Friday, June 10, 2011

My issues with personal space.

If you haven't been to my house, then you don't understand my struggle with personal space. Meaning, in my house, I have none. We are so lucky to rent my childhood home from my grandma, with a yard large enough for our two very big doggies.... but what the house has in yard space, it looses in actual home space. When it was just Jason, Carley (our beloved mutt), and I... we had plenty of space. The second bedroom served as our guest/office space, where Jason or I could escape one another for a few minute to check email or, in my case, various celebrity smut cites that have my undivided attention.... It wasn't ideal, but it worked. And, we never thought we still be there 3 1/2 years later, with a toddler and second, larger dog, Jackson. But, here we are.
For a while, the computer desk stayed in Emery's room. But, then her toys began to take over the living room, and we thought we could contain them all in her room and bring the desk into the common space. Well, that was crazy. We've brough most of her toys into her room, but the living room is now the home to her table, desk, stroller, and shopping cart. Serously, as she grows, so do the size of her toys!
We have one common area, and all of our stuff, and the 3 of us are here, together. All. the. time.
We made the decision when we got married that our bedroom would not have a TV. Our bedroom was not going to be a place that we disconnected from one another, or stayed up late watching TV. We have some of our best conversations as a couple in the time between going to bed and falling asleep.
We had originally made the same decision about Emery's room. No TV. I wanted to be able to control what she watched, and when. Well, months of fights and tantrums over backyardagins vs. real housewives... and we are getting Emery her own TV. I'm not sure where, in the maddness of her room with a pop up tent/house, kitchen, bookshelf and toy bins (yes there is a bed in there...), we are going to put it... but the time has come. She will not have cable EVER hooked up to her room. Just a DVD player. And, I'm ok with this cave of my "ideal" parenting ideals.
But, as we prepare to move to Colorado, the little voice in my head that has been frustrated and begging for some personal space is getting louder and louder. I love being a mother, and a wife. But, I never shared a room until I was in college. Now, 8 years later, I'm still sharing with Jason (which...is fine), but I'm desperate for some personal space. As any mother knows, the bathroom isn't even a place of peace. Now that we are potty training, Emery has to celebrate everyone else's bathroom accomplishments.... which involved a face to face clapping and "woo hoo!" Showers? Forget it! I've learned to avoid getting water on the floor with the curtin half open... avoiding the 100000 million "what are you doing mommy?" questions...
All I want is a small craft/mommy nook. I don't need a whole room. I'm willing to share the other half as a family office. But one desk, one wall, must be mine. If I'm getting really greedy, I want a vanity table. Someplace to set up my jewelry and makeup where I can sit and get ready in the morning.
I've been reading some mommy blogs about amazing craft areas on one of my FAVORITE DIY blogs:

Some of these spaces are amazing. How do moms find time to create them, then utilize them. I envision a place to house and wrap gifts, work on Emery's snapfish photobook, keep my photo albums and books... I want to decorate a small space with all my own tastes. In our home, I walk a fine line of something being to feminine for my "macho" husband. (insert belly laugh here).
My grand plan involves finding two small old book shelves that will be the foundation for my desk. We'll (and by we, I mean Jason) add a top and front legs. I want to create a chevron design on top and paint the whole desk in some bright colors... maybe yellow and green! I'm going to need some bright sunshine in
winter-y Colorado.
I don't claim to be an interior designer, but I did a simple sketch of what I hope for. I don't look like much here, but in my head, it's a little piece of mommy heaven.
I love being a mother, but as any mommy knows, 5 minutes of time to breath and collect your thoughts in priceless. I realize it will be a few months before we move, and several months before we purchase our forever home... but this is helping me get excited about a move that is pretty scare for me.

I'm going to be reusing some frames we have in the closet to create the j+c=e. I'll paint them all one color and use card stock for the letters/symbols. I plan to tack some fishing wire to one wall and use the clothes line clips to hang current photos of my friends and family. The "flower" picture in the center is one we already have from IKEA a few years ago... I got a mason jar from Michael's for scissors, pens, and markers. And I hope to scout a couple of used book shelves from a yard sale or thrift shop.... Besides being budget friendly, this is a fun project that can help me settle into CO life. I can explore and find fun vintage shops and find a way to fall in love with somewhere new.
I'm going for a fun spring, clean, uplifting vibe... that celebrates my friends and family. Ironic, since it is supposed to be some personal space...

2 comments:

  1. You don't need too much sunshine. Even in the winter the sun almost never fails you! :) It's a great place and you are going to love it! Can't wait to see your ideas come to life!

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