Real Life is Expensive.

Warning: Serious post ahead.  Don't worry, I'm not baring my soul or anything deep like that, but I will be keeping it real.  Ready.  Set.  This is real life.

I think it was about two years ago when my passion for interior design started.  I have always loved pretty things but it was after I picked up my first issue of Veranda that I discovered a true passion for decorating and a hobby that included collecting fabric swatches & creating design boards for fictitious clients.  Approximately a year later I visited my first blog, which happened to be that of the incredible Emily Clark.  I was instantly sucked in to her before and after pictures, the great DIY tips and it didn't take long for me to become completely enamored with her sense of style.  Before I knew it, I was bookmarking 2-3 new blogs a day and spending way too much of my work day drooling over chevron printed throw pillows, hollywood regency wall scones & of course the coveted chinese chippendale chair.  I would stare at each blog forever taking in every little detail and making a thousand mental notes while scouring craigslist for pieces to recreate these beautiful spaces.  House Beautiful and Elle Decor soon joined Veranda on my doorstep each month and it was evident that I had become hooked.

Fast forward to today.  To Tufts & Stuff.  I started this blog to put my passion on display and track my own before and after projects.  I started this blog to join a crowd of people with similar interests and to provide myself an outlet to write creatively and openly.  As rewarding as the blog as been these past three months, I have been struggling with accepting that my real life is not the same as the lives of my blog friends.  The daily reads that give me so much enjoyment also create frustration and disappointment.  I look at these rooms, some designed by girls close to my age, and then I come home to a house that is barely "designed" at all.  I am constantly having to remind myself that some of these bloggers are interior designers by trade, they can buy items at wholesale, they have all kinds of decor resources at their disposal and many have been doing this longer than 2 years.  I am also frequently reminding myself that real life is expensive and I'm not able to put a room together in a month or two.  As a 26 year-old girl with a 9-5 job and a pending wedding on the horizon, I certainly don't live my life with unlimited funds and I have to be strategic with each of my purchases.  A $65.00 lamp from Home Goods is something I have to think about, not buy on a whim, and upholstering my french bergere chair has been a decision one year in the making.  I know I'll get there and my living room, will one day too, look like the pictures I see on "the blogs", I just have to continually remind myself that a beautiful room takes time.  Man, that's a tough pill to swallow sometimes.

I'm not entirely sure why I decided to write this post but as I re-read it myself I feel a little more at ease with the progress I've made in my house.  And having said that, take a look at some pictures of our recent paint job, weekend rug purchase and The Fiancé's latest toy.

Just a reminder...

Currently:

Our Friday date night this weekend consisted of a trip to Lowes where we picked up our new shag rug and an electric fireplace, as modeled by The Fiancé.  I was super skeptical of this fake fireplace in the store, thinking it was sure to look extra fake and extra cheesy.  But once we got it home, fired it up and positioned the flatscreen on top, I totally changed my position.  Not only does it emit some serious heat, but the wood looks expensive and the logs and flames actually look legit.  And most importantly, it made the space feel a lot more cozy and intimate.  Jack loves the rug and we could not have chosen a more perfect color to help disguise his frequent shedding.  Successful Friday night if I do say so myself.  The gray paint is perfection and I'm loving the placement of my chair in the corner.  Once the wardrobe finds a new home, the chair gets recovered and we find ourselves a floor lamp, we will be on our way to putting this room together.  Pillows and drapes are currently on hold while my mom is knee deep in wedding planning, but a good room takes time, right?