Unsettled

A week after our move, we are still far from being settled in. I have managed to get the major living areas livable, but there is much left to be done. I have resorted to list making, which is pretty futile when you can only afford to do half of what is on your list in the first place.

I have big plans for the basement that will take thousands of dollars to complete. I have big plans for the outside of the house: adding a front porch, taking down some trees, and putting in a zip line for the kids. That's going to take some big bucks. I also have two bathrooms that need complete remodels. If something is going to take more than a year complete, why bother writing this stuff down? Here is a sample list:

-organize clothes
-finish painting bathrooms
-mud walls in basement

Really? Gonna get to that one this weekend?

Baxter worked Tuesday through Friday, so most of the unpacking and arranging fell on me. Frankly, I prefer it that way because I like to have complete autonomy when it comes to deciding where our stuff lives. By the time Saturday arrived, his honey-do list had grown quite long and the weekend ended in frustration - several things started but none completed.

Despite my relaxed albeit, flippant tone, I am quite anxious. I have to find a way to help Baxter pay for this new home of ours and I have very little time at the end of the day to focus on a real job search. I'm having a recurring dream in which I'm back in high school or college and it's the end of the semester and I am going to fail a class because I never attended. In some cases, I can't find the classroom and intend on dropping the class but forget until it's too late. Other times, I realize that I have work to catch up on and attempt to make it right but my attempts are futile. At first, I thought this was a dream related to moving, or a dream related to me being somewhat behind with my copywriting work. Today, however, I realize that it probably has more to do with me going back to work full-time and missed opportunities. I really need to put decorating on hold and focus on a job search. I would hate to miss the perfect opportunity because I was obsessively organizing Abby's Littlest Pet Shop collection. Additionally, I will be able to afford all of these home updates with a better job.

I also struggle with letting go. I know that things happen in their own time and I know I am where I should be. I feel at peace with that. God has ultimate authority over my life and there is a plan being played out, even if it feels like we're running in circles sometimes. I wanted to start work in August, when the kids start school. I didn't want to cancel our trip at the end of July and I wanted to spend the summer loving my kids as much as I can and preparing them for school. Well, August is almost here. I feel that quickening feeling, like being on the precipice of something new. Time to pray for patience, peace, and fearlessness.

Paint Therapy

I love decorating. Along with puppeteer, nurse, teacher, gelato shop owner and motivational speaker, I could have become an interior designer - or maybe a professional painter. I love to paint. I love the rhythm and concentration. Next to yoga, it's the most calming thing I can do. Yesterday, we painted our bedroom a very vibrant color. I want our bedroom to be a bright, cheerful and peaceful retreat from the world. I want to feel as if we've just arrived at our destination every time we go to bed. I want to wake up in a room that feels like it's in another world before we have to get on with life in the real one. That's my goal. To reach that goal, I needed a very passionate color to take us there. I chose Dragon Fruit. Dragon Fruit is an actual fruit and it's gorgeous. Basically, this is what my room should look like when we're all done:

Baxter says it's pink. I keep reminding him that it's called Dragon Fruit. He says I'm turning him into a metrosexual - but I told him to trust me. Thankfully, he does.

Design Ideas

This blog is really a hodge-podge, isn't it? All I can think of today is paint colors and furniture arranging, so I guess that's what I need to write about! We'll be moving next month and I will have 2-3 weeks to get the inside of the house painted and move-in ready beforehand. Everything we did to the bungalow has been of necessity and this time it's purely cosmetic stuff that I want to do. So much more fun! OK, let's get to it.





Kitchen: What I have now is plain white painted cabinets with brass knobs - pretty dreary. What I want is this, sort of. I really want a warmer, more golden color on the cabinets, but you get the idea.

Master Suite: Again, what I have is pretty standard stuff, off-white, I think. I cannot come up with a picture of what I want so I'll do my best to describe it. Dark wood furniture, vibrant red raspberry walls, white trim, white bedding and a small amount of Caribbean blue and lemon yellow. I want to create the look of a Caribbean retreat - bright and exciting while still relaxing. Who knows, maybe I'll start drinking Pina Coladas in bed! And the most important thing? No more computer in our bedroom!!!!!

