Sale Prep - Monday - Day Two!

I want to say that I am starting to be a wee bit panicked about sale prep - I feel like I probably should be - but I'm not really.  I'm one of those who is mostly undaunted by alarmingly large projects... Blessing, curse, I can argue that one either way.

 I worked a full day  at the office yesterday - so no extra time to do sale prep, and I was irritated with myself that I forgot to bring home a few supplies that I have at work.  But I did fairly well last night.  I set up 3 tables inside, and started sorting the items from the attic.  The bedding turned out to actually be bedding, dog bedding, towels, big pieces of raw fabric (quilting) and curtains.  So I'm going to say - I'm not as neurotic about bedding as it appeared yesterday.  : )   Although in the same breath I must admit that I know I have more of the same type of thing in my master bedroom closet... [hanging head]  Oh - and I'm not going to lie - every time I cut open a bag from the attic I gave a silent prayer of thanks when nothing furry scurried out!  You laugh, but I have had that happen to me at a rental place when I had Christmas decorations in a box in he garage... screamed like a girl and ran...

And the dog scored a "new" bed from her supplies in the attic.  I had been thinking that she needed a new one, becoming arthritic, so now I don't have to go buy one.  She was laying on it before I got it fully assembled - she is quite pleased with it.  The chaos isn't making her nervous ... yet... but I expect by Friday when I take her for boarding she'll be a little bit twitchy.  For now she's content with investigating all the things being unearthed from closets.

Lydia came over last night and we sat down and chatted as though I have more than 4 days to unearth and price tag my entire life.  HA  But we needed it, and it was fun.  She brought me some supplies for packaging sold items, and a tarp for the lawn.  We also poked around in my shop and my shed for items for her to use in her welding class... she found a few things.  She's going to take my table saw that is no longer working - apparently there could be several widget-y parts within - and she was really excited about an old railroad lantern.  I think I got it from my dad - he used to collect them - but then I may have just bought it somewhere along the line because I thought it was cool and reminded me of him.  I gave it away freely, but with an admonition that she channel my dad when she uses it....  she laughed and promised she would.

And Bryan and Amanda my (realtors) came over last night.  Bought my Twister game!  LOL  They tagged what furniture they want to remain for house staging.  And they made a passing notation that they might ask me to paint my dining room, which is currently clove brown, to make it feel larger.  They are going to look at it in the daylight after the sale before they make the final determination.  I'll have to break out the Kilz to cover brown... ugh.

I had emailed my four sisters earlier in the week to see if anyone wants to fly in to help me with the sale; I think I have enough miles for a ticket.  My sister in San Diego says she may come - I'm to check on flights today.  She's never been to my house, so that would be fun - even if she would be here helping me prepare to sell it... lol

I let a neighbor pick through my Halloween decorations tub over the weekend, and I'm taking the remainder down to another neighbor this afternoon.  She does Halloween big, and can always use more things.  My other holiday items I will sell, but I figure that a sale that is a few days after Halloween may not be the best place to sell Halloween decorations.  So she gets them free.  I'll sell my various costumes...

I looked all over Dallas for large clear bags on Sunday, (not Ziploc - they are too expensive) for packaging things in a grab-bag style.  They are no where to be found - I did find gallon sized at WalMart for cheap and got those for craft supplies grab bags.  I've decided that I am going to use my clear leaf bags, and just cut them down to size and staple them.  I can get 2 decent sized bags from one left bag, I think, plus I have a box of them in my shed already.  I'll need to bring a stapler home... 

Today I need to swing by a friend's house to pick up more packaging supplies - she left them in her courtyard for me over the weekend and I never made it there - and I am going to round up a few more tables from neighbors.  I have two friends coming over tonight to help me - and early shift and a later shift - and I hope that we knock out a lot of areas.  Coffee in the morning, wine at night... that is what fuels sale prep...  lol  I was up at 6:30 this morning, sorting things and got quite a bit done, so I already feel better.  I quit last night when I realized that I was basically just walking in circles in my house - not productive.

I also snapped a few photographs this morning of family sentimental items to email to my sisters - in case they want to claim any of that type of thing.  (They do.)

In other news, I emailed my would-be contact in Zoning at the City yesterday - so I am hoping to hear back from her soon to set up a meeting.  My friend who made the connection on my behalf received a very encouraging email from her about zoning for smaller houses, and we are both encouraged by that!