Merge Your Stuff (Without Killing Each Other)

As we are getting closer and closer to the time where we will have to bring all of our stuff together in one apartment, I become more and more anxious about this idea. I have  created a space I love and feel comfortable in, as I have lived by myself for a year and a half now. I have a routine and a place for things. I love my shabby chic decor and the feeling of home I get when I walk in the door. I am not anxious about living with him but I am anxious about all that he will bring. He doesn't care for "Shabby Chic" and he won't be moving in with just one suitcase. I know it will be okay! We will make it work, but oh please help me, I am nervous! Found this article and appreciate some of the advice :). Oh the joys of getting married!! Hehe. :)


Hate each other's decorating taste? Here's how to meet in the middle.

Face it: When you first move in together, the whole furniture-negotiation thing can get tricky. After all, you're doing more than just merging sofas and art -- you're blending two personalities and past lives. So how do you pull it off together? Read on.

Ditch That Baggage
Who you? Harbor junk? Admit it -- that floral comforter has gotta go. What isn't essential goes into storage, gets donated to charity, or sold on eBay. For can't-part-with-'em items, display them differently. His trophy collection may look a lot less heinous on brand-new mounted shelves than they do scattered on the bedroom floor.

Meet in the MiddleYou dig clean and modern; he loves warm and traditional.There's a place for everything, just not necessarily together. Since mixing French scenes with football posters is a tall order, relegate each style to an appropriate room. If he spends more time in the den, add some touches that will make him feel cozier. If she's always hanging in your home office, let that be the streamlined space with splashes of color.

Shop TogetherIf only your style dominates the décor of your together space, it’s not going to feel like a married home. Joint purchases help represent both personalities, so suck it up and shop as a team. Start with small things like frames, place mats, and lamps. To find where your styles overlap, scan our decor galleries together.

Book a FaceliftBefore you dump his black leather bachelor couch or he forces you to lose those cutesy checked chairs, give them a new life. Reupholster or slipcover pieces -- you'll save hundreds -- maybe even thousands of bucks -- instead of starting from scratch.

Maintain “Me” Space 
Sharing a home doesn't mean you have to hang in the same room 24-7. Designate Zen areas to escape to (okay, from each other). Maybe yours is the porch and his is the kitchen table. Wherever your Zen zone is, make it comfy with your favorite items.

Don't Panic-DecorateYou don’t have to deck out your entire home overnight -- in fact, it'll totally look thrown together if you do. Getting pieces you both agree on is a process, so make it fun -- a travel piece here, a birthday gift there. If you wind up with an eclectic mix of stuff, all the better. You're not a cookie cutter couple, so why make your home look that way?

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Merge Your Stuff (Without Killing Each Other)

"5 Secrets to Cohabitating Bliss [Married Bliss]" by Michael Ian Black

I discovered this article in The Knot [the nest] magazine and found it funny more than any thing else. Have a great weekend everyone!   


You've done it. You've taken your relationship to the next level and you moved in together [are married]. Since I'm an expert at, well, everything, here are my personal tips for domestic domination.


1. Farts are the great equalizer - A lot of couples are afraid to play the butt trumpet in front of each other. Big mistake! You're living together now, guys; nothing is off-limits. Nobody likes to hold it in just because their partner is within the blast radius. So the sooner you start lettin' 'em rip, the happier both of you will be. Plus, farts are funny. You guys will get hours of merriment cutting them in front of each other. For maximum fun: Try closing the windows. 

2. When the in-laws dropped by unannounced, go clothing optional - Show them whose territory it is right away. They should follow the rules. You do in their home. They should in yours. If they insist on keeping their old people clothes on their old people bodies, fine. But you are going to let it all hang out, my friend. Until they leave. And don't come back.

3. The best housewarming parties involve fondue - The more fondue, the better. All kinds of fondue. Cheese, chocolate, ham. Yes, ham fondue. It's melted ham. Doe that sound disgusting? You bet it does. No matter -- the point is that you've moved in together, and if your friends won't eat a little melted ham to celebrate your love, then they're not your real friends.


4. If you don't like what the other person is wearing, swear at them -- That means, when you're about to leave the house, and you totally hate the outfit they have on, the right thing to do is say (in a quiet, soothing voice), "What the f*** are you wearing?" Then just stare at them until they change.


