I’ve written before about my strange obsession with “House Hunters” on HGTV. And I’ve mentioned that within the first full minute of an episode – if it’s a re-run – I can call it: “That’s the couple that ended up in a Craftsman cottage,” or “That’s the guy whose grandmother was his realtor and on the way into the first house he looked at, she tripped on a stepping stone and said, ‘HELP ME! I’ll kill myself!'”
So I’ve seen an episode or nine, is all I’m sayin’.
Well, when I read this post at Melanie’s blog, I knew
exactly which episode of “HH” she was talking about. Down to the couple’s outfits. And then I wondered: why don’t I quit watching? I’ve seen all of them. I know which house they’re going to choose. Why can’t I quit my “House Hunters” habit?
Part of it has to do with what I mentioned in the post from February. I’m Southern. Southern people like seeing people’s houses. We like sitting on people’s porches. We like being invited into people’s living rooms and finding big glasses of sweet tea waiting on the coffee table. We can’t help it. It’s like saying “y’all” or eating grits – it’s part of who we are.
But the bigger part, I think, is that for me, the inside of a house – and whether it’s 700 or 7,000 square feet is totally irrelevant – is a reflection of a person’s personality. So I’ll just go ahead and tell you – though this may scare you and send you fleeing from this little corner of the interweb so quickly that your monitor will have tread marks – I find it impossible to talk to someone or read her blog without forming a picture in my head of where she lives.
You may need a moment to process the deeply disturbing nature of that last sentence.
Yes, even though I’ve never, you know, visited their homes, I have a mental image (completely fabricated, of course) of where Sarah lives, where Addie lives, where Robin lives, where fill-in-the-blank lives – and it’s based on absolutely nothing other than my perception of their personalities.
Please don’t leave.
I mean, that’s weird. Right? It’s weird. I know it is.
Allow me to continue to humiliate myself.
In my head, everybody lives somewhere perfectly lovely. I rarely meet someone in real life or read someone’s blog and picture them living in a less-than-desirable conditions. I do picture various degrees of home decor – some plain, some minimal, some contemporary, some traditional, some eclectic – but in my mind everybody lives in a safe, secure home that’s a perfect reflection of their personality and values.
So I’ll get even more specific and REALLY scare you.
– I imagine that Diane has lots of beautiful old quilts scattered around. She loves hearth and home, loves her family, and she strikes me as a person who would see a quilt as a treasure – something to be handed down from generation to generation.
– I imagine that Lauren has a place for everything and everything in its place. Her blog is so pretty and functional and orderly that I can’t help but think that her house is, too.
– I imagine that Brenda doesn’t like a lot of frou-frou stuff in her house. There’s no lace there (at least in my head). And because she always has gorgeous photography on her blog, I picture her house as being tastefully minimal so that the pictures are showcased.
Oh, I could go on. And on. And on. But then you might notify some sort of mental health agency that there’s this woman? In Alabama? With some SERIOUS issues. In need of some SERIOUS help.
But I’m thinking that there has to be at least one of you who does this, too.
Please?
And Happy 4th of July, by the way.
You may now judge me in the comments. Freely.
If you weren’t a little strange, then you couldn’t be creative. At least that is the excuse I use. You have to picture something in your mind because your mind is always inventing and creating. You “can’t help it. Bless your heart.”
Happy 4th! Don’t blow off your hand with a firecracker or anything.
Melanie
You’re not any stranger than I am, BooMama, because I do the same thing. Of course, from what you already know of me, that might not be much comfort. :)
Yep, I have quilts from my Mom, made for her by a dear friend and neighbor, quilts from Lamar’s Grannny to be passed on to Jessica, (I already gave her a couple of *test* quilts to see if she’s mature enough to take care of them before I give her the best ones) some baby quilts I made Jessica, and some I got here and there. I use mine, too. What good are they to anyone in a drawer or cedar chest? I do take care of them, though.
You were right on re: the quilts, BooMama. I have an eclectic decorating theme: Whatever Diane Likes And Can Afford Or Is Given To Her. I’ll have to post a pic of a bookshelf my Daddy and I made out of an old TV cabinet and some culled dining table leaves. It’s ugly but functional, and it’s one of the few things I have left from my Daddy. I treasure it. Other quilts and so many other treasures were lost in their house fire.
I came in here for a break and a cup of coffee. Back to the grindstone soon. :-)
If I didn’t do the same thing, this might could freak me out a little :) So what I’m wondering is, what does MY house look like? Let’s see if you’re on the mark before you come out here and see it for real. (And dear, sweet Lord, please oh please let me have at least sold my house by then.)
