Laundry Room Shelves and Real Life

This is so old, it's kind of sad. This post has been hanging out in my draft box for all summer. And now my laundry room doesn't even look like this anymore! (We added a dryer. And more stuff.)

But anyway, here was the look when we first moved in:

The other wall on  >>> that side of these pictures is home to the furnace, water heater and our upright freezer.
This side is rather small, cramped, and as you see, a collect-all for utility room stuff.

Remember that post about me mentioning I wanted laundry room shelves? I shared a picture of a beautifully organized, clean and bright laundry room, with wooden shelf boards and black brackets. I attempted to duplicate the look and have been very pleased with my new shelves:

Sad thing is, my life isn't Pinterest perfect, and my organizing didn't duplicate quite as well.

I did get some cardboard boxes covered and lined to contain miscellaneous little items, and on their own they look fine. Till you fill them and crowd them with stuff.

So this post is not only about showing off my new shelves. It's a peek into my real life. There seems to be an unwritten blogging rule that says it's not proper to show the real you, and include all the cluttered, complicated or messy parts of your life. We tend to shove all the stuff out of the camera's viewfinder so our rooms look perfect and tidy. And in the process, perhaps we mislead others to think that we have it all together. I know that's often how I view other bloggers and their picture-perfect rooms and houses. 

The thing is, no one is perfect. 

Take for instance, that previous paragraph. Try as I might, I can not get it (or this one) aligned on the left side of the page. So now it won't match the following paragraphs, which I did manage to get aligned on the left. *sigh*

     

I would hate for anyone to look at my pictures or read my blog and think, "Wow. She's so crafty and such a good mother, and her house is so tidy. It's so perfect and put-together!" (Edit to add: Hmm...maybe no one ever thinks that to begin with....!) Let me tell you, that is NOT how it is. Not only my housekeeping, my mothering, my cooking, my sewing, my...whatever! I just don't share the days when I am impatient with my daughter, don't want to read another picture book, certainly don't feel like having a tea party and set my jaw and snap at her. I don't take pictures of my sewing room with hardly any room to walk because of wrapping paper, fabric scraps, and leftover project pieces all over the place. (My Mom always told me to clean up as I go. Still working on that...)

One of my favorite bloggers, Emily, shared some of her house "flaws" in her post titled, "Beating a Dead Horse". She shares how she blogs pictures of a tidied room, but really she just clears away all the toys before taking pictures. It's not as pretty as it seems. She also talks about the "non-house" side of things and how, rather than sharing all the less than perfect parts of your life with an online audience, do share them with someone. Let a good friend in on it, and share openly. Please read her post, it's so good and to to-the-point.

Then, can you believe this? The very same day Heather posted about the exact same topic! I don't think I happened to read them the same day, but it was kind of ironic. Her blog title is, "Real Life Behind Instagram". It is an honest-to-goodness post about her imperfect experiences behind simple pictures. I admire her, because she goes on to illustrate and has several pictures that all look sweet and cute, but there's an embarrassing real life story behind each one. Things like, a sunburned newborn, stressful days with toddlers and cat pee all over a carseat. I don't think I'd be near bold enough to share with such honesty, but lets face it, we all have stories like hers. Because we I do lose my temper. I do get rougher than I ought to sometimes. I'm not proud of it, but it happens.

There's a balance of course with this. This doesn't mean that I plan to share all my horrid days, and drama that happens here daily. It doesn't mean that I won't crop out the mess in pictures just so you can see my real life. Because, like Emily said, beauty has its place in life. And fortunately, there really are a few beautiful and tidied spots in my house...and even my life! (Not trying to boast here...just...being honest...*smile*)

I just want you to know that I'm real. Life isn't as pretty as it may seem and pictures can hide a multitude of sins. I am not perfect, I make mistakes, I'm a real mom with better weeks than others during the month ;) and sometimes things aren't always as they appear. My husband will certainly testify to that. 

So, those are my thoughts...and since Emily and Heather each closed their post with scripture, I suppose I ought to as well. Just so you know I'm a Christian and all. ;)

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you,

so that in all things at all times,

having all that you need,

you will abound in every good work."

2 Corinthians 9:8

Grace. 

We need it every day. 

And He will provide it right when we need it.

It's what really will cover a multitude of sins!