Turning 50 and Attempting to Decorate for My Age
Turning 50 and Attempting to Decorate for My Age. In my earnest effort to look normal, have a normal home, and decorate…we went in to TJ Maxx. I could feel the panic come over my body. So many people in that store. It was like the Shop-O-Rama in my local town.
There was jewelry, perfume, clothes, purses, Christmas EVERYWHERE, decor, toys, food…my thoughts were if I stumble on a frozen food section, I am out of there. It was overwhelming for me. I shop online all the time. This in person crap is for the birds.
I beelined to the pillows. They seemed safe and according to my sister, I needed one stripe or floral, one solid, and one textured to bring a “room together.” I’m agreeing with her like I know what she is saying.
Yet, this is why she is my person.
After her words were used, she looked up the exact piece and said, “order this and this and this is what it should look like when you are done.”
Aw, she knows I’m visual and not an auditory learning. Love her. I ordered all that she said and am anxiously awaiting the arrival.
My Vision
There is a vision in my head of what I want for my living space. I love clean, simple, clutter free spaces. I enjoy open, airy, lots of light as well. My colors for the first living area is grey, black, white, and red. I love that combo with my furniture. In the first half of my living room, I have 2 couches, 2 recliners, and a bookcase. That’s it. There is zero room for any end tables or a coffee table.
I dug around and found two nice, fluffy blankets to add some personality to the space. In 2 separate grey/white twill baskets, I added stuffed animals in one and hid it behind a recliner and in the other, it has books for my grandchildren.
Onto My Walls
I have a black and white print a friend drew for me. Love it. Then, I have 3 16×20 canvases (is it a double consonant “s” in that word? Canvasses? I’ll have to look that up), and underneath it, I want a simple sign with a white background and black lettering. I’m leaning on the quote “I’m Gonna Wait on You.”
It’s personal.
Canvases and Canvasses can both be used. I feel better.
Furniture and Obsessions
My one piece of furniture is sort of a bookshelf with a cabinet underneath. I have a baskets under there where I may put more of my grandchildren’s toys and they can safely get too them. Since I have no storage in this house, my mom repurposed a piece of furniture that I use for games, school supplies, and more “stuff” for the grands. That sits in my foyer.
The top 3 shelves has my collection of Bible’s hello, my name is Brandi and I’m addicted to Bibles. Daddy said if I can’t learn what the Lord wants me to learn in one Bible, I certainly won’t learn with 30 Bibles.
Whatever, Daddy.
What I Need
I need a long sign under my canvases (there I go again). Also, I needed one more black framed something to go on the other side of the window. The whole point of this trip to TJ Maxx is because I wanted throw pillows. Honestly, I feel like people who are almost 50 have throw pillows. I thought I could incorporate the red that way, which I did and love!
Then there was the whole conundrum of “do people who are 50 have curtains?” Is it a requirement? I just don’t know. Yes, I took a poll and the poll was split down the middle. I opted on no, but could change my mind in order to look my age LOL.
Back to the Throw Pillows
I felt safe back there in the pillow spot of TJ Maxx. There were not a lot of people and the different textures of the pillows brought me joy. I could be the weirdo who likes to touch things and feel the textures. It is quite relaxing.
Sadly, I revert back to my younger years and I crop dust the pillow aisle. That was until my husband surprised me and walked behind me. He said “My smell is still gone but somehow, someway your putrid farts permeate my nostrils. What is wrong with you?” I giggled like a schoolgirl and kept walking.
Good news was that I found RED pillows (solid), textured pillows (striped), and a stand out pillow. As an adult, I did all the requirements per my sister. Yes, yes I did send her pictures. She was pleased and gave me two thumbs up!
At One Point
I was standing in front of the greenery and I wondered outloud are these the types of green things that 50 year old people have in their house? Do you dust them? Should they be real? How does this work. The space over my bookcase is substantial, so how will they see these tiny little pots with these fake flowers in it.
One lady said I sounded like her and her sister. She was super traditional and her sister was the tye-dyed type. Since I was literally wearing the tye die shirt, she figured out which one I was and which my sister was. I am, quite literally, trying to muster up that traditional, age appropriate person and it was evading me. Decorating is not my thing.
I walked away with no greenery.
We Stumbled onto the Clearance Aisle
I would touch something and present it and ask to my husband “Will this make me look normal?” He stated not unless I had planned on impaling people. This piece looked like a bunch of tiny swords ready to stab anyone who walks by.
Point taken.
Then he found a 3 piece set of a calender, a daily menu piece and the perfect match to go onto my living room wall. I was stoked. I accidentally got my kitchen decorated and didn’t even realize it. Happy Day to me!
One woman, as I was muttering to myself about decorations said “ma’am, you just be you and who cares what anyone would buy or how their stuff is decorated. You just be you.” That actually helped.
It Helped Me Walk Out of the Store
I left him to check out, get all these pillows to the car, in the rain and we went home. I needed a pill and some relaxation time. Everything was done for Part 1 of my living room. I have some pics to print and put in that one frame. I also have another canvas to print. Then, I have to have my mom make that sign and then it is done.
With what I had laying around my house, I found a red basket and a plant that I hadn’t killed yet. I ordered a black pot to put Edna in for on top of my bookshelf. Looks pretty good except for her burnt leaves. *For inquiring minds, Edna is dead. She isn’t just a little bit dead…she is a lot dead. She is dead and I subsequently killed three aloe plants.
Foyer Decor
I cleaned out the bill holder and will move some stuff around in the coat closet. It needs to be used for coats. I may also put a piece in there that is a hidden shoe holder. Then, Bart hung a massive piece on top of some furniture my mom made. Bart hung another one of my favorite signs up. I ordered a runner (mostly for safety reasons) and a Eucalyptus wreath.
Bart will be adding shelves and stuff in the cats litter box room. Yes, Karen has a whole room with a drain in it and all the things. She needs it. Anyway, once I get that, that little spot will be done. Oh, my Snake plant (no clue, but sister told me I couldn’t kill it because hers is still alive) is still alive. It will need a little table to sit on.
TJ Maxx came through in a clutch but I gotta figure out the down times to go in there because dang, there were a lot of people. So. Many. People.
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