The Dream v The Reality

I've been home-dreaming today. Do you do that? I do it often, I am a renowned daydreamer. I often find myself looking around my home and trying to envisage the changes I could make, the way that I feel my home should look (arty, homely, cosy, eclectic, beautiful, tidy, warm) as opposed to the way it currently looks (messy, untidy, chaotic, shabby, disgraceful). I can transform it in my mind into a beautifully styled interior worthy of a magazine shoot. Yet in real life it is nothing of the sort. It's a mess.
It's The Dream v The Reality.

And the reality is that I am ashamed of the state of my house right now. Yet rather alarmingly, although it is making me feel wretched to see everything in such a state of disarray, it is not seemingly bad enough to motivate me to get on and actually deal with it.

Of course I should be tidying, de-cluttering, re-arranging, sorting, doing right now, right this minute......yet I am not. I am procrastinating and daydreaming (and blogging), which offers light relief but ultimately doesn't deal with the root of the problem.

Amongst the mess, the accumulated stuff of everyday life, I create little oases of escape and prettiness. Painted pebbles, a little stripy chicken with wire legs, pots of leggy narcissi. Fresh flowers, stripy things, crocheted things.
I can zoom in on these details and make believe that the whole place has this simple, colourful, homespun, pretty freshness. I wish. Oh I wish!

I wish I was better at keeping house. I wish I could be given a means to make the place tidy and keep it that way. Better storage? A Filing System? A ruthless clear-out?
Ah well, I will not dwell on such matters, will not bore you with my faults (primarily extreme Idleness). Lets stick with the home-dreaming shall we?

March issue of Country Living...wasn't this a fabulous issue? Did you see it? Love it?
I absolutely adored the house featured this month, the home of Jette Arendal Winther, a Danish potter.

I love what she said about using the home and interior style of Matisse as her inspiration. It made me look at the rooms in her house in a different way after reading that, seeing them almost as paintings, as compositions of pattern and colour.

I love this phrase, describing her kitchen where "the organised disorder has it's own intrinsic charm".
Oh that tickled me so much!! I love the idea of Organised Disorder!
I think that could be my catch phrase, if only I could make my own disorder appear organised somehow.

I am obsessed with this turquoise colour paint. I just adore it. I would like to paint the legs of my coffee table this colour, keeping the top wooden as Jette has done.

Ahhhh....I so enjoyed my dreamy visit to this magazine-house. So inspirational! So diverting! I breezed through this home and felt uplifted and inspired, truly I did.

Now the question is, do I ::
a) have a coffee and browse through this delicious book yet again?
b) roll my sleeves up and go make a start on tidying the awful mess?

The Dream v The Reality?
What's a girl to do??

Comments

[Smith Walker]

Thanks for sharing!! This is really informative Information!!!
Always grateful to you!

https://www.guardianremovals.co.uk/

[David from buywoodencoffeetables.co.uk]

What you've planned for the legs of your coffee table is indeed a great idea. That coffee table of yours would look simple and more elegant if it has the same color with its top.

[Aubree Patterson]

I just found your blog today and I think I might just have to hop on a plane and fly out to Europe to do lunch with who I think might just be my best friend! While I am sure that you are thinking I am just another crazy American girl, I have to say I find it quite lovely and refreshing to find someone else out there who thinks and daydreams about the same wonderful time wasting ideas and dreams that I as well as so many others out there. I to am a SAH mom of 3 darling children, and while I do love my life, my home, my family very much I must say that it is quite a wonderful and exciting treat to drift off and get lost in the sweet world that we each make when we should actually be making dinner, doing laundry, sweeping the floor....

[Rhondi]

I must confess I am a home dreamer too! Sometimes I do very well at keeping my home in order and other times I fail miserably. Now that we are empty nesters it's a little bit easier, but oh my home looks so great in my dreams. Thanks for sharing the magazine photos. I've got to introduce that fabulous turquoise color somewhere in my home. I love it!

