I suppose I could make typical new year’s resolutions and tell you that I’m going to drink more water, limit myself to one reality show a week, and quit secretly eating peanut butter cups in my laundry room. . . . But, making a list of things I want to accomplish around our house in the coming year is so much more fun and—who am I kidding?--more likely to happen.
So, I decided to walk around the house, snap pics and take inventory of things I’d like to do over the next twelve months. (And, we’ll check my progress in December. Deal?)
In 2013, I will . . .
Learn to remove (a lot of) wallpaper.
Put nails in our wall with reckless abandon.
(aka create a gallery wall in our living room)
Finally organize our kitchen drawers.
Try a new color in our home.
Try to keep a cleaner desk.
Get my closet (especially my jewelry cabinet) under control
so it looks like it belongs to a grown-up.
more hospitable.
I hate that I’ve actually put off inviting friends over because I haven’t done anything to our powder room yet, or because I need to finish hanging up frames in our hallway. Who cares?? They certainly don’t. I want to get over that in the new year and make our home a fun place to be, finished or not.
(By the way, the drink station above belongs to Edie. She wrote a wonderful series on hospitality. You should make the time to read it all, if you haven’t already.)
more comfortable.
I want everyone, but especially my own family, to feel like it’s okay to really live here. (Note to self: get over dirty walls and continuous crumbs on the floor. It’s not going to get better in the foreseeable future.)
more us.
I’m determined to get some of my favorite family photos printed and actually on the walls this year. I have a few projects in mind…
What are your home goals for 2013?
I love your take on resolutions the best! And I think it's perfectly okay to watch more than one reality tv show a week and eat peanut butter cups.
ReplyDeleteGirl, a few too many to mention. But, I am really trying to get rid of things and feel lighter. BTW, did you know that Trader Joe's has dark chocolate peanut butter cups?
ReplyDeleteThese are beautifully thoughtout and personal goals. I need to do the same! I love that you want more comfort and liveability in your home for your brood. You are darling and a great inspiration to all of us. I wish you the best in 2013!
ReplyDeletexo Nancy
Powellbrowerhome.com
Emily - your post gives me hope! I, too, felt uncomfortable inviting friends over because of XYZ wasn't finished in my home (where I have lived for 2 whole years), but I am not trying to be at peace with the fact that it's not all going to get done quickly and I will still have people come over and enjoy spending time together despite my gallery wall being less than perfect and too small for the wall. (The gallery wall is also one of my goals, by the way. I also hope to finish my master bedroom, as it's currently a massive space with only a bed and two dressers.... I must have patience or I will be broke instead :) Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, thanks for putting my goals down on paper. But no, seriously, I need to conquer everything you mentioned at my home too. Good luck and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list and all sounding attainable as well. I think sometimes we see 365 days ahead of us and we make big lists and end up feeling defeated later when we didn't accomplish even half of it. I definitely need to hang more pictures in my living room as well. The hard part for me is rushing to finish something and because I didn't have patience to do or find what I really wanted or liked, it ends up frustrating me. I'm slowly learning. Lol. Looking forward to seeing what you do in 2013!
ReplyDeleteI love these home goals.....especially about being more hospitable...and putting out some family photos. I think these are all doable without driving yourself crazy--except for maybe the first about the wall paper. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's an awesome list. Happy new year and May God bless you BIG in the New Year :)
ReplyDeleteThese all sound great, Emily. I have a lengthy list as well. And I have come to realize my white ottoman will not stay white and my walls will always be dirty. It's part of "kid charm" as I call it. Was just chatting with a friend about how we can't wait for projects to be done to have people over. They will never be done! Here's to being productive this year. And if not, oh well! ;)
ReplyDeleteI decided to make just one goal...which gives me a higher chance of sticking with it!
ReplyDeleteBut it's a big one and can apply to every arena of my world!
I want to develop more self-mastery.
There. I said it. Now I'm headed to the gym to start one facet of that mastery!
Hi Emily, Happy 2013! I'm working on my list too. I know what you mean about not having people over, I think we put these high expectations on ourselves that our houses need to be perfect because we're decorators. I'm really trying to get over that. My friends don't care so why should I. Many blessings to you in the new year!
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing us the "real" parts of your home. My husband and I made a long list too... we're hoping to get one thing done per month. Many of them are organizational.... really organizing closets and the storage room so our house functions better. There's also built-ins, lighting, and painting on the list. Whew! This month is building out shelving and a wine rack in the storage room. Can't wait to see all your transformations in the coming months. Tip: Use a steamer on the wallpaper!
ReplyDeleteMy desk looks like that too! And I have a hard time looking past the floor crumbs and stains too but then I am determined to try, with everything in me, to latch on the sweetness of having little ones this year because I feel how fast it's shooting by. I posted my big to-do list today too. So fun to think of all you hope to accomplish when you have a whole new year ahead of you :)
ReplyDeleteI eat licorice secretly! Funny. I too feel that my home is not perfect for guests but I have learned to live with it..I hope to make a few changes in our space but our life is up in the air. We aren't sure how much longer we will be in this house due to my husband's severance running out at the end of the year, still no job for him....so we may have to move to smaller digs but I look forward to redecorating a new space!
ReplyDeleteA gallery wall of family photos would be perfect on your TV wall!
Hooray for peanut butter cups! I have some pretty lofty home goals too! http://www.livingandlearningwithluisa.com/1/post/2012/12/2013-home-improvement-goals.html
ReplyDeleteI love this, Emily!
