Today is the one year anniversary of the death of Helena’s mom. In a couple of weeks, it will be the anniversary of her dad’s death.� If you are new here, you may not know that this project began in tragedy, and that specters hang above everything I do. Or, maybe you are not new here but have just forgotten. Every now and then I forget, too. That’s how it goes. Everything moves forward. Our motivations slip. We forget what we started and why.
I’ve been worrying about the William Morris Project. It seems like my projects are more boring than not, so I often feel silly sharing that I, say, bought a dish mat. The big and glamorous projects cost money, which we used to pay for next year’s tuition. It’s a huge relief to have that monthly bill off our plate, but it leaves me with little money to buy all the frames I need. Get new floors in the kitchen. Buy rugs. Why are the rugs I like so expensive?
Then I calm down and remember the project isn’t about new and better and prettier. It’s not about showboating. And besides, it’s not like we haven’t done anything. We finally finished painting the walls in the family room.
All I need to do now is take off all the clutter on the credenza and hang some pictures.
Progress, not perfection. I reminded myself of this when the one item I did budget for this week failed to arrive on time. Maybe next week.
As I thought about what else I could do this week, I worried about something else that has been on my mind. I’m running out of things to do. I don’t have any small projects left. I’m almost done. So I decided to tackle something that has been on the back burner since February. It’s something many of you have asked me to do. I sat down Wednesday and went through all my William Morris Project posts and crossed off all my completed projects from the initial Intentional Home post. Then I sat back and laughed.
I have plenty left to do.
I have small projects coming out my ears.
I will be done just in time to sell the house and retire in a motor home.
�Humans see what they want to see.�
? Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
Going over my list of goals is so important, yet it’s something I never do. I don’t think I’ve looked at it since February. I walk around with a vague idea of what needs to be done, and inspiration usually strikes a few days before my deadline. I’ve done myself a disservice by not regularly reviewing my list. Not only because there are plenty of small projects I missed, but also because I denied myself the opportunity to pat myself on the back. I’ve worked hard. I’ve accomplished many goals I didn’t think would happen this first year. I can’t encourage you all enough to go over your own list if you haven’t recently, especially if you’ve been plowing ahead and working every week these past few months. You don’t realize how much you have done!
I’ve linked to all my completed projects, but I’m looking to gather all the posts and projects on one page for easy access. It’s something else I have wanted to do for months, but I put it off thinking it would be boring work. I wasn’t far off in my assessment. It wasn’t exactly thrilling to copy, paste, and then repeat several dozen times, but it felt good to finally have it organized. I’ll contact Anna at some point this week to talk about organizing a William Morris page. Is there anything else organization-wise you would like on the blog? I know a few of you asked me to install a comment notification system. Anna did that a couple of weeks ago. Is it working? Do you like it?
Okay, that’s all for now…at least on the blog. Is anyone else eyebrow deep in end-of-school projects? Summer vacation is almost here!
This post was part of The William Morris Project, a weekly series that details the steps I am taking to create an intentional home. You can see more of my goals and completed projects here. To learn more about this project, start here.
Now it�s your turn! Feel free to share how you have lived according to the William Morris quote, �Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.� Made a plan? Cleaned a drawer? Bought a sofa? Tell us about it with a link or comment. A few guidelines:
- Please link to a specific post, not a general blog address.
- Your post must relate to your efforts to create an intentional home. I have a delete button, and I�m not afraid to use it.
- No links to giveaways, please.
- Let�s use this weekly link up as an opportunity to gather inspiration and motivation. Click links. Discover new people. Say hi and good job. I know I will.
Just so you know, the link to your intentional home post is missing a : in http:// :)
I made a list of things I want to do but I haven’t checked it in a while. (I also don’t think I’ve done anything in a while, oops).
Thanks so much, Sarahmia! I’ve fixed it now.
I would love to see all the WMP posts on one page. I’ll bet looking at it will give you a real sense of accomplishment, too!
It gave me that feeling yesterday, yes!
Hi Jules! I have been reading your blog for a few months now. One of the things I really like about your blog is that your projects are achievable for those of us without the resources (both time and money!) to do big projects and major remodels. I like reading about your satisfaction in decluttering and reorganising a drawer because it’s like vicarious post-organisation satisfaction, and it inspires me to seek the same satisfaction in my own life.
Here are some other things I like about your blog:
1. you are very honest and human about your frustrations and imperfections and “failings”
2. you are really funny but also kind
3. you have excellent spelling, grammar and punctuation (win! I know it’s petty but I find badly written blogs too irritating to read)
And plenty of other stuff too.
Thanks for writing it! I always look forward to your posts.
PS I live in Australia! It’s not really 3:04am ;)
Thank you so much, Hannah! You made my day. :) xoxo
I love that I had the theme song for Word World playing in my head this entire post.
