SUBURBAN POP

I don’t usually look back with nostalgia at the passing years, and I may never again, but I’m in a contemplative mood right now and spewing reflection all over the place. Maybe because I just turned 35 and that alone warrants some thinking, mourning and acceptance of adulthood with zero possibility of return. Regardless, something about 2015 got me. It was a good one. On the home front, it was a combo of progress and routine. And, personally, I’ve felt more like myself than I have in years. This is TMI for a house blog, but becoming a parent and living in places I didn’t want to mixed with some depression really made for some muddled and strange years and 2015 was the first one in so long that the fear of slipping back into that didn’t hover over me. I’m still here, Hallelujah! I laughed my regular amount, which is the only thing I ask of myself at this point. I was surprised by how much I liked writing this blog (seriously, THANKS FOR READING!!!!). House projects sound like such a petty way to mark the passage of time, but since they bring me an insane amount of happiness I’m stacking ’em up to see where the year went. So without further embarrassing rambling, here’s my favorite house related events of 2015…

Painting the family/dining room! A project so fresh that I haven’t even photographed it, so you’ll have to trust me when I say HUGE IMPROVEMENT:

A pulled together kids’ room made life a little easier:By far, the most read post of the year was this one about weird old fireplaces. Glad everybody’s with me:This string on cork project is my most favorite thing my hands made this year:I haven’t posted about this yet, but amateur backyard curbs that were harder but more impactful than expected:Technically from last year, this 2014 December kitchen faucet install payed huge 2015 dividends:Mostly-finished-hallway flooring is so much better than not-started-hallway-flooring:
Hands down favorite 2015 find was this coffee table:Still happily surprised by this pop of color on the 5 days this year that I slide the laundry room door closed:Top honors goes to the GRASSCLOTH!!! Where have you been all my life?

Don’t expect any New Year’s resolutions outta me because I’m not that kind of girl (though I will nag this into existence), but I’ve got some solid 2016 house goals:

• Make the pass through in the dining room unpassable but totally cute!
• Laundry room counter top!
• Rehab or new front door!
• Get the wood floor boxes out of the family room and properly arrange the room!
• Paint all the random unpainted trim in the house!
• Paint the exterior!
• Landscape the backyard and maybe even the front!
• Install lights in the bathrooms and ceiling fans in the bedrooms (#dreambig)!
• Build a bed for the master bedroom!

Again, thanks for reading!!! Rancid is playing tonight and I’m not going so I’m gonna go close out this year by mixing a little bit of sulk in to my gratitude.