Three dogs and two kids later and I began to see our once perfect house become a shoebox that I couldn't wait to get out of. I refused to decorate the way I wanted to in this house because I was saving it for the next house. But the next house never came. A year, two years, and now three years have gone by that I've been waiting to upgrade to a bigger house to find our "perfect" again.
A couple of months ago I began to realize that we were constantly talking about how much we hated our house. We are always saying, "in the next house" and with each passing day are frustrated that this is the house we are stuck in.
I say enough of that crap!
It's time to get some cute in this house so that we enjoy it more. It's our home and we need to finally settle in and get comfortable. I'm on a mission to make this home cozy and exactly the way I want it. Well, minus a few thousand square feet.
I'm starting at one end of the house and working my way around and first up is the kitchen. I think I'm going for an old soda shoppe, cupcake bakery, vintagy look. That probably sounds a little ridiculous but I've got this image in my head that kind of combines those things. I just want everything to be bright, happy, and fun.
I've walked for hours around antique stores finding as many bottles as I can find like these.
picture found here
I'm am completely covering the top of our kitchen cabinets with old soda bottles and jars with these super cute straws (found here) in red, yellow, pink, gray, and aqua.
For the walls in our dining room I was so happy to find some really cute and fun prints from this etsy shop. I ended up getting a ton of them!
Since we never really settled in I've never really done the decorating thing. I'm anxious and nervous to see how it all turns out. I've got this vision in my head but who knows how it will come out. I've learned from scrapbooking that things don't always go the way you plan them.
Either way, this is fun!
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13 comments:
Go for it! I am on my second house due to having to move for a job and probably won't be the forever house either (due to a job) but I've decided to settle in and make it a nice cozy little nest! Enjoy!
I would like to move. We are in our house for the long haul. Houses here just aren't selling and with the housing market as it is here (and the thousands of dollars of lost value), I have to accent that we have to stay.
I can't wait to see what you do!! You have to share pics when you are finished!! :)
Happy Decorating! One of two things will happen...you will either fall in love with your little home or you and your hubby will start and then decide to do the move and put your efforts into your new house! Either way I wish you BLISS! :)
I will definitely share pictures of everything. I might be awhile...I wonder how long it will take to find enough bottles to fill the space above the cabinets!
I think if we could come up with a way to organize everything a little better it wouldn't be that bad. :)
You must have been reading my mind yesterday, this is exactly how I feel about our house. For about 5 years now I've wanted to move and each year we don't this house just seems more wrong and unhome like. Well, enough of that I said, if we are stuck here for now then let's make it more us and feel happy enough just to have a house. My first plan is to start improving our little deck to enjoy the summer outside.
I love your ideas for kitchen and that your going to make your home more likeable and settle into it. Don't feel you have to wait for all those bottles though just add a few here and there as you get them. Hope you can show us some before/after photos.
I have to ask though with you being such a busy busy bee already whenever will you find the time?? lol Good luck and I know it will be great.
I would love to move 1 more time now that my kids are almost all gone....the youngest heads off to college in the fall. But for now we are here......have been for 6 years and I have yet to make this really mine too! Funny how we think!
I can't wait to see what you come up with because you are so creative.
Linda from KS
Hey girl. I love this post. For FIVE long years, we lived 7 miles north of Mexico in a small flat ranch house that was constructed in 1959. As I think back to that house, which we left 6 years ago, I STILL cringe.
The first year we were there, I did lots of little updates and we painted every wall in that house. And then we re-did the floors. And then the kitchen. It wore me out. But, over the time that we were there, the little flat house did transform and while I never really grew to LOVE it, I did love my life there with the boys.
Both boys learned to read in that house. Lots of Lego bricks on the floors there and memories of little summer boys climbing trees and riding scooters. Looking back, those were their formative years and they didn't care about any of that. In fact, when it came time to move to Dallas, my youngest pitched a fit and wanted to stay "in his house".
I think your ideas are super cute and I always love Erma Bombeck's quote: "The grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence. The grass is greener where it is watered." Can't wait to see you creative, cute "watering". I love the direction you're headed.
Hi, Allison, Have fun decorating!
One thing that can really make your small house work better for you is to rent a dumpster and pretend you're moving! Get rid of broken stuff, things you have extras of, things you don't like but have been keeping because you like the person who gave them to you, things you've been holding onto that REALLY you don't need. You'll be surprised how much you can get rid of. It will free up a lot of space, make your house work better for you, AND it's freeing! It really gives you a wonderful, refreshed, renewed feeling.
An added benefit is that when you really do move, you'll have less to do!
Evelyn
Dawn, I have learned, since I do most of my work from home, to set actual business hours. I don't work past five (except for those times when I'm crazy busy). I've also learned to get in and get the work done and eliminate distractions like the TV, etc. And sometimes I sneak in some more work when after the boys have gone to sleep. The rest of my time I spend with the boys or partaking in other "hobbies". :) It's taken a lot of years to figure it all out but I think I'm on the right track!
amylynne, it is funny! I had no idea that so many of us think that way!
Penny, I'm so glad you mentioned that part about the memories you created in that house. It's so easy to get caught up in the space issues, the lack of things you want, and all the other junk when there are so many memories that I will never forget that we created in this house. Thank you for reminding me!! :)
Evelyn, that is a fantastic idea! One of the main things we have to do to make this house more comfortable is to get rid of the clutter! I'm going to mention what you said to the husband! :)
Hi Allison, glad to see you make the most of your time. I was just teasing about how busy you are. I also don't watch tv much, only 4 shows during the year, no tv during the summer or holidays when my shows are on break.
Well, we got our deck ready a little today and ate our first dinner outside in the hot air we are having. It was so nice and the kids were excited. I even used the self timer and took a photo of us. Happy Sunday.
What a neat and fun theme for the kitchen! I can't wait to see how it turns out! Be sure to post some pics when it's finished, ok? I hope it turns out exactly the way you want it to.
I never comment but when I read your whole needing a little cute, I could totally relate, I felt like it was me and my thoughts, I have no pictures on the wall, 3 kids jammed into one bedroom yada yada, but you know what you are so right, makes me want to rethink EVERYTHING and start putting a little cute in to our life.... And what a fun theme for your kitchen can't wait to see your next ideas... thank you for inspiring me and realizing to appreciate really what I have and to make it cute!
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