5. When you can't agree on what movie to see, compromise wiht a stupid movie about a stupid couple -- She wants to go see that stupid movie about those stupid girls who talk bout their problems and cry. He wants to see that movie about those stupid guys who battle some stupid monsters who want to eat the planet. The perfect compromise is to see that  stupid movie about that stupid couple who move in together and everything goes horrible wrong because they don't itemize the bills and she has this stupid eye mask she wears before bed and Zach Galifianakis plays his best friend and then everything works out at the end because they realize that even though they're both stupid, they're actually perfect for each other.

Daily praise.

Psalm 103


1My whole being, praise the Lord;
    all my being, praise his holy name.
2My whole being, praise the Lord
    and do not forget all his kindnesses.
3He forgives all my sins
    and heals all my diseases.
4He saves my life from the grave
    and loads me with love and mercy.
5He satisfies me with good things
    and makes me young again, like the eagle.


6The Lord does what is right and fair
    for all who are wronged by others.
7He showed his ways to Moses
    and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8The Lord shows mercy and is kind.
    He does not become angry quickly, and he has
          great love.
9He will not always accuse us,
    and he will not be angry forever.
10He has not punished us as our sins should be punished;
    he has bit repaid us for the evil we have done.
11As high as the sky is above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who respect him
12He has taken our sins away from us
    as far as the east is from the west.
13The Lord has mercy on those who respect him,
    as a father has mercy on his children.
14He knows how we were made;
    he remembers that we are dust.


Psalm 139


13You made my whole being;
    you formed me in my mother's body.
14I praise you because you made me in an amazing and
          wonderful way.
    What you have done is wonderful.
     I know this very well.
15You saw my bones being formed
     as I took shape in my mother's body.
When I was put together there,
16     you saw my body as it was formed.
All the days planned for me
     were written in your book
     before I was one day old.

Groomsman Boutonnieres

The Knot

Breath.

     Here I am, squishing my pillows and fluffing my comfortable, attempting to get comfortable in my queen sized bed, in my apartment for one, accompanied by a sleepy dog and cat who howls at my door at all hours of the night. I have a bottle of Robitussin sitting on my night stand and I have clung to this bottle all evening, it has become my life support and has helped subdue my cough with in the last 12 hours. I realized tonight while watching a movie that my cough has consumed every fiber of my being to the point where I have lost the ability to produce a laugh. My throat is torn to shreds but, I can still speak and carry on a conversation. So as I am sinking into my soft, slumberous bed, one word comes to mind: breath.
     God has given me breath. As much as I have complained and ached over this cough, I have forgotten that under this exhausting frustration I have misplaced thankfulness. Then I began to think about my work; about the team of people that are coming into my work place in the next week to make sure that we are up to par on policies, and what I could say to them if they asked me what my organizations policy was. This is what I would tell them, "Well, to be honest, I am not sure what our mission is word for word, but this is where I can find it...." and then I would proceed to tell them that, "I am here to serve and to love these kids. Kids that have stories I couldn't even fathom. Kids who are broken and need the support so that they can be the best they can be. So that they can have a future and dream!" God has given my kids breath. Just as he has given me breath. And I am not quite sure where I am going with this but I know that He began with Adam and Eve, two people, placed in the middle of a garden.
     Genesis 2:7 "Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and formed a man from it. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nose, and the man became a living person." Just like that God make Adam. He gave breath to Adam as He has to me. I am living a life for what? What I am living for? To eat the forbidden fruit? Am I living for the material possessions, for things that are just temporary? Just as this cough has consumed me, so will the temporary things of this world. I have a voice, I am able to speak above the consuming sin and temptations. He hears me. I may have lost my ability to laugh right now but He is waiting to fill my life with an everlasting joy. I just need to give Him my all.
     Acts 8:36 "While they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The officer said, "Look, here is water. What is stopping me from being baptized?"  What am I waiting for? What are we waiting for? What holds us back from being completely drenched in the Holy Spirit? What keeps us from allowing God to dwell in our hearts and consume our lives? For me it's fear. It's temptation. It's the lack of confidence. I am afraid that if I allow Him to consume my life, that I may lose my sight of who I really am. I am not confident in my ability to completely devote myself to Him and not be tempted by outer things. God is sitting here, telling me to breathe. Just breathe. Dwell in peace and He will be there.