Possibilities

One of my best friends gave me a subscription to a magazine for Christmas.  I've enjoyed getting them, and flipping idly through them, daydreaming about having rooms as beautiful as those pictured in the magazine, or a home in any of the exotic locations pictured.  But these were little more than nebulous, idle musings, since I was surrounded by the dull reality of a tiny rented apartment.

Last week, Darling and I put a contract on a house.  She is a graceful, beautiful Craftsman foursquare, located across the street from a gorgeous view of the bay, in a quiet, quaint neighborhood full of Victorians and brownstone boutiques.  She has been lovingly restored to maintain all the charm she was built with 100+ years ago, and I can't wait to move in.  To spend early mornings on the porch swing with my tea and the bay.  To gently introduce myself to her, and get to know her quirks.  But also to make her mine, to put my personality and stamp on the house so that, even with more than 100 years of charm, it also looks like MY place in the world.

There are many ways to do that, I suppose.  Furniture.  Carpet. Decorations.  Remodeling.  But while meandering through pictures of beautiful coastal homes, I discovered a treasure.  A simple, 3 x 5 piece of paper that represented the simplest and easiest of all 'statements'.  A coupon for a free sample of paint.  Off I went to the home improvement store, to find my perfect shade.  After all, I will soon have an entire HOUSE full of rooms that, unlike my apartment, are mine to paint, if I choose.

As I looked through the paint chips, I found this shade of blue that might be nice in a craft room.  That shade of green that would be lovely in an office.  This shade of tan that would be amazing in a bathroom.  Some other shade of rose that was perfect for a bedroom....SO many colors!  I did come home with my free sample...a lovely sage-y green I'm hoping will be a subtle, welcoming statement for the foyer...and also a color that Darling Husband has claimed for his office, as well.  But I came home with so much more than just a paint sample.  I came home with endless possibilities of what could be.   A full imagination of how my dream home can slowly, steadily become my 'reality' home.

And that is a joyous thing.