I told my husband he should take the Christmas inflatables down because it was going to rain. So he did, and then set them back up–only in a different place.
I wasn’t expecting to see them when I innocently opened the door to the garage–staring back at me, motors whirring, all lit up in the dark–in the garage.
It’s like the flipping Thanksgiving Day Parade. Inside. Our garage.
Everytime I open the door I forget they are there. Every single time.
Yes that is Darth Vader.
So I’m yelling at my 8 year old to stop jumping on the couch and for my 10 year old to stop telling the 8 year old to jump higher and I start giggling because I just opened the door to the garage.
***
Last night we watched the movie The Martian (awesome). The hero, Astronaut Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, gets stranded on the planet Mars, by mistake. His crew accidentally leaves him behind because they think he is dead. So much is wrong with that last statement. I mean when you think bad day you at least have, I don’t know, the human race nearby, oxygen, water… “If the oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the hab breaches, I’ll just kind of implode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death. So, yeah. I’m f___.”
Somehow the movie is funny.
“Alright, let me get a few things out of the way, right off the bat. Yes, I did in fact survive on a deserted planet by farming in my own shit. Yes, it’s actually worse than it sounds. So, let’s not talk about that ever again.”
“They say once you grow crops somewhere, you have officially colonized it. So, technically, I colonized Mars. In your face, Neil Armstrong!”
“In the face of overwhelming odds, I’m left with only one option, I’m gonna have to science the shit out of this.”
Love it.
And then he says this:
“At some point, everything’s going to go South on you. You’re going to say, ‘This is it. This is how I end.’ Now, you can either accept that, or you can get to work.” You have to solve one problem, and then solve the next problem, and then solve the next problem, and “if you solve enough problems, you get to go home.”
It’s about how to thrive and prosper and do amazing things, right? That’s what we do as humans. And oh boy, does sh*# happen. Not taking yourself so seriously is a bonus too. (Which is partly why I loved Matt Damon’s character so much. He’s hilarious in the movie. Go see it!)
***
I had a heart to heart with a girlfriend today and Doom and Gloom sat in on the conversation. They are such kill joys. We were talking about the sh*# that happens and problem solving (luckily I’m not alone on the planet) and I opened the door to the garage–
Yup.
I’m thinking about leaving those crazy inflatables up in our garage for a bit longer–
Life is just so ridiculous sometimes, if you let it;)
I don’t know if it’s from lack of sleep (stomach flu in my house-AGAIN), or that I’m a mother of children, or that I was once a little girl, or that I flipping hate stupid-awful-sexy-everything-stupid-sexist-dumb costumes for girls and this is so refreshing to see, or that — to give hope and inspire is a powerful thing, or, maybe, it’s all of the above, but when I saw this it made me cry.
So if you read me regularly just read this post with your eyes closed. You’ve read my whole decorating and road trip speal before. But for everyone else…Whenever I work with a client I ask them to show me pictures of rooms they like. I tell them it’s like going on a road trip without a map if they don’t have a goal. Yes, you may eventually get to California but after many detours, wasted gas, and extra motel stays. Going to the store and buying things willy nilly without knowing what you really are aiming towards is the same thing. You end up with lamps you don’t really like, a rug that matches everything you hated, and furniture that looked good in the store, but once it came home–wasn’t what you really wanted.
Looking at images of rooms full of things you can’t afford housed inside amazing architecture may feel like a waste of time when your budget is Target and your house is more of a box with windows–but that couldn’t be more wrong. When you really start setting aside pictures of rooms you like–you start to notice trends. Houzz.com is great for this. It has about 8 Million pictures to inspire you (it really does–today it was 8,002,820) and it is free so you don’t need to spend a fortune on magazines. You can make ideabooks and share images with others. You can filter the pictures to just “traditional kitchens” or “green counters” or “white bathrooms. You can filter it by region to see certain architecture styles such as “London exteriors” or “Santa Barbara living rooms”. There is a place where you can just see Contemporary or Eclectic styles. I’m only scratching the surface for all it has to offer but the bottom-line it is a great resource for sorting through what you like, and what you don’t.
As a professional that works with clients–it makes my job easier, and that really is what this is about. How to make life easier for me;) So please–go on Houzz.com, create some ideabooks, call me, and I’ll help you sort through it so you don’t end up in Idaho instead of California.
Ugly, Unwanted, Overwhelmed and Guilt lurk around every corner…
You have voiced concerns, complaints, and exasperated cries for help:
“What about when I try to kick out the lurking shadows of Ugly and Unwanted and Guilt stands with his arms crossed at my door?” (If you are concerned over what this is about you might want to read the prior two posts: Decorating Rut Part 1, Decorating Rut Part 2.)
“What happens when I get rid of Ugly and Unwanted and realize there is NOTHING left in my house?”
“What do I do when I try to do what you tell me but Overwhelmed kicks the snot out of Guilt and follows me around like a lousy rat?”
“What happens if I get rid of it and then I need it?”
1. Guilt. Put it in perspective. It is STUFF. Yes, I know that it represents in our mind’s eye friends and family and life events. Yes, I know that these things were given to you out of kindness. But it is the act, the person, the memory, the thought, the event that made it important and nothing can change that. If the thing is not causing you any joy when you see it–getting rid of it will not alter the memory–it just means you are making room for new ones.
2. My House Will Be Empty. Really? First of all it might be good to live with less? Second, I think you are being dramatic. Come on.
3. Overwhelmed. Set the timer. 20 minutes a day. That’s it. No interruptions. Just 20 minutes. Keep going. I know you and I know you are strong.
4. What If…? Dude if you are keeping everything because of What If let me know how that works out. When I keep everything for these reasons when the What If happens I can’t find it or forgot I had it. Move on baby cakes.
I love to be pleasantly surprised by the unexpected when I visit other people’s homes. Especially where I live. My neighborhood was built in the 1960’s and 70’s and the exteriors are very “unassuming”. Many look very small and dated but then you go inside and WOW! The house is huge with tastefully done additions and floor to ceiling windows with views of woods and rolling hills. The backyards are surprising leafy oases complete with outdoor rooms and cozy eating areas. Kitchens and bathrooms are renovated and rooms feel light, airy and modern. Moral of the story? It’s what inside that counts–don’t judge us by our covers. So to all my neighbors this one’s for you…
Inspired Decorating Ideas for the Unexpected aka WOW!
