So, if you ever decide to move across the country, come talk to me, because I have lots of tips. Namely, you have to keep your sense of humor because it’s a logistical nightmare, and even with the best, most compulsive planning, nothing stays on schedule. Case in point, we shipped our car through Dependable Auto Shippers. They picked it up from our house on September 29, and gave us a delivery window that would land it at our door here in Los Angeles today, October 14. Seemed like a pretty generous window to me! Well, friends, our car is still sitting at the origin port in New Jersey, and nobody can tell me when it will be loaded on a truck and shipped our way. Thinking it would be wise to put two small bags of clothing in the car to see me through until our boxes arrive (5-10 business days and counting!)—since we flew with two cats (more on that later) and didn’t have the capacity for a proper carry-on, or the time to check something—I literally have two days worth of clothing. The unthinkable, the laughable, the absurd has happened: I actually, by necessity, have to go shopping. If you were to watch wardrobe box, after wardrobe box, after wardrobe box leave my apartment earlier this week, you’d know how flat-out hysterical this.
I’ve loaded up with items from the Anthropologie sale online, which should be descending early next week, but in the interim, you’ll find me tomorrow morning, waiting for the doors of Heist to open, one of my hands-down, favorite boutiques ever. (Why do you think I decided to live within shouting distance of it in Venice?) I will be scouring the racks for Vanessa Bruno blouses and Raquel Allegra tops, and will most definitely be leaving with this Gregory Parkinson tie-dyed tank. Next, I’m going to meander over to Century City, because I love a mall with all my heart (and due to a dearth of them in New York, I’ve been deprived of their pleasures for far too long). I will be stocking up on t-shirts at Juicy Couture (they’re really good, because the sleeve is perfect and slightly fitted, but they’re slouchy through the body), rail-straight jeans at Madewell (I own six pairs), and this tie-dyed dress by Splendid at Cusp (clearly having a tie-dye moment, huh?). And because I only have spin shoes (true story), one pair of Nike Jordan Phat Low, and some ballet flats, I think I need this pretty Pour la Victoire pump, and yet another pair of Sperry Top-Siders (for riding my bike to work!). It’s going to be a proper haul…perhaps I should make a video about it?
clockwise, l-r: GREGORY PARKINSON TOP, $195.00, Shop Heist; BASIC V-NECK T-SHIRT, $58.00, Juicy Couture; SPLENDID TIE-DYE MAXI DRESS, $148.00, Cusp; SPERRY TOP-SIDERS, $85.00, Shoes.com; POUR LA VICTOIRE “DAINA” PLATFORM PUMPS, $175.00, Bloomingdale’s; RAIL STRAIGHT JEANS, $98.00, Madewell.
This is too little too late, but when I moved across country (California to RISD and back) I drove my car. I actually drove my car cross-country every fall and spring for three years with my dog and a friend, but when doing the final move I got to keep anything precious and fragile close at hand (every one of my moving boxes was crushed in some way – luckily nothing broke due to careful packing, but check your boxes before the driver leaves). You have to like to drive, but as a native Californian I was born to it. And yes, I knew your husband. Different departments, same building with overlapping social circles, although I think he knew my dog better than he knew me (my Rottweiler lived to sneak away and socialize, and once I caught him merrily leaving the building with Rob and a group of his friends).
Oh no way! RISD kids are the best. What was your department???
Yeah, our movers were pretty good, though negligent with our lamps for some reason. One broken, one damaged…but everything accounted for!
I was getting a masters in Landscape Architecture, so I didn’t have the full RISD experience or know many people outside of the architectures (Interior, Landscape and Architecture) which is too bad. We took the same studios as Architecture, so we were all together 95% of the time and most of my friends were in Architecture.
By the way, are you prepared for earthquakes? We’ve had a bunch of them right under us in the East Bay in the last few weeks, the latest was yesterday. I always worry about the masses that weren’t brought up waiting for The Big One (I actually worried it would happen while I was at RISD – crazy, but I wouldn’t want to miss it). I don’t want to scare you, obviously big earthquakes are rare, but if you live in California you should educate yourself. Have a kit, don’t hang heavy/glass things over your bed, secure heavy furniture, plan for your pets, etc. It’s all on the internet, but my grandma wanted a refresher, so I ordered her this free booklet http://www.earthquakecountry.info/roots/index.php (you can read when you want to freak yourself out and not sleep). Here ends my PSA.