Reading through my favorite design blogs can create a sense of inferiority in even the most talented and ambitious homesteader. My online peers seem to be the most design-savvy, motivated and ingenious folks in the world--they have the prettiest homes, eat the most delicious food, wear the best outfits, and manage to blog about it regularly on their super stylish blog! But it's time to get real for a minute.
For purposes of this post, I'm going to make a declarative sentence that I actually can't prove, but that I'm pretty sure is true. No one has it completely together!
I was reading one of my favorite one of the aforementioned blogs, Young House Love, and gained the utmost respect for Sherry, the writer. In one of her latest posts, The Real $herdog, she elaborates on all of the ways in which her life is actually real, in spite of the glossy finish that is cast upon it within the framework of her blog. She feels that "a blog that's only about the good kind of feels like it's only telling half of the story" and continues to talk about some of the tribulations that regular old folks face that tend to get eschewed by bloggers. I love this.
Designing your home can be a huge task. Tackling DIY projects can take a lot of time and be very messy. Lives tend not to allow for constant perfection, and the world can take over. I think these are all things to remember as we strive to achieve happiness with ourselves and our spaces.
Inspired by Sherry's open and authentic perspective, I'm taking a moment to get real and remind myself that:
- I cannot do all of the projects.
- Imperfection makes way for personality and character.
- At the end of the day, it's how my home makes me feel that truly matters!
- Creating a messes along the way is proof that I'm alive and active doing things.
- Sometimes closing the door is just as good as cleaning!
- My relationship with my fiance is more important than how much I detest wall hanging that he loves and insists upon.
- I'll get to it later! Really!
Go check out her full article---it's great. She's a real person with a real family and a real pretty house. But she's also got that messy playroom that doesn't make it on to the blog with all of her DIY triumphs and remodeling successes. And for that, I love Shelly and her blog even more.
What are your favorite bits of advice for maintaining sanity in your decor aspirations?
(Images: Young House Love)
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Are all of these photos taken from different angles? Photo 1 has no windows, Photo 2 shows 2 windows (on adjacent walls). The photo that shows the room during the renovation has an abundance of windows, what happened to them??
"From This" "To This"? Those are two different rooms in completely different houses?
This is the classic example of why we never get around to touching up that odd square that still needs to be painted after we've replaced our old thermostat. It's WORK. If we don't get tired of it we get distracted. It amuses me that the eight-week home cure takes eight weeks, but it's absolutely true - at a minimum.
"Imperfection makes way for personality and character" -- that's a very good thing to remember!
You know, the first pic is from their first house, the second is from their second.
I agree with the message of your post, but the before photo ('from this') and the after photo('to this') are from two separate homes that they own(ed). I read their blog once in a while, and the before is from their first home, the after is their current home.
Yay. Needed that today.
I think the first photo is supposed to show how their design has evolved. It is not a before and after photo. The purpose to the post is to show that everyone begins somewhere and isn't always "perfect" all the time.
*the purpose *of* the post
Sorry to be one more correction, but your final sentence calls her Shelly instead of Sherry.
By the way, her name is SheRRy--not SheLLy, as stated in the last paragraph. If this is a favorite blog of yours, please respect the author and get her name right.
Young House Love is one of my favourite design blogs, and I loved this post. I just bought a new house and am still in the process of unpacking, organizing, and painting. I have to stop myself from getting discouraged and wanting everything to be perfect NOW. It's so refreshing to see that no one's perfect and good design does take time.
For anyone who is confused:
The first image is the "in progress" shot of their old house. See the entire project with the real after here: http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/08/email-answer-look-before-you-leap/
The second pic is the "after" from their current home. Although, if you ask them it is still in progress. Here is the full house tour: http://www.younghouselove.com/photo-gallery-2/
To be sure, both afters are beautiful and you should check them out but the REAL contrast is between what their rooms looked like BEFORE- a whole lot of wood paneling!
Bummer. There is nothing really wrong with photo #1 but I would love to see how it could be 'spruced up'.
I actually registered so that I may comment. I am an avid follower of Sherry and John. I read their blog twice a day. Her name is Sherry not Shelly and those first two photos are of two different houses. However kudos for mentioning them, because they are real on their blog and make you feel like a friend even if you've never met them. John also put up an entry on the Real J-Boom. http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/01/the-real-j-boom/ It's a great read. Check it out!
For me, the little touch-ups and finishing projects are the hardest to complete. I get myself so mentally prepared for the big stuff that when it's done, I lose steam. Plus once the big is done, I get very rushed to put furniture back that all of the tools and things are put elsewhere making that last little bit ever more tough to go back to!
Well, I read Young House Love regularly and can say that the messy playroom shots are often shared ... usually in conjunction with a big reveal ... like their guest bedroom where they showed the messy playroom in a different state of disarray to show where things go that aren't being used ... Just as in their old house they would share a shot of the mess in the basement to make us all feel better LOL. They are brutally honest about what isn't perfect in their house most of the time!
I read YHL every day. They are so great! Very cool to see you post about them on here! Great post!
**Apologies for the typo at the end of the post---I clearly mistyped her name, and meant no disrespect to Sherry---I'm an avid reader and respect her point of view wholeheartedly. As for the photos, I ought to have indicated more clearly that they were not intended to be before and after photos, but rather images of the evolution of her style.
I hope that folks enjoyed the point of the post in spite of any confusion!
Jessica
I needed this today... I reorganized my storage space, and now my living room is in shambles. Rather than sitting her procrastinating because I feel overwhelmed about finishing today, I'm going to pile things neatly for a stopping point and go have a nice dinner.
My relationship with my fiance is more important than how much I detest wall hanging that he loves and insists upon.
This is something I have to remind myself all the time! Because no matter how much I hate that one picture he refuses to take down, I have to remember that our relationship (and the fact that I am pretty much allowed to hang up anything of my own anywhere else) is worth it.
Perfection doesn't exist in the world, it exists in the mind -- and there, often as a disease. The best is the enemy of the good.