New Year's Resolution

I don't know how to decorate. I was raised by a woman who does not believe in knick-knacks. Whenever anyone would give my mother a lovely vase, a ceramic bowl, or a porcelain dolphin, she looks at it and wonders why a person would throw away perfectly good money on clutter. This same person does not get into the habit of hanging anything up on the walls. I grew up in a very, shall we say, MINIMALIST household.

For the longest time, the only things hanging up on the wall were several paintings I did in junior high. My mother once said, "That painting is more precious to me than any Picasso. I mean, who is he to me, anyway? Picasso isn't FAMILY."

Peter and I went to Vinnie and Gretchen's house for a New Year's Eve celebration. We've been moved into our condo for the past three months, which is about the same amount of time Vinnie and Gretchen have been at their house and there are still boxes in the living room, our spare room has become our spare closet-full-of-junk-we-should-have-thrown-out-months-ago. The basement is a nightmare, and I still haven't unwrapped one of our dining room chairs.

Anyway, when we walked into Gretchen's house - it was DONE. Plates hung up on the wall, Christmas decorations with a real Christmas tree and presents under it, all the furniture unpacked, with a plant and candlesticks on the dining room table. The lady has about three jobs, a four-year-old to take care of, and manages to whip her household into shape.

On my way home, Peter consoled me by saying, "Gretchen grew up in a decorated house. She learned all this from her mom. I mean, your mom is kind of like, 'Hey! I got this picture of a water-fall from one of my customers...and I'm going to put it...HERE! Behind the stereo speakers!'"

Gretchen told me that she spent a crazy amount of money for all the furniture and stuff and it's going to take her four years to pay it off - but at least she gets to live in a nice place for four years. I'm so frugal, we still don't have a REAL dining room table.

My New Year's Resolution is to make my house a home - even if I have to spend gobs of money.