And what does YOUR house look like? Since I’ve already imagined it, and all :)
I don’t think you are that strange, but boy you go into more detail than I do.
I haven’t gotten as far as imagining bloggers’ homes, but I do imagine houses of my friends. Once I have been in someones home and they move, (we are Air Force, so that happens a lot) I need a visual picture of their new house to feel “connected” to them when we correspond. Obviously, this doesn’t always happen, but I love seeing someone’s new house and thinking, “when she is talking to me on the phone and making dinner, this is where she is,” and “Oh, that’s where she is sitting when she emails me.”
That’s weird too, huh?!
Well, sister, we come from a looooong line of “Southern House Hunters” (and I howl everytime I think about how many times we rewound the grandmother/realtor “Help Me!…” segment). It’s no different than imagining what somebody looks like on the other end of a phone call.
You know, Barro says that he could walk into any of our homes (you, Mama, Paige) and know that we’re all related. :)
P.S. I won’t look in anybody’s medicine cabinet, either. Just thinking about it gives me the willies.
xo,
Nancy – I do EXACTLY the same thing. I ALWAYS visualize where people are standing when I’m talking to them on the phone, or where they’re sitting when they email me. I think picturing the rest of the rooms is just an extension of that with me. And what’s really weird is when I picture it, and then I actually see the house, and it’s nothing like I thought. But then I feel better just knowing. :-)
Sarah – I’ll take pictures. When it’s clean. It’s only fair. :-)
Diane – I definitely want to see a picture of that bookshelf. But I know you have lots to get done right now, so take your time.
Melanie – you’re right. I CAN’T help it. Bless my heart. :-)
I do the same thing except the way people look, not there houses. I try to put a face to the blogs so I can know who Im conversing with. So far I have been way off at what they actually look like. By the way I love your half pic on your profile, so I know what you look like half way!!!
As far as my house, it isnt a house anymore. It is a Palm Harbor manufactured home, lol but it is very nice and roomy.
I hope you are having a great 4th of July
Girl- all i can say…is I am getting addicted to reading this everyday! I’m sorry that I missed out on the HH “help me” segment! I’m thinking you and “sister” are definitely hooked! :-) Medicine cabinets?? Hmmmm…
You are just too funny—-I enjoy your “weirdness” if that is what you want to call it.
K Boo, you got me started…what does the inside of my home look like? Probably not much to imagine since it’s not decorated and all for selling purposes! Or, did you already see my videos on an earlier post for Robin? Darn it! :)
Boo, isn’t your family room green? I think I saw the pictures from when you went through your organization phase. I see a lot of dark wood trim and bold colors in my mind for your house.
Sarah, for some reason, in my mind you live in a ranch. I think that’s just because I’ve never heard you say ‘upstairs’. And also, in my mind, most of the decor is neutral. Soothing, muted tones. And always very tidy.
Actually, everyone’s house is always tidy in my mind.
Robin’s I’ve based on the pictures I’ve seen and T-Lo’s I think I could give the tour myself now that I’ve seen the video. :-)
Ok, so now that I’ve typed all this out, I see that I do the same thing. I also imagine what the person looks like. Boo, you had reddish brown hair in my mind before I saw a pic.
Mary, at Owlhaven, did a little picture tour of her house. We should do that. (You know after we pick up and everything.) ;-)
I love it. I’m SO like this, BooMama. I’m the mom that chooses where I take my children trick-or-treating specfically because they’re the houses I want to peak into.
So I’m actually a little disappointed–I figured at the end of this you were going to launch a big “house tour” carnival and host it here on your blog. You should consider it. Tell us which pictures to take, of which rooms. Just let me clean first.
i love that show too because i love to see inside houses. i also love house plans. i even dream about touring houses. how weird is that.
I like the house tour idea. I think you should go with it. Maybe do a room or closet each month for a while…move into closets and garages…With a full month’s notice between each room so we can tidy up.
Go for it! I’m game.
My real house looks like a bachelor pad, after the frat party; but my dream home is just the way you imagine it. Although I do have an affinity for lace curtains, I don’t do frou-frou, and I am hoping to eventually showcase our photos.
I love the house tour idea, and I think you should give more descriptions. I’d love to hear what my projected house looks like.
I can vouch that Lauren’s house is very tidy (at least it was when I was there–I didn’t check any closets, so they may have been stuffed to the gills for all I know) but also comfortable and inviting, so you want to just stay…and stay…and stay…
I, too, have an obessession with House Hunters! My husband can not understand why I want to watch someone I do not know, look at a house they will live in, in a place far far away from where I live. And I can’t exactly explain it either. I just love homes! It represents a family, hopefully of love, respect, joy, hardships and even grief.
