Fancy That!

Ok everyone, hold on to your hats because we are going to start something big!  I'm really excited about this and have been thinking about it for MONTHS! And I'm now at the point where I can start putting a few ideas into action.

Here's the deal - I've fallen head over heals with the wild world of decorating and organizing over the past few years and have been drooling my way through stores and gushing over blogland home makeovers in my (limited) free time. I use my lunch hours to walk (longingly) through stores like Home Goods and Target (it's sort of my therapy), just to see all the fun products out there and be inspired. And I'm also craving some new ways to be creative in my life and being a little more organized would just be an added bonus. So over the next few months {okay, let's be realistic - years} I'm making an actual goal to take on one project at a time for a little reorganizing, decorating and makeover. And I plan to document the whole process right here (so hold me to it!).  It could be big changes in one room, down to simply changing the way we hang towels in another. Either way, my goal is to have a home that I love - every part of it.

And, btw, I'm on a bit of a budget... okay a hUge budget... or do you say small budget...? Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that I won't be putting a lot of moolah into these projects (or none at all) so I'll be scouring the web for diy projects and corners to cut.  If you have any budget friendly tips, send them my way. I'd love to hear you!

I also have a few things that I want to keep in the front of my mind through this process so I made up this little list of Matia's Design Rules.

1.} One of my mom's favorite sayings:

 This can be anything from decor (my collection of vases) or furniture (my ugly, squeaky, OLD, perfectly broken in recliner rocking chair) to people (my family enjoying a sunny afternoon on the patio).  My goal is to keep love at the forefront of each of my projects. If it is not bringing a smile to my face or bring something I love, like family or hobbies closer into my life, then I need to rethink what I'm doing.

2.}William Morris sums it up best with this quote:  

I must learn to live by this. My new mantra. So it's time for me to start digging through closets and drawers. Our place is by no means small especially in city terms, however we have managed to pack every crevice. There is so much stuff just stuffed into places, only because there is nowhere else for it to go. With this said, it is time to purge, purge, purge! We have SO much excess in our house, it just makes me crazy. Jake once said, "Do you have something against floor space?" when I decided to keep yet another dresser. Now, I'm still ok with the number of dressers that we have, however I need to make sure that what they are storing is there for a reason. My hope is to have a yard sale to try to make a little $ off of the deal, but I might just end up dumping everything at goodwill. Garage sales take a lot of time and right now I'm a little short on that.

3.  The old

We've all heard this one before (and if you haven't, where have you been?!) My meaning behind this one is that there will be some things left in my home that I love that are neither useful nor beautiful and I may not love it to the point I want to "surround myself" with it or display it in it's current state. What I'm talking about is sentimental stuff and memorabilia from days past.  This is a two part rule. For some of it, I want to make sure that things are boxed up in a way that honors the memories they hold. This doesn't mean a gilded box or tied with a bow. It just means properly packed away in a safe place. The other part of the rule is digging through some of the old stuff and seeing if I can in fact display it some how. Maybe its framing favorite photos or re-purposing something. After all, if it's something I love, maybe it can be reflected in my home, tying back to rule number 1. 

4. Enjoy the process.

This whole project is really something that I am looking forward to. I'm a sucker for projects so its not even the end result that I'm really excited about. It's all of the little projects along the way. Where I usually get stuck is getting myself motivated for the not-so-fun ones (hello closet under the stairs).  I love decorating and, you wouldn't know it by looking at the current state of my house, but I really enjoy organizing (or at least its result). I'm so excited to see each room unfold. 

5. And my biggest hurdle: Time *sigh* with a quote from Leonardo DiVinci (someone I could probably learn a thing or two from.):

Well, yes, Leo. That is a really good way of saying it. I need to use what time I have available for this project and use it wisely, at that. Being a working, commuting mom, my "free" time is deeeefinitely limited, so I will have to push myself on this one. I also have to make sure I don't let things in my normal everyday life slide. Family is always top priority for me, but when it comes to things like cleaning, I (whoops, let me just scoop that dust ball up off my keyboard) tend to let the ball drop. That is until company comes and we have to do a mad dash. Or things that I have completely abandoned all together, like groceries. Thankfully Jake has picked up the slack on that one out of fear of starvation.  (I don't know what happened - after having a baby my mind turned to soup and has spilled out of my ears and grocery stores have become my worst enemy. I can spend hours in them and leave with only 1.5 meals worth of food. And that's with a full list in hand! I really don't know what happens to me. It's like I black out as soon as I enter those sliding glass doors.) Anywho, I will have to use my time wisely. 

So that's it! That's my project! Wish me luck and stay tuned!  
(Can you tell I'm excited?)


How about you? Any big goals that you're working towards? What motivates you and keeps you on track?