So on this rainy afternoon, with nothing better to do, I decided to start yet another blog.  So here goes nothing…

So I have this crazy addiction to decorating, rearranging and perfecting the look of my home.  I don’t think its OCD, but its probably pretty close.  And considering I’ve been obsessing over these things since I was…oooooh…about 6 years old (yes, Mrs. Fitzmorris, it was me that kept rearranging the decorative pillows on your bench in the foyer…but you probably already knew that), and considering I followed the right side of my brain and became a CPA instead of an architect (although the left side kept screaming “are you crazy? That’s so boring!”), I figured the best way to unleash all this pent-up home-decorating frustration was to put all my redos, refurbishings, and re….er….tips and hints out there for the world to judge and criticize…and possibly help someone with their own decorating project/problem along the way.

The secondary objective behind creating this blog is ideally to give me a little motivation to actually complete the multitude of projects I have had planned for our house since we moved in (nearly six years ago!)  I was ambitious, creative, and I knew how to use a staple gun.  My husband and I got married in November 2004 and moved into our brand-spankin’ new house the following month.  I was ready, hammer in hand, to get down to work!  I had planned it all out, cutting pictures from magazines of rooms I wanted to recreate on the cheap.  We picked out two sofas and we were on our way.   What I didn’t expect?  That I would find out toward the end of January that I was pregnant!  One tax season, one baby, one 3-year period without employment and one bad economy spelled disaster for all my grandiose plans.

So now it’s nearing the end of 2010, I’ve got the cutest 5-year-old you could ever imagine, a job, a house still in desperate need of a little style (and furniture for that matter), and a husband somewhat willing to get his hands dirty…perfect, right? Let’s get started…

As far as first impressions go, I figured the best starting point would be the front entrance.  I took the following picture on a recent family vacation to Washington, DC during one of our (many) evening strolls through the eclectic neighborhood of Dupont Circle…

Cute, right?  I thought so….so much so, in fact, that I got a little front-door-picture-taking-crazy.  But I loved this one because I could see myself there on that balcony sipping wine and watching the lawyers and politico’s shuffle past…it was just so quaint.  Here are a few other pictures I took while in DC…

The next front entrance grabbed my attention immediately with its brilliant red door set against the sea-spray blue lap-siding.  The iron fence and pebbled courtyard complete its aesthetic appeal. 

In the next picture, I loved the arched transom window, boxwood topiaries and the warm lighting from within…such a classic look….

 

If you didn’t already know that I lived in a cookie-cutter, suburban Jacksonville neighborhood…well, now you do.  So if you were expecting a historical craftsman renovation…sorry to disappoint.  I was a tad disappointed myself back in 2004, considering I had always dreamed of living in an established, oak-lined historic neighborhood in a wood-floored, plaster-walled bungalow built in the 20’s, with all its charm and imperfections.  But did you know its considered blasphemy to purchased an old home when your husband is the marketing director for a production homebuilder?  No? Well…you learn something new everyday.  While my dream for an old home is dashed (for the moment), my determination to transform my cookie-cutter, stucco monster into a classic cottage, with some historical-resembling  interior elements is not.

All that being said, I’ve got 13 rooms in this house and, while an intriging idea, I’m certainly not going to complete a room a day…that would be insane…and would really make for a short-lived blog!  I hope, however, to keep you all constantly updated with the progression of our individual redecorating projects (and possibly throw in a few tips and tricks and pretty pictures for the heck of it!)

Sayonara!