August 21, 2013

(Jumbled living room after moving home from camp. So. Much. Stuff.)

I feel like we are the last people in the world to start school. 
(Yay! Can you imagine a better way to be the last at something?) The first day of school isn't until September 3rd, but Grant will have some teachery stuff going on before that, meetings and classroom prep... but still. Plenty of time. The vacation lives on at our house! and these are officially the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.
"lazy": sleeping until or past 8 am everyday, which I've realized is nice but it makes the day go by way too fast.
 "hazy": our attic bedroom without any air conditioning or a ceiling fan.
 "crazy": is getting settled back into our house and trying to fit everything in that somehow fit in it last May.
I've spent the past few days getting used to all the niceties of being back in our own home. You guys! There's so much to be thankful for! It's your home and even if there are a hundred things you think you'd like to change, it really suits you. It smells good. It feels good.

The first time I walk in our house after getting home from camp I like to patrol around, studying. I always realize how tiny it is, how the floor creaks cheerfully, how it smells like old wood and still, dusty air. I go into the bathrooms and notice the lighting right away- it's so great, so familiar, and the toilet and counter are just the right height, and the faucet and shower feel like my old friends. The first time we sit on our couch we sink into the leather, rest our heads back and enjoy how deep and comfy it is. The first time we lay on our mattress we remember why we picked it, it's the perfect softness. The cereal bowls are the ideal depth, the drinking glasses aren't too thick, the spoons and forks are hefty, shiny-smooth, and well-known in your hands. Making dinner in your own kitchen feels like riding a bike and doing dishes doesn't seem so run-of-the-mill. And remember the basement? The buttons on your washer and dryer? The way the living room looks at night by lamplight? They're all so nice!!!

Enjoy your house today. It's your home. You have to admit- you really do love it.
Thank you, Lord, for making everything familiar feel so good.


At my own kitchen sink, with my homecoming flowers, looking out at the backyard. I forget how our tree has such nice leaves.. most of the school year I don't get to see them! 

Hey, look! We finally got a bed frame to put our mattress in!! YAY! We decided on the Nyvoll frame from Ikea in light gray. Grant put it together last night and after sleeping on the floor for over a year, it was amazing to sleep "so close to the ceiling," in the words of Grant. :) I love it. The part that I'm not loving is that our super cool, attic/loft, slanted walls bedroom is so terribly bare. I just haven't known what to do with it or even where to begin. If you guys have some good ideas, please feel free to share. Pinterest links are welcome.

11 comments:

Laura Railing said...

What about simply texturing it or doing a design? I saw a cool design with circles made from a tp roll. You could paint a big script font quote and do a few decals or design spots around it.

Mariel said...

We love our home too! Yours seems so nice :)

I used this product (http://www.lowes.com/pd_350745-37364-10-103_0__?productId=3379098&Ntt=beadboard+wallpaper&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dbeadboard%2Bwallpaper&facetInfo=) on our kitchen island and I love it! It's easy to put up and paint, adds a lot of character and looks like the real deal. Could look cute in your cozy room. Happy decorating (and dreaming)!

Laura Railing said...

Here are a couple cool pinterest ideas too though ;-) http://pinterest.com/pin/8936899230744509/
http://pinterest.com/pin/63894888433086215/
http://pinterest.com/pin/122723158565510407/
http://pinterest.com/pin/101331060339374059/
or there's always a canopy & twinkle lights ;-) http://pinterest.com/pin/543880092469503943/

Laura Railing said...

P.s. Thank you for the reminder about appreciating where we live. We just live in a rental and there are so many things I would love to change (or change the situation, like buying our own house) but if I think about it, there really are so many things I appreciate about where we live.

Hannah said...

"Enjoy your house today. It's your home. You have to admit- you really do love it."
I love this! Just the other day I was thinking about the simple things I enjoy that I sometimes forget about, like the lamp in the corner or a mason jar filled with rocks and a candle. It's easy to forget about the simple things that make us happy in a world that tells us we always need more. Thankfulness and gratitude are so refreshing.

A Wife and her Carpenter said...

Our bedroom is like yours. Definitely presents a design challenge. Check out my master bedroom pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/elizabethwrena/master-bedroom/

I haven't attempted any of the wood-on-the-walls techniques, but i think it looks amazing.

Welcome home Summer--so enjoyed this post.

Megan @ Chicago Girl said...

I love your room. I just re did my apt. You can see below:
http://chicagogirlaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2013/08/all-settled.html

I got some great prints on sale at www.photobarn.com, and got my "priceless" art works at Michaels when they had a framing sale. I found out that when you don't get museum glass in your priceless photos or prints, they fade-quickly!

Best of luck with the decorating!

Amanda said...

Beautiful post, Summer!

The Minnesotan with the German-Irish Name said...

Oooh, I've always wanted a bedroom with sloped walls like that! I would get curtain wire and string it along the peak of the room and where the slope meets the vertical walls. Then you can get long lengths of fabric and drape it along the walls so it looks like a tent.

Laura Murphy said...

For some reason this post made me teary. I just love your gratitude.
And...nothing wrong with bare walls. They look peaceful. But if you put anything on your walls, make it count for storage. Barn wood peg boards, vintage crates, anything that will help you stay organized. Junk Bonanza is coming up, they always have cool stuff there.

Christina said...

Our first day of school is the third too. I'm desperately trying to savour these last bits of our last summer before having school kids. SO much to do, so little time before we're on to new grand adventures. :)

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about this blog

Hello, I'm Summer. A people-loving introvert whose hope and life is in Jesus. His promises are my passion and my ministry is homelife. This blog is a place for me to write about everyday things. Especially food. My favorite thing to do is sit around a table, lingering over a long meal with good conversation. I live with my husband and our 2 littles. We like blizzards, thrifting, grammar, guacamole, cheerful hearts, nice manners, good movies, and making simple, real, nutrient-dense food.

"If Christ be anything, He must be everything."
-C.H. Spurgeon

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