep or what you'll have room for.
ReplyDeleteMy parents, when they moved down to Florida they gave us kids a lot of the stuff my mom had been keeping from when we were kids. And that helped to reduce the amount of stuff they had to find a place for.
You've got time. Take it slow. And here's a thought. Rather than selling your house, you might consider getting a management company and leasing it out. It'd be a nice way to augment your income if you can manage it.
I'm excited for you!
Good luck for your new plans this year! An important and busy year.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt - there's a lot going on in your life... and of the good sort. It's so lovely to hear about your family Christmas. And although downsizing and moving means a lot of work, plenty of decisions, even more work and even more decisions... but it's great that your daughter and your partner want you to be around and the possibilities this property offers sound great. However, it will be tough to say goodbye to some of your projects... on the other hand... building new ones will be so much more fun than dusting off the finished ones. ;O) I'm already curious to hear how all of this is going to develop.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Birgit