Well I guess it’s time to return to normal life. After a long week of moving out, traveling, and moving in, we are finally settling in and life is gaining back some sense of normalcy. Yesterday was the first time in a couple of weeks that I washed and folded laundry and it almost felt foreign to me (not that I’m complaining about two weeks without laundry).
Last week was stressful to say the least. Moving is totally different when you have kids; more furniture, more clothes, more planning when it comes to long-distance travel. I look back at the times when my husband and I moved before we had children and laugh. We practically did it ourselves and I think I actually complained about how much stuff we had. Ha. Wait until you fill a 26′ trailer with all your crap (especially when you are CERTAIN that you won’t even fill it halfway because, honestly, you really don’t have that much stuff).
So now that we’ve got some boxes unpacked – which happens quickly for me because I am completely neurotic about messes and clutter, I’ve got some design challenges to overcome.
Design Challenge #1
How to arrange the living room.
I think we’ve figured this out for the time being, but it needs some finishing touches. Because of how the living room is situated and the fact that we have a 9′ couch with a chaise, it was hard to figure out how to configure the living room. We put the TV in the only place that seemed logical, but our couch is off to the side (against the only wall it would fit on). I’m used to sitting right across from the TV, and it feels a bit awkward not to center the seating around it (which is kind of sad, I suppose!). To overcome the challenge, I decided to put our rug right in front of the TV and create a little comfy sitting area for the kids (and adults, I suppose). The cushions need some work, but it’s a start.
I also plan on redoing a wooden chair I have like in this post and placing it somewhere across from the TV/in front of the fireplace.
Design Challenge #2
Set up & kid-proofing the patio.
I’m pretty stoked about our patio, but it definitely needs work. That big metal thing you see under the window is a grate. Below it is a hole in the ground lined with aluminum that leads to a sunken window in the basement. Honestly, it’s nice to have some natural light in the basement, but the grate is a hazard. The slats are spaced wide and we need to cover it with something closer together so Lincoln doesn’t get his little foot stuck. Once we fix that, we’ll get the sandbox set up in the wood chip area and the kid’s plastic slide set on the patio.
In the opposite corner of the patio, right under the tree, I plan on putting a table and chairs. This spot is nicely shaded and I want to create an awesome little spot with a canopy (sort of like in this post), lights, and lanterns. It’s gonna rule, just trust me.
Design Challenge #3
Decorate the mantle.
That track lighting is distracting and sort of awkward, but since it’s a rental, we’ll have to roll with it…
I am SUPER excited to have a fireplace and a mantle. All my Pinterest dreams can now become reality with each changing season! (yes, I am aware of how nerdy that sounded) I think I will put my big vintage windowpane up there, but other than that, I have no clue. I have tons of art that I have to figure out where to put, and everything is a blank canvas! Of course my biggest issue is that I LOVE to hang things on the walls, but our landlord isn’t too stoked about holes. It could get tricky… but I’m thinking about lots of 3M command hangers and poster putty to hang things without frames. I’m crafty, I’ll figure it out.
Design Challenge #4
Cover up these plaques over the kitchen sink.
They aren’t hideous, but they also aren’t my style. I think they owner put them there and they DO NOT come off (trust me, I tried). I swear they are either glued or screwed into the tile, which is weird. I am thinking of finding a canvas that will be large enough to fit over them and can literally sit right on top of them. It was all I could think of since it has a hollowed inside. It’s not the greatest place for a canvas since it will most likely get splashed… any suggestions?
I am liking how the bookshelves are coming along. I’m in love with books as decor, so it’s been fun to work at arranging them.
I also got inspired by the latest IKEA catalog and saw how they stuffed old books in the bottom of this red HELMES side table. I’ve owned it for several years and had lost interest in it. Then I got the genius idea at 6:30 this morning to use it as our record player holder and stick it right in between our mismatched shelving units. Boom. I love how it turned out.
Phew. So I’ve got a lot to figure out in the months to come. But you know me, I’m like a freaking kid in a candy store.
Stay tuned for details and photos! And thanks for putting up with all my posts about the move…