My mom is the best at holiday decorations.  As a kid, there was something so comforting about coming home from school to find the house decorated for the latest holiday or season.  I don’t really know why, but the wreath on the door or the scented candle burning in the kitchen just made it feel like home.   


So you would think, after a childhood like that, I would naturally do the same for my own little family, right?


Um, nope.


I keep mentioning that I’m an underbuyer (overkill, sorry!) and seasonal decorations have always taken a back burner.  I don’t like a lot of tchotchkes and there always seem to be more practical things to buy.  With the exception of Christmas, I tend not to decorate much at all.  


But then I think of my childhood and my mom.  While I couldn’t tell you exactly what she decorated with each year, I certainly could tell you how I felt: the feeling of being home and her love for our family just emanated from it all.  I want that for my children too.


So I started small this year, making choices that I thought could add a little cheer to our home.  When we go to the pumpkin patch this weekend, I think I’ll add one up on the mantel too.  It’s only a burlap banner and a few fake sprigs of leaves, but it’s a beginning.      

Today’s post isn’t really about pillows.  I mean, yes, there are new pillow covers to share, but the lesson is about so much more than just purchasing decorations for my couch.

I like the color red.  I think pops of red in decor are bright, somewhat unexpected and exciting.  But when you look on Pinterest or even the popular home decor blogs, red is considered so…bluh.  Unless it’s Christmastime, red is usually the color you see when people are explaining how they went from drab decor to fab. 

For many years, I tried to follow the path of home decor trends.  I thought about convincing my husband that we needed a white couch, I made lists of popular Benjamin Moore paint colors, I bought the chevron fabric.  But something just felt off.  And so like many things in my life, I got totally overwhelmed and shelved the ideas away.  And did nothing.  


It’s only been recently, which interestingly coincides with the opening of my own home decor shop, that I’ve felt confident in my own style.  It turns out that what may be popular around the internet may not work for me…and that’s okay.  At this point in my life, the idea of a white sofa stresses me out.  I love the idea of it, but I don’t have the time or energy to wash the slipcovers every week.  


Here’s what I do know: I veer toward a hodgepodge of traditional, semi-industrial, and modern farmhouse.  I like deep wood tones, black, white and grey.  I like adding in red and dusty blue to the mix too.  It may not be what “everyone is doing” and I’m okay with that.  And because of debt reduction and dreaming big dreams, I may live in rooms half-finished, the vision not yet complete.  And that’s okay too.


So pep talk: you be you.  Wear clothes and decorate with things that please you and your family.  It may not work for everyone, but if it brings you joy?  Then that’s enough.

A few notes about the new pillows:  I bought the pillow covers from two separate etsy sellers.  My husband works with geospatial software for a living, so the maps were a nod to him.  The red buffalo check is a good mix of modern country.  I’d like a third design, but haven’t found one I love yet.  I purchased the inserts on Amazon and was slightly disappointed, so disregard the fact that the pillows lack a certain plumpness.  I’m looking for replacements.       

Today’s post isn’t really about pillows.  I mean, yes, there are new pillow covers to share, but the lesson is about so much more than just purchasing decorations for my couch.

I like the color red.  I think pops of red in decor are bright, somewhat unexpected and exciting.  But when you look on Pinterest or even the popular home decor blogs, red is considered so…bluh.  Unless it’s Christmastime, red is usually the color you see when people are explaining how they went from drab decor to fab. 

For many years, I tried to follow the path of home decor trends.  I thought about convincing my husband that we needed a white couch, I made lists of popular Benjamin Moore paint colors, I bought the chevron fabric.  But something just felt off.  And so like many things in my life, I got totally overwhelmed and shelved the ideas away.  And did nothing.  


It’s only been recently, which interestingly coincides with the opening of my own home decor shop, that I’ve felt confident in my own style.  It turns out that what may be popular around the internet may not work for me…and that’s okay.  At this point in my life, the idea of a white sofa stresses me out.  I love the idea of it, but I don’t have the time or energy to wash the slipcovers every week.  


Here’s what I do know: I veer toward a hodgepodge of traditional, semi-industrial, and modern farmhouse.  I like deep wood tones, black, white and grey.  I like adding in red and dusty blue to the mix too.  It may not be what “everyone is doing” and I’m okay with that.  And because of debt reduction and dreaming big dreams, I may live in rooms half-finished, the vision not yet complete.  And that’s okay too.


