A New-ish Look

Having Willa's party at home gave me the extra push I needed to complete a bunch of lingering projects I abandoned around the time Willa mobilized. Once we had accumulated more baby gear than I was comfortable living with, and Willa's mess-making skills surpassed my tidying abilities, I hit my limit. I tore through the house, editing with haste, removing clutter and decoration without consideration. And since my budget hasn't allowed for any extra spending to replace the things I tossed, I've been living with bare walls and compromised personality. There are worse things, I know, but my uninspiring surroundings left me feeling bored and anxiety-ridden. Yeah, I'm super-sensitive to that sort of thing. I require order. And pretty things. And to Sean's chagrin, a periodical re-do.

With pressure mounting from the impending party, I enlisted some help. Billie Jean removed Willa from the premises for an entire day, and my mom came over to crack the whip, as she puts it. The whip is actually a metaphorical one, and she does a whole lot more than supervise. She got busy right away; I, on the other hand, was just so overwhelmed at the prospect of a child-free, productive day of cleaning, organizing, and decorating, I was paralyzed. At one point, my mom had to grab me by the shoulders, shake me, and say, "DO SOMETHING!" So I did, and once I started seeing my own progress, I got into it and we worked well past our bedtimes, hanging art, moving furniture, changing out pieces here and there, and dusting all those places that I so easily forget about.

Of course, I made a few small, necessary purchases to complete the look. I picked up the two pillar candles for my mantle from my favorite new local shop, Enid. And we replaced our smelly old jute rug with this new one from Ikea. I had some art framed, and got one new piece - the Gazelle print - from Enid as well. My favorite part, though, is this steal: The $5 a piece Hospice-thrifted metal tables. I have to give credit to my awesomely handy brother, Chris, for making me their new poplar tops. And to Sean, for doing my intended dirty work - grinding down the green paint and coating them with sealer. Ten dollars for two beautiful tables can't really be beat. But I wouldn't dare underestimate the value of a husbandly honey-do and a big-brother favor. (Thanks, guys.)