Head on over to the Nesting Place today and you can sign up to receive both a (somewhat) regular newsletter and the Nester's own ebook.
I try not to talk about the Nester too much because I don't want to seem like a crazy stalker or (even worse) a wannabe...I am my own person after all. But I have to tell you how much I love her and her philosophy of It Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful (also known as IDHTBPTBB...you know, for funzies).
Until I discovered the Nester I didn't realize how much I stressed out about making things look "perfect"...and then kicking myself because I couldn't make my house look as fab as the latest spread in Cottage Living or the Pottery Barn catalogue. The Nester opened my eyes and freed me from that crazy, irrational stress, and she allowed me to embrace my slightly imperfect home.
I really wish I'd had found this enlightenment years ago. For instance, here's the fireplace in the house I used to live in.
I hated it. It's dark rusty brick loomed over me and gave me a stomach ache every time I walked in the living room (and we won't even talk about the fact that this room was totally devoid of my personality...nope won't even go there).
I played with the idea of painting it and building a cool mantle about 20 billion times, but I never did it because I was afraid. I was afraid of what people would think; I was afraid of how it would affect resale; I was just plain afraid. The thing was, the lady that ended up buying the house loved everything else I had done, including painting my kitchen cabinets. In reality, she probably would have been grateful not to have to look at that overwhelming rusty wall o'brick.
The point of all this? Follow your instincts...honor your instincts. Take a risk. If you don't like the outcome you can always try again. There's no shame in painting a room several times until you find that color that makes you smile every time you walk in.
Have a great Monday!
~AnNicole
14 Suburbanites Said:
Love YOU girl!! I also subscribed to the nestletter.
I LOVE your style. Love those cabinets that you painted. I'm going to painting ours very soon, so I'll be checking in on that post again soon. It turned out SO beautifully! And for the record, the fireplace didn't look that bad!! :)
I actually really love that space, I think it's pretty! But you're right, if it were my place the wheels in my head would have been turning and I would have done a huge, white, built in mantle around it. Ps, thanks for the relink to your kitchen, my husband and I are going to re-do our cabinets soon and I LOVE that color.
oh my gracious I am so touched by this post!
I think the best way to learn is by our own mistakes {not that I would call not painting a fireplace a mistake} but now no brick is gonna be safe around you.
What a fantastic read--thank you so much!
Your style rocks!! :) I signed up for the newsletter and the e-book. So excited to start reading...when I can get the girls down for naps! :) Have you painted the fireplace yet???!!
Love your style; I already follow The Nester too. I am in the process of finding a new house and I'm actually HOPING to find one with an awful wooden kitchen (I know buying a new one will be out of the question) just so I can create a fab one like yours!
You are sooo right! I walk into my kitchen DAILY and want to just grab a can of white paint and throw it in the air so I am FORCED to paint it. I just feel like I need an excuse because whenever I tell people I want to paint them they tell me I am crazy. ha! Maybe I am onto something...I might go grab a can of paint now and start throwing. :)
My brick fireplace currently has primer on it, I'm going to paint it OH SO SOON!!! cannot wait to show everyone how lovely it looks and my painted den walls as well.
have a lovely day!!
I totally agree with you!!! I think I finally am getting comfortable with what I like...not what I think I should do. Thanks for the encouraging words!! Love your blog, btw! I just found it recently and have enjoyed reading it.
Spoken like a fellow Nester stalker, I mean, lover! great post.
I should show you the "fireplace" that is in my living room. Picture your old fireplace without the fire part and add in one big, UGLY, black (but so functional) woodstove. There, can you imagine that? That is what greets me every day. Sigh. It is my decorating conundrum. If I paint the brick surround, the woodstove will stick out even more than it does now. If I leave it, well let's just say I know how you felt with it towering over your living room.
I too thought that your room was lovely. That's also my problem. Wanting to mold myself to fit the style of decorating gurus. (Yes, I consider you to be a decorating guru:) ) It looks so pristine and that look so does not work for me. Three kids, two of which are happy active little boys, do not bode well for white furniture and knick-knacks.
So I just have to discover what my style is...and then I can follow it :)
Such good advice oh wise one. I love coming here. In fact I tend to feel a little let down when there is not a new post here for a few days. Oh well. I would love to have my house look like it popped out of a magazine. It's a dream though. Gotta have those dreams. I just need to get to the step where I am liking what the house looks like though. It's a work in progress!
I agree with you, especially with "following your instincts". So many times I second guess my decorating.
That looks like a great book.
I love the built in bookshelves by your fireplace.
So very true. And your previous home was lovely too.
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