Home

In the midst of the dizzying swirl of sorting, labeling, packing, and cleaning that is our life right now there are thoughts, and dreams, and plans for home.  The rooms, closets, and yards of our new home fill my thoughts each day as I work and play, planning all the while.  For I am a home maker.  Isn’t that a huge thing.  Though it’s a simple title written on a form here and there it really encompasses such a monumentally huge and important work.

A home is central to a family.  The spirit of a home is reflected in all that that family does and is.  The structure and environment created directly impact the little souls (and big) that live, or visit, there.  This is no small task.  As I look to create a new home for our family in an unfamiliar area I find myself looking deep for the philosophies and rhythms that will suit us best.  I find myself looking to the principles and beliefs taught in the homes my husband and I grew up in.  I find myself in front of the library shelves, and in front of my own bookshelves scouring the titles for my favorite “home” books.  So much has been written on making homes.  Whether how to decorate, how to fill them with things made by your own hands, how to feed those who live there, how to nurture creativity and peace there, there are a multitude of resources available on every subject. 

First and foremost our home is a family home.  All efforts are made with the strength and benefit of family life as the highest priority.  Families, though a tightly bound group, are made up of individuals and room for each ones growth and development is created.  This means different things for different families, for us it means room for dancing, gardening, sewing, painting and creating, building big with blocks and legos, cooking, etc. …oh, and did I mention that we like to do these things all together.  This makes home making much more than deciding where to put the couch, cleaning up after littles, and cooking meals for said littles each day.  Oh, my dear, it is so much more isn’t it.  

There are so very many of you that I have been blessed to meet through this blog and whose homes and lives I have glimpsed into, all while sitting at my own computer in my own home.  I am so grateful for the inspiration provided by the wonderful ideas that you implement in your own homes.  This truly is a community of strength and inspiration.  Oh, and the books, my, oh my, the books!  The beautiful books published by the women of this community on the subject of  homes have brought immense inspiration.  From these books and blogs and words, I have pulled many ideas that have brought peace and joy to our families home and daily rhythm.  As our family grows and changes I know many of the elements of our home will grow and change as well.  Which provides the delightful opportunity of continually scouring books and blogs for ideas and inspiration.  Happy thought indeed! 

For your browsing pleasure I have filled the book list in the right hand side bar with some of my favorite home books.  This is in no way a comprehensive list.  But, oh my, this list could leave you with days and days of delightful reading!  Go dive in and explore those beautiful books!!! 

Happy home making friends!!

Return

Autumn has returned.  As I enter the second round of seasons on this blog I marvel at the rhythm of the earth that appear even a bit more present when documented here.  I peek back and am grateful for this blog….and for each of you.  Yes, autumn has returned and though it is a bit mushy here right now the crispness in the air just a short time ago is still so invigorating.  On a perfectly crisp day last week we celebrated a much anticipated return of one of our most favorite people who was away for a bit.  Oh boy did they welcome him!!!   What ensued was just the sort of body tossing wrestling that takes the breath out of watching mama’s, is so carefully controlled by strong dada’s (see Mom…he’s supporting their necks and backs the whole time….!), and fills little ones with utter glee.  We do love the return of all that we love this season! 

   I also returned for the second edition of those perfect vintage pants.  This time with a repurposed pair of khakis and the last bit of a delightful floral print, and a bit of vintage lace.  True…it didn’t bring quite the response that his  return did…but I loved every minute of it.  Oh…and I’m returning to that pattern again this week too…seriously…they are the perfect vintage pants! 

Sticky…Gooey…Nutty

Some days…!  Some days are just a bit tricky.  Everyone is out of sync and the “machine” has to be rethreaded again and again and again.  This is not to say that the day is a tragedy.  Just a whole lot of short burst of wonderful intermittent with consistent set backs and struggles.  Just one of those days that each mother knows … oh so well…!  All day, from breakfast to bedtime we threaded and rethreaded the machine…trying new things and beginning again from a new angle.  Several fresh starts brought us outside where the fall air, open spaces, and natures goodness everywhere have proven magical time and time again.  It didn’t save the day for us this day…but it saved many many moments!! 

