Home Decoration | Art Crafts | Ethnic Decoration

>I started to paint my dining room wall more than a month ago and it still isn't finished! It has a few more coats of paint from techniques that I've tried and hated, but that is the only progress that I can report. It has been a source of frustration for weeks. The more frustrated I got with the wall the more I began to question, "Who am I trying to please?"Blogs are wonderful whether you write them, read them, or both. They can provide inspiration and motivation. Blogs can become one of the greatest sources for trying new ideas in our homes. However I've discovered that, for me, it's important to ask myself if my motivation for making change is because I really love and desire the change or is it because it's the popular thing to do? In other words who am I trying to please? On occasional I have fallen into the trap of creating things simply for a blog post, or because I think my readers will love it, or because I've seen the idea on several blogs so I feel the need to have it in my home. Interestingly enough I don't always recognize my motivation for creating but I do recognize that the item quickly becomes something that I don't truly love in my home. It doesn't reflect my taste because I did it to please someone else and I wasn't being true to myself.
Blogs aren't the only trap we can find ourselves caught in when trying to be true to ourselves in decorating our home. Recently I had a design appointment with a new client. As she took me through her home she would point out in nearly every room an item that someone gave her. I could tell in her voice that these were not items that she loved. The items were placed there simply because she felt a sense of obligation to the giver. She kept the item in her home because she wanted to please the giver. Yet the giver of the gift rarely, if ever, visited her home. I asked her the question, "If someone gave you a blouse that was a color you disliked, a pattern or cut that simply wasn't you, or that didn't fit, would you feel that you needed to wear it all of the time?" When her response was no, I asked, "Then why do you do that with things in your home?" I understand that there are some things given to us by those we love and/or live with that we feel obligated to keep. I know that we often have to make compromises in our home because of our loved ones, but that should not be the entire design of our home. Just as it's okay to keep the ugly blouse in the back of the closet, we can put the less desired, making a compromise, pleasing our loved one objects in a less prominent area of our home.
Our home is just that, OURS. Homes should be the one place where we find true comfort. They should be the one place that truly reflects who we are. Our home should be a haven where we please ourselves, where we are authentic to ourselves and our family.Today look around your home. Does it reflect who you are and please you? Or does it contain far too many things that please someone else? If so, I give you permission, just as I did for my client, to put away or give away those items that please someone else. Then go ahead and replace them with items you love because that is how you discover the real joys of home!

>Once again I seem to have disappeared from the blogging world. After several years of blogging there is one thing that I have come to know: Time spent with family and friends is more important than any blog post that I could create. Time is such
a precious commodity and I am striving to spend my time as wisely as possible.Last week I attended the funeral of a wonderful man. I listened as the speakers praised his life. Each acknowledged his devotion to his family, church, community, and country. They told of his attributes of kindness, charity, service, gratitude, and love. I reflected upon my own life. How do I want to be known? As a loving wife, a devoted mother, an adoring nonny, a kindhearted friend, someone who could make you laugh, a generous soul, a woman who knows God and whose words and actions reflect her religious beliefs, an inspiration, faithful, considerate, talented, appreciative, creative, giving, gracious. . . and the list continues. Did I even think to add "great blogger" to the list? The answer is, "No." Please don't misunderstand. I really do love blogging. It motivates me to learn and create and get out of my comfort zone. But, as with anything in life, when it becomes my only focus I become unbalanced and unhappy. And so as I enter into my fourth year of blogging I am determined to keep things in perspective. What does that mean? Well, just to name a few. . .It means that I will be a better steward of my time, talents, and energy. I will use my blog to document the things I make and do in my home instead of using my home to make a blog. I will cease doing "fluff" projects just for the sake of posting. I will try to refrain from comparing my home and blog to others. I will stop buying thrifted items merely because they will make for a great "before and after post."
Blogging can be a great blessing, but it can also be a bit of a curse. I am learning that the trick is to not allow blogging to become a bigger part of life than the life I am living and blogging about.
If you have endured my ramblings thus far I want you to know that I am ever appreciative of the time you spend here. You have supported me as I have weathered a few storms over the past year and I am thankful to you. I am humbled by you and am grateful for your influence. You inspire me and I am honored to be a small part of your life. Truly!
This photo will give you a hint as to why I took a break from blogging last week.My only daughter, who lives too far away, was in town. She and her hubby are pregnant with their first child; a girl. We spent the week planning, reminiscing, laughing, crying, loving, and attending baby showers. It was delightful!!! She left for home today and so to ease the pains of separation I will be cleaning up these exciting finds from the Habitat store, as well as picking and buying paint for a few projects.I am trying to prepare my home for an exciting event. I hope that you will join me in viewing the homes of several talented bloggers. My goal is to be able to tour each of these beautiful homes looking for inspiration and appreciating the gifts and talents that others have been given. The Parade of Homes will be a great source to gladden, excite, motivate and invigorate---as long as we resist to compare and compete. Mark your calendar and be prepared to be inspired!