Let the Wild Rumpus Begin

First...thank you all for your encouragement and thoughts on my last post! I hadn't expected that reaction but I loved knowing that I'm not alone in my feeling. Let's start a cozy blog movement! Let me be clear, I don't begrudge anyone the way they want to use or run their blog. I just miss the coziness of the way blogging used to be so I prefer to spend my time reading blogs that give me that feeling and I prefer to embrace the coziness here. I don't mind blogs having sponsors or promoting their shop, or book or whatever. Some of the blogs on my sidebar do that very thing and do it well. I don't want to rehash all that, but I want to say thank you! For commenting, for understanding and for visiting me here in my little corner of the world.

For the last couple of weeks I have been in a cleaning/organizing frenzy. At first I thought it was a Fall nesting induced frenzy, and while I do think that is part of it, or at least what instigated it, I realized the other night at 11:30pm as I was finishing sorting out the studio, what was really going on.

I have been stuck in this cycle of not feeling like I have time to do the things I enjoy. Or if I do take the time, I feel guilty because I always think there are other things I should be doing. I think this is strictly a female phenomenon. I adore my family and taking care of them and making a cozy home for them is my top priority but I'm tired of feeling bogged down with an endless list of chores and to do's and guilt. I was suffering from a serious case of clutter oppression.

So as I clean, purge and organize, what I'm really doing is making space for pleasures and creativity. Room to think and breath. Me time. I've almost worked my way through the entire house. Not a flip flop or junk drawer has evaded my quest. It's amazing what you can do when you are on a mission to take back your life.

I'm clearing the chaos and clutter from my home and from my mind and you wouldn't believe how it is making room for new ideas and excitement. I feel so energized that I can scarcely wait to get out of bed in the mornings.

Now it's time to let the wild rumpus begin!!

The Good Old Days

Lately I've been missing the good old days of blogging. For me in the beginning. blogs were about sharing stories, ideas, inspiration, and the thrill of connecting with people that got you. Now I think we're trying to take in so much as quickly as we can that we just speed through our blog readers, then on to pinterest, twitter, facebook, Instagram and an endless number of other digital ways to suck up our time. That's not bringing pleasure to my life.

I'm in the middle of a personal epiphany and I realize I want less but better in every aspect of my life. I want the things I own, people I surround myself with and the way I spend my time to add something to my life. I've also cut way back on screen time to make room for more important things. I'm trying to limit my time to things that encourage, or inspire me.

Much of blogging has become so impersonal. It seems so much like a sport. It's competitive and commercial. It's about traffic, branding and advertising. Not to mention the perception of perfection being distributed as real life on so many blogs. That's fine if that's your thing. It's just not my thing and I'll be honest I don't want to read those blogs. When I go to a blog and the front page has 20 tabs and is covered with ads I suffer from sensory overload and hit that little x button straight away. I'm a simple girl. I like blogs that are genuine. I want stories, creativity, ideas and to feel like I'm visiting with a friend, sipping cocoa and eating scones in her kitchen. I hope that is the way my blog makes you feel.

I think all of this has been keeping me from blogging regularly. This space is important to me and to my family. A few weeks ago my little one was having a bad day at school and when she told me that she started reading back through my blog at school to make herself feel better and to get in a happy place it made my Momma's heart about burst. I couldn't be there with her to encourage her and hug her but my blog could be. That made me so grateful for this blog.

So I've decided that I'm embracing the old ways. I've added back my blog roll of the creative, inspiring blogs that I visit most often so that I can click right over and read and comment on their blogs for a more personal blog reading experience and I'm still using my blog reader for the rest of the blogs I follow but wanted to use it more sparingly because it's hard for me to feel connected when I'm using a reader.

Most importantly I'm hoping to get back to regularly posting here, capturing the special moments to be found in every day life and maybe occasionally inspiring someone else. I hope you'll join me.

Trophy Wife

This happened this week. I prefer animal trophies of the man made variety. I'm not sure why I couldn't be like a normal person and just hang it on the wall. I'm not sure why I felt the need to take a month to hunt down the perfect oval frame, take 2 days painting layers of blue and teal and back it with fabric to match. I do know that I'm glad I have a husband that not only gets me, but encourages me and then loves the results. How did I get so lucky?

Our house isn't quite like anyone else's and I love that! I love that our home expresses the people that live here, that it is filled with color, creativity and happiness and that you know it as soon as you walk in.

There is something about this house and this season of life that makes me feel free to follow my heart and I continue to be amazed at how the results make my heart happy. I find that in the last few years I have really learned to trust my instincts and to not make decisions based on what other people think. It has changed every aspect of my life, even allowing me to do crazy home projects that will have people questioning my sanity.

September

Goodbye September. You were incredibly good to me this year. Better than any other September I can remember, with your brisk mornings, golden leaves and crop harvesting. I love you more than I had even realized.

We kicked it off with a Labor Day dinner with family and friends that feel like family.

There was a Fall Festival and parade where little friends hand out hugs for free

 and where friends on the parade route talk your daughter into sweeping their front porch for them

and where Millie, the unofficial parade dog, acted as a constant interruption and happily took all the free love and dog biscuits she could get.

There was a magical day trip to the Country Living Fair in Ohio with a special friend. A day that won't soon be forgotten.

There was an outing to my very first Colts game with my big girl who treated her Momma to the most amazing game experience she could have ever dreamed of.

There was a Village block party on Main Street where some of us couldn't put our book down but where others of us couldn't get enough of the spirit of community, amazing food and time with friends.

 There was the annual movie on the barn, where we curled up under quilts and watched Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, which struck us as more funny then scary.

Looking back I can't believe how much we packed into this month. I'm thankful for all the wonderful memories and can't wait to see what October has in store for us.