The Nesting Place... {Good Reads}

This handyman is so good --

-- he knows the exact route to my heart.. a good design book on Christmas morning. Which then occupies my time for the next hour, while this family buzzes around playing with their new gadgets.

The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith has met me exactly where I am. Stuck.

We are planning to move. Surprise! We began to entertain the idea in the summer when a home came up for sale in an incredible location with a spacious interior.. dare I even say it? Possibly a dream house? But we weren't in the market at the time, I just happened to stumble upon the house listing. And before we could even get our ducks in a row, it sold. I wasn't surprised, just so disappointed. 

I began to feel restless where we are, and so we decided to get into the market to see if there was something out there waiting for our family of four. We got our agent lined up, headed to the bank for approval, and went to open houses.. but nothing. Crickets. I hadn't anticipated how little would interest us. 

Which takes me back to being stuck. I've been holding off on doing anything to our home because I'm waiting... waiting for a fresh decorating start, waiting for more room to work with, and waiting for a home with less flaws. I've been discontent with where we are.. and missing all the beauty. 

Myquillyn, you are teaching me a lesson, girl. 

"Have you given up on the idea that you can love your home? Do you find yourself thinking that your next house will be the one you love? Do you put off decorating projects until 'someday' because someday you'll have the time and money to do it 'right'? And yet do you long to create a beautiful home for more than beauty's sake?" (The Nesting Place)

Yes, yes, yes, and yes ! You ?

I've been holding off doing anything to my home (except for our second bathroom, which is more in the handyman's court right now), because I'm waiting for something better to come along. I've been unhappy with our paint colors, tired of the all the brown in the living room, sucking up design decisions from a few years ago because I haven't given myself permission to make mistakes and try again. I just live with it, and then I stop loving our home. Forget beauty.  

So here's what I would like to do (and I've already started) : 

- Love the wear and tear on my home.. see it as a reflection as a happy family continually "breaking in" our home so that it's entirely comfortable, a place to rest, have conversation, and love on each other. Allow sticky fingers and dented walls because we're living and we can't do it without leaving a trail. 

- Make design choices, take risk, dip into the home budget (rather than freeze it).. and if it doesn't quite work, tweak it (within reason) until it works well for the family. But here's the thing.. it doesn't need to be perfect. 

... because (hang on to the edge of your chair..) we might be here for awhile. 

Friends : I'm just barely into "The Nesting Place" but I'm already inspired, and I just had to spill what was on my mind. I've even made a recent design choice (shock!), and in all it's imperfectness I plan to share it with you soon.