I haven't really told too many people about this, but several weeks ago I found my dream house. I love, love, love it. Jason loved it, the kids loved it. I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the model three different times and imagining where I would put all my furniture (and all the new furniture I would need to buy, for that matter.)
FYI: WE ARE NOT MOVING
It's something that is simply not going to happen. Not now anyways. We are perfectly suited where we are right now. OK maybe not perfectly, but our needs are met and this house is great. But someday -- Oh Someday! -- when the market improves and maybe we come across a small fortune out of the blue, at least I know where we are going. No long days of searching with the realtor. No siree. I have found my next house.
Even though I always knew it wasn't a reality, it's still kind of a bummer to look around the current house and play the dangerous "comparison game." This closet is so much smaller.... This entryway doesn't have a beautiful curved staircase to greet you when you walk in the front door... This house doesn't have a loft where the kids can do their homework... This laundry room doesn't have all those cabinets to store my junk... This house doesn't have a gigantic family room for all of my elaborate parties I'm going to throw.... and so on. Dangerous, right?
So here's my plan to combat all the covetous and wishful thinking:
Project: Love My House.
Starting right now I am going to make my current house better, cleaner (therefore bigger!), and something I can be a little more proud of. That way I can be a little happier with the time I have left to live here, which frankly might be quite a bit longer.
Starting right now I am going to choose one area at a time (maybe a whole room, maybe just one set of shelves) and GUT IT. Clean it out, throw away, fix it up, organize, beautify. I am going to hold myself publicly accountable by reporting my progress on the blog. Don't let me loose steam! I may get busy and have to spread them out a little bit, but don't let me stop! That means you have my full permission to cheer me on, remind me, nag me, HARRASS ME about it if I start slacking!!!
PART 1 - coming soon.
11 comments:
Yay--I love purging and re-evaluating a space for new possibilities! Call me if a space stumps you and well figure out something fantastic!
I'm on the same kick! Except I don't have a house to compare it too (unless you count the one on my blog a few posts down - yeah the little English stone cottage - ::snort:: like that'll ever happen). BUT, even though it may never happen, I have been feeling empowered by at least doing my part in making the house we currently live in a nicer place to be - getting rid of stuff, tidying, eventually repainting, etc. so that if the time ever comes I can just pick up and move. Until then, I'll be living in an organized and lovely home.
YOU ROCK!
I am feeling the same way--there's no point in putting off improvement projects with the thought of "well, maybe we'll be moving soon, so I won't work on anything." But we've decided to make what we do have something we're proud of. And we're improving things that we can take with us, so it'll transfer easily if we do move soon.
I love a fresh outlook, don't you?! :)
Amy, what an admirable thing to decide. There will always be bigger and better than what you have. Kevin and I decided a long time ago that bigger and better is not always what it seems. There are sacrifices that come with the higher lifestyle...not just money but time.
How much is your time worth? Any house, I don't care how much storage it has, will be too small for all the stuff that accumulates if you let it.
How much more managable is a smaller, comfy home...I tell you right now, the kids don't care. They have all they need as long as you are there making quilts and parties and doing all the fun things you do with them.
I had a much bigger "nicer" home once with more storage. Eventually, I didn't keep IT clean either(my house right now needs a bit of what you are talking about!) Just my two cents.
I think we're all in similar situations after we had the house on the market last yar and realized we weren't going to get what we wanted, we came to the same conclusion. My projects are family room valance and recovering barstools:)
YOU GO GIRL!!!
What a great attitude to have. I too get jealous, greedy, and envious of other peoples houses from time to time. But then I realize how fortunate I am to have what I have and I snap out of it again. But loving your space that you have and keeping it so that you feel great while in it is an awesome idea.
I really love my current house, it could easily be our "forever house." But there are so many areas that need decluttering and help! I actually took a free online organizing class a few weeks ago just to give me a jumpstart--mainly for accountability, as we reported on a forum how we were doing. I've even started several blog posts for motivation, but never posted them! Go Amy!!
Great antidote for a sickness we all get! I wanna know where the house is! In the stake? the school boundaries? I must know!
Found this today and thought of your post:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/inspiration/20-ways-to-love-your-home-095583
That's a good idea. I get bummed thinking about the house I'd like to live in someday that is not going to happen for many more years than I thought and planned for. I had to make a list of all the things I love about my house & it made me feel better.
Ooooh, great idea!!! This falls into the "Bloom Where You're Planted" category. I love it! :)
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