We recently got a second couch. It’s green, it’s soft, and it’s tufted. I had seen something like it many times and absolutely loved it. After trying to get something less expensive and having to return it (not super fun but thanks to the vendor, not too bad), I took another risk and when I received it was very satisfied that I did. I am extremely happy with it and how it makes our living room look. We are moving in the right direction.
Notice how I use the action word “moving.” This is because our living room is still in need of more love, to my husband’s chagrin. I want to share this because it has been and it is still a process, not an overnight makeover.
We have been married about four years and lived in this house a little over three. When we were engaged, we bought a gray sectional that I knew would take me through adult company and little people. I was happy. Then we moved and even though the sectional was placed as nicely as possible, it still wasn’t the piece for the new living room. We knew that we wanted it in our loft but just didn’t have the money to replace it. We didn’t have a lot of money for home improvement so I stretched whatever we did have and bought second-hand, here and there things. Lamps, rugs, tables, plants… you name it. Anytime my husband would say something, I would ask him if he wanted to go on a trip to Ashley’s furniture. He never wanted to 😀
The house overall started looking better but still had piecey air to it. I was trying to patch things over above getting what I truly wanted. There is just so much that you can do when you are settling. I was mostly filling holes. One day, early this year, I saw a video of a complete living room remake and understood that until I got what I envisioned for that space, I wasn’t going to be satisfied. Any half-way there resources were going to be a waste.
Makeover shows have been part of a reality-show craze and pop up anywhere. You can even find them on YouTube, like I did. They don’t portray the truth though. They lead you to have a high expectation of what your space should look like as soon as you move into it and even after they show you how you should to do it, which stores to go to, and attempt practicality by telling you to visit the thrift store, it isn’t that easy. In the same way, social media, ads, and even a glance at your friends can sell you the idea that you should always be in a place where everything looks perfect. Only the look is presented by others, but not the reality of all the elbow grease and cash put into it. My husband and I had other plans for our finances and were not willing to give those up for new furniture. We wanted to save and pay off our education first. We wanted to travel and put more money towards retirement. We set up our budget and let it rule on what we could spend on.
Our whole house is a reflection on how life is not to be hurried into but built upon. You won’t have the best career on your first day at the job. You won’t have the best marriage as soon as you walk off the altar. You won’t have the best children immediately after they are born. You won’t have the best for you until you start working on it with that intention, and this will be your life-long work.
Overnight transformations don’t make for life-long changes. Get-rich-quick schemes will only leave you in poverty and frustration. Rome wasn’t built in a day! You have to keep chipping at it on a daily basis. Small strokes will let the angel out of the stone. Don’t feel overwhelmed because it is a long journey; it is a journey you are already on. A little bit each day will take you to your destination.
When we moved into the house I didn’t think that it was going to take years for us to have a living room that we love. Nonetheless, it has been worth it. It has taught us appreciation, discipline, and set our mindset to a more realistic tune. We are grateful that we were able to accomplish other things along the way as well.
Now I ask you, what is one thing you can start chipping away at?
Thriving in Simplicity 