Are You House Proud?

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. As I have packed box after box after seemingly never ending box, I have thought about each item. Why do we own it? What does it say about me? Is it something to keep or let go?


Do you ever ask yourself these questions? Do you ever feel like your life is being consumed by stuff? Lately I do. There are just so many things that we use on a daily basis but, more than that, so much stuff for my art and sewing. These are the hardest things for me to part with. As an artist, I never know when I will have an idea for something and want to pull out (insert essential item here) and create. How can I plan for creativity that hasn’t happened yet?

I have come to the conclusion that in the past few years I have cared less and less about taking care of our house and making it a place of comfort and relaxation. It has become just a stopping place not a resting place. I have been feeling a disconnect within my family lately. Like we are not together as a family but, rather, are just three people sharing one space. I am sure that part of it is due to our house being filled with boxes, my good egg spending every possible minute with friends rather than her parents (can’t really blame her – she is only 15!), my irritability with summer (I am so ready to be back into the routine of the school year) and the crow’s terrifically long hours at work these past 2 months. We simply aren’t spending enough (or any some days) time together.

I want this to change in the new house. I want to get back to the days when I was able to invite people over and feel proud about my home. I have become a decorating blog/website junkie lately. I keep seeing great ideas and bookmarking them. I am getting an image in my mind of how I want the new house to look but, more than that, how I want it to feel. I know that I can't make a lot of changes as we are renting but I know I want it to feel the way I feel when I look at pictures like this:

via the fisherman's cottage

via the creek line house

via shabby addict who got it via hiya papaya


via cottage and home decorating


via cottage and home decorating


via my house of giggles

I know that I can make this happen. And, in doing so, I know that the way our family lives together will change. The biggest change will be around dinnertime. Finally, after so many years we will have a space for a dining table and will be able to eat dinner together each night. I think that I am looking forward to this most of all. And I am thinking of splurging on some of these to make it just that much more special.


via cottage and vine's etsy shop

White Dishes....or Not?

I never used to like white dishes. They seemed so utilitarian. So plain. But it seems I am changing my mind. I have seen some wonderful photos of white dishes lately and they are calling out to me "Do this at your house!" I found some yesterday at Wonderbuck's for very reasonable prices. All of our dishes seem to be breaking. We've lost 2 bowls and 3 plates in the last few months. I have to admit that my Emile Henri plates and bowls have lived a good long life. I got them over 20 years ago and they do not owe me a thing! What we have now are a mix of various dishes in blue, green and hand me downs. I am going to start picking up white pieces when I see them and one day my dining table and cupboards might look like this!


via 50's Housewife

via loving.living.small


via faded prairie


via barn house

What do you think? White? Or not?

Score!

I was at Rubydog's Art House yesterday to pick up some things she had on hold for me and check out what I found...


Does this yell out Audrey Hepburn or what? My good egg is redoing her room in the new house like a black and white movie. Her inspiration is Breakfast at Tiffany's. We have been painting her furniture black and picking up black and white accessories. This phone cost me $5! What a steal! It just screams vintage - it is from the 60's - and still works. It is going to look awesome in her new room!

Flea Market Style

The last piece of mail I received before we left our old house were the last two copies of Flea Market Style. What a visual treat!



There are so many wonderful ideas in these two magazines that I honestly don't know where to start! I can hardly wait to get into our new house and start decorating. After three nights spent on a cot in my mother's living room, I am more than ready to get into the new house. We get the keys today at 5:15. Hurray!!!! Since it is a rental, I am limited in the changes I can make. We have been given the go ahead to paint if we like and to tear out old carpeting to show the hardwood underneath but that is about it. Everything else is going to take creativity to work with the bare bones of the place. I am so up for the challenge!

My New Home

I have decided to move my blog from typepad over to blogger. Just too many problems with my typepad account to make it worth spending the money each year! I will be pulling over posts from typepad over the coming days and weeks.