Can an Outhouse Make You Happy?

Have you ever noticed that your home can change the way you feel when you walk in the door?

Have you ever noticed that when your house is messy and disorganized it makes you uncomfortable and crabby?  That it makes you look around and you see all of the things you hate and want to change?  I know that when my house is a mess it's usually a reflection of how I feel inside.  Out of control, not feeling good about myself, not caring, and not loving life. I'm not talking about my house being perfectly remodeled and all projects complete.  I'm talking about a clean toilet and vacuumed rugs and made beds.  I know we all have days or even stretches of time where we don't clean because of time constraints and sometimes it nothing to do with how we "feel" but I do think that a clean house makes a person feel good.  It can make you feel content and happy with what you have and ready to take on the projects you have been avoiding.  

 

 

Every house is different.  We all have different taste and different budgets and different ideas.  But the only thing that matters is -- do you love your space?  Does it make you feel like you can't wait to go home and nestle in and relax?  I know that I could make ANY space I live in a place I want to be.  I have learned to only buy things that bring a smile to my face.  Do I have knicknacks and home decor?  Heck yeah!  But I only use the things that I love.  I am patient enough to scour for the perfect piece and often when I have an idea of what I want it's not long before I find it at a second hand store or a website online at a great price or at Target ;)  Home decorating doesn't have to be expensive.  And sometimes it takes a long time to get your home to a place that you want to be in, but I truly believe in the above quote - fill your space with what you love and you will have a comfortable and inviting home.  People will feel your contentment when they enter. 

I know this Marilyn quote is not about home decorating, but in my mind it can be.  People are afraid of making mistakes in their home.  What if I don't like the paint color?  What if I pick the wrong fabric?  What if I hate it when it's done?  My answer is - you don't know if you will until you actually do it.  And if you try and it is a failure then move on to the next idea.  If you hate the paint color then pick a new one.  But often if you choose something (color, furniture, etc.) that you love you will get excited to keep going and make your space your own.  Make mistakes, keep trying, and believe in yourself - you are the only one who knows what makes you happy. 
 

Again, I know you are thinking "Kate - this quote has nothing to do with houses."  But it does.  I love old houses.  I love the character and charm and history of old houses.  They are perfect to me.  Don't wish you had someone else's house.  Look at yours and find what you love, fix the what needs to be fixed for functionality, embrace the imperfections and quirks, and love it. I think that quote also is a good reminder for each of us.  Love yourself.  Love your flaws. And know you are pretty amazing.  (I know, I know it sounds so hokey...but it's true!)

I just plain old like people who smile. 

My thoughts and dreams are often about houses.  I love houses.  Any house.  I love to look at houses, think about the people who live in them, wonder about the history of the house, and dream of how the space could be made to feel like a "home."  I had a good friend tell me recently that at her house they talking about "pulling a Kate" in a verb sense.  She explained that her significant other felt like his home office was on the back burner and when can we focus on that project?  She said a while later she went down and found that he had arranged a few items in the office and put bulbs in the lamps and pulled out things he loved and planned to use when the redo of the room was complete and it felt like a totally different space.  They still have to paint and complete some projects, but just spending 15 minutes making the space his own helped make the space comfortable and relaxing.  She said he "Kated" the space and he felt much better.  I loved hearing that!  Pull out what you love.  Use what makes your heart happy and even a space that needs paint and a remodel can feel like your own.  Oh -- and clean!  It will always feel much better if it is clean.   

I think that our homes can be our safe havens and they need to be a place that makes you feel comfortable and content.  No one's style is the same as yours. 

I can't have a post without some sort of project photos...this summer we worked on the classiest outhouse on the Dead River.  See...even an outhouse can be "decorated" and every time I enter it I feel comfortable and happy.  If I can't have running water, the least I can have is a classy outhouse.  And YES - there is electricity.  We have a generator and invertors for power so lights and music are possible!