I haven’t consulted my list in ages. Thank you for reminding me to do so. I suppose I’ve been afraid I won’t have much to cross off. Also, I haven’t really put it all on one list – something to do! As for what you are planning, yes – love the idea of a page where we can review your list and see everything you’ve done. It provides inspiration. Also, when you reply to a comment, I’m still not getting notification. Perhaps I’m missing a step?
There should be a button that you check–I think–if you want to be notified. Nothing? Anywhere?
You have accomplished much–not only in your own home, but several of ours as well (inspiring us to get off our you-know-whats and get it done). As for future postings, well, you could write about watching paint dry and I’d be enthralled . . . pretty sure. The way you frame it all in a story makes me giddy.
*I’m not seeing the notification either. Of course, I am a bit of a dork when it comes to technology . . . so it could be me.
And I’ll send up a prayer for Helena . . . anniversaries can be hard. Sigh.
Bah. I’ll email Anna. I probably broke something.
(Thanks for the well wishes for Helena.)
Just ditto to all of these comments. I love to read what you write no matter the topic. And your “small” projects are inspiring to m. Because I get overwhelmed easily I’ve always (work, home school) broken big jobs down into small tasks – otherwise I just freeze and can’t get anything done . So your posts remind me that small tasks are important too.
And prayers to Helena – that first anniversary is so hard, but in some ways (for me when my father died much too young) it was a relief as I could stop counting – one year from the day he died, one year from when I last saw him, one year from the funeral. It hung over my head until it came.
Thank you so much, Susan. You’re always so supportive. :)
What a great reminder to check the master list…I haven’t done that at all, either. Maybe if I printed it and stuck it on my memo board…
I definitely see the value in the smaller projects. Most of us are in the same boat, without resources to tackle the big projects very quickly. At least the small projects keep us afloat (I don’t know where this sea metaphor came from). If we just let everything fall apart until the distant day when we can accomplish a large project, think of the chaos!
Also, seeing your pretty paint job makes me want to go slap some paint on the walls of my bathroom. I just might do it.
Most of us are in the same boat, without resources to tackle the big projects very quickly. At least the small projects keep us afloat (I don�t know where this sea metaphor came from).
This made me laugh out loud! :) Reviewing my list was definitely what I needed. I printed it out yesterday, too, so I can see it as well. It was motivating!
Can I just say “ditto” to above commenters? :) Hannah nailed it with her 3 things that she likes about your blog. Susan is spot on regarding the one year anniversary being the worst. Sending good thoughts for you and Helena.
Oh, yes, and I don’t see the notification checkbox either. Another thing that I would like to see on your blog is a way to click to the comments at the bottom of a post. It’s really just a convenience thing, but when reading from the home page, you have to scroll back up to the top of the post to add/read comments.
That’s a great idea about the comment link at the bottom of the post, too. I just emailed Anna about it. Thank you!
Thanks for all the nice things you said, too. :)
One reason I consistently link here (and very few other places) is that it’s not about showboating or showing off some amazing thing. It’s about the real business of making a comfortable, sheltering home. Somehow, I got to adulthood without knowing a lot of fundamentals about how to create and run a home. I really appreciate the premise of this project and the down-to-earth, practical bloggers who post here. Not to be snarky (OK, maybe just a little), but I think there’s much more value in teaching/learning about how to organize our stuff (and thoughtfully acquire it) than there is in learning how to make it look cute.
As for progress and not perfection, I’m certainly not perfect this week. Had a post in the works that I felt better fit the project than the one I’m linking, but somehow I’ve gotten goofed up about what day of the week it actually is. Thought it was Wednesday today…post not done yet. Glad to know I’ll be able to share it next week. (Although this one is about being pretty thrifty, so it might be helpful for others who have the same kind of small budget we do.)
I’m all about the thrift! I can’t wait to read it. :)
I can be a little snarky about things, especially when people go so overboard with the pretty that it seems impossible one could actually live a real and messy life in that environment. Sometimes it’s okay to just have plain ol’ contact paper in your pantry instead of limited edition Japanese tissue and fairy lights.
“limited edition Japanese tissue and fairy light” That made me SOL (snort out loud!).
I started to post a comment an hour ago, but our electricity went out during the rain storm. That’s not helping my motivation today. Good call, though, on the revisiting the list suggestion. I feel like I’ve hit a wall and it’s not because I’ve run out of things to do. I’ve gotten out of balance and need to go back to my priorities list and put them in a better order. I have so many fun ‘decorating’ things to do, I’ve left all the harder, more mundane stuff to do later. And I’m smart enough to know that ‘later’ usually means ‘never.’
Thanks for the pep talk, coach.
We were born to be organizers. Tonight, we declutter.
This is MY house and I’m takin’ it! Ahhh, Kurt, well said.
Oh, those pants! LOVE the pants!