[Kristy]

I know exactly what you mean.But most of the houses in magazines are styled by people like the wonderful Selina Lake. I'm sure they each have their hidden secrets like piles of unfolded washing or unfinished projects. It's easy to hid things out of shot!

[BigYellow]

Decluttering is always a very dauting task. But once dealt with, you will feel incredibly good about your home and about yourself, and you will probably find things you didn’t remember you had. I work at Big Yellow and it’s unbelievable how many people (myself included) keep a lot of things in their home they forgot they had. And talking to my customers, having a storage unit with us saves them time and money as they can sort out their belongings, make sure that what they need is safe and accessible 24/7 and make space in their home. Some have even converted their attic in a spare / game room after regaining control of their own space. Why don’t you check us out at bigyellow.co.uk, it will lift your spirits for sure!
All the best,
Stephanie

[Carmen]

Oh Lucy......you are not alone! I love your blog and your pictures. So inspiring and creative, a treat for my eyes! Best wishes to you always x

[jessica daisy]

You've put into words exactly how I'm feeling at the moment, I am a serial procrastinator, and this blogging lark is just another thing that sucks me in and helps me to avoid reality, not that I don't love it, cause I do, but sometimes it's more of a hinderance.
I long to get a cleaner. I love decorating, making things I don't have to, and filling my house with beautiful things, but I hate and struggle to keep it dust, dog hair and mess free, and that really gets me down. I am very sure that before someone's house gets featured in a magazine the get team of cleaners in to blitz the place.
Even if like many of us you can't manage to do it all, all of the time, you are a very inspirational woman, you taught me to crochet my first thing last week, so thank you.
Jessx
P.S congrats on your new magazine fame!

[cathleen]

I want to just stick my nose in that rose!!!!!!!!!!!

[Karische]

C'est vrai qu'il est dur de se motiver à tout ranger, tout nettoyer, quand on se prend à rêver éveillée d'un intérieur de rêve! ça m'arrive aussi! La douce rêverie des magasines de décoration n'a pas de prix. D'ailleurs, à quand remonte mon dernier achat de magasine déco? Trop longtemps! je cours en acheter un!

[debra cooper]

Definitely enjoy the new book! The mess will always be there in some form or another and it will wait until you're done sating your appetite on beautiful things. Hey, it may even give you that energy you need to tidy the house happily--it sometimes works for me! I'm loving that house. Bazarre Style is my favorite decor book. I just love the whole philosophy of surrounding yourself with things that are beautiful and make you happy and getting rid of the rest. It was that book and a few cool blogs that motivated me to repaint and redo my house earlier this year. It has been a symbol of a new beginning for me and even the mess looks prettier! Enjoy your day!

[Julie]

if it was a show house, it wouldn't be a home.

xx

But I still do the dreaming thing too. And am mid plot of a grand clear out (haven't actually physically done anything yet, mind!) - was horrified when we came home from a weekend away at how much clutter we seemed to have, everywhere. So, it's one corner of one room at a time, til there is space and beauty. Or at least that's the plan. I suspect it will turn into a project akin to painting the Forth Bridge - by the time I finish one, the rest will need doing (and no, our house isn't big at all, I'm just lazy, and we are all horders!!)

[The Coffee Lady]

ah, you know it's odd because I was working my way around to posting about the Flylady system for getting your house sorted, and thinking everyone else seems to have it done, and EVEN YOU with everything all lovely and colourful is having the same problem.

I just have to suspend my irony and sarcasm long enough to withstand Flylady. That's usually a big problem.

[Nicola]

I just wanted to introduce myself....and to say hello. I stumbled across your blog a few weeks ago, and I think it's fab! So, erm at the risk of sounding 'stalkerish' (which I'm not!), erm, 'hello!'. Keep up the good work!

