New Earring Storage and Job Search Update

Moving always presents unique challenges- it's pretty rare that you move from one place to another and have the same amount of space and a similar floor plan. Sometimes you have to find more or different furniture to fill the new space while other times you may have to decide what to keep and what goes to the garage sale/storage unit/second-hand store. Also, it seems as though no two homes have the same amount of closet space. Right now I'm adjusting to having one less closet in my bedroom and the one I have is not as big as the larger of the two I left behind. I was careful in selecting what items will be in storage for the winter and what made it into the closet. Accessories are a whole different matter, though. So many of my accessories don't really have a "season," so I want to have access to as many of them as possible. My earring storage from this post is packed away somewhere, but I managed to come up with a new solution in the meantime:

You may remember this dress form from my post about the artwork in my apartment. It was part of a cluster of clothing themed pieces that formed a sort of still-life on top of my piano:

It may not be the most attractive method of earring storage, but it's working for me now. It's important to me that my accessories are visible and I can easily see what I have. I'm one of those "out of sight, out of mind" kinds of people where certain things are concerned. It's not that I don't care, it's just that sometimes I forget what I have. It's a good idea to re-vamp your storage methods every few months, if for no other reason than to take inventory of what you have. When you look at the same thing or set of things over and over again, it can eventually become something you look at but no longer actually "see." Just the act of hanging my earrings on the dress form helped me realize there are quite a few pair that I don't wear nearly enough. It's like going shopping in my own closet. It's not quite as satisfying as shopping in a store, but it does help me look at what I already own with fresh eyes.

And with my job interviews these days, it's nice to have a fresh perspective. It helps me put together better outfits! I had an interview last week with a bridal shop and I'm crossing every finger and every toe that they offer me the job. When you send your resume to a company, you never know if the job you're interviewing for will actually end up being a job you want. Sure, it might look incredibly appealing on paper, but when you get there, any number of things could change your mind. The interviewer (who could be your future boss) might rub you the wrong way. The company itself might have issues that are deal breakers for you, or maybe the job on paper is described differently in the interview and as a result becomes far less appealing to you. None of these things happened to me at my interview. In fact, I was impressed with the shop- the staff, the owner, the inventory, even the decor and set-up. I also genuinedly liked the people I met with. The only glitch in the entire process is that I won't find out whether or not the job is mine for almost a month. There are plenty of good reasons for this, but I need to find some work to do in the meantime. I have another interview tomorrow morning for some temporary work as a seamstress that will hopefully bring in a bit of cash while also keeping me busy until I hear about the bridal shop job.

In the current economic climate, I feel very fortunate to have had a handful of opportunities already. When I considered leaving AMT, I often said, "People looking for REAL jobs can't find them- how much harder will it be for me?" But after taking the plunge and moving back to New England without anything set in stone, I'm encouraged by what is out there. Not only are there jobs posted in my line of work, but I'm actually hearing back from many of them. And the best part about my job search is that I have so many amazing friends and family up here who are ALL keeping an eye out for jobs for me. Honestly, a day rarely passes that I don't hear from someone about a job they think I'd be good for.

In the meantime, my mom has hired me to make some new valances for her dining room. I helped her select fabric and now I have to get to work sewing them. I haven't done a whole lot of sewing for home decor and I have to be honest- it's not nearly as fun as sewing clothes! But if it will pay the bills, I'm happy to do it. I'm actually quite proud of the fabric choices we made, too. We're bringing the mixed prints trend from the runway to the dining room by combining a checkered pattern with a toile pattern- both in black and white. For my first attempt at sewing home decor, I'm proud of what I've done so far. I'll be sure to post pictures once I'm finished.

As my job search progresses, I'll be certain to keep you posted! I have a feeling my "vacation" will be over soon and I'll be back to work wishing I was still relaxing each day playing "Family Feud" on Facebook. Time will tell!