First big score in Alameda 2021

I realized that it's been a loooong time since I posted anything on my blog! After Annie passed away in January, my life has been one stressful thing after another. I always knew things would change after I lost Annie but never imagined in the way that it did. I knew I would move out of our little studio in Cupertino because I no longer needed that much open space which made Annie so happy.  I also knew I would be selling the last of my investment properties in Texas in March 2021 because it was now costing more than it was making, which wasn't a whole lot anyways. During the sale of the house that big freak snow hit Texas which caused a water pipes to break and roads to shut down. I had to keep telling myself all this will pass and take one day at a time.

So at the same time I was offered a job here in Alameda to open a boutique/thrift store for the Friends of the Alameda Animal Rescue, a non profit group that runs the shelter for the city. I made the move to a place I knew nothing about and leaving behind my hometown. More on that later.

What made me take that leap of faith and leave my comfort zone was hoping for a day like today. I visited the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store in Oakland for the first time this week and I was amazed I had never visited it before. They have a lot of locations but I never thought they would have anything I would pick and flip. As I was search for a free chandelier for the store, a friend told to check out HH, which also shares the parking lot with the Salvation Army scrap yard - another interesting place. Both places get new stuff in everyday, so as a pickers you really should check it often.  I went in today just to take pictures to post to show people all the cool stuff, not thinking I would find anything. I walked passes two pallets of used wine boxes still shrinked-wrapped. Not being a wine drinker (really I don't drink at all) I could tell the boxes were well made and must have held some $$$$ wine. More on that later too. 

Two hours later of going through every box and a call to a volunteer driver, I came back with a pallet of crates to make a custom shoe display wall for the store. Crazy I know but I was hired to be creative and do something different.

I also couldn't pass up these orange leather chairs for the store - just too cool and fits the theme for the store. I know the employees there thought I was crazy as I took off my shoes to see if I could get it work (needed a visual) and spending so much time digging through the pallet. It's still a work in progress but I think it will be a very interesting feature in the store and making our place a little bit different than anyplace else!