Friday, March 28, 2014

Places and Spaces

There's a few places and spaces in our house that I especially like.  Little areas that I pass by everyday, and they make me smile- every time. Can I show them to you?
This is a little catch all table that we have by our back door. The table was from my mom and the mirror above, my sister (the most fruitful places to shop furniture for our house have been in my family's basements and garages). The wood cabinet with the pottery drawers is from Pier 1, it was a Christmas gift from my husband the first year we were married. When I opened it I knew I had married the right man, it's exactly my style; I love the colorful mismatched paintings on the drawers. It's functional, too- it holds our keys, chap-stick, gum, and other miscellaneous items. And on the shelf below are my favorite cook books and mixing bowls (one cookbook was a wedding gift, and another I won on a blog give away. I actually won a blog give away once!). They are there for easy access, and for me to admire. Oh and that little bird? A sweet gift that flew all the way from San Francisco with a dear friend. I just love this little space.
This singer sewing machine stand has been in our family since before I was born. Growing up, it was where our television sat. Since TV's seem to have quadrupled in size it can no longer serve that purpose, but it's perfect for this little space at the top of our stairs. There's a dragon tree plant that my sister bought us when we moved in our house, whose spiky green leaves are always catching my attention. Also, there is one of my favorite family pics taken on Cape Cod. And do you see that beautiful canvas photograph? That was taken by some sweet friends while on their honeymoon in Hawaii. It was thank you gift, how beautiful is that?
Lastly, this plate wall. The fist time I saw a plate wall, I knew there was one in my destiny. Some of the plates I've had for years; the small teal one with the gold rim was my great-grandmothers and the first plate I owned that I knew would someday be a decoration.  I'm not sure if you can see her, but little orphan Annie is up there too. That was my all-time favorite movie growing up. You know, the one you watched enough times that you could press mute and the say every character's line in the whole movie? I found the plate in a thrift store in Florida while on a girls weekend with my sister and aunts. There's also a plate with the Finnish Church of Worcester on it. I've never been there, but it reminded me of how proud my grandmother was of our Finnish heritage, anything reminding me of her Sisu has a place in my home. I must admit though, not every plate has a special meaning. A few of them I found in the clearance aisle at HomeGoods right after the dreaded, "Good evening shoppers, the time is now 8:45 and the store will be"- you know the rest. I ran through the aisle, grabbing a few plates as I passed, lucky to not have dropped them in my they're-going-to-kick-me-out-again frenzy. And before I move on, how can I not mention that succulent arrangement on the round table? So well behaved, charming, and a gift from some special friends.

When I began writing this post, I thought these spaces were some of my favorites because, to me, they are aesthetically pleasing. And while they certainly reflect my decorating style, I've realized it's so much MORE than that. So many of these items are personal, they tell a story. That's really what it is, when I walk by these spots I'm reminded of some of the special people in my life that make me feel both loved and lucky everyday.

Do you have any favorite spaces in your home? No really, I want to know!


4 comments:

  1. Thank you for showing me around! I absolutely love how your plate wall turned out. I always like those too. Ooh, this reminds me that I'm going to get to see this all in PERSON someday soon =)

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    1. We are SO excited for that visit (boys still don't know!)...

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  2. Thank you for sharing your inspiration spots. I'm in the process of creating a room of them and as I sit in the midst of a piled up room, discouraged, I found encouragement in your sweet memories. I love to decorate with memories and stories that I can admire like little secrets to all who see that don't know the stories. :) Have a great night! ~Heidi @CarolinaDreamz www.WithaZ.net

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    1. Thanks, Heidi, for the kind words. I've also felt overwhelmed before when trying to conquer an entire room. I've found it helpful to focus on one area or wall at a time; my favorite rooms in the house were a process, combining family treasures with yard sale finds!

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