A Home Tour: the Living Room

Welcome to our living room, command center, room most likely to be populated, space least likely to have this much floor showing when you come over.

This view is what you would see to the left as you come in the front door.  Decorators would say that an area rug would bring it all together, but we are holding off until we are in a season that doesn't include freeze tag, etc.  No additional tripping hazards needed.  With that in mind, I should mention that sitting on a couch, perhaps even with your legs up, is often the safest position in this house.

I decorated the mantle for baseball's Opening Week, thinking I would then put it back to normal after a short while.  However, the crew here is partial to it, so it appears that our baseball theme could be up until at least September.  The hanging hat is supposed to represent which of our three teams has the best record, but as I was the one taking pictures, I stuck the Pirates up there in wishful thinking.  Eli would want you to know that the Red Sox hat has had the most display time so far.

Also, fun tidbit: our tv stand is from my college dorm room.  Maybe we'll refurbish something to put in its place someday, but it makes me smile wondering what my 19-year-old self would think to know this pressed-wood, get-the-job-done piece would have such a long life.

I love this corner.  I love that our far-flung family is always on our minds, I love that Julian is often creating at that table, I love that, though I have very little geography-knowledge, I can claim a tiny bit of credit in Eli's recent geography victory because at least I have had a map on the wall for him to study over the years.  Also, I love that you no longer see the thermostat control panel, yet it is still easy to adjust the temperature by simply removing two books from the shelf.  Closest to being a decorative ninja that I may ever come.

When the kids are older, I will reminisce about the many notebooks and printed brackets for recording imaginary sports tournaments that were always piled up under the tissue box, the seven boxes of sports guys always at the ready next to the couch, the end table drawers filled with card games and dominoes, and the way (even with our wide age range) all the boys would read each others' library books stored in the basket.  These are the things that make a house a home.

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In the dining room tour, I shared a corner that needed some help.  Thanks to my parents teaching me about wall covers, the ball started rolling.  I then cut off the part of the canvas I wasn't really pleased with so I could hot-glue it into an old frame I had.  Progress!

Before:

Current: