Since the last messy house tour I posted got so much love from you guys, I figured now was the perfect reminder that our home doesn’t actually have fresh bouquets of flowers and perfectly styled vignettes at every turn. I mean… maybe it’s all perfectly styled by the 3 year-old’s standards.
I love a beautifully clean house, but I wouldn’t feel right letting y’all think our house actually looks how it did in our summer home tour all summer long.
Amidst traveling to a blog conference, working on several home projects, and preparing for two family vacations, I looked around at our reality one day and thought, “This needs to be documented.”
So I grabbed my camera and trekked from room to room because, as much as I want you guys to feel inspired by this blog, I also want y’all to know that the real life, non-magaziney shots can still be beautiful too.
Like our dining room that still has remnants of misplaced items from our kitchen makeover…
Our entryway usually becomes our drop zone…
…which is why that pile of curtains from our living room refresh was sitting on the bench waiting for their buyer to pick them up.
Our living room is easy to clean quickly since we have a pretty good organization system.
But it looks like this “after” most of the time since Olivia is apparently personally offended by throw pillows. I don’t know what they ever did to her.
We’ve been loving our new kitchen and it gets a regular workout now that we’re able to cook again.
To be fair, when I snapped this shot of our kitchen, it was on the clean side. But after several days of leftover dead flowers, I finally got around to tossing them in the trash. Our dishes often pile up in a blink.
One of my favorite things is to create pretty tablescapes just for fun, but it’s so not the norm for our daily lives.
There’s pretty much always some remnant of an afternoon snack, Play-doh bits, and an arts and crafts project on our kitchen table.
And up the stairs is our still very non-decorated playroom waiting for its makeover.
It usually has toy piles and stacks of laundry… and this office chair that now randomly has a home here since Olivia likes to spin around in it like maniac.
Can we just not talk about this laundry room? Close the door and walk away. Laundry duty between summer vacations is not for the faint of heart.
Olivia’s bedroom usually has bedtime story books on her rug…
…along with all of her dress-up clothes.
And even though Olivia’s bathroom is clean most of the time…
…there is usually toothpaste around the sink and clothes on the floor.
Robert has been a pro with keeping his office tidy though… I think it’s still in the post-makeover honeymoon phase.
And as much as I love fresh flowers and breakfasts in bed…
lazy Saturdays really call for unmade beds just because.
We’re just one project away from this bedroom being finished.
Whenever we’re in mid-project mode, our tools pop up in random places. And since our sliding barn doors are next on the list, our power drill has been sitting on our dresser for a few days.
It sort of hurts to show y’all a photo of our master bathroom in real life…
…but here it is, exploding makeup bag and all.
Oh, and Olivia’s bubble bath central…
I swear to you, I walked in and Princess Anna was already positioned in this rather un-princesslike pose. Get a hold of yourself, girl!
And this is my messy bed-headed bunch who I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Can I tell you a little secret?
Before I know it, in the midst of scrolling through Pinterest and flipping through the latest issues of Better Homes and Gardens, insecurity starts to creep in. The comparison game gets real, and there are days I begin to question myself as a wife and as a mom.
But do you know the best makeover that is truly the most beautiful of any of those perfectly styled rooms? Our rooms are loved and they are lived in. They just need a dose of perspective.
Because it’s the dirty dishes piled in the sink that can tell you you are blessed with mouths to feed.
It’s the stacks of laundry pulled out of suitcases that tell you you have had great adventures.
It’s the toys and books tossed randomly on the floor that tell you little minds are growing and learning.
It’s the unmade beds that tell you sometimes the chores can wait because Saturday morning snuggles are much more important.
When you find yourself wishing for a perfectly styled home that isn’t strewn with the daily chaos, remember to tell yourself, “You are enough.” And one day you will wish the messes and the little pattering feet lasted a bit longer.
You are such a riot!! I had to laugh out loud several times while reading this. But it is so true; you have to stop and savor the simple, everyday moments in life, messy rooms and all! My kids are getting ready to leave the nest, and if this teary-eyed mama could have one wish, it would be to turn back time to when they were little. I would gladly go through that craziness all over again! And thank you for your informative, entertaining blog. I really enjoy it!
Haha! I DIED when I saw Princess Anna just posed all crazy on our bathtub. What in the world?! She’s totally going to corrupt my daughter. 😉 Thank you so much for the love, Lucy!
Thanks for this post! Such a great reminder and a great dose of perspective.
