Do you ever walk around your home and think - wow, this feels so good - it’s home-y. I mean the expression of “there’s no place like home came from somewhere, right”
Well today, I was in Christmas mode and really got me thinking, and admiring the things in my house that make it a home. Now of course, I will not brush past the fact that “people make a house a home” - that’s just a given…but what makes my home “home-y” to me? and what’s “home-y’ to you?…..so I got to thinking…it’s the little things.
I realized the little things that I carefully scatter throughout my house are the things that give my house life - there’s a story behind much of it - you’re living a daily memory book - we just don’t always stop to realize it!
Ok - so that got deep fast….but I started musing as I began to decorate…or un-decorate to start out….fall decor had to be put away first…..uggg nothing I dislike more than putting away past season decor. I feel as if a small mourning period should be held for that season that has just passed us…but I digress…bye fall…
So first I had to actually stand, hand on my hips and eye up the room to actually FIND my fall decor! I’d like to pat myself on the back and say my house just looked like the Thanksgiving spread for Pottery Barn and everything blended so well it was just one gorgeous display of fall-ness….but funny enough, my eye had just gotten so used to my decor that two garlands and 17 pumpkins later (You would be proud I returned 6 mini pumpkins earlier this fall) I thought I was done. Only to see, there are still some pumpkins hanging out in the corner! Ha! I learned that this year I went a little pumpkin crazy….I counted I have 17 pumpkins scattered throughout my house and a pumpkin garland to boot…..if there’s a pumpkin unanimous somewhere out there, sign me up…I have an issue….
So finally packed away all things pumpkin-spice…I lit my Christmas-tree-in-a-jar candle, dialed up the volume on the christmas station, lugged 3 out of the 10 Christmas decor boxes out of the basement,
and
I
began.
First order of attack was the faux garland on the stairs. Now for those of you who are wondering who in their right mind has 10 Christmas decor boxes, I need to clarify - Josh and I got married at Christmas and much of the decor from the wedding we got to keep and use in our home - it’s the little things! So pulling out decorations, Christmas-y signs and pillows takes me back to wedding planning, that joy and excitement of not only the holidays but of me getting to be a bride and a wife!
The garland is simple, pretty basic bendy green fir-type style. It was a Hobby Lobby snag a few years ago, but I decided I would elevate my style with these little berry picks that look like a frosty morning kissed them! Oh and of course there is some taste-full gold sparkle on their leaves - we used these beauties to decorate our wedding centerpieces…. and then I ran a battery powered strand of lights in the garland - because I love to have minimal lights on and the glow of Christmas lights is something of magic!
Memories….
I hung up a “Merry Christmas” sign above my espresso maker and peered into the glass doors that flank the main mug cabinet. In there I keep a few family “heirloom” pieces. My great aunt gifted this pretty espresso set to me when I was just an infant. I find it fun to muse over that the colors happen to be my most favorite - and who would’ve known 30 years later I’d be the queen of all things coffee!
Above that is a sweet dog figurine our close family friend - Tante (German for aunt) Dianne gave to me. She told me the story that her grandmother had given it to her, and she remembered being a child and receiving that as a gift, handed carefully to her out of a cabinet in her grandmother’s home. It’s those little things….
Now before I tell you a story about everything I own in my house, I challenge you to take some time and think about the little things you have in YOUR house! Like this glorious pillow my mom and I made (Well she made most of them) for a craft show I did last year. It was a blast - now that we are far removed from it - hahaha - we stayed up so late we were slap happy - and hardly slept 2 hrs! Ahhh good memories - my mom gave me the one pillow that didn’t sell afterwords - and you know what!?!?! It was my favorite the whole time! Every time someone came up to look at the pillows I’d cringe hoping they wouldn’t buy “my”pillow….hahahaha..
Ahhh, so like I said - it’s the little things that truly make your house a home - so this season, I challenge you to reminisce and look around at all the things that you have that bring you joy and remember the fun stories that sit behind them:-)
Written Nov 2018