CREATING A PARADISE EVERYWHERE WE GO
“Paradise isn’t a place. It’s a feeling. ”
Lately I’ve been in a funk about idle things that I’ve been taking way too serious lately – i.e. frustrated that I don’t have a decent size closet space in my new guest bedroom/office to hide my clothes or the fact that I purchased two metal Hyllis shelf unites from IKEA and couldn’t figure out how to get the screws to match the tiny holes to later realize assembling required a power drill. Oh and did I mention the stress from my summer occupation due to the lack of organization? Having to rush moving into my new home and getting somewhat settled to comfortably entertain family visiting from out of town – both mine and my boyfriend’s… Yeah… petty right? All these blessings and nothing to fret about but yep, me successfully sabotaging my spirit, I manage to allow myself to get worked up over the minor details. When it comes to my home decor, I get really obsessive over what I want until I get it and it's hard for me to shut p about it. When you move, all movers know you get what you can afford slowly. Me? No, I want everything in all at once like I'm in a HGTV show. I honestly have more patience with people than I do in regards to creating and decorating my space.
I’ve been trying to take notes and study my boyfriend during the moving process. He’s always so calm and nonchalant Not only is he that way in regards to moving, he’s that way with every obstacle he encounters. Here’s what I noted thus far (idle details) which gave me an epiphany.
1. COMMUTE
When I commute anywhere, I ALWAYS attempt to take the “quickest” way or the way I’m most familiar with. Usually and almost always this results to getting stuck in crazy traffic on the highway, construction, and on the road with everyone in a shitty mood because they’re running late to work and somehow me only doing 65-70 miles per hour when the limit is 50 is my fault for them being in a time crunch.
Sorry not sorry I don't want to do 80 mph \_('-')_/...
When Kyle commutes, he takes the route that’s the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye, even if that makes for a longer drive. If there’s a bridge over a lake or river, that’s his go to. A suburban area where people are riding their bikes, the leaves and flowers from the trees are falling and whimsically twirling in the wind, yep, he takes that route.
2. SPACE x DECOR
I'm a pack rat. I hate throwing things away because they ALWAYS come in handy. Always, maybe not the next day type of always but give it a good month or two – I swear I save the day with my random ass essentials. My style is eclectic....vintage, I'm a fan of contrasting industrial pieces with modern and vintage. I love items that tell a story and has history or simply ages well. Dead roses for example, they’re so much more romantic than live flowers to me.
Kyle - if it doesn’t serve him any purpose at the very moment, it’s garbage. You can’t even imagine all the disagreements we’ve had when we’re packing or unpacking. His style? Clean crisp lines and everything orderly. His ideal vision for a home is leaving it a blank canvas and enough furniture for comfort but barely anything in the house, i.e. a bed, a TV, a couch, coffee pot/maker, microwave, his books and BOOM! Perfect household aesthetics baby! He’s the definition of a minimalist. I organized his walk in closet that he keeps trying to let me have and it’s so cute how his clothes perfectly fit and still has so much space. I won’t take it because I don’t want his clothes in my “woman cave” of an office/guest bedroom.
I say all that to say this, I didn’t realize how many inane details in my life were causing me anxiety and frustration. I’m always commuting among people who are stressed and in a hurry – making me feel rushed. The views aren’t pleasing at all aesthetically and it makes me want to go back home and curl up in bed. Having entirely too much shit in my personal space to the point I can’t think clearly also sucks because yeah, I love every item but I swear when Cardi B uploaded a post saying she doesn’t like being around people sometimes because she’s exercising her eyes, I felt that! That’s how I’m starting to feel with not just people, products and labels around the house. I don’t want to see ANY advertising for anything. I don’t care how much I love the brand and I feel a part of the brand cult. It’s just too much. I won’t change my style completely and I’ll probably never be a minimalist but here are a few de-cluttering and décor options I’m making use of:
Out with the old, in with the new:
Selling old clothes and furniture. I really need a fresh start. Sometimes items can have too much history and as much as we feel emotionally attached to them, it’s necessary to let it go and make room for new items along with new memories.
Clothing Hack
No labels, no clutter
Wishful Thinking
Instead of wishing I can go on vacation and spend a month at a resort/ Air Bnb, why not create that aesthetic at home? I think we all look at homes on Pinterest and other blog sites wishing for a space similar (layout or furniture) forgetting that we too can make our current home just as dreamy. All it takes is discipline and organization skills. I lost counter and cabinet space with my new home and was pretty bummed out about it but now I just have to be more creative, neat and tidy to utilize my space.
Kitchen pantry hack
Summer beach house vibes, but no cookie cutter/trendy BULLSHIT
I love dark tones but I also live right on top of a river and get a graceful amount of sunlight. We want to take advantage of it while we can (Summers in Milwaukee are weird). Kyle and I chose to go with neutral colors that are light and airy. I decided to be a big girl and switch our bedroom sheets to white. It made the biggest difference! Can’t wait to add a bunch of hanging plants around the house – which works as a natural filter for the air quality. As for my office space though, I’m still brainstorming on dark colors and patterns without it being too busy.
So to conclude, this moving process helped me understand I really need to let shit go. Get everything in order starting with the inane details, I just feel better when things are... pretty. When e v e r y t h i n g is aesthetically neat and pretty. I want a pretty pantry? Is that too much to ask for? Am I being extra y'all? Joking, but seriously, I think it's worth a fuss if it'll make me happy. I’ll give you guys an update when the house is complete. Perhaps… do a tour via personal home photos or a video? What are we thinking? And if you have any downsizing tips, please don't keep the knowledge to yourself! Ya' girl could use all the help she can get right now. xx!