sailfish

The first step on the road back to into normal life after taking the 30 day accessory free challenge (or as Alana called it, the Tchotchke Challenge) is to introduce your forlorn accessories back into your home. When you do you will be surprised at what annoys you. You will experience a mix of grief and sheer happiness that the things that you assumed made your home finished and pretty don’t matter as much as you thought.

breakfast area

Currently at the nest there are very few accessories out and I’m trying to find the place where my plants are happiest, and keep my surfaces relatively clear.

fireplace

One item on the mantel. When I do have an accessory, I don’t mind that it’s accessorized.

piratey

family room

And naturally, this wall is now driving me crazy. Firstly, it’s driving me crazy because it’s been like this for a few years which I’m pretty sure is a world’s record for me. Secondly, there are just so. many. things. up there. One way or another I feel a change coming on for the gallery wall.

holding areathe holding area for accessories on call for the cover shoot over the weekend

I spent much of the last month taking more photos for my upcoming book. Then I found out that I took most of the photos on the wrong setting and the resolution was too low. I warned Zondervan that I was no photographer, this is our punishment–this is what happens when an imperfectionist takes a bunch of photos–sometimes they have to be done over. Y’all, I totally have to take a huge amount of photos over!!!  I don’t have the strength to laugh or cry. So even during accessory-free month, I had one room that looked like that one above.

white

But all of the other rooms are so peaceful. I found that even having one crazy room right smack in the middle of the house was still worth it so the other rooms could be normal and quiet at the end of the day, I had days where the front room looked like someone broke into a cute store and then threw all the whares in that room. But I didn’t mind since the rest of the house was so calming.

bedroom

bedside

bonus room

For the record, I’ve already packed that round tray away, I thought it would help corral stuff but it just got in my way. It’s now a sickness. Also, the hot pink pillows are a phase, I’m sure, I hope my boys forgive me–this is their  hang out room.

office

So this is my house right now. Plenty of life, plenty of character, fewer things setting around. So far I really like it.