if i'm going to be honest here, i'm a bit of a control freak. you may think that i'm over stating this, but i'm fond of saying that i'm "woody allen grade neurotic." and in some ways, renting brings out the worst of my control freak nature. the fact that i'm not allowed to paint in my current home without getting permission to try a specific color drives me batty. never mind that i wouldn't paint any way--it's the principal of the thing. and to top it off, if i do paint, i'm responsible for repainting it when i leave, to restore it to its bland condition. [uh, if i'm too lazy to paint it once, i'm certainly too lazy to paint it twice.]
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and i'm not gonna lie--that particular brand of autocratic authoritarian landlord-ness makes me grit my teeth and clench my jaw. in fact, i'm doing it right now as i type.
{breath in, breathe out. breathe in, breathe out.}
ok, i'm better now. so what's a control freak like me to do when i feel a loss of control over the very place where i should have the most control?? for me, it's making my home uniquely customized. it means that in stead of buying a lampshade for our lamp, i'm going to recover one, so that it's not just "nice," but it's "perfect." and by perfect i mean strangely fits my style and my space. perfect for me.
it means in stead of just hanging our old paper lantern, i'm going to try my hand at making something that is completely my own. that specifically meets my needs for the space, and makes me feel like my home screams my name whenever i come in to it. [stay tuned for an actual play-by-play on this lamp-making project that is currently going on behind the scenes.]
it means making my own window treatments. and it means slipcovering my couch and slipcovering my rubbermaid plastic bin to look like an ottoman.
the great thing about this for me, as a control freak, is that in a situation where i can often feel powerless, i find the things that i can exert my control over, and i capitalize on that. so then it's not as big of a deal if the apartment has no storage--i'm going to find a creative and clever work-around. but more on that on a later day :)
are you a control freak like me?? does it drive you nuts that there are some things your landlord or your rental itself just will not allow you to do?? have you been able to channel your controlling side to come up with projects and work arounds??
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to see the previous 31 days' posts, check out day 1, where i've got a running list. :)
Oh, I am a total control freak! My poor kids. Just wait. It is so hard to let them do things (you know, so they can learn) because it is easier to do it myself- and it gets done right. HAHAHA It's a bit crazy, I know. I am also a perfectionist, which holds me back. I am afraid things won't turn out perfectly, so I put off doing them. It's ridiculous. I'm working on it though. I really, really want to make new slipcovers in a fun color like teal or orange. I'm trying to decide which one (and find the right shade in an affordable fabric). That would be so fun! I know what you mean about recovering a lampshade so it is perfect. I feel the same way. Who wants to have the same old thing as everyone else? Customizing is the best!
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