[kitschen pink]

Oh honey! You've had builders in! That's justifies at least a year of living in chaos! And whilst they're there get them to build storage. I swear by it. We have a 'hell hole' in every room - huge cupboards which swallow any amount of junk - mostly thrown into colourful boxes and buckets for easy retrieval later. I can make the house look tidy in 30 mins in an emergency - the trouble is that mother knows to look in the cupboards... so she's not fooled. HAHA! Recommend in the absence of cupboards, you simply concentrate on the attic and make that your haven! LOVE those pebbles! And always remember 'A tidy house is a sign of a wasted life" t.x

[Herta Hodgson]

Well...lets see...dishes in the sink, ironing to do, paperwork to sort...later; lets continue reading Lucy's blog. I so relate to your entry, this morning I bought 'Aust Country Style' and imagined which rooms I would change and how depending on which page I flicked through. As someone who looks forward to new posts from you I appreciate you putting 'us' ahead of your housework ;)All the best from Melb/Australia. Herta

[Tracy]

I find myself torn between creating and straighten up. Your blog is lovely . I can't wait to go to the book store and get the March issue. It comes about a month late here in the states. It is my most favorite magazine.

[Michaela]

Yes but if you had a tidy house, you would not have half so many crafty things and crochet blankets. Your house would not look like the ones in the magazine (bet they tidied up for the photo shoot - wonder what they look like now!) it would look like a home where a family live. I don't think you can have a tidy house when you have children - my husband has tried for many years and still hasn't managed it with all the nagging to 'put things away'. And that's usually aimed at me!

[Lydia]

Hello Lucy
We always see our own mess more than anyone else does .... What did you tell me about the dust? Flowers & throws - you do those a plenty & with grate talent... I'm so glad that there are other daydreamers out there... Love Lydia xx

[Tamar]

oh my gosh Lucy, I am drooling!!!!sooo beautiful! thanks for sharing:)

[noelle]

I am the same too! I spend more time looking at other peoples homes in magazines and less time sorting my own out. sometimes i think ,well life's too short to be doing the house constantly, but then again if i got it just the way i wanted it then that would be that, but then i think once i had it just the way i wanted it i would look in another magazine and decide i wanted it different again!!!!! no pleasing some people huh!!!

[Dee]

Oh I so know how you feel.
I am a first time commenter and have been reading it for a week or so.
I do exactly as you do, daydream and wish and think how wonderful it would be to have a lovely home like those in blogland.
But here I sit and the piles of 'stuff' are not going away, and the clutter is still there.
I know I would feel a millions times better if I just attacked it but I seem to procrastinate it so much.
This post has motivated me to create some pockets of beauty around the house, I love that idea.

[Aqeela]

Hi lucy,
I just wondered if you can help me out, can you let me know how you make your photo mosaics please? Id really love to feature some on my own blog but i dont know how!

Thanks, i hope you can help me,

Aqeela xx

[Lindsey (ethel & edna)]

FIBBER!!!! I don't believe you!
If you really have mess and chaos in your house then show me photos. I want evidence. :O)
Your house is incredibly magazine-photo-shoot worthy. I read your blog to look at the pretty pictures of your house 'cause it's cheaper than buying Country Living (and now I'm getting edited highlights of the real thing for free as well!! Thank you).
I aspire to your brand of Organised Disorder. I have even created a little pretty oasis of flowers and bulbs on the coffee table (to prevent kiddie from using it as a stage and dancing on it). If you want to see mess and chaos come to mine, then you'll realise just what a gorgeous little patch of Heaven you have created.

[SummerSadie]

I know exactly what you're talking about in this post. My living room has such potential I'm sure it will never reach. But my real question is about crochet. I did my first hexagon today, using your tutorial! I'm very excited about it, but now I need to buy some yarn to get started on the big project. You had mentioned you edited your pattern due to the yarn you were using. If I don't use the same yarn you did, would it be better to use a different pattern? Does that question even make sense? :) Thanks!