Spring Fling

Wow, I just looked at the date and I can’t believe that April is almost over. Didn’t this month just start? It’s been a very busy month, with the last 10 days of this month being just as busy. And well, most of May is already spoken for also.

They always say that time passes faster as we age and well, I can certainly attest to that being true. Or so it seems. I must be 100 because time is flying by so fast.

Anyway, yesterday was our typical fallout day after guests leave. A day of short tempers, tantrums and just general laziness. Hubster’s aunt (and a middle name sake for Baboo) and her husband came to visit us for a few days this week and they left yesterday. We had a wonderful, fun visit, but Baboo was sick and we had a few rough nights so we were tired. Hubster is on a course all weekend so it’s just the girls and I. Yesterday, after sending off Hubster’s aunt the girls and I took our time getting the day started. We stayed in our jammies for a long time.

I was trying to get breakfast for the girls and realized the fridge was a mess, so I cleaned it out. And then I moved onto the freezer, and then the pantry…. And then I got the cleaning bug in me. When we went upstairs to get dressed, I decided it was time to check the girls clothes for summer and move some things around. And so began the “Spring Fling”, that time of the year when I start “flinging” things out. Mouse loves to try on clothes, so she was more than happy to try on anything I threw at her from the closet. She’s FINALLY starting to grow, so a few things I’d held over are not going to fit, but that’s ok. Baboo on the other hand isn’t so thrilled with trying things on and her not feeling well on top of everything else, made for a bit of a frustrating time of sorting. I had to hold a few things up as she ran by and kind of “eyeball” if it would fit or not. I definitely think she’s either bigger or built differently because Mouse stayed in 18 month clothes until she was, well, almost 3, but Baboo is solidly in a 2T. I was holding onto a few cute things, but they definitely will not fit Baboo this summer. Sigh.

However, I have a huge pile of clothes and some baby gear in my hallway that’s on its’ way out the door.

Then, I hit my very pathetic kitchen linens. I got rid of some placemats and table clothes that I haven’t use in years because well, I don’t like them. So I’ve freed up most of a cabinet.
It was a big thing for me to admit and actually say “I don’t LIKE this”. It made me realize something about myself this weekend. I’m a bit jealous of people who KNOW what they like; especially when it comes to house décor. I’m referring to people who have a defined “style” – country, modern, Tuscan, traditional, Victorian, etc. It’s gotta be easier! Me…. I don’t discount anything. I feel like I have to consider ALL possibilities and there’s very little I definitely “don’t” like. There are also very few colours that I don’t like. I know that not all colours work in my house, but it always seems like a long process to FIND the right combination. In almost any “style” I like elements of them. I’m never really sure what “feel” I want things to have, especially in my house.

I said the other day that I feel like I need to have a city house and a country house. A city house that I can have kind of contemporary with an urban feel – clean lines, stainless steel, bright splashes of colour, almost like a loft kind of thing. And then a country house, with some land around me that I can have as a soft, gardeny, English cottage kind of feel. Old, worn, traditional shaped furniture, old antiques, crockery dishes, soft colours.

Hubster’s aunt said she really liked the way I’ve “decorated”. Hmmm… I haven’t done much “decorating”. Our bedroom is really the only room that is “done”, and it just sort of “happened”. I had some framed prints that didn’t work in family room, which is where they were in our old house, and so they ended up in our bedroom… where the colours really worked. After some searching around with my Mum, we found bedding, towels etc and it all just came together. It’s kind of contemporary with a bit of a traditional feel as there are cornice boards over the windows and we have a bit of wooden traditional style furniture. We worked as much with what we already had, because well, we have to; we’re on a limited budget. I really like the way it turned out, but I’m not sure what “feel” I want for the rest of the house.

The girls rooms were also pretty easy. Girly, pink/green/purple – flowers and butterflies. They’re little. I didn’t really go all out. It’s cute and pretty and fun.

The main floor colours are basically what were here. I feel like we’re kind of living with them. I like them – I think. They’re pretty neutral – but so is our furniture. A bit bland, really. I’m trying to find the colour and feel I want for down here, but it’s hard; especially when you have very little money to spend on it.

Our furniture is very, very small scale for this house. We will eventually replace it, when we figure out what “style” we want. And colour. There are a few upgrades that I want to make in the kitchen, which has a bit of a Tuscan feel with the yellow walls and dark bronze light fixtures. And while I don’t think I hate that, I don’t’ think I really “like” it either. This house doesn’t really give the feel of a “country cottage”, so I guess it’s more traditional/contemporary. Does that even make sense?

Actually, just sitting here, I think I just saw in my head how I’d do the kitchen, eating area. Now if only I can convince my friend to pass on her dining room light fixture to me and oh, and find a bit of money to replace my countertops. Hmmm…. It might take me a while to get it all together, but I think it’s going to work. Eventually.

So what I also think I’ve just realized is that it’s ok to say I don’t like something and its’ ok for me to want to change what’s “here” because it’s not my “style”. Usually I feel like I can’t really replace things unless there is something ‘wrong’ with it; as in, physically broken or needing repair. So, maybe I’m getting a bit closer to knowing what I like.

And now I’m rambling, so I’ll shut up.

So, today I’m going to tackle the linen closet and maybe the baking drawer. Watch out for flying stuff!