Hey Jules, I’m so glad you went back and looked at your list and patted yourself on the back. Do you know that I have consulted your list a few times–just to see if any of your things could be my things, too? I’m glad you’ve gone back and linked to the completed projects. I had thought that would be a nice thing to have done the last time I read through it! Thanks.
I could definitely read you writing about paint drying–but that goodness you won’t have to write about that!
My condolences for your loss–It is a tough anniversary. All your projects are commemorations.
All your projects are commemorations.”
I love that.
Ditto.
You are creating a living legacy through all your WM projects.
Including the inspiration and motivation to those who read your blog. I know I am a better person for it. Thank you for reminding us to be intentional with our lives.
What a way to honor Helena’s parents.
I did not know that this project started in tragedy. What I do know is that it has come to be so important in my life. It keeps me motivated and accomplishing more than I ever would on my own. It also has increased my satisfaction with what I have.
I look forward to your (and all of the regulars!) posts each week as though they are the next installment of some weekly TV series that I am hooked on. The simplest of projects are interesting because they represent so much more than the surface suggests.
Keep it up, Jules!
A year has already passed-by. Goodness. My friend’s mother passed away last night, and her journey through her mother’s life and belongings begins today. It is hard to believe that a year can pass so quickly (or a lifetime for that matter).
I’m going to echo the comments above. I come back here, pretty well every day, and find it hard to believe, but have been doing it for several years! You’ve created something beautiful on this site. It grows, and continues to shine. I love your humour, you’re stories and how you relay them to us, you’re followers (I’ve got my syrup and ketchup close at hand, incase the calling comes).
So too, do I love the breadth of love you have for your children, husband, home and life, and how you go about relaying this love in your writings and photos.
There must be something in the air, possibly because it is midyear, but revisiting the list is exactly what I did last night. We must have been on the same wave-length…only yours is much brighter, wittier and quick.
Why did I put apostrophes in your? WHY????
Tired? I am. My husband has been out of town again. He comes home today and I CAN’T WAIT.
That’s the only way I can explain why the other day I told a friend on facebook that I would “help her think of things to wright about.”
Mortified.
Let’s say I’m tired and that I’m using my full attention on other things (but all the other surgeons and grad students only need 3 hours of sleep per night, and they’re operating on humans and not operating a computer – scary to think about).
Master List? I was supposed to make one? Oops. :-)
May was such a whirlwind that I totally fell off the William Wagon. I have been working so hard on our garden and coordinating our local farmers market that I never went shopping for new carpet, never finished painting furniture and every other little thing on my list. I will definitely revisit it! thanks for the inspiration (again).
This is an encouraging word; I need to look at the list I made a few weeks ago. The funny thing is that I come up with so many new things when I start looking around with a fresh eye…and totally forget what I set out to do. It’s nice to know that I’m not alone! Now I’m also thinking that what I also need to do, is add the new [completed] things to the list now so that I can cross them off. (“Need to do”? Sure.)
Charge on, Jules! You’re doing a great job!
Oh man, our house project list is so important to our morale! It lives on the refrigerator and gets redone when it’s mostly crossed off. When we do something on it, we go to the fridge and cross it off and cheer! For really major things (i.e. replacing plumbing) we open a bottle of cheap champagne. It makes the journey so much more enjoyable than just focusing on all the stuff that’s still not pretty around here.
Never ever has (or would) boring cross my mind when describing your blog. Never. That period is for you. ;)
About a month into our Forever Home, and last week Colorado Springs had two storms that were the worst of the past decade.
We got 4 inches of hail in 45 minutes the first day, then a short 15 minutes of softball-size hail the second day. During the first storm, water came rushing at our property as run-off from our neighbor’s higher land, and then filled up our window wells. In my daughter’s room, the water ran down the walls and wet the concrete floor, soaking the new carpet. In my son’s room, the water came busting through the 33-year old window and straight into the room, down the walls. My husband and I just stare in horror as we watched the water just keep coming straight into our home…
The next day, we spent $850 on having the water restoration company place special equipment everywhere to dry the walls. Ouch. That’s a big bite out of the budget for other cool stuff.
The restoration company said we were lucky though because we didn’t have any water to remove–as our carpet did soak it up, and that can be dried. Others in the neighborhood experience two feet of water with floating debris in their basements. He said we have the least amount of damage he’s seen.
On the second day, our brand new roof suffered at least twenty spots of significant hail damage. Our daughter’s rear windshield is busted, and 3 of our 4 cars have hail damage. Ouch again–into our budget for cool things. We have become dispirited by this…AND, my other in law just arrived for a 14-day visit–LORD GIVE ME PATIENCE.She already called me a “shi**y And dirty Hearts player” then said “all of your toenails looks like they have fungus” because Of the nail polish I’d chosen.
All that to say, thank you for the reminder that it is progress, not perfection… And there are barriers. It’s about intentional living, not about having the coolest things.
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