So pep talk: you be you.  Wear clothes and decorate with things that please you and your family.  It may not work for everyone, but if it brings you joy?  Then that’s enough.

A few notes about the new pillows:  I bought the pillow covers from two separate etsy sellers.  My husband works with geospatial software for a living, so the maps were a nod to him.  The red buffalo check is a good mix of modern country.  I’d like a third design, but haven’t found one I love yet.  I purchased the inserts on Amazon and was slightly disappointed, so disregard the fact that the pillows lack a certain plumpness.  I’m looking for replacements.       

The boys’ room doesn’t get a lot of air time here on the blog because…well, it serves a purpose but it’s not much to look at.  Earlier this year, we purchased two sets of bunks and the three boys (TJ will join them next year) all sleep in the same room.  The rest of the furniture is a hodgepodge of things we already owned.  And despite the superhero coloring pages taped to the wall and the pillows we made this summer, it’s still pretty much a blank – and super boring – slate.   

So what better place to start than here?

Even though the boys really only use the room for sleeping (we keep their toys and Legos in the basement), they still deserve a space that is welcoming and peaceful – as peaceful as four brothers in one room can get, anyway.  So I decided to rip off their hot mess of sheets and blankets and start fresh.  Keep in mind that this is the very first step in the boys’ room makeover…prepared to be underwhelmed:

Mark picked up four duvet covers from Ikea for me on his way home from work.  (Bless that man.  Ikea gives him hives.)  They are blue and white stripe and I love their simplicity.  Underneath, the boys each have a different themed sheet set: Batman, Ninjago, and Superheroes are the current favorites.  I generally dislike things with licensed characters on them, so it’s nice having them tucked away under the matching duvets.  I decided to ditch the top sheet since it always ends up in a knot or crumbled at the bottom of the bed anyway.  The down inserts seem pretty warm, but we’ll add an extra quilt on top this winter if needed.  

Reactions from the boys?
“These are great, mom!  It’s like sleeping under a cloud.”
“This will be so much easier when I make my bed.”
“Cool.”

Still to do:
+ Buy more pillows for the matching shams
+ Install book storage and a light for each of their bunks (something like this?)
+ Frame and hang superhero art (that has been sitting in my closet for years)
+ Replace the lamp and nightstand with something more boyish (and can hold books maybe?)
+ Paint the old desk (I’m thinking navy blue?)
+ Replace the broken blinds and add curtains

I’m dipping my toes back into investing in my home.  The duvets were a small and seemingly insignificant beginning, but I think I’m getting the decorating bug again.

The boys’ room doesn’t get a lot of air time here on the blog because…well, it serves a purpose but it’s not much to look at.  Earlier this year, we purchased two sets of bunks and the three boys (TJ will join them next year) all sleep in the same room.  The rest of the furniture is a hodgepodge of things we already owned.  And despite the superhero coloring pages taped to the wall and the pillows we made this summer, it’s still pretty much a blank – and super boring – slate.   

So what better place to start than here?

Even though the boys really only use the room for sleeping (we keep their toys and Legos in the basement), they still deserve a space that is welcoming and peaceful – as peaceful as four brothers in one room can get, anyway.  So I decided to rip off their hot mess of sheets and blankets and start fresh.  Keep in mind that this is the very first step in the boys’ room makeover…prepared to be underwhelmed:

Mark picked up four duvet covers from Ikea for me on his way home from work.  (Bless that man.  Ikea gives him hives.)  They are blue and white stripe and I love their simplicity.  Underneath, the boys each have a different themed sheet set: Batman, Ninjago, and Superheroes are the current favorites.  I generally dislike things with licensed characters on them, so it’s nice having them tucked away under the matching duvets.  I decided to ditch the top sheet since it always ends up in a knot or crumbled at the bottom of the bed anyway.  The down inserts seem pretty warm, but we’ll add an extra quilt on top this winter if needed.  

Reactions from the boys?
“These are great, mom!  It’s like sleeping under a cloud.”
“This will be so much easier when I make my bed.”
“Cool.”

Still to do:
+ Buy more pillows for the matching shams
+ Install book storage and a light for each of their bunks (something like this?)
+ Frame and hang superhero art (that has been sitting in my closet for years)
+ Replace the lamp and nightstand with something more boyish (and can hold books maybe?)
+ Paint the old desk (I’m thinking navy blue?)
+ Replace the broken blinds and add curtains

I’m dipping my toes back into investing in my home.  The duvets were a small and seemingly insignificant beginning, but I think I’m getting the decorating bug again.