Making a Home

I'm pretty something can be said for a home completely reflecting who you are. Moving has surely taught me more about the things I appreciate and adore. 

Some people enjoy fancy things and while those things are nice, I know that I truly appreciate the simple things. The bare, the minimal and the old. I love modern and contemporary things, but boy I sure appreciate old things too. There's so much quality and beauty to hold onto from the past and living in an old house, I can hold onto a little of that. From the old door knobs and doors to the stunning wood floors, making this old home ours has been so incredibly joyful for me. 

Making a home doesn't come easy and definitely doesn't come overnight. In some ways it still doesn't feel like "ours" yet and yes, there's still some more organizing and unpacking to do. There's dreams of fences, shutters and so on. Maybe even gardens and chickens if I am lucky. 

Homemaking is something I enjoy down to the bones. I love it so much, even though I don't stop all day. It is my sincere hope that one day when our kids are all in school, I will still be able to work from home because I dream of staying home to keep things tidy, running smooth and to have dinner on the table. And let's face it while I will miss my children and these days of babies at my feet, I'm sure I will get so much more done when they are older and in school. 

One of my goals with this house is to fill it with the things that I love and to keep it simple. Simplicity and minimalism are two terms and ideas that I love. It doesn't mean that you don't have to have a lot of things, but that the things you have bring you joy and purpose. Clutter and too much brings me all sorts of crazy, anxious emotions. This is a hard battle when you have three, young children who all have their own toys and so forth. Keeping babies means your home can't always be tidy, and is this is something I have to constantly remind myself. But I do find that the less we have, the less there is to have to keep tidy. I am always trying to find new things to get rid of and go without and I still have mental lists of the things I need to go through and purge some more (translation: toys.). 

There's something about being intentional with your home, that makes your days more intentional too. Make your home who you are. Make it who you want to be...not what everyone expects or thinks it should be. Don't feel the need to keep up with others, because your home is where your heart is. Make it purposeful. Make it joyful and make it your own version of beautiful. 

“It's sad if people think that's (homemaking) a dull existance, [but] you can't just buy an apartment and furnish it and walk away. It's the flowers you choose, the music you play, the smile you have waiting. I want it to be gay and cheerful, a haven in this troubled world. I don't want my husband and children to come home and find a rattled woman. Our era is already rattled enough, isn't it?” 
― Audrey Hepburn