I thought it might be fun to walk around the house with the Flip cam and show you guys how each room can look on an average day. You know, before we pick the clothes up off the floor, put away Clara’s toys, and fold the big blankets that we snuggle under on the sofa. So here’s an impromptu house tour (while John and Clara ducked out to the post office and grocery store) in all of its average everyday glory:
Things to note:
- Ugh, I have a cold. Sorry about my annoying voice. Who am I kidding, my voice annoys me even when I’m not crazy congested.
- I’m terrible at walking around, talking, and holding a camera (too much multitasking, pardon the Blair Witch Project-esque jolts).
- For those who requested updated office photos in this post, you can see it in 3-D (well, almost) in the vid.
- Burger is so cute. I love how he comes running in and steals the show (and is later seen relaxing in the window).
- I have no idea why I take the time to explain Clara’s music class kit. It’s so weird what you think is noteworthy.
- You can sneak a peek at John’s behind the sofa console project’s progress. Oh and when I say it’s not level and it slopes away from the wall, it’s because our floors are slanted, not because John’s work is shoddy (more pics and details on the big console build this afternoon).
- Yes, my ceramic pooch is still sitting on on the back patio. I just can’t bring myself to let go of him yet. But I’m working up to it. One day at a time.
- You can sneak a peek at the two 30 x 40″ canvases that we got super cheap at Michael’s (more details on our plans for them soon).
- I have no idea why at the end I’m talking about other rooms while walking back through the house and aiming the camera at the dining room and the kitchen (it’s just odd to show the kitchen and say “the messy playroom”). It’s official: I’m no Spielberg.
- My dramatic ending on my purse is beyond weird. What is wrong with me?
Here’s some bonus “ordinary day” behavior. We always tell people how Burger sleeps like a human (with his head on the pillow and his body tucked under the covers) but people rarely believe just how hilarious this is. So here’s some visual evidence that I snapped this morning. I promise this isn’t staged. John got up first today, so I reached over and took some pics after Burger crawled up from the bottom of the bed to “steal” John’s place and sleep in at least four more hours. What a life.
What about you guys. What would people see if you randomly shot photos (or a shaky nausea-inducing video) of your house before cleaning up? Anything embarrassing out there like a teddy bear in the bed or a man-thong on the floor? Thank goodness I put John’s leopard one away before filming that video. Haha. Kidding. Sorry honey. I know just reading that is gonna make you all flustered.
Jocelyn Stott says
Ugh – laundry piles. I am a neat freak, but when it come to laundry – I am so bad about getting home, changing into my PJ’s and leaving my laundry on the floor. It’s a habit I need to break, for sure.
Season says
Thank you for this post. Sometimes I’m so hard on myself for not being tidy enough like what we see online and in magazines. It’s so good to see that you are a “piler” too.
Sara says
I cannot tell you how glad I am you did this. I love your blog and your projects, but I just couldn’t figure out how you didn’t have any real life *stuff* (you know, the little messes we’ve now witnessed). Thank goodness! I’m so relieved. :)
Jess@Zocal Creative says
Thank You so much for sharing that! I’m at home with our 2 kids every day and I always feel pressured to keep everything in order. But you can imagine, it rarely is on order! This was a refreshing reality check! Thanks so much!
Inka says
I Love that Sue the Napkin was in Sherry’s Purse. Get well soon Sherry :D
Susan says
I enjoyed the “real” home tour. Your house feels like a home because it looks lived in. I enjoyed seeing pics of Burger. My granddog, Marlie (she’s a Maltipoo) does this and it just steals my heart!
Jane says
So great to see that you are real like us, with clothes on the floor and on the chair, a room with all the boxes that you still don’t know what to do with, stuff next to your bed waiting to be hang, even toilet paper on the window :-)
Amanda H. says
Keep the ceramic pooch (and anything else ceramic you make one day break), break it into smaller pieces, and make a mosaic with the pieces (picture frame, garden stepping stone, something else cheesy). They can be cute with some planning.
