Living in the "BEFORE"

Do you remember that old HGTV show "Before and After"?  It was great.  The host had a mustache that could have had a show of its own.  That wasn't what we liked about the show (however amusing), we just liked to see the pay-off..... old and dingy turns new and fancy.  Maybe this is the same reason I like a good makeover movie (almost watched Devil Wears Prada last night!).....

If you spend any time at all (or perhaps hours on end whilst your husband is at work) on decorating blogs you have been exposed to plenty of "before and after" shots.  In fact one of my favorite sites is "Better After"  a blog devoted to all of the great Before and After stories in the blogging universe.  This is the kind of stuff that inspires me (and makes me feel kind of small and insignificant).

Here's the problem (you have to have a problem, it's part of telling a story): our house is a BIG, FAT before.  And not in a crazy tartan wallpaper, dark wood paneling, hunter green carpet kind of a way.  More in a beige on beige, blah tract home kind of a way.  I know, you had this problem too and you painted it.  Good for you.  My problem is bigGER.  There is not enough valspar to deal with this issue(z).

On Wednesday, we stripped Serenity of the Christmas Clutter (tree is still up, just bare and dry).  Yesterday we went to Home Goods (where I have been known to spend hours on end) to look for a new something for over the fireplace.  We didn't find anything that made us jump up and down so we left empty-handed.  This is quite mature of us since we have been known to grab whatever is available in the moment only to hate it a year later.

While we were in Home Goods we couldn't help but bemoan the amount of stuff we need to do to our house.    Let me tell you all about it.
OUR BEFORE
1) The Kitchen

2) The Family Room

3) The Dining Room

4) Keith's Room

5) Our Room

6) The Boys' Bathroom

I could go on but for the purposes of this post I will keep it at six.

And the AFTER.... TADA! crickets
I've got nothing.  Well, maybe nothing is an exaggeration.

I've got ideas. Because the ideas aren't hard, it's the execution of the ideas that I find so challenging.  I keep no less than five lists/compilations of my ideas.  Here's a peek at "Idea Box"

So this year we are going to do it, I have no money and no time but we are going to make it happen.  And "we" is me until June because Kevin is going to work on conquering his Masters (including a thesis!). Some of the major projects (Mr. Kitchen!  Floors, counters, remod.) will have to wait due to funding and time  but I'm going to spruce and organize and paint (grrr. I hate painting) as much as possible with the time and money I have.  I am going to be an after (in at least 6 rooms).  I will promise you that I will get distracted by a million other things that need to be spruced, organized, and painted.  I just figure that six specific project rooms in twelve months is possible, even on my schedule.

And I'm going to remember The Nester's famous advice “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful”.