Treasures in the Attic 3 (kind-of)

My 'assault' on the mess in my attic is really not living up to the grand idea I had at the beginning of the year, but I'm not giving up.  However, I am finding all sorts of ways to 'count' things that probably don't really count towards this goal I set.  It makes me feel better.  ha. 

So after about 17 years, my lovely patterned sofa and loveseat, along with badly faded curtains and desperately-needed-to-be-replaced gross carpet have finally all been tossed out.  It was almost funny to see how excited my kids were about replacing those couches - they've been embarrassed by them for a very long time.  That pattern was so 90's....  haha.  But it's been fun getting new things and the family room is starting to come back together.  Of course, now I'm trying to find new odds and ends to decorate a room that has completely changed color - AND - now that the family room is looking all fresh and new, it is making the kitchen look like it needs a fresh coat of paint and a color change.  And we can't decide on a color.  Or I should say *I* can't decide...  Anna and Jack have liked this one color for a while and after going and getting samples of 2 other colors and painting splotches of them all over the walls, I think I'm going to end up liking theirs after all.  :)

Anyways, so I'm counting getting rid of old things - my couches, curtains and carpet - as one more step towards getting my house in order.  (And for my English-loving friends, how do you like that use of alliteration?!?)   Here is a before picture:

 

And now an after picture:

 

Mandy is actually asleep on the floor behind the brown chair that we still aren't quite sure is going to stay in the room... but she is pretty sure we put in the nice new soft carpet just for her.  :)  I'll update again one of these days when I find lamps and tables and pictures for the mantle and all that stuff.  I need someone to shop for me and just do that - I just go, like I did today, and wander around furniture stores and get overwhelmed and come home with nothing. ;-) 

 

I guess my 'treasure' from all this was the couches - here they are just before they got picked up:

 

 

I was happy to see them leave the breakfast room, but I'm funny about things.  I attach memories to things and when the sofas went out the door, it felt like they took a lot of years and memories with them.  Like I have this image of Mackenzie burned into my mind sitting on the love seat when it was pretty much brand-new, with her backpack on, getting ready to go off to her first day of Kindergarten.  And lots more things like that.  It's kind-of silly, I know, because I really don't forget - but it's just a little nostalgic thing I go through.  So I took one last picture to remember them by.  :) 

 

But I am very much enjoying my new space and updated things.  Maybe I will tell stories about the painting and carpeting fiascos in another blog, but that's enough for today!