Btw tho you are a master styler for those beautiful home tour shots! I know they aren’t real life but you’ve got a gift girl! I would take photo styling classes 🙂
>> Christene
Wow! Thank you, Christene! That’s great to hear because I just wing it. Not sure if I’d ever really know how to teach that part except to say flowers make everything better. 😉
Lauren – your home is beautiful whether clean or “messy”. Thanks for keeping it real!
Thanks, ladies!
Oh, my, yes! Beautifully stated.
Thanks!
Loved seeing real life pictures.
Thanks
Thanks, Treva!
Thank you for the reminder that a home is loved and lived in. What a happy, comfortable home you have created!!
Thanks, Lynne!
I loved LOVED seeing the real life pictures, and especially the master bathroom shot – the toilet paper roll is placed on top of the holder….. That actually made me chuckle since it KILLS me when done at my house. REALLY ?! It might take you longer to balance it on TOP of the holder than to put it in, dear husband… LOL
Your house is gorgeous, regardless ! And I secretly think I like the “messy” better…. as you so perfectly said : “Our rooms are loved and they are lived in”. Not sure I would like a picture perfect home where it looks like you live in a magazine and people cannot even sit on the furniture… And the throw pillows staying on the couch fight – when you figure out the solution besides zip ties or stapling them to the couch – please let us know. 🙂
Go Anna ! Nothing like a getting down at bath time ! 🙂
Haha! The struggle is REAL, right?! That dang toilet paper roll kills me! When I first saw it, my first instinct was to fix it, but I had to tell myself, “No, Lauren. Leave it. This is real life here.” Haha! I totally agree. If you have to worry about keeping everything spotless all the time, you can’t really relax. And relaxing is supposed to be the best part of being home.
Well done Lauren! I LOVE, love, love that you keep it real! Thanks for sharing…even the painful parts! And for the most important reminder….perspective. Thank you!
Thank you, Jana!
This is my all-time favorite post so far. I’m pretty new to the blog, but I absolutely love the idea of being so real. Thank you for sharing.
Aw thank you, Linda!
I LOVE this Lauren. And while your “mess” is seriously on the clean side, its real, and honest, and that is awesome. We can’t get caught up in the perfection of blogdom homes because our homes almost never look that good, despite our best efforts. Just the other night I was lamenting a mess and a fleeting thought leapt through my mind–“If it was just me living here, this place would always be spotless”. That was quickly followed by, “and so lonely and sad”. The mess is living, and I am awfully close to empty nest when I will gladly trade cleanliness for their presence.
Thanks, Lisa! Today, the mess is worse and definitely not on the clean side. Maybe I should have waited until we had THREE projects going on to really show the chaos. 😉 You are so completely right though. When it was just my husband and I back in the day, it was always really clean. Messes = pillow forts and coloring books and dress-up and adventures and a whole lot of awesome. 🙂
Coming from a mom of a 36 year old and a 30 year old the last sentence says it all.
All the feels! It’s so true.
Wow Lauren, nice words and pics.
Sometimes I take pics of how it really is or how we really are, not to show anyone, but because they’re really special to me. Not just lived in but “loved in”.
I like these posts because sometimes I feel I’m not doing enough and everyone else has a perfect home which is so not true lol.
Have a blessed day!
Carrie 🙂
That’s a great way of putting it, “loved in”. I love that! Hope you have a blessed day too, Carrie.
Absolutely one of your best! Love your home and your message.
Thank you, sweet Susie!
🙂 Thank you ! I love this, and i feel so much better now!! Your home is beautiful, and so is your heart.
Thanks for caring…and sharing!
Thank you, Amy!
Such fun to see the “lived in look.” Thanks for the dose of reality; your sense of humor is delightful.
Aw thanks, Babs! By the way, I love your name. 🙂
Love this. Real life. But your mess is way less than mine. I’m thinking you purge often….? Great share…thanks….
I do purge often. I get in a toss out/donate frenzy every few months. It has been messier before, this is just how it happened to look the day I walked through with my camera. 🙂
I love this post. Thanks Lauren. What you said is so true. I have 4 grown children and 6 grandchildren. They do grown up so fast!!
That’s what I’m told. Hanging on to every sweet little minute while I can. 🙂
I love your “lived in look”. Thanks for keeping it real for the rest of us!
Thanks, Susan! 🙂
I love all your pretty styled photos but I really love the fact that you are “normal” just like the rest of us. As I was leaving the house today I thought about what a wreck it is and that my dog sitter will see how messy we really are…you made me feel much better! Thanks!
