Post-construction saga: Trading one mess for another

I'm all moved in, and I almost have my new modernist nest decorated. The cedar overhang/porch cover will be built in the next few days, as soon as a special order of lumber comes in. Countertops will be installed on Friday, which will allow me to get the kitchen and bathroom in order. Right now, they're in an unbelievable state of disarray.

However, both rooms are downright tidy compared with our driveway, which is covered with all manner of detritus from the big move. What you see below is the last of it. My SIL is on his way home from Dallas (where he has been looking at possible new locations for the store) so we can take one last trailerload of boxes and trash to the solid waste drop-off, better known in these parts as "the dump."

Pile of leftover construction material

Overflowing trash bins

The last of many boxes...but I do have an orange door!
This was the spot where most of the construction trash was piled,
so the grass is gone,and the dirt is packed rock hard.
Landscaping will start soon.

Three or four previous loads made a pretty good dent in the trash we generated, along with numerous trips to the curb with some pretty fantastic non-trash items that we simply didn't have room for. You know you're exhausted from a move...in this case, two household moves simultaneously...when you don't have the wherewithal to list things on Craigslist and just keep saying to each other, "Put it on the curb."

I imagine we made quite a few "curb thrifters" happy this past week, since here are a few of the things they were able to pick up, absolutely gratis:

• a Carter Brothers scoop chair
• a pair of mid-century nightstands
• a Joe Colombo Boby art cart
• a ton of practically new Crate and Barrel throw pillows (color change!)
• a very large triple eyeball floor lamp (In our state of fatigue, rewiring it just seemed too daunting.)
• several sets of new and vintage glassware, including about 32 pieces of green Anchor Hocking Soreno
• an easel and wooden artbox full of oil paints and brushes
• numerous framed prints, including some really nice lithographs
• a Drexel Profile dining chair
• two chairs, a chaise and a table from a Woodard wrought iron patio set (I kept two chairs and some stacking tables.)

We had simply reached that numbed-out delirium that comes when you've carried so many boxes that your feet and back don't even hurt anymore, because your brain is too tired to process the messages from your screaming muscles and nerve endings. That's when stuff starts going to the curb.

After a little rest, there are a couple of pieces I could kick myself for throwing away, but I really didn't have room for them, and I'm sure several people whose mid-century blogs I haven't found yet are posting as we speak about the unbelievable curb treasures they scored. It feels nice to make somebody happy!

I promise to quit teasing soon...um, as soon as there aren't empty fast food bags, mops and various cleaning products and dirty laundry sitting around. Till then, here are a few snippets of what's happening inside.

Over the sofa

Beside the front door

Another corner of the living room

A peek at the bedroom

The first arrangement of the built-ins...before any editing has been done