I've got houses on the brain

I'm finding myself getting lost in house blogs lately. (Shelter blogs? Sounds like a camping blog.) It is hard to find the balance between LOOKING at other people's beautiful houses, and actually doing something about my own. (It's so much EASIER to look at other people's houses.)

Just keeping my house to the point where you can walk from one side to the other without tripping over a backpack or a dollhouse or a SHOE seems like a full-time job. How can I fit in anything else?

I don't have the answer to that, in case you were hoping that's what was coming.

Sorry. I will let you know if I figure it out.

But really, it is OK.

I saw a sign in a catalog recently that said, "Excuse the mess. My children are making memories." I probably would never hang a sign like that in my house, but as I look across the living room floor, covered with Legos and My Pretty Ponies and Barbies and SHOES and jackets, and a bit of mud, and guitar music and some unfolded laundry, I remind myself, "Why YES. Right now, THIS is what it's all about. It's all about the Legos."

I try to squeeze in things that are not just Picking Up Toys when I can. Sometimes it means making a bigger mess. And I HATE that. But, it's worth it in the end.

We've been doing a little work (and by little, I mean little) in our dining room.

A few months ago, we got rid of this HIDEOUS light fixture.



It was so ugly, I refused to clean it. Which is why it's so dusty. It's not AT ALL because I don't dust. Ahem.

And put up this. (From Ballard Designs.)



True story, when we LOOKED at this house before we bought it, um... SIXTEEN years ago, one of the first things out of my mouth was "That chandelier will HAVE TO GO." I was waiting for inspiration to strike me about what to replace it with, and finally, after 16 freaking years of being paralyzed by indecision (that is a THEME in my life) I saw this one in the Ballard catalog. I liked it, it was affordable, FORGODSAKES JUST ORDER IT ALREADY. So I did.

We also swagged it over so it actually hangs OVER the dining room table instead of next to it, which is kind of nice as well. (A designer friend recommended that - I never would have thought of it on my own.)



It's AMAZING what a difference it makes.

I also got Rocket Man to hang my picture.



I LOVE it. But...

You can see it matches that hurricane glass, which was my "inspiration piece" but that looks better over on the cabinet.

So now I need something to tie that picture into my theme, perhaps. Like maybe this.



Or a row of these.



Or two of these on the wall.



I'm still trying to decide.

The other thing I did was steal an idea from the Nester and use some scrapbooking paper to pimp up my china cabinet. (Just to be clear, "pimp up" is my phrase. I can't see the Nester using that one.)



Ok, I forgot to take a picture with both sides done. And I straightened out the paper. And I camouflaged the fact that it's not quite long enough with books on both sides.

But that strip down the middle? I left uncovered. Should I try to cover that too?

Yeah. Maybe I will keep working on that look.

Now, LEST you think I am just talking out my you-know-what about all the clutter around this place, NOW, I will show you all the crap I moved to take these lovely pictures. Truthiness at it's best.



Ack. I know. Embarrassing. And what was I THINKING when I bought that balloon?

BUT, the good thing is that once I had all that CRAP on my dining room table, I decided to sort it and organize it and generally DECRAPIFY it. It took a couple hours and I was interrupted approximately 300 times, to wipe a butt, fix a dollhouse refrigerator, find a toy, answer the phone, fix macaroni and cheese and drive a carpool, and I'll be honest, I have one teeny, tiny pile left, but it feels really good to have it mostly done.

Next up, throwing out the Valentines! Don't tell my kids!

Actually, next up, is a project we have also been contemplating for YEARS.



The dining room had this door between it and the kitchen.



We never close this door.

And a BATTALION of dustbunnies was forever assembled behind this door.

I like the architecture of it, but it was in the way and served no purpose. So despite my reservations, Rocket Man took it off the other day. (16 years after we first talked about it. Indecision. Again.)

I like it. (And I have an idea of what I might want to do with the door. Rocket Man is NOT on board. Yet.)

Now, the reason he took it off, is we are thinking of taking down half of this wall and opening it up to the kitchen.



Real estate agents have told us not to do it. Designers have told us not to do it. "Old House" officionados have told us not to do it. But you know what? WE want to do it. It would make supervising socializing with people in the dining room SO much easier. And make that small, squarish room seem bigger and more open.

I envision something like this with two barstools, which would also give us some extra seating.



Ack. Crooked picture. AGAIN.

One of these afternoons, between the macaroni and cheese, the butt wiping and the carpool driving, I just might get out a sledgehammer.