Pagano's Hardware on Lincoln in Alameda is a MAGICAL PLACE!

The clouds touched down today. It began grey and then began to rain, drizzly and then downpour.


On the way out to do my first of 4 loads for my final move out yesterday I stopped by the hardware store I have always passed but never entered. It's across the way from a magical gardening/landscaping center...

I enter the store and there are dolls on display, candles, tea towels, dowels, paint, tools, bathroom accessories, vacuum cleaners, space heaters, and everything else one could want to make a home cozy!

I have walked into paradise.

I was looking for a shower curtain and ended up with two brass outlet plates, a space header, a surge protector, and some converters for the 2 prong outlets that are in the room.

$156 bucks and I am well on my way to making my new house a home.

I am going to custom order a switch plate that has a reddened bronze look, sculpted...it's perfect for the saffron/sun/tropical thing I am going for in this room.

I had already decorated the windows with long scarves, found a beaded pillow sham that I thought was cool and found some inexpensive pashmimas in a vermillion and saffron orange. We want hand-crafted materials, luxuriously rich colors of sunset and sunrise...global village kinda thing.

Back and forth, unpacking boxes to reuse them...my room is makeshift at the moment. I can get to clothes and some cds. The left side as you walk in is the bed and the right side is a pile of boxes almost to the ceiling. We will be rifling through these slowly. I have vowed a box a day.

Diane helped me with the second run and shoving stuff in the car. We tackled the clothes from the closet on that run. We noshed on Paneer Pakora and Kabuli Naan from Alameda's India Palace on Buena Vista.

She's doing really well and planning for her move, soon. Change is crazy. I am buying her dryer so that washing and drying is a regular part of the equation...no reason to have wet clothes just because of the rain, I say. I think I will enjoy doing a sunshine dry of sheets and stuff, but clothes are just daily necessity and I am not into my drawers flapping in the wind for the neighbors to scrutinize.

Have you seen the new neighbor? Have you seen her drawers?

I returned to the house to finalize the random crap and move the desk and shelving to the porch so I would be out by 10 pm. On my third run to the house (about 6:30 pm) I decided to stop by Jack London Square's Cost Plus Market.


Anyone who knows me knows that I don't shop...because it weirds me out...BUT...I wanted to get some items for the new house. I specifically was looking for a shower curtain and a bathmat.

I left with a coir (coconut fiber) mat for the front door (striped with warm colors...maroon, goldenrod, and the natural coir color) and a chenille blue bathmat for the bathroom.

I lusted after some garbage cans and some baskets for the guest toiletries, but showed restraint.

I have a baby shower to go to in Philadelphia at the end of the month and am still paying off deposit stuff. I feel like I have paid two rents for the past month...and that's an ouchie on the bank account.

I have made my mental bedroom adjustments...my bedroom will be amazing and will be work progress over the next few paychecks. But it will be my space!

Mas horita...

But for now...THANK YOU DIANE, MEGAN, and KWESI and even former roomie Sean for the Allen Wrench. You guys helped me pull out of the room with two hours left to spare!

More moving shenanigans when I am bored next...