New Color, new Cozy Feels

This room makes me happy. It's collected looking. It's vintage looking. It's warm and inviting. And best of all, when I asked my girls what they thought of it, Anna said, "it looks like a Calico Critter home". You can peek at our love of all things Calico Critter here and here and here.  

This whole wall used to be big white frames with family photos in them. While I still love those family photos it was too 'heavy' looking and we didn't need all six of them. So while antiquing Scott and I found 3 more simple old frames and put up one of each of our daughters and one family one. I love having plates hanging on the walls (there's that cozy Calico Critter charm), but the star of this wall is the oil painting my Dad painted for me as a birthday present. 

Trying out a collected mantle (very full) look and for now, this summer, I'm loving it (epecially with all of the baskets and the new cozy mantle color) 

Here's the vew looking out toward the screened in porch... an extra room in our house April - October (some days warmer than others of course!) 

Old country books that are my design inspiration (rather than anything on a screen) I just love winter nights in bed with those books, dreaming up dreams for my home. 

💕

Well this room certainly has taken on many different looks over the years and of course the one I'm in is always my favorite. It's almost hard to believe that I liked anything else. ❤

Theology of Home

"Home, by its nature, is meant to be a foreshadowing of heaven. It is to be both satisfying in the earthly life while also offering a glimpse of things to come when we see the fulfillment of Christ's promise of heaven." ~ Gress, Mering 

My home is now decades in the making. Scott and I, over our twenty eight years, have crafted the place that it is now. I know that it won't always stay this way. We will forever be figuring out new seasons that will need new intentions and shifts as we reach the heart of our family and create a home that is a place to belong. We will always be planning, envisioning, building, and creating what our daughters need. 

My favorite places to be inspired are these. And I know that I need to be in them often, not once in a while. For those that I love draw from what I have filled into my own cup, my own soul. 

1. The Bible - yes, reading the Bible might seem daunting. Here are a few things that direct my time in the Word: 

• Read one Psalm a day - circle, write down any truth it teaches you about God. Underline every promise God gives
• Hebrews - write down what pleases God, the attributes of Jesus, His will for us to hold fast
• Proverbs - keep a list of what this book teaches you about folly vs. wisdom
• Read one chapter of John or Matthew a day - write down any lesson you learned
• Read through Philippians - notes all the ways Paul tells us to follow Jesus

2. Devotions - these are my favorites: 

• Padre Pio's Spiritual Direction For Everyday 
• Mom Heart Moments
• Word Among Us 
• Magnificat 
• Day by Day with Saint Faustina  

3. These books: The Theology of Home (there are four in the series) 

4. Sally Clarkson: You can find her on instagram and she has a weekly podcast. I belong to her membership for so much content that has taught me oh so much. 

I've always loved the cover of this first book. The mantle has a lot on it but I'm sure all rich in meaning within their catholic faith. After thinking it over I decided to collect some pieces that have meaning to our family and create something like it. 

Here is how it turned out: 

All of the things I chose are very meaningful to us. For example: 

This is Anna church on her college campus. It is a sacred place for our family as it was Anna's first church away from home; the first one that belonged to just her. 

We've also been there so many times for beautiful occasions that have wonderful memories for our entire family. 

I found these at a beautiful bookstore. There are drawings/art work of Anna and Abigail's saints, chosen at their Confirmation. I actually found Saint Kateri in the store and then commissioned the artist to create one for Saint Cecilia. They are very special to me. 

When I started this project I contacted our parish, the oldest catholic church in Connecticut. She found me this drawing of our church that was the original church drawing before the fire. 

A photo of my daughters in front of our church a few years ago on Easter Sunday. 

I added an oil painting of roses to symbolize our devotion of the Blessed Mother Mary. 

I do so love the way it turned out. It is a visual reminder of all that important in our lives. When I walk in the room I feel grounded and blessed. For our home to have that feeling is priceless to me. 

"Our homes are becoming sanctuaries - a place where we feel safe, protected, cared for... Making our homes a kind of sanctuary means more than simply having nourishing comfort food on the table. There must be nourishment for the soul. Without this, the soul will be left hungry and searching for the One who truly satisfies every desire of our hearts." Cress, Mering 

A Room for a Family In the Fall

 I love this room, our family room. Right off of the screened in porch. 

It's bright and sunny all day long

And it's warm and cozy on a chilly fall night

Softest couch filled with fall pillows

I found the pumpkins first that are on the mantle and added the pillows after to pull the room together. Well, actually I found the wool garland first - that's what started the colors in this room. 

The coffee table is simple, really. A favorite, beautifully illustrated book, Wind in the Willows, and a few things to pull it together. 

I love my Victoria magazines - so much romantic decorating in there. 

Love these letters too and what they say all together.

As much as I love classics, I love vintage books too! 

I love mixing patterns and fabrics. 

A happy room for sure.

Moving In Day - A New Family Room

Goodness - this was all started back in Mid-March when we were first home all day. And we finished up right around Easter. And here I am just taking some pictures. I'm not quite sure where this week went. It sure did fly by!

I wish I was one of those good before/after photographers. I'm not. I never remember to take a good 'before' picture. So here's one from sometime before we painted!

Before (around Christmas)



And honestly, I don't have a lot of pictures of our family room lately (the whole room) because I guess I was not feeling joy bells in my heart when I was in there. Most of my home pictures were of the screened in porch or our kitchen.

Before (you can see the dark cream-ish color of the bookcases Scott built in this picture - those are all changed now)



Before (you can see how in the past few years I kept trying to add touches that I liked but it just really wanted a lighter, brighter room)



Before (this was our family room a few summers ago)



I guess I did have a bunch of 'before' pictures. Time to jump into the 'after'. (Well I guess these are really 'during')





We took the built in bookcases off the walls and painted them - that took a long time!



So the ceiling got a new coat of white and the walls were painted the same color as the 'base' color of our house which is called Beach White. It's hard to tell in this photo but it's simply white. Just enough of 'not bright white' so that the bright white molding pops out a bit.



We did a chalk-like finish on the bookcases.









And so after all of that painting (and all that mess) we got the room all cleaned up and I moved in!

Here is (too many) after pictures:



All bright and all white!



We decided to paint the frames too!



It's really hard to get a picture of this wall with the skylights streaming sunshine in!



I am quite certain that my classical books like the blank whiteness of the bookcases so they can stand out!



















I splurged on some new pillows since I want that room to be white with blue. (and dreaming of light blue couches)











I think that having an all white room will be fun for Christmas decorating. A blank palette.







Christmas is never all the way packed away in this house. Not the books at least! I adore Christmas too much for it to all be in bins.



















Blurry but my all time favorite on planet books so I just had to include a picture of them.



Framed birth and adoption announcements make me happy!









I love these antique letter I have put together in the phrase "Home At Last" because that's how we feel when we are all together in that room... except that now we laugh at 'Home At Last'. Maybe it should be 'Home, Still?' Anyway, I do love that painted white mirror!







And that's it! A new happy place for our family to be!