DON'T STEP ON THE CARPET - The Antibland Chronicles

I have at least half a dozen instances every day when I pause and wonder, did I just say that? Repeating absolutely absurd sentences like “don’t eat your brothers toes.” or “there is no need to kiss the potty” are a very normal part of my life. It’s like the real world Mad Libs except with humor that can only be appreciated in hindsight. “DON’T STEP ON THE CARPET” is my current soon-to-be funny phrase (just how soon is still up for debate).

To explain this, I need to take you back to the summer of 2015 when we were house hunting in Raleigh for our official move later that fall. After seeing countless homes that made me want to cry, I finally fell in love with our beautiful home in one of the historic neighborhoods of Raleigh. When we made the offer from Chicago, I couldn’t remember countless details about the home that one would feel are necessary to know before making such a big decision. But it was like I had fallen in love; I couldn’t tell you why but I knew that it has to be mine. We moved in a couple of months later.

Definitely the best decision of my life, yes. But just like any true love, the house and I soon started to annoy each other more and more. Why does the door swing to the left instead of the sensible right. Why are the can-lights pointing to the TV. Why does the hot water never seem to work in the kitchen. Why is this counter top jutting out in the middle of the room. Why. Why. Why. Lots of Whys accumulated over the last 4 or so years.

So like any sensible relationship, we took a pause, repeated our I Love Yous, and decided to stop annoying each other for once and for all. It was time for some therapy. Design therapy that is.

What we (the house and I) needed was simply for someone to fix the annoyances and add a little bit of excitement back into the relationship. Someone who could magically combine my quirkiness with my husband’s need to be practical and sensible all the time. Someone so full of patience and advice and love, that it indeed felt like I was in real therapy. Which finally brings me to “DON’T STEP ON THE CARPET”.

We found that someone in Bryan and Jon who probably would have still felt like a figment of my imagination if it wasn’t for all this carpet surrounding me in our temporary home away from my true-love home. We moved here about 48-hours ago and are getting used to a new way of living that includes wall-to-wall carpet, which I am learning is not conducive to my messy parenting style. So yeah, DON’T STEP ON THE CARPET kids, or eat on the carpet, or color on the carpet, or do anything at all on the carpet. Just learn to float or something for the next 8 months or so.

All jokes aside, my true true-love, my husband, has somehow made this process feel like an exciting adventure. Where I would fall apart with the amount of decisions to be made in finding a temporary home (that, in all honesty, is very very comfortable and nice as you will see in the pictures below), moving, and dealing with all the changes before the real changes even begin, he makes it look easy and seamless and even fun. I will allow him to STEP ON THE CARPET for sure. =)

It feels so good to finally sit at my new desk and write. I imagine doing a lot more of it in this home. Here’s to big changes, and wall-to-wall carpet, and to taking steps in the right direction for a happy home.