Hello and happy Friday all! Isn't Friday your favorite day of the week? I know…
Being Content with the In Between
Even though it’s been more than a year since we moved into our first {and current home} we still have new people come over to our house every once in a while. So we give them the tour, take them upstairs, downstairs and everywhere in between so they can see our new place. And I love this. I love having a home to fill with loved ones.
What I often always find myself doing is making some kind of excuse when people see a room that I don’t believe is perfect or organized, or clean or “done”. Which totals up to be just about every room in our place.
“Oh I’m planning to hang up curtains in here,” “Don’t pay attention to that, we’re painting it next week, ” “This office is a mess! Sorry.” These are phrases that not only go through my head but out through my lips for everyone to hear my excuses about our home.
When the truth is I shouldn’t be making excuses at all. I’m learning to be content with “the in between.” And the reality is, they barely notice.
This past weekend we had an impromptu party at our house Saturday evening. Friends of ours were moving out of town and after everyone helped load the truck the group came to our place to eat and socialize. Did we plan for this? No. Did we have snacks? Barely. Did I worry? Not for a second.
Should I be embarrassed that my porch is half stripped of paint and looks like this?
Did I worry that my dining room has this in the middle of it?
No. I’m getting comfortable with the in between. What I have to do is stop making excuses and enjoy the journey that is the creation of our home. Without caring that there’s a laundry basket in the master bedroom. Oh the horror – we wash clothes!
But these spaces are lived in, redecorated, wallpapered, sometimes messy and I love it all. You know what they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day right?
Are you content with the in between?
I do the same thing when friends or family come over. I always feel the need to explain I’m not finished with this room or I still need to paint that. Most of the time I’m okay with the in between, but right now it’s the ever changing with me. I can’t seem to stick to one design or I keep pulling things from other rooms that otherwise would complete the room. I’m not sure if my home will ever be completed to my satisfaction. But my visitors seem to see the complete even when I don’t. I enjoyed reading your post.
Ahhhh, yes. I do know how that goes. Every time my dad comes over, we always talk about what project is next on my list or what’s missing and such, but the funny thing is that he doesn’t even notices most of the things until I point them out! Haha, I’m sure that’s what most people do at yours as well. 🙂 Not everything has to be perfect right away, people like to know that your house is lived in, not just a museum that they can’t touch anything. <3
Much Love,
Trissta
http://www.livingonthechic.com
Thanks for posting this. I tend to make excuses when guests come over. I’m not exactly happy that rooms aren’t complete or where I want them to be but I have to realize also that my home is a work in progress.
I think we need to become more comfortable with the in between in all aspects of our life. In other words, live in the moment and don’t focus so much attention on the future or the past. The cabinet in the dining room is beautiful!
I get all sorts of twitchy when projects are in their in between phase, but I’ve learned to live with it over the years because the fact of the matter is, it takes us forever to get even one thing done.
The other thing I’ve found is that when we have people over, if anyone compliments something about our house, I find a way to talk about how it’s not perfect. As I’m doing it I get so mad at myself but it’s just a hard habit.