Sometimes Decor Is Frustrating (now with pics!)

I spend a lot of time reading and pouring over design blogs. There are countless saved pictures on my desktop of inspiration pictures. Every tip and trick is filed away in my brain, just waiting for the time when I can give it a shot. For instance, I remember that using groupings in odd numbers as centerpieces because it gives the table more interest.

Eventually the time came to actually decorate something in my house. My fantastic Target ladder shelf was just sitting at home in the living room empty, waiting to be decorated, its hundreds less than the original Pottery Barn one and looks almost the same. Lets just ignore the fact that the ladder shelf is so 2002 ok? The shelf fits really well in a very awkward corner of our living room. And I like it. Just like I still like Uggs.

Eagerly I went around the whole house and get everything I thought would be good shelf decor down into the living room. There is a fine assortment of stuff in my opinion, I can definitely get this done!

Except I can't.

Nothing looks quite right. Nothing is screaming out "OMG Fantastic! Best shelf arrangement ever!" Everything gets taken down and goes back up in a new location. Unfortunately the repositioning doesn't help, I still hate everything. I can feel liquid frustration running through my veins at this point. This is supposed to be the fun part. This is the part that I looked forward during those long years of living through renovations and having one piece of a sofa sectional as our only seating option.

I think that this isn't fun or easy for me because although our house is "finished" it really isn't. When we decided to put the house on the market we also decided that enough was enough and we would be making it look nice with what we have. No further major investments in time or money. That means no on the paint color I'm lusting after for the living and tv rooms. No new major furniture, curtains or rugs. The spending has to get snipped because who knows what our next house will turn out looking like or what our tastes will be then. Or even when the next house will be at this stage of the renovations...

Its just mind boggling annoying to have a house so close but so far from where you want it to be design wise. I can see everything in my head and I just want a shot to see if I can carry something from an idea in my noggin to full design execution with none of the restraints we've had to work around in previous years.

Decor frustration.
Maybe its just me? I hope I'm not alone.

The shelf is nicely and artfully decorated in a way that I really like now.

1- Homemade wedding frame with a quote from our first dance song "Happy Together".

2- New married last initial- from Anthropolgie.

3- Birdcage with candles inside, used to house a little plant. But the plant died.

4- Collection of old bottles, books and one railroad spike that we've found on the property.

5- Dove from Home Goods- a few books from my library

6- The awesome retro fan we found in our garage, and a clock from Pier One

7- Our Oreo shelf, we have her ashes and collar right near her favorite heat vent (she used to sleep on it all winter long)