Or as we Hawaiians like to say…OPALA, OPALA, and more OPALA…
…my daughter’s “opala”…
We may fool ourselves into thinking we have just the right amount of stuff, until we try to cram in more. Of course with our daughter moving back home, I’m not talking about a few boxes. I’m talking about a lot of boxes, a couple of dressers, a sofa, a small dining set, a wingback chair, a bookcase, a huge cabinet, a corner cabinet, a computer desk with chair, lamps, pictures…and all the accompanying knick-knacks. And then there’s her clothes…don’t ask!
…more of her stuff…btw, that weird, penguin-looking thing in the chair is a massager…just in case you were wondering…
None of this is really our daughter’s fault, however. I take most of the blame. Having her live 3,000 miles from us since she was 16, I wanted her to feel as though she was still ensconced in the loving spirit of our home. She grew up with vintage furnishings which lend themselves to a feeling of coziness, and that’s what I wanted to recreate for her.
My decorating plan worked wonderfully. Our daughter flourished during the 11 years she’s been on her own. I like to think it was due, in part, to her loving her personal surroundings. She assures me it was. I don’t doubt her…since she’s not donating the lot of it to Goodwill. Although she did part with a good bit of tchotchkas when she moved from an apartment suspected of having bed bugs, even though only one larva was discovered in the seam of the bed’s boxspring.
…my “opala”…
Because I’m a nut for antiques, our daughter couldn’t help but have some of it rub off on her. Like mother, like daughter. Thankfully, she’s like her father too. He’s got attributes I wish I had…like ignoring people and things that can bug the heck out of me. With his guidance, I’m learning…I’m learning.
So if I’ve spent the last few weeks rearranging my house in preparation for my daughter’s homecoming, I’ve only got myself to thank. Of course the overriding sentiment is that it’ll all be worth it to have her with us…for as long as she’s with us.
God works in mysterious ways, so it’s best to…
…just go with the flow…
………hugmamma.
…two peas in a pod…bff’s forever…
hugmamma's MIND, BODY and SOUL 
If stuff is there more stuff will happen. Good luck with cleaning up 🙂
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You’re probably right! Fortunately I’m an excellent organizer so I know everything will fit like a jigsaw puzzle. And what no longer “fits” finds a home…elsewhere. 😆
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The Queen of Opala has many things that we all cherish even though we give her a bad time……..
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You’re a dear for living with all my opala…and loving it. 😆
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I just got back from picking up a couch from a friend who has a million times too much stuff. In a few weeks she will be leaving in a travel trailer to go to California so she is trying to empty out her house. I can’t believe how much piddly bits she still has to get rid of. It seems as if she has been doing this for some time now.
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I have to admit…I’ve been piddling around for years trying to get rid of stuff. Friends and family are probably tired of hearing me say just that. They’d probably like to say…”Well, get off your butt…and go do it!” My usual retort is…”It’s so hard to get rid of my antiques and collectibles and vintage stuff…blah, blah, blah. Excuses! Excuses! Excuses! 😦
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It sounds to me like you have the good stuff. I can’t blame you for not wanting to get rid of it. Maybe you should open a store. Or do E-bay.
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The problem is…I’m an antiques dealer and I do sell stuff at a local antique mall…GILMAN GALLERY. Problem is I like to buy antiques, collectibles, and vintage items…for myself as well. I’ve never made a ton of money in all the years I’ve been selling, here in Washington State, and before that in Connecticut. But it’s not just that I love all things nostalgic, I enjoy the people I meet as a result…dealers and customers. Since we’re all into recycling old stuff…we “get” one another. All this aside…I am seriously trying to downsize. I don’t want my daughter left with the job after I’m gone.
btw…when I suggest that we open a store…my husband always says “Show me a business plan.” Now what would I want with that? You can see my dilemma…I just want to sell and do displays. Forget the numbers stuff… 😆
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I totally understand!
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You’re a woman who accepts others as they are…as long as they’re genuine. hugs…
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He who has the most ‘opala’ . . . wins
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I wish. I guess it depends on what kind of “opala.” Some folks might think mine is a little better than what they could find at Goodwill. To each his own. I like surrounding myself with stuff that is jam-packed with nostalgia…and great craftsmanship. Luckily, my family likes…our stuff. 🙂
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Enjoy the flow….. 🙂
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Thanks, dear friend. I will. Hope life has settled down a bit for you. BTW…congrats on your beautiful royal family…Kate, William, and baby George. You’ve a right to be proud. 🙂
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I love that you used the word tchotchkas! I use it all the time!
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ha, ha… Having lived and worked in NYC for more than 10 years, I took to the BIG APPLE like a fish to water. I started speaking like Barbra Streisand…oye vay! and such like. I still talk like her with my daughter, who responds in kind. We call ourselves “faux Jews.” We love it. There’s so much to like about NYC…including the natives. They may be in a hurry…but they’ve got big hearts. We’ve still got friends there, so we know of what we speak. hugs for still being there… 🙂
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