Whoever said that was likely 25 years old – and had just bought a house (presumably in Rome).
And by “built” – they mean: painted, decorated, furnished, cleaned, mowed, clipped, raked and Swiffered – because somehow, dog hair is much more prominent on shiny wood floors than it is on dingy, apartment carpet. The sun shines in and illuminates a soft, fresh layer of blond, pet dander. And so, we Swiffer – and Swiffer some more. Speaking of the dog – home ownership is giving him anxiety – and we’re in the market for a new dog bed. 
We’ve officially been in our new home for three-weeks, and the bare walls and empty rooms are crying out for embellishments and cozy additions. At the same time, my bank account is crying out for a steady pace (echoed by my husband – who now hates Homegoods).
And – God loves Tye best right now too – and has partnered with him to limit my decor crusades to Homegoods, Hobby Lobby & T.J. Maxx. Case and point – Tye’s college roommate visited us this weekend and like all bros do – the two of them fit a trip in to Gold’s Gym for “arms day” – giving me a precious window of time for careless errand-running and store-wandering. First stop – car wash en route to Bed, Bath & Beyond. I managed to clumsily drop my card between my car and the pay station. Thanks to the tiny space – I couldn’t open my car door far enough to reach my wayward card. In irritable haste, I threw my little Honda in reverse and managed to scrape my card stripe beyond recognition. Card denied. Shopping trip, denied.
And in the midst of this come-to-Jesus revelation of delayed gratification – I’m learning how much everything costs – and how much “stuff” we need for the basics. We have unruly shrubs out front – solution? Bought hedge clippers ($17). Upon closer inspection, found landscape lighting. Bought replacement bulbs ($30). Decided to clip unruly hedges – needed a rake ($20). Trips, upon trips to Lowes. Batteries for the Swiffer. Nuts & bolts for picture hanging. Hammer. Drill. Curtain rods. Granite cleaner. Stove top cleaner. Lawn mower. More wine for built-in wine rack. More wine in general. Please just bask in my overload of first-world problems. Sorry.
I am enjoying it – but I just want it to look like a Pottery Barn catalog already (whiny voice). In the meantime, the Pottery Barn Christmas catalog is on the coffee table as a reminder. A new debit card is on its way. And we are learning patience – just like the Romans.
Adrianne Buckley 