Daydreaming...

A couple of nights ago Josh and I were talking about our house, and I mentioned to him that I wanted to put a white, picket fence around the back yard. He very casually replied that we didn't need to fence in a yard that we would be moving away from in a few years, which came as quite the shock to me! I thought we'd be here for at least another 10 years, if not more. Now don't get me wrong, I'm ALL about some change! In fact, I would love nothing more than to build a house and put in everything that I want. I just didn't realize that he wanted to do the same thing - sooner than later.

It's funny how my taste has changed so much over the years. Five years ago, if you'd asked me what my dream house would look like, I would have shown you this:

Anyone recognize this famous house? It's the Home Alone house. And it is absolutely gorgeous. I would've told you how I wanted mahogany everything, and a fall color palate, and formal landscaping.

Now, my tastes have evolved, and when I'm looking for my dream home, I'm envisioning this instead:

I'll be disappointed if you guys don't know which movie this house is from. It's a movie I've probably seen at least once a year since it came out (some years, twice!).

In the back, I want a garden like the one from It's Complicated, overflowing with flowers and herbs and all sorts of veggies.

I want a white clawfoot tub, and a farmhouse sink, and bright, happy colors. And I want to smell lavender from my garden when I walk outside. And I desperately want a white picket fence.

I think my former dream house fit the person that I thought I wanted to be - successful, fashionable, impeccably stylish in my decor. A house like this deserves a maid, and well behaved children that don't get dirty. And there are people who fit that description, and their houses are wonderful representations of that.

My dream house now, though, is unmistakably who I've actually become. Someone who appreciates the beauty in simplicity and wildflowers, and who has realized that there is nothing more pleasurable than being surrounded by things that you love. Someone who loves the satisfaction of growing something from a seed. Someone who wants little people running around, playing in the dirt, and finding new bugs. Someone who wants rocking chairs outside.

I think people deserve to live somewhere that makes them happy, and that is authentic to their lifestyle. And I don't think you have to have your "dream" house to do that. I'm certain that you can create a home out of an apartment, with a little patience and a lot of love. That's one of the things that I love about the "Leave It To Beaver" era - women created homes that were warm and inviting, and unique. I think creating a home is something of an artform that has slowly been fading away, and that makes me kindof sad. I hope, though, that when people come to my home, they get a sense of "me", rather than a collection of impersonal items from Pier One. I hope that whether it be this house, or my house to come, that they describe my house as "perfectly Kristen", because that's what it should be.