I was once on a podcast about clutter and design and how to create a home that you love and in the middle of the interview, the host asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks.

How much input does your husband have on decorating?

Husband?

Decorating input?

I literally had to press pause and think.

Really? Truly? Just between you and me and this cup of coffee?

Not so much.

But he does have two requests:

  1.  It has to be comfortable
  2.  Can we put a limit on freshy decorating?

Freshy decorating.

You know.

Decorating that’s freshy.

Like my fall front porch from last year.

(total aside: I’ve been waiting and waiting to decorate this year, but it is still over 100 degrees here in Texas. Mums like these wouldn’t make it more than a hot minute.)

It’s a term my husband came up with. He explained to me what he means when he calls decorating freshy.

With freshy decorating there’s freshy stuff on every surface. Like baskets of mums and grapevine pumpkins perched kind of precariously and a plethora of lanterns and more pumpkins than consonants in the word “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

Things that look amazing on Instagram.

But that totally, literally, indisputably make absolutely no sense in real life.

I’m not sure exactly where he came up with that term.  It just showed up one day. Actually I think the exact quote was, “Why do we have to have so much freshy decorating around here?”

Hmm.

I remember thinking…what? Come again? Freshy decorating?

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that referred to on HGTV before.

And I’m pretty sure there’s not a DIY Network show called “Freshy Decorators and the Houses That Love Them.”

When he first said it, I remember staring at him blankly.

Willing him to go on.

Willing him to make me understand.

Willing him to explain the almost inscrutable, yet oddly almost understandable term, “freshy decorating.”

“Can you explain it to me?” I asked him.

He just stared back at me and shrugged and said, “You know.  It’s like when the decorating takes over the house.  When there’s freshy stuff everywhere.”

Then he paused and stated with great dramatic emphasis:

“Seriously.  It’s like nothing ever stays in the same place around here.  I can’t ever find anything. And it’s all…well…it’s all so freshy.”

Oh.

I see.

That’s what freshy decorating is.

And after that discussion, I tried to unfreshy everything when I could.

When I remembered.

When I thought of it.

But sometimes when you least expect it, a little freshy shows up.

The other day I walked into the kitchen to find him searching frantically for a utensil.

He had a bowl of Cheerios and milk in his hand and he couldn’t find a napkin.

I simply walked across the room to the new basket I had bought for napkins and pointed.

“Here they are,” I said. “See, I put them right here under the counter.

He sighed the sigh of someone with a bowl of Cheerios who is married to a blogger with never-ending brilliant ideas.

“What was I thinking,” he said. “Of course, they have their own basket now.”

And then he paused and smiled, “Even napkins have to be freshy.”

Shhhh….don’t tell him, but I just moved the plates, too. 🙂

PS Last week we had the trees trimmed and I’m collecting the branches for a project for fall.

Just between us? I think he thought the branch collecting was a little freshy.

But he overlooked it because this time? Freshy was free. 🙂

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Comments

  1. Image for Margaret Margaret

    You always put a smile on my face. My husband says “It’s your house. Do what you want, but don’t do that! Margaret

  2. Image for Connie Sumner Connie Sumner

    Your post today makes me laugh because I hear the same from my husband. Love it KariAnne and keep on keeping on with your ideas! Welcome to the “Ber” months and may the mum decorating begin. I’m holding off with the mums myself because it’s still 95 degrees here in southeast Georgia, but I’m itching to get my porches done. Happy Fall y’all!

  3. Image for Jodena Beale Jodena Beale

    🤣🤣🤣🤣 well I have to admit this story made me morning laugh. I guess you could call it my "freshy" laugh since it was my 1st one today, thanks. Love the story, could almost see the expression on your face. Hilarious.

  4. Image for laura laura

    my entire family cannot wrap their collective opinions about why i rearrange the contents of cabinets and drawers. They will go to bed and the forks are in the drawer next to coffee pot snd the following morning I moved them to the drawer closer to dishwasher.