We worked on cleaning up the garden for fall which was bittersweet actually.  It’s hard not to feel a bit sad toppling such enormous sunflowers and pulling down all those twisty bean plants.  The birds have been feasting on the seeds from the huge sunflower heads but the few (thousand) that weren’t eaten we pulled out and spread out in the “long grass” at the edge of the yard.  We felt a bit like The Lupin Lady…though the little miss decided we should be called the sunflower girls.  With any luck there will be a stand of gorgeous sunny blooms next summer. 

Nature adventures out of doors and a bit of nature brought back in always does so much good.  No matter how many times the process must be repeated! 

Baking is one of our other trusted refreshers.  Ha!  What began as an attempt to make something healthy and delicious (granola bars) for my husband to eat while he’s traveling in the next few days ended up in a sticky gooey nutty mess.  Despite the unorganized, unintentional stickiness it is filled with nutty goodness and all sorts of wholesome bits.  Very much like our day.           

Outtakes…and the New York State Fair

I do so enjoy capturing the life and beautiful moments of my little loves.  Many of my favorite images make it here in this space.  But oh so many more stay tucked away in a little folder hidden away somewhere deep inside my computer.  These outtakes are precious in and of themselves as they are a testament of the spontaneous joy that it is to photograph children. 

On our recent out of town adventures we visited the New York State Fair.  It was a day packed full of spectacles, livestock, and crafts beyond the imagination.  Here are a few outtakes from a desperate attempt to capture, in super generic stand-side-by-side and smile style, their windblown joy after touring a historic train. 

          

There was simply so much to see and do.  We barely scratched the surface really…but as everyone left completely exhausted with little minds full of wonderful sights and sounds and lots of big ideas, we’ll call it a wild success.  Among our favorites were the horse shows (full of completely decked out and very fancy horses) which completely captivated my littles, and a brood of rainbow colored chicks.  Though the broods unique colors could be explained logically…(kool aid dye! which washes out in a day or two) it was pure and unquestionable magic and wonder to little minds.  To be honest I expect that the little chicks that we hope enter our lives someday will spend a day or two with the same color treatment.  I just don’t think they’ll be able to resist such colorful fun. 

The Shore

Right after my son was born our little family moved to the coast of New Hampshire. For ten months we lived in a winter rental steps from the shore. It was a bit of a spontaneous move, and one that involved some sacrifices, but the glee in our daughter as she ran and played on the beach after looking at a few rental options sealed the deal for us. If the woods were made for children, the shore most certainly was too. It is pure magic. So…for ten glorious months we ran and played on the beach in all sorts of weather. We witnessed the moods of the ocean, the changes brought by the rhythm of the tides, sealife beyond the imagination, plants and rocks and shells to sort, organize, and marvel at, and oh so many boats. One of our favorite activities was to climb on the mountains of rocks that lined the harbor and watch the fishing boats come and go. Several times we walked the docks and watched them unload their catches, wondering at the adventures they had way out in the “deep deep” (her phrase!) of the ocean. It truly was a marvelous time. Not to mention the many kindred souls we met. Ah…we still miss our days on the New Hampshire shore.

Now the nearest shore is one of the majestic great lakes. It is so large in fact that is known as “the ocean lake” to our little ones. Though the shore of this lake offers wonderful fuel for the imaginations and curiosities of little minds, and we are truly grateful to have it so close, it is not the ocean. There is simply nothing that can replace the salty shore of the sea.

Though we did not make it to “our” shore during our recent out of town adventures we did make it to the beach. It was so good to be back.

Ah…the shore.

Flying By

Sometimes it seems as though a difficult moment will never pass…that the day seems impossibly long…and that a “phase” that we’re passing through might actually do me in.  But most days.  Most moments.  Most phases make it crystal clear that everything is flying by.  The childhood that is surrouning me with such energy and speed each day is actually flying by at that same speed.  It is simply delightful to watch children learn and develop leaving certain phases behind and mastering new ones.  But there is always a twinge of sadness when the children as I knew them say goodbye…only to bring in a new version of themselves to become acquainted with.  I will admit that I do always love and treasure their new little selves and rejoice with them at their new skills and developments.  But, oh to have to say goodbye to such wonderful days past.  I’m quite sure that one day very soon I will wake up, look in the mirror, and this will be me. 

In the meantime we are exploring and breathing deeply the beauty of late summer that is all around us.  Shocked as bits of red and gold start to drift to the ground we quicken our pace a bit.  Add a few things up to the top of our list and live each day happily.  Change is the only constant after all.