{ Giving our homes, our love }

Jasmine didn't have to work yesterday, which meant, I had the whole day to be home and potter around, like I so much enjoy doing.

I was laying in bed after sending Curt off to work, and was mentally going over my list of things to do.  Nowhere in that list did I think about changing my dining room and living room, around.  That is something that I do every year, around Spring, but trust me, we are nowhere near Spring weather.

Yes, there is a day here and there where the temperatures go above 70 but it's very short lived and quickly returns to bitter cold, wind, rain and fog.   But, as I could tell by looking out the window, it was looking to be a pretty good day ahead, the bluest of skies, no wind and even warmer temps.

I made the decision there and then, to take full advantage and get some laundry outside as soon as possible.



While I hung the laundry, the birds chirped loudly, jets from the nearby base flew overhead and I couldn't help but be grateful for that moment in time.

I've often been told, even by some family members, that they couldn't live in the country like we do, they much prefer the city life.  My own daughter would rather live in a city than in the country.  While I respect all of their opinions, I can only talk for myself and I could never do it.  I have always wanted to live in the country, to be surrounded by nature and fresh air, to be able to hang my clothes to dry outside, while listening to birds and local wildlife.

That simple act of hanging the laundry to dry outside, and the feel of the warmer spring like day, shifted my thoughts to inside the house.  Before I could even talk myself out of it, I had started moving the dining and den area around.







While I was moving all of this around, a thought was front and center, loudly repeating in my mind.

Give your home love.

We so often get caught up in our day to day lives, and I'm here to tell you that I am guilty of this too.  There are days that I'm too tired, too busy, too this and that, and I give the house a once over, make it look ok and just move on.  Days will go by, it turns into a week, and before I know it, it's been a while since I've really given of myself to my home.

At this point, it is just a house, 4 walls keeping 4 people safe and warm, but the feeling of actual cozy home is non existent.



The weather, as always, took a turn.  The wind started picking up, the clothes on the drying rack started waving about crazily, so I quickly gathered them up (thankfully they were already dry), and started a fire inside.

I finished getting the den/living area ready, then stood back and smiled.  It is cozy, it is home, and exactly what had been missing the past few weeks.



The shoes and drawer in the above picture, are not staying there, they are being moved to their proper places.  But hey, this is real life right?



Simple things such as a crocheted tablecloth, brings a cozy and sweet charm to your home.  Ok, let me rephrase that, they bring a cozy and sweet charm to MY home.  They may not be everyone's cup of tea, and that's perfectly fine.

The point is that whatever your taste in home decorating is, put that extra bit of love into it.  Add a little here or there, take the time to give that specific room or area, a deep clean.  Sometimes we don't like the house we're in, or the city or even State, but when you put a bit of yourself in your home and learn to appreciate what you have around you, you will quickly find that you start loving it and then wish to be nowhere but exactly where you've been planted.

So bloom!



One of the lessons that I learned from being a military wife for 22 years, was to appreciate, be thankful and grateful, and to make whatever space we were in, our home.

When you're constantly on the move, constantly moving into different houses in different states, with different seasons and new things to adapt to, it can be quite difficult to feel at home.  But that is where our own personal touches come in.

Often in life, we are in a temporary place, in limbo between houses or jobs or whatever it may be.  Those are things we can not change, so rather change the things you can.

When is the last time you really made a room in your home, your own?  When did you last walk into a space and think, yes, it screams me, it is cozy, it is warm, not just a room with furniture.

I think you get the point I'm trying to make.



Well friends, it is now just shy of 9AM, I need to finish this post, get it published, then get dressed and ready to take Jasmine to work. 

When I return home I have to work on the new menu plan and grocery list for tomorrow, and I also need to get my budget for the upcoming month ready. 

Have a wonderful Thursday.