What You Don't Need

I promise that at some point, I will move beyond all of this philosophical BS and show you some actual photos and projects.  But if you've avoided decorating until now, these are probably the reasons why.

1.  "I'm just not creative!"  Neither am I.  Really.  I'm a thief, plain and simple.  Just about every idea I've ever had has been stolen from a magazine, Pinterest (if you aren't on Pinterest, get on NOW--tons of great ideas), or a friend.  Friends are key.  Associate yourself with some artsy types, and you'll never have to think for yourself!  I couldn't do my job without my partner--she's the one who comes up with the random, creative ideas, and I just take credit for it.

2.  "I'm as handy as a drunken monkey."  Yep, me too.  But my philosophy is, if it's not working, what's the worst I can do--make it more broken?  Assess the worst that can happen, and if it's not too scary, just dive in.  I decided years ago that I hated the cheap looking 12", peachy colored floor tile that surrounded my fireplace.  I told my husband (who really is as handy as a drunken monkey) we should bust it out and retile it.  He said it was beyond our scope.  I tried to envision the ways it could go horribly wrong, and couldn't think of any, probably because I had no idea what I was doing.  I decided that if I really screwed it up, it would cost less than $200 to have a professional fix it, so I was going to give it a try.  He left the country on business, and before his plane even took off, I was hacking away at the mortar with a screwdriver and hammer.  The result?

I'll go over this project with you in a while, and believe me, it's truly Half Assed, but it's pretty, right?  And by the way, before you comment, I'm clued into the fact that my husband's "It can't be done" routine is simply his way of not having to do it.  It's a universal talent of those who possess what my doctor friend called the "broken X (y) chromosome."

3.  "I don't have the budget to decorate."  Well, you could be right.  Only you know your finances.  But, as I've said ad nauseum, I am extremely cheap.  I'll try to give you an idea ahead of time how much a project will cost.  Most will be no more than it costs a family of four to eat out, so make some homemade pizza and hit Redbox one Friday night and make your house pretty instead.

4.  "I don't have the space/time."  If you feel that way, you probably don't love decorating.  If it's fun for you, you'll make the time.  I will often forgo making dinner for my family because I've gotten caught up in a project and we all have to eat sandwiches instead.  That's okay with me, my kids love sandwich night, and they love it when I'm in a good mood because I got to do something I like.  When I get to Half Assed organization and purging, we'll talk more about small spaces.