I love it… I really do

WHY would I spend so much time and energy on beautifying my home? I must love doing it.  I have been complaining that it’s taken over absolutely everything, but that is because of the way I’ve dived into 20 projects at once, in true Naomi style.

Just like we aspire to a healthy body, a healthy home represents that same balance of energy.  Our homes are extensions of us.  I want my home to accurately reflect our loves and interests, as well as feel comfortable for us.  Some rooms in our house, especially the bedroom and living room, were stuck in the early-married days.  Our home redos all started because we want to live in a place that accurately reflects us.

At first, we planned to move to a new home or buy a lot and build exactly what we want.  (Mr. B turned to me the other day and said how glad he is that we didn’t go the build-it-yourself route.  If the few home projects I’m doing are too much, imagine… But actually, I wonder.  We wouldn’t be living there amidst the chaos!)  For whatever reason, we came to our senses and decided to humbly enjoy what we already have.

Any clutter or mess bothers me, and part of my huge effort these past couple of months has been to seriously question the systems we have in place.  Rather than organize what I have, I’ve decided to, for the most part, get it out of here.  For example, we have 2 full dresser drawers of electronic mess that has been with us as long as I can remember… cables and chargers and wires.  I got Mr. B to narrow that down to one small bin that I’ve labeled and put on a closet shelf.  Our linen closet was the same: we had sheets for bed sizes we don’t own!

I think all of these decisions are a form of self-care.  It is taking me a long time because you can’t sift through years of accumulation in 5 minutes.  Even when I went through the house a couple years ago, holding objects in my hand to see if they brought me joy, I still ended up with hidden clutter, things I felt we should keep just in case.  That bread machine that took up half its cabinet (finally given away), the computer box (recycled), the office wardrobe (donated finally).

It’s hugely healing to have empty space.  Every wall doesn’t need art.  Every shelf doesn’t need to be full.

Of course, the part I like is the finished look.  These pillows came from 4 different places but I like how they blend together.  The mix of softness and texture pleases me to no end.

What drives me crazy is living with the unfinished projects.

The missing walls, the old furniture donations that haven’t yet been picked up, the returns that would take me a full day to take back.

Of course, I’m writing this when I’m not feeling my best, so I am not thinking clearly, I realize.  Plus, this is a time in my cycle when I want to be alone, not surrounded by painters in several rooms, wallpaper guys playing their loud music, and contractors loudly cutting drywall and tile.

But I am pushing through because I can see how it’s going to be done fairly soon and it’s going to look so nice.  We are going to enjoy our home for years to come.