Moving In

Last week, I decided that it was time to finish moving in to my house.  It's about time:  we bought it five years ago this summer.  It's not as if I never unpacked.  All the boxes were gone long ago.  And it isn't as if the rooms have sat, empty.  Every room is furnished.  It's just....I haven't really done any of the little things that really make a house a home.  

Like hang pictures on the walls.  Or buy towels that match the bathroom.  Or put up curtains.  

Don't get me wrong....we've done plenty of big things to our house.  We updated almost all of the hardware and lighting.  We put built-ins in the den.  We landscaped like crazy.  We painted (almost) every wall.  My husband built his dream playscape.  We've recarpeted.  

But.....there are only blinds on the windows.  The pictures I have sit propped on shelves, they don't hang nicely on the wall.  There is just a lack of the simple, homey touches that we tend to take for granted.  My home lacks personality and warmth because I haven't put down permanent roots, here, when it comes to decor.

I could delve into all the deep psychological issues manifest by my seeming inability to do these things, but that would take a lot of time that would be better spent sewing curtains.  Or I could consider all the things our family has been through in the past few years, and cut myself some slack.  Instead, I've decided to focus on making my current home be the welcoming, serene, and home-like place that it was meant to be.  

I'm casting aside the excuses I've been using as crutches to limp along as a homemaker and I'm challenging myself to do better, despite the odds.

 - Not enough money to do what I really want to do?  Exercise more creativity!

 - Can't decide on a color scheme until I've done _________ to the space?  Get it done or pick neutrals.

 - Paralyzed by the thought that someday I'm going to move and all this work will be for naught?  Get over it.  Stuff is temporary, anyway.  My family deserves a fresh, welcoming, comfortable, and beautiful space where we can all enjoy spending time together.

With that in mind, I spruced up the powder room this weekend.  This particular room was pretty much the only room in the house when we first moved in that didn't have glaring wall issues.  (And by glaring wall issues, I mean a color on the wall that made us cringe every time we walked past.)  It was actually pretty nice.  I'm not a big fan of wallpaper, but the wallpaper in this room happened to be fairly subtle.  The colors worked well.  

The last couple of years, though, every time I spend a moment in that bathroom, I think to myself, "This wallpaper has got to go.  Wallpaper is soooo 1990.  I'm not a wallpaper person.  I have to peel all this off, sand the walls, and start over."  Those thoughts then lead to, "How in the heck am I supposed to get the wallpaper off the walls without completely unplumbing the toilet and sink?"  At which point I become totally overwhelmed, flush, wash my hands, and slam the bathroom door behind me as I make a hasty exit.  

It's a vicious cycle, but it definitely prevents constipation.

But this past week, as I contemplated what color I should paint the bathroom, I was shocked to discover that the bathroom was....fine.  Absolutely fine.  Sure, wallpaper is soooooo 1990, but this wallpaper wasn't climbing with ivy and it didn't feature cigars or golfers (unlike wallpaper in other parts of the house that we already removed.)  In fact, the neutral tans with hints of red and aqua are exactly what I've been incorporating all over the rest of the house.  So, why not beautify what I already have, using what I already have?

Stay tuned for the big reveal!