Less is more, or is more, more?

For years you would find me combing the internet in the evenings searching for new projects I could work on around our home.  I would scour auctions looking for furniture.  Now, our home is bursting at the seams with it!  I kind of love it, why you ask?  We have really found some good quality furniture pieces online... I had to stop looking at auctions because I am to the point of where would I even put something if I decided I had to have a piece?

My mom told us we would need to move and buy a larger home if I bought any more items, and I said nope, this is our forever home.  We love it here.  The neighborhood is nice, and we've made a home here.  Reminds me of the older woman at the doctor's office I mentioned before in Making a home.

Isn't that what all of us want is to make a home with loved ones?  For us, our home is our haven.  It is where we want to spend all of our spare time...  we think if we are happy at home, then who needs fancy vacations?  Do you love being at home as much as we do too?  Our goal is to live in our own vacation home, right here, where we live everyday, vacations are short lived... but your home?  All of the memories shared and built here?  Now that sounds like the perfect lifetime vacation to me... your thoughts?     

I have found over the years, I am a simple gal, I really do not need a lot to make me happy... we enjoy spending our time at home.  We were doing it before covid.  Of course, we got out more than we do now, but being at home?  It is like the most wonderful thing in the world... it is our safe place... there are many out there who cannot say their home is their safe place, and yet, we do, and we feel truly thankful for that.    

I have learned to be pretty frugal over the years, you may be surprised to find I have not always been to the extreme I have taken things in recent years.  Of course I like nice things, but when I sat back and gave it a good long thought one day pondering the meaning of life, I decided material things are just that.  We cannot take them with us, we have no children to leave them to... so why continue to accumulate?  Now, I say that, but do not expect me to not find the next best thing at auction or from Amazon... a gal does have her decorating needs every now and then.  😉  

Happiness to me can be a bowling ball turned gazing ball, covered books as decor, an economical backsplash make over, or making over vases around our home... see... simple gal here.  

Mr. Vintage has had the fancy cars in the past, don't get me wrong, he still likes them, but do we really need them?  No, I do not think we do.  My car still runs and gets me from point A to point B... we looked at new cars two summers ago, and do you know nothing got me excited?  I have to be excited when I make a major purchase like that.  I test drove so many cars... and still nothing made me as happy as I am when I am in my little ole' CRV chauffeuring peanut around... besides, cars have never been my thing.  Unless perhaps you dangle a vintage Wagoneer or International Scout in front of me... that just might get my attention! 

With peanut as my only passenger, I could not see paying so much money for a new car and letting him slobber all over it, get dog hair in it, and scratch at my windows when he is having a fit because someone is too close to our car... he can seriously act like a lunatic. I decided then to stop looking and be content with what I have.  As long as Bessie runs, who cares?  Yes, I named my car and call her Bessie.  I do call my house an English lady... you had to figure I would name my car too, right?

In the past when I would roam the internet searching for ideas for our home, I would see these big beautiful homes and wonder how much I would need to make my home look similar... how many people traipsing through our home, how many projects I would need hired out, what sort of funds I would need, how could I decide which projects would be worked on first?

Wallpaper removal, yuck... 

Then I decided why not try to figure out what I want, but on a teeny tiny budget.  I look at the big beautiful mansions and think back to simpler times and wonder in awe how they accomplished so much without the technology and equipment of today's world.  All of those details have always been what draw me into older homes.  They took such care when building them...  

I work in a construction based environment daily and speak with new home owners who are building... I am always so disappointed when people call in for plans of having an older home demolished.  It makes my heart sink... they have newer, bigger plans for a home in it's place.  I have literally been sick to my stomach on a few homes where I received the call... usually they just need a little TLC...

Our ideas and projects are what literally get me out of bed everyday.  I cannot wait to get the ideas we have implemented here in our home.  We enjoy coming up with unique projects and the game for me?  Seeing how budget friendly I can make each project.  Well, hope you have a wonderful Friday.  I am happy the weekend is nearly upon us.  I have been looking forward to it all week, lol... don't we all?  What makes you content?  Is it the most simple of things?    

And right there, is one of the reasons why we are so content in life... he brings us a lot of joy... that little peanut makes us smile everyday despite his devious behaviors.