2023 House Dreams

Wow! That’s weird even to look at, never mind to write. I wonder how many months before I can write the year without messing it up?

Emily and I have spent a lot of time talking about what we wanted to share with y’all this year, the projects we hope to work on and our dreams and goals for the coming year. New Years sort of does that to you, I think. Well in the end we decided to share some of the big projects we would like to accomplish this year. Not the little To Do List items – we will review some of those in a few days. I’m talking about those big projects you keep putting off because, well, they’re big and a bit intimidating and often costly.

This past year has been kind of difficult for me personally. I won’t get into the details but suffice it to say my projects and my blog suffered. I was looking back over what I shared for the past year and was actually surprised to see how few projects I completed compared to what I normally do. Life just got in the way and that’s okay cause that happens sometimes. Projects and blogging are my therapy though and I’m in great need of therapy these days so….

I’ve talked about it for several years but have YET to build a range hood and put in a range fan. Mostly because getting just the right range fan that fits my space, is a good quality and allows me to build the sort of range hood I have in my head – well it’s been a little intimidating. Even for me! I need to tackle it though.

I’m never completely sure what I will end up with when I build one of my projects but I thought I’d share the idea that is floating around in my head.

This beautiful range hood from Sanctuary Home Decor is stunning and although mine will not be dark like this one, I do love the shape of it and particularly the use of corbels. There WILL be corbels, I promise you.

The trim work and chippy corbels already had me speechless but then Shabbyfufu had to go and add copper accents? I mean…..

Now let’s talk about my outdoor seating area that I made a couple years ago. The plan was great. Everything went according to plan. Well….

Everything but ONE thing. You see before I had any seating out here I never noticed that something happens under this huge maple tree. There was no way to tell. I never saw anything on the ground and never had any accidents while sitting under it.

I’m talking about birds……relieving themselves.

Then I put this lovely patio furniture out here and envisioned beautiful mornings sipping coffee with the breeze ruffling my hair….uh huh. Not quite how it turned out because my cushions on the love seat are perpetually covered in bird poop.

Yup!

If I clean them they are full of it again in an hour or so. Not sure how I have escaped EVER having anything land on my head in all these years but anyways. I hung wind chimes from the tree thinking they would help keep the birds away but honestly this tree is SO HUGE now that they don’t care.

I have a plan though.

Something like this beautiful arbor with trellis sides that Better Homes and Gardens shared.

And don’t even get me started on this share from The Cottage Market!

I can just hear you saying – what makes you think the birds won’t be able to aim just right so that it comes down between the boards on top of this and you have the same issue as before? I thought about it and I came up with a solution. I will put a sheet of plexiglass on the top of the arbor so you basically don’t see it, you only notice the wood, BUT nothing can come through to the bench underneath! Brilliant, right? I hope it’s as brilliant in real life as it is in my mind….

So on to the next project I would like to do this year…..my daughter is the sort who doesn’t like change. I don’t know how she can be related to me and NOT like things to ever change but there you have it! So her bedspread and room colors haven’t changed since she could talk. I’m not kidding. At one point she wanted more horses and less butterflies but that was the only change she could accept.

Needless to say I was tired of her room colors and “theme” a very long time ago but it’s her room, not mine.

Her furniture changed somewhat as she matured with the addition of a desk and of course her antique bed frame……

And then puberty hit and everything changed. Suddenly she was ready for a “new” room and she had VERY decided opinions on how she wanted it and it was NOTHING like my style but again, it’s not my room.

Hard for me top step back and just guide but…

My goal for this year is to completely finish her room and share it with y’all. I have a lot done on it so far and on this one I am NOT going to share the details because I want you to be surprised.

Of course when little brother heard all the fuss about HER room and saw the changed beginning to take shape, he felt that perhaps he would like something other than the trains and all blue he had in his room since HE could talk and so began the next bedroom project.

Surprisingly he also had extremely detailed ideas of how he wanted his room. Down to the style of light fixture he wants which I’m still saving up to buy!

Once again, I won’t show you any details or inspiration on his room but I hope to finish it soon so I can share it. It’s a lot different than it’s ever been.

Can you believe there is no blue anywhere to be seen? I’m still in shock….

I have a few other things tucked away in the back of my mind in terms of projects I hope I can get to this year but those are the big ones.

It’s fun to dream, isn’t it?

Until next time,

Emily’s 2023 House Dreams

To see what Emily would like to tackle this year, just click on the photo below.