Monday, March 26, 2012

Around the House

I haven't posted many photos of how the house is set up, and honestly it's because it's been a mess since we've moved in. We just don't have the cupboard space we're used to, so there are a lot of things tucked into corners because there is no where else to put them. So the place looks a bit cluttered, but what is life without a bit of clutter, eh? We live here, and it looks like we live here, unlike those houses you see in Better Homes and Garden magazine. They look so perfect, like no one lives there! We are an active family, we use our belongings, we have a toddler running amuck making messes everywhere she can.

I've been trying to declutter the house a bit, get rid of things we don't use or need. Especially this past week. Since my health scare I've been forced to rest, so my usually active, busy days have been spent sitting around trying not to strain myself in any way, and when I get a bit antsy I clean something, or organize.


My bookshelves! The bulk of my book collection is here, but I also have a few in my bedroom as well as tucked into different places around the house. I love my books. My collection has grown quite a bit because it's difficult for me to get rid of any of them once they're read. I used to do that when I was younger, and now I could just kick myself for it. There are some books I vaguely remember what they were about, but I can't for the life of me remember what the titles are, and I'd love to reread some of the gems from my childhood. I know that many of these will be worth rereading in the future, so I hold on to them. Living the military lifestyle and moving around a lot is an unstable life. We are constantly losing things or having to replace broken furniture thanks to careless movers, or some pieces don't fit into new houses so we have to get rid of them, but my books are always constant. I will always have my books.


My apothecary "table" It is called a table according the store we bought it from, but it is much more like a chest of drawers. It is filled with junk, but we're slowly weeding through it and keeping only the things we need. On top I have a stack of graphic novels that are based on classic lit that I love. I've got The Picture of Dorian Gray, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Nevermore (a collection of selected Poe stories,) The Wonderful World of Oz, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, as well as a beautifully illustrated book of Shakespeare's sonnets.


My vintage suitcases. They're filled with yarn & handkerchiefs.


Layla jumping in on the photo. I've got my old frame filled with Spring inspired vintage hankies, a painting of bunting that I made myself, a print of Katie Daisy artwork, and the farthest one is my multi media 'I beard you' art.


This is where we keep our DVDs. I love the two Katie Daisy Prints here. 


Where we keep Jer's books. He doesn't have as much as me because he has a nook. This is on the landing on the stairs. The window looks out into our driveway and front yard.


Tulips and matryoshka dolls!


The view out our front door. We see the fence that surrounds the RAF base we live nearby. That building is the youth centre where Layla will be playing footie and doing gymnastics. We also have a great view of the nice base housing neighbourhood. It's a bit cruel that we are forced to live in the ugly, terrible homes and just over the fence we're forced to look at a beautiful neighbourhood with beautiful homes.


My dining room table! We are finally able to enjoy the table and I have a lovely Spring bouquet to complement my Cath Kidston table cloth.


My little phone table. This is the only spot in the house where we can hook up the phone, so I had to put my great-grandma's little table here. It's a bit in the way since it's in the dining room, and it's not a very big space.


And that is our wee little home. We've tried to make it as cozy and liveable as possible, but I will never love this house. I'm still counting down the days until we're able to move out. Don't be fooled by these pictures, I've taken them at flattering angles so you don't see the clutter and mess. It looks like a much bigger space in these pictures than it in in real life.

2 comments:

  1. I know you don't like it, but it's adorable. Just fill the inside with Cath Kidston stuff and forget about the outside LOL

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  2. It's hard to tell in the pictures, but the inside of the house is what bothers me. There is paint all over the carpet and counters. They basically splashed it all over the walls without any care. Lots of areas are really dinged up, it usually doesn't bother me, I know things happen in a house that is lived in, but there is just so much that needs repairing that they won't lift a finger to do. They told us it was new carpet, but there are brown stains everywhere that I just cannot clean.
    I've always lived in base housing, and we've lived in some older houses that have been renovated, but you could tell they were old. It's not that that bothers me, but the housing office here does nothing to make the house nice.
    All of that I can live and deal with, the one thing that really has me counting down is the shower. I haven't had a decent shower since we've moved in. There is no water pressure. It's on a gravity system and the pipes are supposed to go up 6 feet, but they only go up half that because of the roof. The housing is privately owned and it's leased out to the military. The military can't put money into the houses to fix them any more than they do (which isn't much) it's up to the landlord, who doesn't care about it because they're getting their money whether they make improvements or not.
    The little things wouldn't bother me if there weren't so many little things around the house. I know I complain a lot, but anyone who lives in these houses does. They really are awful. Someone called the neighborhood 'The Slums' & as they aren't nearly as bad as actual slums, they are pretty slumish for a first world country.

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