May 26th - Decorating

Today Sarah likens decorating to writing a book. 

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A book may look inanimate, 

but like a home, 

it lives, breathes, and expresses your being.

As a writer, the gleam of inspiration comes first;

your decorating discoveries might begin with a 

picture of a living room that makes you sigh.

To flesh out the initial idea, I then need to do research;

that's what you're doing on your creative excursions 

and with your decorating archive. 

Next, I need an outline;

you would develop a plan or budget. 

At this point, I'm usually overwhelmed 

by the enormity of the project; 

you may be, too. 

For me, this feeling only subsides after I plunge in and start

to write my rough draft; perhaps you're now pulling up the old carpet to refinish your floors, or you've begun stripping wallpaper or painting. 

Usually after I've finished the rough draft, 

there's an initial sigh of relief 

followed by another wave of panic. 

(Does this really work?)

However, once I step back and begin to edit, 

a sense of calm is restored. 

Ideas come fast as the book

-or the room-

begins to take shape. 

Now the real fun start:

revising.

This is the stage in which you make the room come alive with personal flourishes, adding the decorative details and accessories that have special meaning. 

I love the flourish of revising because you get to 

fix what doesn't work, making what does work even better.

But we're still not finished: 

the first draft is always followed 

by another and another, 

with more revising until my editor tells me 

it's time to stop.

However, when you're creating a visual memoir through your surroundings, 

it's a never-ending story.

You don't have to stop...

You'll always be revealing a new aspect of your personality as you discover it.

You'll constantly be editing, weeding out what you outgrow, making both subtle and significant decorating changes as the chapters of your life allow for, or demand, rewrites...

Let passion be your muse...

Let her guide and teach you to trust your instincts.

Aspire to live surrounded only by those things that you passionately love.

Be patient: a magnum opus can take a lifetime to create.

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I remember the first thing I was passionate about...

my blue couch.

Robbie wanted a recliner, and I wanted a small couch to fit our small living room, so we settled on a powder blue love seat. 

I knew that it was going to work somehow, some way...

Little did I know that it would work in the perfect house, not our old one. 

But I trusted my instincts, and I'm so glad I did. 

Later I found a yellow and white ottoman at the thrift store, and a matching blue and yellow chair at Target, and then an L shaped dark blue couch. 

It all goes so perfect...even though it took a few years. 

What is something you are passionate about

when it comes to decorating your home?

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Gratitude Journal

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1) Today is over. We had lots of kicking and screaming and biting and hitting and jumping on each other and whining and crying.......

2) The library. It was hard, but at least Jacob enjoyed some good books while the twins didn't pay attention at all... Jacob was full on counting. It was pretty awesome. 

3) Cuddling my babies. I got them home just barely in time for lunch and a nap (even though it was only 11, they were ready). And after a long and tiring morning, they still cuddled into me as I rocked them and sang, as if all was right with the world and nothing bad had ever happened anywhere. 

4) Dinner and playing with friends. It is so good to have friends. One of the girls tried to teach me how to do a cartwheel. She was too sweet, telling me I did a really good job because I kept my legs straight. Yeah, but my legs weren't over my head or hips now were they. 

5)  Watching Robbie do a cartwheel. How can he do one but I can't?