ReplyDeleteGreat goals! I have a tip for removing the wallpaper...score it with one of those tools and then spray it down with a mixture of fabric softener (the cheap kind from the dollar store will work) and water, let sit for 10 minutes and then peel away! I removed a ton of wallpaper using this method and it went so much easier and cheaper than buying all those chemicals! Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteI totally am with you on the getting organized goals. I am an organizer myself and still need to get my desk in order, jewelry drawer straightened, kids' closets organized, etc. Remember it is a process that won't happen overnight. Every little area you tackle today will ultimately add up to success over time. Happy New Year and happy organizing!
ReplyDeleteCarrie
Great list! I really need to get our photos printed too. It almost doesn't matter that I take the pictures because they sit in the camera for a year! I just posted about my design goals too. Gotta start somewhere! Happy new year, Emily!
ReplyDeleteI love your list and your attitude! I'm work on my list today and trying hard to make it attainable and not so pie in the sky. This helps! :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this! I'm so crazy about my home and people being there making it "dirty!" Gasp!! I would love to entertain more and actually not freak out every time a foot print shows up on my newly cleaned floors. : )
ReplyDeleteVonae Deyshawn
www.myvirtueplace.com
These are great goals and they seem realistic too - I totally get the clean desk thing! We're on a purge, organize, and simplify mission over the next few months. After being in our home for 3 years, I'm ready to off-load anything that's been hanging around unused. I'm excited to follow along your journey in 2013!
ReplyDelete~Anneke at This, That and Life
Projects inside: tackling our hallway bath (aka "the boys' bathroom"), total rehall! And finishing organizing our kitchen cabinets!!!
ReplyDeleteProjects outside: our farm needs a little PERTIFICATION..plan on adding flower beds and window boxes to our sheds and coupes!!! CAN'T WAIT FOR SPRING!!! ~Kim
Love these goals! (And love it that you eat peanut butter cups in the laundry room!!) My goal is to continue to make my house...OUR house. (I was married a month ago today and my new husband and I are still combining all our things and making my house OUR HOME.) Meanwhile, we are hoping to move to another town within the next year, so the goal is to make it feel like home WHILE it's on the market and while finding a new home!
ReplyDeleteLove your take on goal-setting. I just posted mine today too. I also love the image of family pix as a casual gallery wall. Might have to steal that idea. Happy New Year to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your goals, home and humor! I have many of the same goals (hanging up art, getting over our outdated kitchen and baths!) but front in line is to get our home office pulled together so my husband has a private place to work and I won't show up on Skype calls with China at 6 am in my pjs! Wishing you lots of blessings in the New Year, Cynthia
ReplyDeletelove this! Good luck :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to be more hospitable in the new year, too. I'll have to check out the Life in Grace series--I LOVE Edie's house!! I think this might be the year I actually paint some walls, too. And do some (a lot) more organizing. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Emily!!! I have so much to do!!! You just may get me organized!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI just love visitin g this blog. :) I like all of your home goals very much. Thoughtful and do-able.
ReplyDeleteI don't hide in the laundry room when I eat peanut butter cups, I just pretend to be getting something out of the pantry and hide behind the door. Much easier. I think those are realistic goals and I can't wait to see some of them done, especially the wall gallery. I am so envious of that sconce by your tv. Very nice!
ReplyDeleteI so enjoy your blog and I too will make some home goals. Happy 2013 New Year.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I loved your comment about waiting to invite friends over until a home project is finished! I think those of us in the design field are under even more pressure because friends expect our homes to be fresh from the pages of Elle Decor! Reality is that if we did have time to perfect the interior design of our own homes, they'd still never be finished since we'd probably always be changing and updating : ) Thanks so much for sharing your home goals for the New Year! I can't wait to see the added beauty you bring to your home!
ReplyDeleteNicole
www.nicoleodettedesigns.wordpress.com
Great goals! I need to do some of the same things - try a new color, clean up my closet so it looks like it belongs to a grown up (vs. a 13 year old who changes clothes 79 times per day), and organize the kitchen drawers. I got a new cutlery tray/org. for Christmas that I've yet to do anything with bc I'm lazy and procrastinating! Also...the last thing I ever think about or notice when visiting others is that their house isn't decorated, is messy, etc :) I know it is easier said than done though bc I always have these same worries when inviting people to my house!!!
ReplyDeleteI love your living room!!
ReplyDeleteI have many of those goals for this year too, we moved into a new house in late 2011 and have been updating ever since and it's been a lot of money and work. I just had my entire family over for NYE and I wanted to have a press conference with everyone about how "I'm not done" with the house- don't look at the walls that aren't done or the old drapes, etc. - Like WHO CARES?! I kept telling myself to relax.
I also need to work on the yellow powder room with a floral wallpaper border and original 1990's fixtures. The whole thing needs to be gutted!
You've got some great goals! I love that they aren't just projects but more ways that you want to use your home too! I still haven't done anything to my powder room either - and we've had many friends over - and you're right the only thing anyone ever cares about is whether or not there is tp in there - why is the roll always empty when you have visitors?!
ReplyDeleteGreat goals - I need to get over myself and all our messes, too. I'm going to really work on making our house a home and a welcoming place for all.
ReplyDeleteLove your post! I did somethting similar over at my blog Olive Lane- here's to us keeping our resolutions :-)
ReplyDeleteI just posted about DIY wallpaper removal, and remembered that was one of your goals for 2013. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.meaningfulspaces.com/diy-wallpaper-removal/
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ReplyDeleteI have to fully agree with you that resolutions around the house are more likely to be achieved as compared to those typical over ambitious ones. They are like to lose weight or to stop snacking in bed which are habits already built over a long timespan and will take a longer time too to curb or eliminate. As for your house, I already see some really functional storage solutions and I think all you need is just some tidying up and you are halfway there.
ReplyDelete