Time To Make A Home ...

Since moving to Massachusetts, I've found that I need to be my own best friend. I'm grateful, of course, for my husband and the time we are spending together but most of the time, it's just me here with the pups.

It gets a little lonely.

While I won't get into it now, I kind of like being by myself. I like to put on my favorite music and just putter around. However, I waste a lot of time. I could be accomplishing and doing so much more each day.

Today I realized just how true that statement is. I was invited to have lunch with a few of the wives who also moved to Massachusetts when our husbands were transferred here. We all came about the same time. The difference is that they all moved onto the same street in a nice area about 40 minutes from where we decided to live. So they see each other a lot -- they go for walks every day and have had a lot of fun helping each other plant shrubs, put in lawns, and decorate their houses. You get the idea.

Back to how much time I waste ... Reality hit me right between the eyes when I walked into Sandy's front hallway. I was greeted by a beautifully decorated home (I don't mean just pretty -- this place is Better Homes and Gardens gorgeous.) I hope my jaw didn't make too much noise as it dropped to the floor. I knew Sandy liked to shop and had great taste but ... OH. MY. GOODNESS.

I oohed and ahhhed as I got the tour, all the while thinking about how silly I'd been to be so thrilled just to get blinds up on my windows. I still don't have any curtains up. I have barely hung any pictures. And (head hanging in shame ...) I've lived here six months already!

So OK ... I just pushed aside my thoughts of inadequacy and focused on enjoying the company of the ladies as they arrived to have lunch. We laughed and talked about boxes that we still unpacked (I suspect they were being polite ... I'm quite sure I'm the only one with boxes stacked in the extra closets) and then went for a walk before having dessert.

The first stop was the empty house for sale next door. It was fun to go through it. As it turns out it was the same model as Lori's house. As we continued our walk, Lori offered to show me her place ...

So can I say OH. MY. GOODNESS. again? Lori's place is just as fully decorated, just as ... perfect ... as Sandy's. Different decorating styles and taste but equally as lovely. In both cases all the furniture came from their previous homes yet it fit perfectly in their new places -- if I didn't know better I would have thought each piece was purchased for their new home after arriving here.

Again, back to the topic of wasted time. I'm kicking myself a bit, realizing that part of the reason I perhaps don't feel like Massachusetts is "home" yet is because I haven't really allowed it to be. I haven't fully unpacked. I haven't dared to hang pictures on the walls and get out shopping for new pieces that will complete our home. I've hidden behind the "I'm not really sure what I'd like to do with the place" excuse for much too long. In short, I've been wasting a whole lot of time.

It's time to start changing things around a bit. First I'm going to go through each and every box still unpacked and -- you got it -- unpack!

Next I'm going to go through each room, one at a time and make a plan for what I'd like to do with that room. Time to get some color strips, some fabric swatches, and break out the decorating magazines. Time to look through decorating blogs to get some ideas.

It may take a bit but I'm done feeling like a guest in this house. It's time to move in and make it MY home.

While I probably won't be inviting the ladies for lunch at my place anytime soon, I'm hoping that maybe by spring time I'll have the place looking like a home.

Expect to see a few posts that are asking for suggestions and ideas!