Thank you, Betty! That means a lot to me. 🙂
Love the shutters next to your china cabinet.
Thanks!
You’re very wise to realize what’s really important at such a young age! You’re very talented and have a lovely home and a beautiful family! Messy just means you have your priorities straight!
Thanks, Karen! My mama taught me well and kept my feet on the ground for many years. 🙂
Love this.
This is my favorite post! Looking at Pinterest or Instagram for any length of time will make anyone start to feel bad about their less than perfect home. We all know that most people do not live that way. Thanks for reminding us 🙂
Thank you, Julie! Instagram is DEFINITELY a culprit in the comparison game too.
Love this! Especially the throw pillows! My kids toss them on the floor first thing in the morning. ? I finally bought a basket to throw them in!
Haha! Makes you wonder… why do we bother?! Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome? Yeah… throw pillows are insane.
This is awesome! It is so great to see someone else’s reality snapshots too! Love it and thanks for sharing. Your home is absolutely delightful!
Thank you, Kellie!
Bravo! So many women need to read this post. Beautifully said and a perfect reminder when we get that anxious feeling scrolling through “perfect Pinterest”?
Thank you, Jennifer! I know what you mean. “Perfect” is so overrated. 😉
You are so right! There’s nothing lonelier than not hearing those little feet or the chaos of playing and laughing and making memories. My two are grown (26 & 21) and out on their own and I still very much have empty nest syndrome, lol.
Thank you for sharing your “real” life, not many people with homes on display as beautiful as yours would have the guts to do that. Not that it was terribly messy anyway, lol.
Blessings,
Candy
You are so sweet, Candy. Thank you! If it doesn’t scare me a little bit to push that “publish” button on a blog post, then I figure I’m not stepping outside of my comfort zone enough. That’s how we grow. It’s definitely sometimes messier than this. It just happened to look like this the day I walked through with my camera. You never know with this bunch around here. 😉
My (almost 3-year old) son also hates the throw pillows, they always end up on the floor.. Guess it is a todler thing!
I wonder if it’s just an everyone but mom thing. My husband does it too. Haha!
Just so you know, this post was wayyyy more inspiring than others with perfectly staged rooms. We just got back from our first trip with our 3 month old and we’re trying to wrap up a home renovation… so I FEEL YA! Thanks for the encouragement today.
Thank you, Chelsea! Wow. Trip + 3 month old + home renovation is definitely the messiest of messes. Hang in there!
Love your web site. I’m not receiving your post, had to look this one up.
Thanks
Oh I’m sorry, Judy! Thanks for letting me know! I just checked from my end, and it’s showing that the email was sent to you; it just wasn’t opened. So maybe it ended up in a different folder? I’m hoping I fixed it now though.
Oh my goodness…..I LOVED this post and seeing your home in the “for real” lived in stage!! Thanks for your insight and the reminders that we all need – that it’s not what our house does or doesn’t look like….it’s the people who live in it and what they mean to us! You are a blessing……
Thank you so much, Lanita! You said it perfectly.
Bwahahahaha…Princess Anna…
I don’t even know… Haha! Gotta love that magic marker makeup. 😉
Love the transparency! I must admit I do get a complex visiting all these blogs with perfectly staged rooms that make the lived-in atmosphere of my home appear in stark contrast. Thanks for letting us see the other side.
I never comment on the blog but read it frequently. This may be one of my favorite you have written. Such a great perspective of living in a pretty home. You are trully inspiring to so many. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much, Jody! That truly means a lot.
Thank you for making the rest of us feel human! So many of us love reading blogs like yours and try really hard to make our homes beautiful, but family and life always pile up on top of the pretty. It’s nice to know we’re all human!
Thank you, Rachel! We’re definitely all human. A lot can come from a little bit of grace.
What color paint is in girl’s room, above deacon bench, and kitchen? Nice.
The girl’s room is Benjamin Moore Gray Owl and the kitchen/hallway is Sherwin Williams Perfect Greige. 🙂
Oh, this just made me love you even more. And really, half way through I said “She redid her KITCHEN? How did I miss that?!” Off to read the kitchen post if there is one…
Haha! Thanks, Rachel. And YES! We love our new kitchen! Totally worth all that hard work.
Hi! Uh……news flash……….even your “messy” rooms didn’t look messy!!!! You have a beautiful home! My daughter’s “messy” room would scare anyone away forever! lol Thanks for sharing!
Haha! This just happened to be what it looked like when I was on my way out the door on this day. Right now, we’re starting a big project and several rooms have exploded around here!