No Room At The Inn

Can I be honest with you all (whoever you may be) about something? When we bought our house and I saw that it was mini-sized it kind of made me happy. Yes, we really strive to live within our means and I was all for the challenge of living in 834 sq. ft. (that is livable space...don't mind the fact that we are all but taking up every inch of the 834 sq. ft. in the unfinished basement!), but that wasn't what was causing me joy. Okay, get ready, this is going to sound harsh, but I promise to try to make sense of it so bear (or bare?) with me. I was happy because it meant we had an excuse not to entertain. Whoa. I just admitted that I was happy I couldn't have people over and throw parties. The thing is I am terrified of hosting. I LOVE planning parties (um hello Eden's ridiculous first birthday party), but the idea of being the host frightens me. The whole time we have people over I am stressing about if I am doing things right, if they like the food, if I am boring them, if the house I smell okay (what?), and a million other things. Instead of just enjoying the fact that our friends (or family) are spending time with us, I just stress. So, my newest challenge is to be an entertainer and ENJOY IT. Every ounce of it. No more stressing (yes, Brittany...this may be why it has taken me FOREVER to have you over!). With that in mind I have been dreaming of our future home, the one that will be able to house more than 3 people and a dog comfortably.

My future house will have a large open kitchen. I don't mean the actual prep area has to be huge or anything because really anything bigger than mine will seem spacious. What I am looking for is a kitchen that has room to move and places to sit and eat. Kitchens are the hub of the home and currently I turn into a raving lunatic if a certain husband, child, or dog feel the need to share the space with me while I am cooking. I WANT them there, but the fact that I have to trip over them in order to move two inches to grab a spatula just drives me bananas. So, an open and inviting kitchen has been added to the list.

Source: houzz.com via Mallory on Pinterest

Source: interiorgroupie.blogspot.com via Renee on Pinterest

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Source: nesting-instincts.blogspot.com via Mallory on Pinterest

Another must have for my new entertaining lifestyle is a large and open living area. Are you sensing a trend here? I would love a space that has plenty of room to host a slew of friends and family while still feeling warm and inviting. Currently we own one small sofa, a slipper chair, and a desk chair...with a few ottomans scattered between. This usually means if we have more than a couple of people over, many are sitting on the floor. That's not horrible, but its not ideal. I would like my guests to feel comfortable after all. 

Source: hellolovelyinc.blogspot.com via Mallory on Pinterest

One last thing. A bathroom. Or, more importantly an extra bathroom. We have ONE bathroom in this whole entire house. You would think that would be enough for two adults and a baby, but it is not. AND THEN you add visitors and it is just pure chaos. Someone is always in there when you need to go..well, you know. Oh and the shower? Good luck. 

Source: simplifiedbee.blogspot.com via Mallory on Pinterest

So, while I am perfectly happy in my home right now and have no intention of buying a bigger home anywhere in the near future (what?! I still need some more time to adjust to the idea of being this fantastic entertainer) I will still dream of our future house and continue to gather inspiration. Dreaming is always a good thing.


What would be in your dream house, or even your next house? Is anyone else dying over that gorgeous living room?! I wish I were that kid so I could run in there too. Also, any of you smarties out there know how to get the source to be centered under the photo or a better way to embed photos from Pinterest? I am goings all sorts of crazy trying to fix it.


Hope you all have a fun filled weekend...and if you live in the PNW (Pacific Northwest for those not in the know) don't get too wet!


(If you are wanting the challenge of improving your entertaining skills spend some time here)