CHANGES

Last night was R-girl’s orientation for high school…

*   d  e   e   p      b  r  e  a  t  h   *

…and we arrived 12 minutes late. Because I didn’t drive to the high school. I drove to the middle school. I pulled into the empty parking lot and said, “Where is everyone?? Do I have the time wrong? Was it last night??” I looked at R-girl, panicked and perplexed. (Me, not her.)

Then it hit me. The high school orientation would be at the high school. Not the middle school.

[sigh]

I can do change. I can. Sometimes it just takes me a while…

A few months ago when Miss Sarah caught a glimpse of my passions and suggested that maybe a few intentional, creative changes—like possibly even redoing my living room or something—could be therapeutic, I let the thought start simmering. (That’s my living room, above, circa the last couple years.)

A few months later when Miss Heather tantalized me with this yummy photo (via Design*Sponge), the thoughts started coming to life (as in, I couldn’t stop thinking about them).

Heather has a gift for that.

Well, folks, the time has come. The living room changes are finally kicking in. Slowly, but yes quite surely. (Plus some changes in all other corners of R-house, which you’ll see eventually.)

Step one? As you might have heard last week, I scored a great deal on Craigslist and this weekend, I hung it. All by myself I might add.

I consider it living room upgrade part one, with more to come. Hopefully eventually to include a few other pops of color and a to-die-for pink couch to replace the OK-I-guess-it’s-still-pretty-cool, $20 Goodwill couch I have right now.

Because a living room upgrade is not only a good antidote for grief. It’s also a pretty good distraction for the mom in semi-denial that she has a brand new high schooler (?!?!).

by julie rybarczyk