Dream Homes and other TV myths-
I used to enter HGTV's Dream home Giveaway. I used to enjoy the tours of the homes and dream about how my family would fit in them. The problem was, my family didn't fit. I have 3 children and, despite the square footage of those monstrous homes, there was not enough rooms for each to have their own bedroom. No matter how luxurious, these homes were not meant for a family. Who are they built for (you might ask)? Corporations is the answer. These homes are built as get-away locations for executives or rewards for good performers. They are built to showcase products. They are built to showcase design trends.
The people entering the contests are not executives. They are just average people (like me) and they don't have a snowball's hope in Hell to actually keep the house they won. They have a shell shocked look of happiness on their faces for the first 30 mins, then the tax reality sets in and they have a perpetual frown dealing with the headache they suddenly find themselves in.
Maybe Extreme Home makeover might be more my style. nah! I'm not worthy. I am just an average person, not a saint in trouble. I wonder just how hard TY would have to work to make my life sound like it sucked? I'll have to say my home has issues, but blowing it up and building one 3 times bigger won't do me any favors. How would I pay the property taxes, let alone the electric bill for all the extra light bulbs?
So, maybe the problem is I have too many things. Maybe Clean House could help. But, people are not allowed to equate sentiment with objects. They are not allowed to be excessive in their hobbies. I know the second I said I had to keep my dresser because it was my great, great aunt Mary's they would want to sell it, and I would have to kill them. And if they threatened my fabric stash, no quilter would convict me.
Maybe another design show.(No, I don't trust any neighbor of mine to understand what we like, so don't even go there. )
How much of the situation we find ourselves in financially can be attributed to HGTV and the like? So many shows telling us what money will buy in certain locations... and showing newlywed couples in their interest only homes. OH? Wow! Why didn't I think of living way beyond my means because I'm entitled to? The shows that insist that we have to have a fabulous kitchen with professional equiptment when no one knows how to cut up a chicken anymore and most everyone could care less about spending more than 20 mins. making a meal. Have you taken a good look at the grocery store lately?
The shows that design huge luxurious bathrooms for us to wallow in. I can almost relent on this one, given the possible romantic conotations of the luxurious bath. I've seen far too many garden tubs filled with cleaning bottles and dust to think this is a viable need.
And, if you think the interior decorating shows aren't enough, there's the outdoor ones. Insisting that we need to have an outdoor living space that looks as comfy as our living rooms... compleate with fireplaces, and TV's for God's sake! Didn't we want to be outside to get away from them? Bar-b-que pits, fired by gas, with mysterious pieces of this and that to simulate charcoal or smoked wood that costs hundreds of dollars when a simple bar-b-que costs about $20.
I have simple tastes and refuse to be suckered into wanting things I don't need to make me happy. There are things I'd like, things I'd like to improve in my home but for somethings, I can have patience. Eventually, i will have space for a studio. I will have a nice garden. In the meantime, i remind myself it's a nice little home we have in a nice location and I don't have to please anyone but myself because i do not plan on leaving here.