Abby's Room: The finding pictures thing isn't working out for me right now. Let's just hope your imagination is as good as mine is! She wants pale pink walls with stenciled black cats. Her bed is brass and black. Black antiqued accent tables. Pale pink bedding with at least one faux fur black pillow. We found a black beaded chandelier. One whole wall is already mirrored so when we're done, this room will just reek with fabulousness.

Ford's Room: He wants a hunting room. This was the most difficult one to imagine but by far the funnest to create. Khaki walls adorned with targets to aim his nurf shotguns at. A sign on the outside of the door "posting" the property for trespassers. Black metal bunk beds with heavy mossy netting around the top for camouflage. Oh, and Baxter finally gets to hang a deer head in the house! Wow will he be excited!

Dining Room: Neutral tone, either ecru or gray on the walls. Simple muted tones with a splash or two of raspberry, blue or yellow to tie in some of the other areas of the house.

Den: Same neutral tone as the dining room, natural slip-covered furniture, muted tones overall with some splashes of color from the throw pillows and other accessories.

So, what are my big overall decorative changes? Having downsized and now expanding again, I won't be filling every nook and cranny of my house right away. I'm going to mostly move in first and seek out specific additions as I see fit. I'm not just going to start collecting furniture willy-nilly. We will probably have less artwork on the walls than we used to and certainly more than we do now. I really don't know where I will be putting the big red paintings that hang in our bedroom now. We've had a red thing going on for a while now and I'm pretty tired of it. They might find a home in our finished basement but I'm going to let the walls talk to me before I hang anything up. I want more room for family photos!! And I want to dust less. I am never buying colored or patterned sheets again, or colored towels. In fact, I want white dishes too. I want to simplify and I'm looking for clean lines, less clutter, and more time to relax in our home. I love decorating and I hope to begin in a couple of weeks!

God Isn't Finished With Me Yet

The Lord is still at work here. The past week has been awesome. I finished my resume and applied to two positions that I am actually qualified for. I also attended a mom's night out with my homeschool group friends. I really enjoyed my time with these ladies and I left feeling that I would truly miss them next year. As excited as I have been to jump back into work full-time, it got me thinking. One thing I have realized during this job search, is that many of the jobs I'm looking at are telecommuting ones. That is fabulous. I telecommute now and I'm good at it. I stay motivated, keep on task, and finish my work on time. AMTC's clients are very happy with my work. I know that I could handle something larger in the same vein. Perhaps I could take on more work while continuing to homeschool? With homeschool academies and other options all around me, it is definitely a possibility.

Also, Baxter is having his yearly review this week. It was going to take place at the end of May, so I'm taking this as a sign of divine providence that they are having it now. We know he is going on salary and we know he is getting a raise. What we don't know is how much of one. How wonderful would it be if he comes home with a salary large enough to maintain our standard of living while taking on this mortgage? I know God will provide. I know He will set me in the direction He wants me to go. Nothing is set in stone yet. I know that I would love to continue to homeschool if I can. I have an entire curriculum picked out if I get to use it. I also have other options open to me, including public school. I have a trusting heart. It's an exciting time to be at the precipice of something.

My prayer today is for strength for my husband, that he may know the words to use and the actions to take and that he may glorify God in all his success. My prayer is for my children to continue to take the highest priority in my personal life because raising children is the most important job in the world. I also pray that God will sustain us through all the changes that may come and that we will not turn away from the path He has set for us.

Joy In Transit

Our official moving date is set!! March 28th!! Yes, I realize that's only 10 days from now but we've done so much to prepare for it already. We're taking some things now and over the weekend in preparation such as artwork, window treatments and such. I may go ahead and bring my china cabinet because the curved glass is so expensive to replace, I'd like to make sure it survives the move! The house needs to be move-in ready after this weekend. That gives us Monday-Friday to pack everything. Since this is the 7th or 8th time I've moved, packing is really just a chore - not so daunting as it used to be.

I have scheduled our phone, internet, satellite and such for transfer & installation to the new homestead. I have forwarded our mail. Today we sold the train table and Ford's racecar toddler-bed. So, we're preparing in big and little ways. There is a big part of me that likes moving (obviously - since I've done it so many times). The excitement is starting to take over and I'm so ready to be out of Athens and back home. The jonquils are blooming - it's a great time to be back in Atlanta! I probably won't take the time to post here until after we're all settled in. I'm sure moving will give me lots to write about!!