November 22, 2013

fess up friday - the makeriesta

Happy Fess Up Friday y'all! Today I've got my friend Gwen from The Makeriesta over to share. Gwen is a fellow Missouri girl, which already makes her awesome. But on top of that, her design skills are out of this world, she can create a party wonderland overnight and she is single handedly going to turn my hair into an enviable mane of glory. Yes, she is just that good. Welcome Gwen!


I've had something on my mind for a bit now, and when Elizabeth asked me about fessing up I knew exactly what I wanted to get off my chest.

If you've ever ventured over to my blog, you've probably seen pictures like this.

Our living area is my favorite space in the house.  It definitely reflects my personal taste, and I enjoy spending time in it.







































When our second child, a girl, was born the nursery was transformed into a more feminine space.



And my son got a big boy bed in our old office.  The office had to find a new home, and there was really only one place for it to fit.  My husband finished the basement right after we got married.  He claimed the space as his and I really didn't mind.  It gave him some personal space and me the freedom to do just about whatever the heck I wanted with the upstairs.  We had an understanding: the upstairs was my domain, the downstairs was his.

But the more kids we add, the less basement he has to claim.  Our office area moved to the corner and Micah gave up his pool table to make room for a craft table he built me for my birthday a few years ago - really nice, I know.



You see, open shelving sounds like a good idea, until you have a 1 year old who likes to pull out and rearrange EVERYTHING.



Cue the bad, florescent lighting.  The basement is full of Micah's bachelor essentials: the microfiber sectional that dog hair clings to, the leg lamp, the mini fridge full of beer (perfect size for your children to grab you a cold one) and way too many gaming systems and accessories.  Not to mention the art…Marilyn and Bob Marley.



The kid's toys are certainly not doing the space any favors.  This is where the less attractive ones go to die.  I talked in this post about what I prefer toys to look like, but you can't help what kids want and what others buy for your children.  The reason they're everywhere?  Most nights my husband takes them for a bit so I can have some time to get things done, and they are little tornadoes down there. Oh, and Micah's CDs?  A tower of history that my daughter, Milly, loves to rummage through.
  






































And this is where the magic happens.  Looks magical doesn't it?  I curl up in that Mizzou Snuggie until the wee hours of the night writing and editing and brainstorming.  I never spent too much time down here before I started blogging.  It was a place to pay bills and sync my phone.  Now I spend more time here than upstairs most days, and it's not very inspiring.

We do plan to make some changes soon.  First on the list is turning the storage area under the stairs into a kids space to lessen the clutter and hopefully keep them out of our things a bit more.  I'd also love to give the desk space some of my personality (clearly it's lacking any at this point).  Micah doesn't really want me touching what little he has left, but he's a stylish guy who I believe deserves a much better looking room to relax at the end of the day. 

Phew.  I feel better now.  I guess I wanted to share this today to show that just because some of my rooms look nice and put together, that's not a reflection of my home as a whole.  Making your home "you" is a process and something that can't be rushed. 

Thanks for the free therapy, Elizabeth!

You aren't alone Gwen. We all have 'that space' in our home, right?!

21 comments:

  1. So true, a total process. One that will never really be complete. Good luck with the basement.

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  2. I love mess up Friday, I mean fess up Friday. I have teenagers and a four year-old so messes are part of my world. Thanks for being brave and showing us yours.

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  3. Love Gwen and now I love her even more! That is totally what our basement looks like and is what I
    look at when I do my projects...one of these days, I am sure we will long for the toy filled messes once again...at least that is what I keep telling myself in order to stay sane. lol! And the Christmas Story Leg Lamp...hilarious! lol!

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  4. Oh, we've all got those spaces. Our basement has similar issues. A drop ceiling that I'm not sure can ever be changed due to all our pipes, etc. running under the main floor. My husband's domain is down there too and it's the room of leftover furniture. Kind of like the land of misfit toys. Oh well. Glad to know I'm not alone!

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  5. hahaha those pictures were so great! I've seen her house before and have always drooled over the gorgeous photos. It is nice to see that even she has a shameful spot in her house just like the rest of us! :) The upstairs totally makes up for it though- it is definitely magazine worthy!!

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  6. Yes...we all have those spaces! I am currently involved in an ever so slow transformation of "that" space in my own home.

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  7. I've realized that it's great when my house is clean and organized, but 95% of the time it's chaos! Glad to know others have issues too!

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  8. Well the upstairs is amazing! I'm sure you will have the downstairs up to par in no time. We have all the cray area where no one is supposed to go....off limits...where we keep the mess. Can't wait to see the make-over.

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  9. Such a beautiful home, I cannot wait to see the basement transformation!! I love these posts, because they always make me feel better about myself... we all have our messes! :)

    XOXO,
    The Glam Pad

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  10. Oh my gosh, I love this! I have many, many armpit spaces that are hiding from the blog right now :)

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  11. I mean, her upstairs is just so completely and utterly swoon worthy that the downstairs just makes her HUMAN so she gets extra points for her confession - and when I saw that leg lamp (Christmas Story is on our MUST WATCH EVERY YEAR list), I decided I loved her. And yes, this is basically what our 3rd bedroom looks like!! ;) Off to stalk her blog now! xxx

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  12. Is it odd that I kinda-sorta like the leg lamp?

    Any man who trades in a pool table for a craft table is a keeper. LOVE your orangierie fabric pillow!

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  13. It's just refreshing to know that other people's houses are just as chaotic as mine. Haha.

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  14. Oh boy! I know my husband wants a space like this in our future house. When we were in our loft our second bedroom was his man cave, and i never wrote a word about that space on my blog. It is comforting that we all have spaces like this, even if we wish we didn't!

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  15. Haha! Love it ! Oh how once you photograph something, it will never look like that again! That's why I photograph...to know it did actually at one time look FANTASTIC!

    I feel you, friend!

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  16. at last i found someone who can post about reality !! Thats really refreshing :)

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  17. Love this!!! You have great taste- your little boys room is adorable!! Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for stopping by! xx d&m

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  18. Ha, this made me laugh. Everyone I know with kids under 3 has a room like this with crayons all over the carpet, so honestly it's nice to see that you are human--but I look forward to seeing your transformation :)

    xo Mary Jo

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  19. oh man! Gwen, this is the exact reason why I never photograph my basement. It's like Monica's icky closet from FRIENDS. xo Kristin

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  20. I just found your blog, and I'm subscribing right now just for the awesome (keeping it real) post! Your home is beautiful!

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