And... I often am overwhelmed by my house.
We built this house last summer when Bryan's job transferred him from my hometown of
New Orleans, Louisiana to the Woodlands, Texas.
It was fun building a house. Picking out all the flooring, the fixtures, the carpet, cabinets...
But when you walk in after it is finally built... it's all one giant blank canvas waiting for you to fill it with your memories, your likes and your messes.
This is a heck of a lot of house to fill with memories people. I constantly feel like I am not really doing anything to this giant blank canvas and feel like nothing gets finished...
Yet, as we approach our One year Anniversary in this house I took the time to sit down and actually count all the things that Bryan and I (and sometimes Elliot and Ethan) have done to add character and life to this brick and mortar.
97
I've done 97 things to this house from sewing over 13 curtain panels, painting 14 walls, building shelves, hanging pictures, adding furniture, forts, drawer pulls, ect...
I have apparently not been sitting on my laurels over here. It just obviously takes time to make a house look complete.
I remember once visiting my dear friend Paula, who use to be a Pastor's wife at my old church until a huge church in Alabama stole her and her hubby away. She was gushing about how she finally had found the perfect picture to complete her living room. I'd kind of looked at her like she had lost her mind... she'd been living in that house for like seven years.
But keeping a house... it's not a sprint people. It's a marathon and with Pinterest... just make it an Iron Man cause there are a zillion ideas out there for you just begging to be done to your walls.
Now instead of sharing all the things I've done to this house I'm going to take a minute and point out the Four things I've done in our home that my loving and patient husband Bryan wishes...
I hadn't.
1.
A month into our new home I took on a project that I refer to as, "The Chalkboard Nemesis" It was a beast... it was seven feet long and four feet wide and had a chalkboard, a magnetic board and a write board. I felt like I was going to get some serious mommy props with this bad boy. All I got was four months of annoyance and we finally hung that sucker up last month after it sat against the wall for five months. (That's 9 months for those who are counting from start to finish for that monkey to make it to the wall)
Bryan had paid extra for a stunning concrete back porch to our home with beautiful fans in hopes I'd spend some quality time out there with him. He did not foresee me hijacking his relaxing spot as my workplace. Again have to love a man who loves you so much that he lets you willingly destroy his
man spaces.
Below is my very real and very messy (as it always is) work space. That dresser is full of spray paint, sanders, paint brushes, all kinds of stuff...
While I was doing my chalkboard nemesis my then 22 month old Toddler had just begun his "helpful" stage. He was trying to "help" me paint and picked up my chalkboard paint can and proceeded to dump half of it on the brand new month old concrete porch. Yep.
As if that wasn't bad enough I ended up dripping write board paint on the OTHER side of the porch. Got that puppy from both sides in one day... Fail.
2.
Anything with Spray paint. My love of spray paint has finally waned on my husband. He grows tired of the phrase, "Isn't it beautiful? Wait till I spray paint
it!"I think in the beginning he found my spray painting amusing. He sucked in a deep breath and ignored how I got the dust everywhere and often he would applaud my efforts.
I think it all went downhill when I spray painted his only family heirloom from his grandfather that he had gotten. Ok... ok... it sounds bad.
It was totally bad.
Granted the piece is stunning and awesome but he was so sad that I had done it and more sad that I apparently "forgot" he had told me it was his grandfathers that... well... he didn't even look at it for a good month. He forgave me the night I told him but let's just say there is always a phone call made before I spray paint anything from now on.
3.
A misunderstanding about Stripes.Thankfully, Bryan likes stripes. Seriously... good for him or he'd be getting nauseous every time he saw me cause I love me some stripes. I had been voicing the idea of painting a Striped accent wall on our stairs. He immediately said no. A week or so later we went to a friend's house and she had a striped accent wall. I gushed how stunning it was and he still said, "No."
I couldn't fathom why he kept saying no... this was a brilliant idea. At this point I should have asked him why he was saying no and I'd have quickly found out he wasn't against horizontal stripes (as I wanted) he was against vertical stripes which he swears I told him I wanted. Oh...
Yea, I didn't ask him. I just painted it one day while he was at work and hoped for the best.
I do that a lot to that poor awesome sexy man... Please don't do that to yours.
It is not a nice thing to do.
Thankfully... it was pretty stunning and though stunned the first day... he has grown to like it and says it's one of the best walls in the house.
Win.
4.
The Aqua Door.
I had gotten permission for this one over a year ago from Bryan. I had a Pinterest picture, I showed it to him and he said, "Sure." I bought the paint two months ago and randomly instead of mopping the kitchen floor one night I decided to paint the back door this stunning shade of Aqua to match my kitchen curtains.
I did a fantastic job painting that door... I mean I'm still shocked at myself. I don't even know how I did it... it had to have been God's kindness cause that door looks great.
When Bryan walked in the house after his business trip at first he didn't notice it. Which, for an engineer not to notice something... he must have been tired. When I pointed it out he just stared at it in stunned silence for a few minutes. (Not a good sign) I watched him suck in a deep breath, plant a kiss on my forehead and sigh, "Great job painting the door baby," and than walk away.
He still hates that door.
His symmetrical nature finds it offensive. There should not be a blue door in the middle of a gray and red house. I find it whimsical. He finds it out of place. At least he still says it's one of the best paint jobs I've ever done...
I'd say 4 out of 97 is pretty darn good! For two polar opposites... me a crazy extrovert and he a calm introvert to have so much in common even in decorating?
God must have had a great time making us for one another. ;)
I really like Texas. It's been a lot of fun. I hope the next year is filled with a little less stress about this house and a lot more messes, fun and maybe just one or two more things Bryan will wish I hadn't done but in the end he may just go, "Aw why the heck not."
God bless and Much Love,
Jessica
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