Decorating: Beyond The Tissue Box

People inspire you, or they drain you, pick them wisely.


I saw this quote last week while I was poking around Pinterest and it’s gotten itself lodged in my head. I can’t stop thinking about it. I picture the words, white against the black background, I hear them in my head, screaming at me over the music on my car radio, I’ve even caught them floating through the twilight right before I fall asleep. 

Nagging, nagging, I couldn’t figure out why they were weighing on me so heavily and then tonight it hit me and it’s all about my shower curtain.

You see, I got a new shower curtain this week to update my bathroom for spring. It’s white and fresh and it’s from Target. I think I like it, but I am not quite sure yet. There’s some lace, but still it’s kind of plain.

I thought it was what I wanted, but now I can’t decide if its simplicity is stunning or if it’s just plain boring.

So, I am going to keep it hanging up there for a few days to see if we click, if not I have a red one I could try out. Choosing the right one may require a bit of my time, but I want to make sure I love it, so it’s worth it to me.

Okay, so what does this have to do with the quote?

Well, everything.

I started writing these pieces to inspire myself and others to seek out something exquisite each and every day in our unremarkable and often rote surroundings. The search has, so far, been focused in and around my home, on décor and decorating details like the joy of picking out a new shower curtain. To me, it seemed natural, home is the place you spend most of your time and have the most control over your environment.

When decorating, I have counseled, it is always best to surround yourself with things that you love. Pick accessories that make you smile, select the colors and pieces that make you happy, don’t worry about what others think.

All good advice and I stand behind it, but this quote has made me realize that these tenets should also be applied to the larger task of decorating your life.

By focusing on the shower curtain, I have been thinking too small.

What good is a fabulous home if your life in general is not filled with equally fabulous individuals ~ individuals, who support, elevate and, like the quote says, inspire you.

We carefully contemplate small details like hand towels and picture frames, making sure that everything we place inside our homes is just right, comfortable…the cozy couch that envelopes you, the sturdy chair that supports you, the soft chenille blanket that keeps you warm.

I find it ironic that sometimes we choose our furnishings more carefully than we choose our relationships, falling haphazardly into ill-fitting friendships of convenience with coworkers, classmates, neighbors.

So, do I have any great advice on this subject, any quick “people picking tips” to share– nope, not this time.

At least nothing more prolific than the obvious.

Make sure that people close to you are no less supportive than your favorite chair and be deliberate when choosing, in all aspects of your life.

It’s much easier to donate an ugly couch, than it is to separate yourself from a toxic friend.

The words seem to have a quieted down now that I have let them out of my head, perhaps because they are making their way into yours.

It's a relief as the screaming was a bit much, but truer words have never been spoken and so I hope that my consciousness is able to hold on to them for a while.

I just need them to whisper.

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