I have always enjoyed seeing other peoples homes. Just to see how other people live, their tastes, etc.
I think it only stands to reason that since you have a fascination with homes you would have an image of the type they would live in. I don’t think it is any different than someone you get to know over the telephone and you build an image of how they would look. However, I’m usually way off. Anyway I understand where your coming from.
I’m really new to this blogging thing so I’m hoping this will come through. Any suggestions on how to educate myself would be helpful.
Thanks and have a great day!
I totaly get that I am the same way, and gosh how I love the sweet tea. We have recently moved back to Texas from Wyoming and let me tell you there is nothing like southern hospitality and sweet tea
If anyone is going to start the house tour via blog we need a bit of notice! Like time for a run to Goodwill at least, to drop off,not pick up. Sarah’s house, by the way is tidy, almost all the time, and neutral tones. Funny how our personalities come across so much in what we write we can picture each other. Boomama, this isnt weird, its just normal women.
By the way, how did I forget to tell you your new template is so so so pretty. Very fun.
no kidding, I have a total image of Shannon’s house being all pink and dryers in every room :)
Perfectly normal. The last time Bev moved, it drove me nuts to not have a mental image of where she was when she was emailing, talking on the phone. Even sleeping. So I told her I couldn’t stand it and she spent a morning snapping every single spot in her big three story house and sent me a boatload of photos. I felt 100% better. The house tour is a fun idea. And I’m did a double take when I clicked on you – everything suddenly looked way different. I love the new look. Perfect for you! By the way, I totally agree with Sister. Looking inside people’s medicine cabinets is just too much and very creepy. I may be curious, but not that curious.
Cool, BooMama. Your house imagining is like a grown-up version of a slumber-party game. We’ll call it “Guess My House.” I’ve imagined your house, too. I think it has big spaces. High ceilings. Crown molding. Colored walls — not egg-shell white everywhere. I imagine you like to keep things picked up, but don’t get uptight about dusting the baseboards. I think you have a big, sturdy table to eat at. And when friends come over, you end up spending most of your time in the kitchen, even though you have a perfectly inviting living room with overstuffed furniture.
Fun game.
Okay. THAT is eerie. Not so much on the big spaces part, b/c our house isn’t really all that big, but everything else is right on the money. Gosh, Toni – I think you could play this game professionally. ;-)
Edited By Siteowner
Well BooMama,
I haven’t commented up till now because A)I needed to read some of your blogs to get up to speed, and 2) your comment form is a little different so I wasn’t sure what my Url was. So if I did it correctly you will find that I think you are such a funny lady and all my kids like to read your blog, too. My house is in a state of total disarray because I’m packing by faith. Though I will tell you my duvet cover-to-be is a green tapestry with cabbage roses from light pink to deep red on one side and the same deep red in a taffeta on the back. I have the material, just haven’t gotten to the sewing in all this chaos. My goal in the next house is order. We have a PTouch for labeling and I can wait to “Monk” out in my new kitchen. In general my ideal style is Craftsman architecture with Arts & Crafts/Art Deco/Asian interior. Someday…when the kids are grown.
OK…visiting for the first here and I can tell I’ll be back…you, just like Antique mommy, are halarious! :)
And…I have just jump right in here and say that I am such a HGTV addict- and yes, especially House Hunters! In fact, I watching TV late in bed the other night, getting really excited because it was an episode of HH I hadn’t seen! (It was actually International House Hunters, but that counts, right?)
I’ll be back!
Blessings…
~Tammy
OK I totally want to know what my house looks like to you!
BooMama,
I understand the HH obsession…I do the same! Being a Southerner myself, I can totally relate to your post (BTW…IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER THAN SWEET TEA? I don’t think so!)
I’m imagining your house in the Southern Living style (since you have that link as a favorite). C’mon, girl…give us some pics!
LOve LOve LOVE HH!!
Oh and my house does not reflect me. There are a few things that are ‘me’, but not many. Weird huh? I don’t have the $$ to reflect me, but I love to look at others houses. I love to look at house plans too.
Love HH too. I watch the reruns too. Totally missed the HELP! one though.
Now, as far as your assessment of my home, I have to say that Jeana is being nice and the only way my house would be orderly is if I could password protect it from my children. Impossible I know but a girl can dream.
I tend to imagine what the blogger looks like more than their home and so far I am always wrong.