My New Year’s resolution is to just do – no more procrastinating, putting things off or wavering with my decisions. It is time to get things done – in our house, at work, with my blogs, etc. Another incentive for getting our house in shape, is my mother-in-law and sister-in-law upcoming visit. It is crunch time to get our house organized and looking fantastic. The last time Nick’s mother visited we’d only been here a month so it was half painted and barely decorated.

Our “Home Sweet Home” was introduced in this post, and has changed a bit since those photos, but we still have a lot to do to make it truly “sweet.” We can’t afford to do everything I want all at once, so I’ve selected a few less expensive projects to complete before they arrive. The first room to tackle is the dining and living room. This room opens up into the entry and is the first room you see when you walk into the house. These photos show some views as of November, hence, the Halloween/Thanksgiving decor. Sorry for the terrible photos; they were taken at night before a dinner party.

Please ignore that beautiful plaid, hand-me down sofa peeking out in the corner and pretend it is a fabulous tan or green sofa from Pottery Barn. For now, it stays. I try to ignore it. Also, pretend you don’t notice the horrifying vertical blinds. For now, the blinds provide privacy and a break from the constant sun. Those will be dealt with during their visit. I might not have mentioned that my MIL is an interior designer.* During her visit, she is planning to help me choose, purchase or order and possibly hang curtains.

My short term to-do list for this space includes:

1. Find chairs. I know exactly what dining table chairs I want. However, they are relatively expensive, so I’m hoping to find some cheap yet attractive chairs to paint black and hold me over until I save up for the ones I really want. The black folding chairs aren’t doing it for me!
2. Get a gallery wall up. To the right of the dining table, I really want to do a wall filled with black frames showcasing old family photos, wedding photos, etc. This is one of those things I’ve been putting off pulling the trigger on for the past few months. Now is the time.
3. Organize and style the bookcases. I threw the books and magazines in the shelves right after I put them together, so I want things to be a bit more styled and edited.
4. Remove and repaint chandelier. The light fixture is brown speckled with black. A quick swash of black spray paint and one other small touch should do the trick to make it look more fantastic.

The long-term to-do list includes so many more items, but these will get me to a place where I actually like this space and finally feel at home. Plus, they are somewhat easy to accomplish in a short amount of time. I am looking forward to checking these to-dos off my list all the while sharing the process with EAD Living readers!

Do you have any tips or recommendations for completing my to-dos? Are any of your New Year’s resolutions decor-based? What are your goals for your home in the new year?

*Could this be why I am so freaking out about our house looking nice? Why, yes it is! She and I have different, yet similar tastes and are both very opinionated, so the curtain process should be interesting.