I can think about and hem and haw over changing up something in my home for, ummmm . . . a really long time.
Then, we have a party or a special guest or something bigger than your normal Girl Scout meeting and I suddenly look at my home through brand new eyes.
Last week, I shared about my big entire-house-shake-down as I got ready to let a news crew come inside. Now it’s over, and the clean-and-shiny results are looking less clean-and-shiny, but a few changes have lasting results that still make me smile.
They were kind of like two-second tasks that involved going to the store and spending money. (Things that generally prevent me from getting two second tasks done.)
First of all, I had no idea what I was going to do about the two inches of awfulness that separated the bottom of my new-but-not-so-new-anymore-after-a-whole-year vent from the top of the tile backsplash above my stove.
No idea=not doing anything for a year
So I wandered around Home Depot and inwardly groaned as I imagined myself buying a ten-foot-long piece of two-inch-wide wood and sawing three feet off and painting it white and . . .
(See how I build things up in my mind?)
But then I happened to run into a lovely friend from church who works there, and she took me to these:
For fifteen dollars, I got more than I needed of these little, silver, stickable tiles that matched the stainless steel hood. Not ideal, but totally fine!
And then, as we were leaving, we passed the area rugs.
I glanced at one that made my heart ache in longing. As I was running my hands over it and dreaming of one day replacing my no-longer-so-shaggy shag rug, my 10 year old said, “Hey Mom, this is what our rug used to feel like!” as he snuggled up to an actually-shaggy shag rug.
Hmmmph.
I went home and thought and dreamed, and stopped by Home Depot the next day to buy my new rug.
After rolling up the new one, cleaning underneath it, and various feats of strength . . . I had a totally new look for my living room.
(I had to find a random “before” picture.)
Aaaaaahhhhh.
Oh, and the last one involved no money at all. It simply required me to put the pictures back on the wall after months of them being gone. And no. I have no memory whatsoever of why I took them down.
Oh. Did you wonder what I meant by “various feats of strength”?
Welcome to my world.
Do you end up redecorating for big events?
--Nony
Oh my goodness, Nony! I bought your ebook in the ginormous 97 book bundle in the spring, read it in under an hour and have been attempting the steps while reading your blog (more than four years!) from the beginning! I am so excited to be all caught up! My house is a different place since I’ve learned to work with my inner slob and take daily habits in baby steps! I have also joined swagbucks ( under your affiliate link!). Thank you for putting yourself out there for the rest of us! Also? Quit telling all these stories from my life! 🙂
Haha! So excited to hear of your progress!!
Isn’t it amazing what a difference small, easy things can do to change not only the spaces we live in, but the way we see it, too? I LOVE the silver tiles you put under your stove hood. They’re gorgeous. And you’ve given me a great idea for what to do if I can ever figure out how to get the horrid over the stove microwave pulled out. Those are made for taller people than me, and it can be a little dangerous pulling hot stuff out. But I wasn’t sure what to do. A hood and cute little easy to use tiles will work for me.
Have I redecorated for company? No. But changing things up a little, and dusting things I usually don’t think about (ceiling fans, frames on photos and paintings, etc…) help a lot.
Wow! I would’ve never noticed the stick on tiles if you wouldn’t have typed about it. Looks great!
I love the feats of strength. I also love how your daughter got in on the act. This post made me smile.
PS When is your TV debut going to take place? I’d love to watch.
It’s linked here: http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/2013/11/the-day-paula-and-a-national-news-camera-came-into-my-house/
Hahaha, as usual, the boys are half dressed, right? At least they have pants on! Didn’t you take some pics down to straighten them or something awhile back?
It’s funny how I think back on all of our decorations and think ” Oh yeah we did that one when we were going to have this party.” or ” That redo was done when we had company over to stay and the (fill in the blank) looked awful.” It makes me wonder why I don’t actually redecorate for myself and my family. Oh well maybe one day. Your redo’s look awesome though!
Umm. It’s 8 days till Thanksgiving. NORMAL friends would be planning, grocery shopping, cleaning, baking and the like. Not me, I’m painting the hallway, ‘cuz you know, guests will be spending lots of time in the hall!
My husband loves when we have a gathering or go on vacation. Stuff that wouldn’t have gotten done for 6 months somehow gets done under the gun.
Btw, we don’t like the new color so we plan to re-repaint after Thanksgiving. Oops.
I would love to find some if these tiles! They have NO IDEA what I am talking about when I ask at home depot. Do you have a product name or where you got them in the store??
Love your site and your book!!
I can’t decide if my favorite part of this is your daughter participating in the feats of strength, or your older son helping spot his brother and sister. Such a lovely family.