NERISSAMAR says
Love the tour!!!! Did I just witness a green parson chair in the Playroom? Because I love the green color!!!! Are you reapostering.. Please do tell.. Jajaja….
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a little in-progress project. Details when we actually get to a place where we can report something!
xo,
s
Erin says
I never comment, but that shot of Burger is hysterical! I’m sure he is dreaming the sweetest dreams! Thanks for the laugh!
KathyG says
I guess it’s physics or something, but the vid really gives depth and meaning more than the pictures. I thought about it a couple of times during the bedroom light debacle, and the guest room debates, that maybe a video would help everyone see it in a different “light”. It really gives a different feeling. Good work!
Cristina says
I feel much better now!
Thank you ;-D
p.s.: I looove Burger!
Wom-mom Ethne says
I don’t think there’s anything cuter than a dog or cat resting it’s head, fast asleep on your pillow, under the covers. In my case, my cat likes to sleep on the pillow, on my head. Somehow it doesn’t wake me. I know, right?
Tricia says
My dog sleeps like that, too! I find it hilarious. :)
Paige says
Boo, colds are the worst. You’re not sick enough to stay home from work (or away from desk, in your case), but you still feel like crap.
I’m so glad you shared this, because sometimes I get home and see the dirty dishes we leave around and I feel like we’re the messiest people ever. But now I feel normal.
Ashley says
I feel so much better about my house not being ‘picture perfect’ now.
Thank you!
Ashley says
Oh and, our dog sleeps like that too. And if you’re in there with him and he feels like you’re tossing and turning too much, he’ll give you a nudge letting you know that you are free to sleep on the floor too :)
Jessica says
its so refreshing to see that you guys live like the rest of us. after all, what is the point of having a beautiful home if you can’t enjoy living in it?
although, i am a little disappointed, there’s still not a dust bunny in sight. i was hoping to see at least a couple floor fuzzies trapped in a corner or under the sofa. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh don’t worry- they’re there! The Flip was just too shaky and zoomed out to catch them. Haha.
xo,
s
Ashley B says
Sherry! Please read this! Don’t hate your voice – you sound EXACTLY like Mila Kunis… the accent is the same and everything!! Well, I think so anyway :)
Love the house tour! It makes me feel good that people who have beautiful homes I admire have vests out of the closet too – hehe. Burger is adorable!
the S's Beach House says
Sherry, I love your ceramic dog too, I would hate to see it go! What if you made her a head band with some big flower to cover up some of the head trauma she endured. Not everything will be covered, however, her imperfections will become a conversation piece. It will also reassure Burger that you would keep him regardless of any imperfections he might bring. (I can see I am going to have a very creative imagination today) (I also want to inform you that I am not very weird, just a little)
Ali says
So glad you posted this. We can all feel like normal human beings now!
I have to add that we too have a dog that enjoys using the bed like a human… except at our house it is usually discouraged because she’s a 145 lb. Great Dane. That doesn’t leave a whole lotta bed for mom and dad around here ;)
Ashley says
Loved it! Thanks so much for sharing, Sherry.
Laura says
Thank you, thank you, thank you – sometimes I wonder why our house seems so messy all the time. Thanks for keepin’ it real.
Megan H. says
Crazy, but as much as I loved watching your video, it actually made me motion sick! I couldn’t figure out why I suddenly felt so sick and it just kept getting worse. Ha! Still, it was worth feeling sick to see your house in regular everyday mode. I love watching what you do with your home!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry! I’m the first to admit that I wouldn’t pass a video “driver’s test.” Haha. Get well soon!
xo,
s
Holly Austin says
SO SO SO glad you posted this… I see perfectly decorated houses all over the web, and then cringe when I walk in my house and see a mess… it’s good to know that we’re all human! I have to remind myself that my house is definitely “lived in” rather than picture perfect all the time – so thanks for the reminder that even though things look nice and rosy in most pictures, it doesn’t mean it stays like that 24/7 :)
Megan says
Glad to see that you’re house isn’t picture perfect all the time. I have this crazy expectation for myself that because I’m a stay at home mom that I should be able to keep my house clean and clutter free. I have a 7 month old and have yet to accomplish that and to make matters worse I hate cleaning – yes thats the oxymoron I live in. So thanks for the dose of reality! You guys are great! Working on a few home projects myself and will submit some before and after photos when we’re through. One being painting our brick house…scary yet exciting!
