This is who I really am

Over the past decade, I’ve progressed from a junkaholic to a Junkologist.  It’s a state of mind, really. And a lifestyle choice.  Junkaholic sounds like a disease that requires anonymous meetings and 12-step healing programs.  But I don’t want to be healed. (Sidebar: This little section was apparently so well-written four long years ago that another blogger decided to lift the idea and use it on her own blog in a post tonight, 23 March, 2013.  Not that the date will lead you to anything. She top posts her blog so often, by the time you see THIS, the post will have been deleted in a fit of crazy or freshly dated for the current day.)

My Facebook page lists my occupation as “junk-buying queen,” which is an accurate description.  But . . . I prefer to be called a Junkologist, just in case I ever decide to write course curriculum.  Plus it looks a lot more professional on a business card.

Now, before I started this Junkology blog, I did a little internet search.  Seems “junkology” has already been trade-marked by a recycling business, so I guess I won’t be changing my business name.  But the blog name remains, until I’m notified to cease publication under the name. What I didn’t realize when I chose to name this blog Junkology, was that over on the Blogger site, there lives the way cool Junkologie. Honestly…I wasn’t trying to copy ANYONE. I was a newbie. I started my blog after reading one single blog that happened to be on WordPress at the time.  So now when someone introduces me as the girl from Junkology and the reaction is an excitable and recognizable “Oh!” I have to add, “Not THAT Junkologie.” Yes, I am the low self-esteem JukologY.

My duties as Junkologist take place mostly in San Antonio, Texas, where I live.  I also have shop space in Llano, Texas.  I sell all kinds of junk — antiques and vintage/vintage inspired smalls and furniture.  My new motto is “bringing brown back!” because I am tired of painting everything. I almost always have a nice supply of mirrors, chandeliers, suitcases, and ephemera. I also make jewelry — soldered charms, bottlecaps and domino pendants. In Llano, we carry  a line of rubber cowgirl boots and jewelry, including the Natural Life line. In San Antonio, I carry some jewelry pieces from Classic Hardware of California. In addition to selling goods, I also have items available for rental (photo shoots, home staging, etc.) in the San Antonio area, and provide professional shopping services in addition to home staging and decorating services.  My business email is Checkeredpastinfo@sbcglobal.net.

When I first started this blog, I was so excited. Then I had a bit of a latent period — kind of like a blog’s midlife crisis or something. During that time, I read LOADS of blogs and became all existential and started questioning my place in blogland and the purpose of blogging, in general. (Believe me. That’s so NOT me.)  I tried to define myself, but found it easier to define what I’m NOT: I’m not the kind of blogger who will end a post with a question just to try to get you to comment. In fact, I have closed comments on this blog. If you want to talk to me, great! Just use the email in the p-graph above. If you want to lurk, that’s fine too! We can still be bloggy buddies. I’m also not going to link you to a whole lot of blogs by writing about them all. the. time. If a blog is in my sidebar, I love that blog. I have some blogs on my sidebar that don’t even exist any more, but I’m too sentimental to remove them.  Also I’m not very good at maintaining my blogroll, so if you’d like to be included, please let me know. I’m a bit lazy like that. I’m not going to offer any giveaways that would make you spend money on someone else’s website. BUT… I do highly encourage you to enter cool giveaways and to shop ETSY. Many of my blogging buddies have ETSY sites (and so do I!) or sell straight from their blog or FB page.  I think I’m fairly authentic in my writing, but hate using that word, along with “transparent.” I also won’t ever ask you to “share your story,” as that phrase is completely overused. But I do want to get to know you.

My midlife blog crisis has ended. And for that I KNOW you’re happy.  And I’m happy to meet you and glad that you’re here. Welcome and BIG (((HUGS))).