Thoughts on Moving

Yesterday Kim Martins and I helped a friend with selling some things she wanted to sell before moving. It was a warmish day, but rainy and damp. Since she is on a busy street there was drive by traffic and people stopping in throughout the day. Since she asked for help just a few days ago, we didn't advertise in the paper.
When we were low on customers we helped pack some since the movers are coming on Tuesday.
At the end of the day we boxed up what items looked like someone could use for the Vietnam Vets to pick up on Monday, and we threw some items away. My friend came in a few times and asked for a specific item or two back. We retrieved a couple of items, but mainly we tried to shoo her back out of the room so she couldn't see what we were throwing away. My friend admitted that it is very hard for her to throw anything away because she feels it is wasteful. I understand this feeling. It is much easier for me to see what someone else needs to throw away then what I need to throw away! You can rest assured that if I am throwing something away, it really needs to be thrown away. It's chipped, it's taped, it's outdated (think cassette tapes), it's spoiled, it's really junk!

I felt tired but energized at the end of the day. For one thing, I like meeting people. Like the two guys who drove up from Jersey City to South Orange looking for Sonny's Bagels on South Orange Ave.
I also came home with the idea of pretending that I am moving and looking at my own things through this lens, "Would I want to pay someone to move this? or should i let it go?" I really, really want to simplify my own life with less stuff around. Of course, with a 4 year old and an 11 year old there is still a lot of interest in little tiny plastic things around here, but I still could sneak somethings out past them if I use resolve.

I also need to throw a few things up on eBay. To keep your eBay Trading Assistant title, you have to sell 5 things a month and I have fallen out of the habit.

I've handed out almost 250 business cards in the past couple of weeks. I'm looking forward for the little seeds I've been sowing to start sprouting up and bearing fruit. I've been getting positive feedback to the name MT House.

Okay, I'm going to go get a big industrial trash bag and throw some things away around my house now!

Who is MT House?

MT House is 2 friends who have been doing Estate Sales, Yard Sales, Staging, and Clean Outs for about four years.
I (Kristen) am an artist and art therapist. I have been making embroidery and quilt designs for apparel textiles and licensing. I enjoy working on house sales because it is social rather than my solitary art making. I work with my friends, meet and get to know a new family, and wheel & deal with the folks who come to the sales.
My parents dragged me to thrift stores and flea markets all through my childhood. I have fond memories of dressing up in evening gowns my mom bought at a thrift store. She also bought rhinestone jewelry there for .25 cents each (she says, you should have seen the pieces that were .50 cents)! She still has the jewelry and it has appreciated in value as many pieces are signed and quite valuable.
Since I read non-stop, i soon started buying comic books and books, then in my tweens and teens i discovered vintage clothing and jewelry (hey! it was the 70's)! In my twenties I collected quilts, ceramics, and odd things that captured my fancy.
I am so happy for eBay and other ways to sell things so I can collect more things!

We are working on getting some sales going soon, so I hope to be posting photographs of treasures we have available any day now!
If you are a family looking for help downsizing, or selling your parent's home, we would love to meet you!
Kristen