Making a House a Home

The thing about moving into a new home is that first off, the stuff - and by stuff, I mean boxes and the miserable junk that at the ol' apartment I was sure that I could never live without - silly me - it all got hauled in, dropped any old place, and then spread like a fungus as boxes were opened, sifted, half-unpacked, shifted, packing paper was tossed and slung, and finally, under the guise of being a precious heirloom, stuff began to resurface.

Here's a peek at what it looked like...

 

  

 

I spent the first, solid week tripping over boxes, running into oddly placed furniture, and nicking the back of my right hand on something ... what that evil, biting, nicker was, I still cannot say, but I have the scar to prove it.

Then, everything changed. We settled our belongings into their new spots and suddenly the place seemed hollow and empty.

"We don't have enough stuff!" we cried in unison. Well, I heard the cry. Handsome swears that he said nothing.

Like I said...

First, stuff everywhere.

Second, nothing to fill that wall, or that wall, or cover that floor, or to sit upon in that room...

And so, we shopped! We shopped and shopped and shopped! We shopped so determinedly and sophisticated-ly that we actually spent seventy smackers on a marble/tile trash can. Yes, you read that right, I said a trash can. Please try not to judge. I am very happy to tell you that I cannot post a picture of that particular item as I did eventually come to my senses. I took it back and purchased this one for a buck-fifty instead.

 

Amazing, cheap trash can, how I love thee!

Truth be told, certain home-good stores are rather disappointed in me as, in the case of the expensive trash can, I returned more that ninety-eight percent of what we - I mean, mostly, I - purchased during those first few weeks of home-ownership. Please tell me that I am not alone?

I was just so excited about our new home, and I wanted it decorated perfectly. Actually, I felt a sort of anxious panic about it. Must fill! Must fill! Must be perfect! It MUST be a perfect reflection of me and my style sensibilities! Must! Must! 

Obviously, I was a tiny bit outta my mind ... here's what brought my sanity back around.

 Faces like these began to turn up at our door.

 They stayed and stayed! Our home was bursting at the seams.

 Sweet, little faces made themselves right at home ... at our home.

That's when I realized my home is never gonna be home because I hang just-the-right, framed print, or design a table center-piece that would turn Pottery Barn envy-green, or fold the chic-est towels into the cabinets, or hang the priciest curtains on the windows (I was trying to do all this and more), it's gonna be home because of the love and friends who fill it. Duh, to me!

Dear friends, you know who you are, please come visit us soon!

In the mean time, what I have decided to do about decorating is this ... I'm just gonna live here lots and lots of years (Lord willing). That will leave plenty of time to fill in all the nooks, right? I've decided to slow down and enjoy the process. I'm creating a sort of design book --- full of favorite ideas --- to maybe get around to one day.

With our budget now safely in check, here's what our home looks like so far...

Our bedroom

 

 The dining room

  

The guest bed - this is where you must come and stay!

 Front entry

 

 From the dining room to the living room.

  

 

 

And me this morning.

If you have any great decorating ideas, please forward them on - I need the help and it's part of the LONG TERM fun! 

Otherwise, please just bring yourself here, we'll sip tea and compare scars.