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May: What Color Looks Like

When Paul and I bought our first house together, we spent a lot of time redecorating and renovating to make it more “us.”  We chose cherry cabinets, black granite counters, neutral rugs and couches and beautiful muted colors for the walls.

I spent hours searching for the perfect fabric and then sewing curtains and matching pillows for the living room so that everything was coordinated. 

And then the kids came along.

And now our “perfectly coordinated” living room is splashed with accents of primary red and yellow and blue. 

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It’s full of raucous stripes and owls and polkadots.

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Our beautiful dining chairs and tablecloths have been replaced by shark cushioned chairs and wipeable placemats.

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And our once plain, beige walls are covered in artwork, chore charts and calendars.

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Our neutral carpet is strewn with toys…

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And our peaceful office is now called the “toy room.”

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Sometimes I yell and scream about the toys that seem to be taking over the house, about the fact that our rooms are no longer “perfect.”  But then I take a deep breath (or two, or three) and remember that these wild, crazy colors are just proof that it’s no longer just Paul and I living here- it’s a family.  A silly, noisy, crazy family. 

It’s perfectly imperfect.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Now go see what “Color” looks like for Tina Hunter!
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Comments

  1. staciMay 31, 2013 at 10:55 AM

    Lol and love it- very sweet. Especially love the fridge art pic. Can you image your grown up kids looking back at that? great idea and super fun post and narrative

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMay 31, 2013 at 12:36 PM

    Love it and I must say I MISS this view!!! My babies are in middle school and High school now :(, aside from my 1st grader (who behaves like a teen lol). I miss seeing all these toddler colors in our house! Enjoy every second of the colors kids bring in!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. HeatherMay 31, 2013 at 2:30 PM

    I love how you took us step by step on a journey. A journey I know all so well. I used to have a living room perfectly decorated to my tastes. I would sit there quietly taking in its beauty, feeling at peace. Having kids turned this sanctuary into an actual living room. We spend most of our time there playing, reading, eating, snuggling. Sometimes I long for my old space. However, like you said it, it is proof of "a silly, noisy, crazy family". This was a wonderful post!!

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  4. tina hunterMay 31, 2013 at 6:50 PM

    this is wonderful. and the "toy-strewn" era passes so quickly, in hindsight. enjoy it while you can!

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  5. Heart of the WestMay 31, 2013 at 7:09 PM

    I love this post. So much changes when you have kids-all for the better. Love your pics:)

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  6. Suzanne O'BrienJune 1, 2013 at 3:35 AM

    kids do color our worlds don't they, wouldn't have it any other way! love all of the daily life details you captured here!

    ReplyDelete
  7. pjoyeJune 3, 2013 at 10:17 PM

    what an interesting peek into your day to day environment and all the colors you see; how your home is now filled up with the presence of children.

    ReplyDelete

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