Nothing Chic about it....

So, I've been sitting in the Pavillion - in the gloaming, enjoying the night sounds, the cool air and my multi- colored happy lights. I am exhausted by my weekend - most of it a good, happy busy, some of it - not so much. As I pulled in my driveway for the umpteenth time this afternoon, I noticed that my beautiful zinnia's by the mailbox were about 3 weeks past their prime (I'm sure the neighbors are politely, fervently wishing that we would pull them up), my pots by the front door are suffering from benign neglect (bordering on the pathological), and there are piles of limbs scattered around the back from Friday nights storms. In short...we are projecting a decidedly shabby air over here. Inside - not much better. The house is STILL sporting it's original horrendous green carpet (In our defense - it was the first thing we were going to change when we bought the house, and then the HVAC died....in the previous owners defense, I'm sure it was high style and quite lovely in it's day....25 years ago....), My kitchen cabinets which I so meticulously painted 5 years ago before we moved in are starting to have an unintentionally distressed look about them and the Dadgummed Cat has chewed a small escape hole in every  window screen in the house.....shabby in.....shabby out, and nothing Chic about it. So back to the Pavillion....As I was sitting there in my favorite flannel nightgown (I am woman enough to admit that yes, I was in my nightclothes before 8:00p.m.) it occurred to me that I might like to have a vacation...I would like to be able dive at will, into the Pinterest Boards that I have so lovingly created- just like in that movie, where the main Character fell into the book, and became a part of it's action....but which board would I choose? The obvious, the "Places I would like to Go" board requires more energy than I currently posses, and must be saved for another time. The "My favorite Recipes" board could be a contender, except for the fact that I am trying to be a better me, when it comes to my eating habits. Perhaps "My Favorite Places" would do....it is full of pictures of Porch Swings and meadows, Mountains and Beaches - plenty of options for some R&R. Or perhaps I should give "My Dream House" a shot....pictures of rustic, beautiful homes, where each room is more wonderful than the last....where the Shabby is truly chic, and the bathtubs are large and possessing an obscene amount of jets....double sinks, glass tiles - gleaming laundry rooms and dens with soaring ceilings and wall to wall windows. Kitchens where food must surely cook itself, due to the wonders of flooring, high end light fixtures, granite topped islands and upgraded appliances....Bedrooms of softest hues, with 1,000 count cotton sheets and private veranda's with water features and a fire pit....What a fantasy THAT would be! But there I sat, mesmerized by the glow of my happy lights, reflected in the old glass topped table, listening to the sounds of my family inside...girls giggling, Husband talking on the phone, Crackhouse Puppy chuffing - wanting to come out and be with me - breathing in the smells of newly fallen wet leaves mixed with the sweet perfume of bacon, left over from our Sunday night breakfast for dinner, and I decide that perhaps I should make a new board for my Pinterest, to go along with all of my dreams.....A "Reality" board - filled with folk art, old family treasures and bright colors; carpets strewn with discarded shoes and socks, infused with music, laughter and the rumble of beloved voices - fragrant with freshly baked bread, homemade suppers, and wet dog.....decidedly shabby, nothing Chic about it....but all mine.