  5. Image for Donnamae Donnamae

    Lol!! Oh…this is a good one! I have to admit, the older I get the less “freshy” I want my home, too. Your husband is a true gift! Enjoy your weekend!! ;)

  6. Image for Diana Diana

    LOL KariAnne your husband is hilarious. I have to agree about moving things around all the time. If I'm going to find something it needs to be in its place. Otherwise, I can't find it then I slightly lose my mind. I can't wait for mums to come my way just too hot now.

    1. Image for Lou E Gipson Lou E Gipson

      K~Love the post! BUt in Hubby's defense, i have to agree with him! Viewing your front porch photo this morning, i thought wow! Where did all this stuff come from? Did a semi overturn and spill its contents on your front porch? Truthfully, it's way too cluttered..just too much stuff !! Everything is competing for the eye's attention !! someone could trip and fall while trying to navigate the path to the sidewalk! between you and me, looks a bit like ..... hoarding! Please remove at least half..starting with the huge grapevine pumpkins.. i guess you could say "refresh the Freshy"!! Loui

  7. Image for Becky Becky

    Freshly! The word of the day! I love your take on life. Always sharing new ideas with your online friends. You are so freshly- always cheery, natural and ever- changing! Many thanks for the smile today- and my new favorite word!

  8. Image for Beth Minger Beth Minger

    So around our house I can move decorative items all of the time and my hubby doesn't even notice but if I were to move plates/silverware/cookware it would be a problem - also we entertain and our guests are so used to where things are they would be very puzzled if they couldn't go directly to what they need. I guess at our house there is a "freshy" threshold!!! It's still a bit hot in Iowa too for mums but if I see some I like may buy them anyway and hide them in the garage where it's cooler! Fall decorating beginning soon!

  9. Image for Donna Marie Donna Marie

    I am 69 and do not move things any more!!! We moved a year and a half ago and that was enough moving things for the rest of our lives!!! Lol

  10. Image for Fran Fran

    Your post made me laugh. My husband is constantly asking, “where did you move them to now?” He jokes that I would move the toilet if it wasn’t bolted to the floor. Freshy is a good term, moving things makes everything look fresh again. Love your posts.

  11. Image for Rizae Rizae

    Absolutely love your front porch! If that's what porch hording looks like... I'm all for it! Its happy and inviting everyone to a gorgeous home. And I too decorate freshy... lol. My hubby says he knows what season it is by seeing what has been added or put away! All I can say is.... You go freshy!!!

  12. Image for Kathy Menold Kathy Menold

    Love this freshy column. I move things everyday till I get them just right and by then it's time to decorate for a new season. This morning I restyled a dough bowl three times. I think after 55 yrs of marriage my husband doesn't even notice but that's OK, he is my soul mate and I wouldn't trade him for anything. Just got to keep the silverware and dishes in the same place! Enjoy these last week's of summer. Soon the pumpkin and Mum truck will be delivering our order.😄

  13. Image for Lori H Lori H

    Ignore Lou above..the porch looks great! I was just thinking how wonderful the pink looks for fall. You have a large porch that demands a lot of decor..plenty of room there:0) Love all the changes!

  14. Image for Teresa Gonzales Teresa Gonzales

    I was laughing so hard reading this! My husband doesn’t say freshy but he does mean the same thing. I am always reordering, reorganizing, rearranging, resomethingortheother. He quietly listens to me and says, “oh you are reing it.” I say “yes, like you do with Halloween lights, Christmas decorations,Christmas lights, lights in general, the garages and the barn.” He smiles and says,”that is why we are perfect for each other. We like reing.”❤️

  15. Image for Cathy Cathy

    I love your front porch!! Love Freshy!! 🤣🤣. My husband is the same!!It has taken him years to adjust to my decorating for each season! He thinks Christmas is way over the top!! 😉

    1. Image for KariAnne Wood KariAnne Wood

      I got them at HEB! I just saw they are back in stock this year!!!! Runnnnn! They sell out so fast! happy day, karianne

  16. Image for Peg Peg

    When my adult children were very little, and being a little fresh (in a cute way), I'd call them a little freshie!! xoxo

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