Sammy says
Thanks so much for the tour! It was great to see that you are real people with a real baby! I just wanted to ask you about that foldable shelf you have in the “future” playroom (the room with all of the storage) – we have 4 of those shelves (we got ours from The Container Store) and was wondering what you were planning to do with yours. We’ve always had a hard time arranging them. We’ve tried across, one on top of the other, and we’re not really sure how to arrange things on those because of all the open shelving. We have 2 young kids so we are wary of putting breakables in reach. Please let me know what guys think…
YoungHouseLove says
We have no idea what we’ll do with that other than display stacks of books and maybe a wood bowl full of woven balls or something kid-friendly? We’ll share everything when we get to that shelf (and that room as a whole) though!
xo,
s
Melissa says
Burger is so cute!! And you definitely do not have an annoying voice! I hope you start feeling better soon! Thanks for sharing! =)
Charlotte says
Thanks for keeping it real, Sherry! My husband is always leaving socks lying about and we also usually have blankets piled up on the couch. Your house is still beautiful!
kristiina says
This is like an article from a tabloid: “Stars–They’re Just Like Us!”
Truly–thanks for keeping it real ;) I love the perfect pictures (eye candy), but also think it’s healthy to show the straight dope LOL
Megan @ reFind says
Sherry – It is really too bad you don’t live in Minnesota – you could replace your dog for $50! and Get a monkey for only $30. Haha – I dont know about the monkey, but I saw this on craigslist, during my lunch time cruise, and thought of you :)
http://craigseasy.com/Home/PageViewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fminneapolis.craigslist.org%2Fhnp%2Ffuo%2F2299523748.html
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh that’s dangerous. Selling those guys in pairs. Haha. Good thing I don’t live in Minnesota!
xo,
s
Stefanie says
Poor shattered pooch. Could you maybe turn him into a planter with vines coming out of his head? Maybe before John tried to fix him…? It’d be hard to re-shatter his head, but hey – a tribute to life everlasting.
Alisa D. says
Burger has won my heart…love that dog!
Molly Moo says
Feel better Sherry!! I’ve had a wicked cold too – thought it was allergies and then could not kick it, ugh! And my dog does the same thing with sleeping with his head on the pillow… except he’s a 70lb lab and is not polite enough to wait until someone leaves the bed…so I end up sharing a pillow with him by the end of the night most nights.
:)
What colors are your dining room swatches??
YoungHouseLove says
We’re painting the dining room and the office the same soft gray (Moonshine by Benjamin Moore) that we have in the living room (we painted those three swatches back when we were picking the living room color in the dining room as well because we wanted to make sure whatever we picked worked in both rooms).
xo,
s
Emma says
Just saw this greyhound dog statue for sale on CL – in Gaithersburg, MD. You can paint it white!
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/atq/2310380576.html
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh he could totally use some paint- but the price is right!
xo,
s
Anita says
I have tried to look back and find it myself, with zero luck.. but can you tell me more about Clara’s spongey bathtub/mat thingie? (technical term, obv)
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it was about $7 from Target (don’t see it online, but it’s usually in the store in the baby section when we walk though). We love it!
xo,
s
Rebekah says
We had a room like your playroom for, oh, maybe a year after we moved into our house. We called it the Hoarder’s room. It looks very similar to your room! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha I like it. It’s totally the perfect nickname for ours! We call it purgatory sometimes (because things go there before we decide if they’re staying or going).
xo,
s
Andrea says
The light over our dining room table is not centered either. BOOOO! We have a chandelier type light that only hangs over half our mammoth 8 person dining table. I can’t wait till we get an electrician in here to add lights to all the rooms (it’s a house from the 60’s and I guess built in lighting was not in then)and center that sucker! I feel your pain! Or, rather your annoyance. Lol! =)
-Andrea
bluelacehouse.blogspot.com
KatieD says
I see you guys have the new kitchen and bath makeover magazine :) It was a pleasant suprise to see your old bathroom in there.
