Home Goals, Twenty-Twelve

Setting goals for my home.
Yep.  

I'm going to do it.
It almost sounds too superficial to really care about.
Almost.

When I read the Nester's questions to think about for our homes, it got me thinking.

I started to think about all the 10289389 things that I would like to see done around my house.
They're not big things...nothing fancy like "change my sitting room from safari themed to something more Victorian."  That's just not me.  Instead, I started to consider my stage in life and what I have time for, where my focus should be, and what is really important to me.

First, I want to focus on organization.  I consider myself pretty organized, I categorize my books and magazines by color, so yes, I like things crisp.  That's the word I'm going with.  However, when things start to slip, they fall fast.  Fallen they have.  I want to get things stream lined around here.

To all my never used stuff, rarely used stuff, and sometimes used stuff, your days are numbered.  You have to make a good case if you want to stick around here.



For example,  this is my tray of paper and folder stuff that I use.  It's currently holding a dish that does not belong to me, which is holding my grandmother's spoon collection that I almost got rid of but I'm not ready to let go of.  So, I'm going to do what I can to return the pan and I'm going to re-store my grandmother's spoons.  They meant a lot to her, so for now, they mean a lot to me.



Second, I want to focus on painting.  I'm not going to change the colors.  Instead, I hope to touch up some places that have been used and abused.  Our house works hard and there are several people who come through here, and she's starting to show signs of {what I'm going to call} love.

To my baseboards,

Burl's unofficial wall writing spot

the grease circle above Burl's timeout chair

the dirt marks leading down to the basement

the random spots, streaks, and marks in the hallways, 

you're looking rough.  Time to touch up your makeup, sweeties.

Third, I want to change up my picture displays.  I take 500-1,000 pictures every month.  Some of them are really great and capture really great moments and it's time to put them on display.

Changing a picture in a frame is hard for me. It's almost like I'm taking that memory out of my mind, and I feel guilty about that. However, I can't let guilt win this one.  New pictures and new memories {for that matter} are good and natural and I'm ready for the change.

Also, I want bigger pictures.  See you later, 4x6's and maybe even 5x7's.  The picture below is of my hallway.  I copied the shelf setup from a Pottery Barn catalog and at first I thought it was wonderful.  But, now I think it looks cluttery and wimpy.  That wall is seen by almost everyone who comes by our house and they always stop and look at the pictures.   I think it's time I give them some grander to look at.  

Fourth, I want to approach cleaning and projects with a list.  So many times I get overwhelmed at all the things that I want to do.  When I put them on a list, I can prioritize, set a mental schedule, and cross things off one-by-one.  Making a list is great for me.  Once it's written down, I don't feel the burden as much.  I see it on the list, I know it's there, and I know that I'll get to it.

Fifth, I want to take it all with a grain of salt.  We have two babies now.  Two wonderful, easy, laid back babies who seem to love each other {as much as babies love}.  I couldn't imagine any better babies.  However, they are babies.  They are two babies and they need us.  They need us to provide a safe, stable, consistent home for them.  They do not need us to keep a perfectly clean house that shows no signs of life.  My goal, more than pictures or painting or organization, is to find the balance between the two and to live freely within that balance.

That's where I want everything in my life to lead to...balance.  Balance, you just feel great!