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?!