YoungHouseLove says
Wasn’t that so funny? It caught us by surprise because that was shot before I even had Clara (I was very very prego at the time) and it seems like a million years ago! So fun to see it though!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
Hey Sherry, don’t know if you’ve ever tried them, but in my personal experience the Cold-Eze lozenges REALLY shorten the duration and lessen the severity of my colds. I used to always end up with bad chest congestion or bronchitis every time I had a cold and now that never happens. I’m amazed.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll have to look into them. Since I’m breastfeeding it seems like a lot of medications are off limits (they can mess with supply) but maybe they’re ok. Off to do some research…
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
They are homeopathic, not that that means they won’t affect breastfeeding. And they really work best if you take them at the first sign of a cold and follow the dosing instructions. I have found the honey lemon flavor to be the most palatable. And it’s actually Cold-Eeze…I spelled it wrong before.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the info! Off to check it out…
xo,
s
Jessica K. says
Okay, that is crazy. Just last night, after thinking I need to do better at keeping this house clean, I thought to myself, I wonder if John and Sherry ever fall behind on their housework?? haha that is too funny.
Brittany says
LOL..I love the fact that you pointed out “toilet paper in the window”…haha…totally hit me funny :)
Felicity @ Our Little Beehive says
What is it with men leaving their clothes around? I’m thiissss close to putting some kind of barbed wire sculpture on top of S’s dresser so he’ll stop putting his clothes there instead of in his closet 1 foot away!
Michelle says
This video makes me love you guys that much more (in a non-creepy way, I promise!). The fact that your house doesn’t always look picture perfect makes me feel better about my own.
Oh, and I had a ceramic dog as well, but he was nearly decapitated last week when the fireplace screen fell on him. He broke into too many small pieces to fix, so he’s in the trash now. I immediately thought of you and almost took a photo to send to you, but then I thought that might be too weird. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw so sorry for your loss Michelle! All dogs go to heaven so it’s ok. At least that’s the rumor.
xo,
s
DENISE says
Several things:
1) You do great on the videos. Not sure how you did so well today, though. I know when I feel like that I cannot even think straight!
2)What is it about kids and shoes? Little Evan plays with mine as well!
3) Burger is adorable! What is it about small dogs? We have a Min-Pin.
4)My table is NEVER straight under the light. What is it about people installing lights oddly? You and I would center them, what were they thinking?
5) Lastly, great to see your home on a regular day!
Denise
Extreme Personal Measures
Stephanie says
Hehehe I love the pictures of Burger…my chihuahua does the same thing! Loves to snuggle in bed with his head on the pillow, and LOVES to burrow in the blankets! Your guys’s blog is so inspiring, I’m a relatively new reader so am catching up slowly :) Thanks for putting so much effort into what you do!
Jenny says
I like the craziness of it all. The things/junk you have laying around is the same as any homeowner: dirty clothes, clean clothes, pictures to be hung or other random projects hanging out near the location of the “to be fixed area.” Now I feel better knowing you all are normal – like us all.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Love that you guys showed how “normal” we all are ;)
Leah E-H says
I love your blog, it is so inspiring for me. Our house needs serious help and we are total remodeling noobs on a budget. :) Seeing you two go for it on a reno and your decorating expertise is so awesome. However, it is SO heartwarming to see a post of what your house *really* looks like when you are not taking pics of projects. I tend to have an inferiority complex while reading blogs, seeing a relatable lived in home is so fantastic :) PS, that leopard thong was a crack up!
RhodeyGirl says
I would be SO stressed out if I had stuff all around like that. When we get off the couch to go to bed I ALWAYS fold the blankets and fluff the pillow right away, and my clothes get hung up or folded immediately when they come off my body.
However, on any given day you might find a few dustballs flying around. Our stupid rug (the one I hate and can’t find a replacement for) gives off little pieces of itself all the time and I can’t keep up vacuuming. I’ve sort of given up and only tackle it like 1 time a week now.