Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn home. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn home. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng

Thứ Năm, 7 tháng 2, 2013

Home Treasures


It is fashionable to streamline home decor. Simple lines, few objects, and not much to dust has its advantage. I would love a home like that! It would be a bit like living in a fancy hotel. But, I know I would miss the little treasures that surround me now. Yesterday I spent time reading through a journal handwritten by my great-grandfather many, many years ago. And my husband, while cleaning out his desk drawer, came across a button that he found when he was a child. Its markings indicate that it was once part of the Civil War era uniform of a soldier. Not only does this little button take him back in history, but it also connects to an excursion he took with his family when he found the button in a farm field in Pennsylvania. There must be a balance, as it is our past, our heritage, and experiences that help us connect in a healthy way to our future.

Emilie Barnes, an author who balances the beauty and meaning of home decor with a super organized home, talks about the charm and romance of treasured memories. According to Emilie, treasures can be found in your home, or your mother's, or even your grandmother's home. Sometimes they are stashed away and simply need to be looked for. Over the years, my mother was good about saving and stashing treasures. The simple treasures from our family have been passed along to me. They are probably things that others would not see now value in; items like my grandmother's astronomy book, great-grandfather's journals, dad's  LaCrosse sticks from his teen-age years, and mother's high school class ring. Each has a meaning attached to it. And each meaning deserves to be cherished and held because of their connection to our roots and heritage. Those who came before us are who make us into who we are today.

So, take a look around. What treasures do you have stuck in a drawer, a box, or on an upper shelf?

~ recipes ~ antique utensils ~ aprons ~ dish towels ~ grandmother's china ~ napkin rings ~ tea sets ~ photo albums ~ family photos ~ musical instruments ~ buttons ~ books ~ knick-knacks ~ salt & pepper shakers ~ oil lamps ~ quilts ~ trunks ~ love letters ~ sachets ~ costume jewelry ~ wooden toys ~ dolls ~ games ~ teddy bears ~ sun hats ~ watering cans ~ sea shells ~ first-edition books ~ children's books ~ paintings ~ framed art ~ buttons ~ boxes ~ thimbles ~ needle covers ~ sewing machines ~ needlework ~ samplers ~ lace tablecloths ~ heirloom dresses ~ lingerie ~ hats ~ bonnets & booties ~ hatpins ~ shoes ~ boots ~ gloves ~ tools ~ farm implements ~ enamelware ~ embroidered pillowcases ~

Thứ Năm, 24 tháng 1, 2013

Clutter, the Poetry of Our Homes


"Clutter is the poetry of our homes. It is an intimate view that is not always perfect - a few dishes in the sink, books piled next to the bed. Everything in its place may give a certain satisfaction, but a lived-in room exudes comfort and warmth."

Mary Randolph Carter

Thứ Năm, 1 tháng 11, 2012

Ordinary Simplicity




The ordinary acts we
practice every day at home
are of more importance to
the soul than their
simplicity might suggest.

Thomas Moore

Thứ Bảy, 5 tháng 5, 2012

Thứ Năm, 16 tháng 6, 2011

Teakettle Sings from Happiness




"A roof to keep out the rain. Four walls to keep out the wind. Floors to keep out the cold. Yes, but home is more than that. It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father. Warmth of loving hearts, light from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship. Home is first school...for the young ones where they learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind. Where they go for comfort when they are hurt or sick. Where joy is shared and sorrow eased. Where fathers and mothers are respected and loved. Where children are wanted. Where the simplest food is good enough for kings because it is earned. Where money is not so important as loving-kindness. Where even the teakettle sings from happiness. That is home."  

Ernestine Schumann-Heink

Thứ Năm, 17 tháng 3, 2011

A True Home




"A roof to keep out the rain. Four walls to keep out the wind. Floors to keep out the cold. Yes, but home is more than that. It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father. Warmth of loving hearts, light from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship. Home is first school...for the young ones where they learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind. Where they go for comfort when they are hurt or sick. Where joy is shared and sorrow eased. Where fathers and mothers are respected and loved. Where children are wanted. Where the simplest food is good enough for kings because it is earned. Where money is not so important as loving-kindness. Where even the teakettle sings from happiness. That is home."

Ernestine Schumann-Heink

Thứ Năm, 16 tháng 12, 2010

Supremely Blest



Home, the spot of earth supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.


~ Robert Montgomery  ~

Mother's oak china closet now sits in my family room.  Dark and somewhat dated, it would look beautiful painted in shabby chic white, but for now I cannot bear to change it.  Instead, bits and pieces of vintage decor grace its shelves and touches of crocheted lace lighten dark spaces.  Its presence in the room provides comfort and familiarity, a touch of home, and objects that bring back memories of times past.  Old books, vintage plates, old silver, tea pots, and teacups fill its useful spaces.  For now it is simply. . .perfect.  Home sweet home.

Thứ Năm, 1 tháng 4, 2010

Abounding in Joy

 
A divine Presence engulfs us unexpectedly and we abound in JOY.

~ John Bowen Coburn ~

Thứ Năm, 28 tháng 1, 2010

At Thy Door



"Go not abroad for happiness. 
For see it is a flower that blooms at thy door."

~ Minot J. Savage ~
 
Faraway Ranch, Arizona

Thứ Năm, 14 tháng 1, 2010

Renewal


Have you noticed how each month of the year has a different focus?  Although it is frequently established by advertising and commercialism, there is some truth to the fact that we focus on different things each month of the year.  January is the month for setting new goals and organizing our lives and homes.  It's also the month that department stores offer their best sales on plastic storage containers, organizing units for closets and kitchens, and tools for keeping track of stuff.  Label makers, Rubbermaid, and under the bed storage units are in easy view on store shelves.  Even television programs bring this theme into focus.  Home and Garden Television is featuring many programs on de-cluttering, hoarding vs. un-hoarding, and quick organization tips.  Additionally, health clubs, weight loss centers, and exercise equipment vendors are doing their part in helping focus on an individuals health and wellness.  But with all the focus on freshening up the inside of a home or the appearance of an individual, commericalism does not entice many to work on the heart.  Fortunately, supportive friends and acquaintances do their part in bringing this into view.  I've noticed that many of my friend, both in cyberspace and in my community offer helpful support in bringing what's important into focus.  Renewed emphasis on journaling, prayer notebooks, and outlines for establishing priorities are shared by friends who care and share.  They remind me that the external is simply a reflection of what the individual has nurtured and inculcated inside their heart and mind.    As I strive to seek that which is really important, I am encouraged by a quote of Alexandra Stoddard which helps me to recognize that the outside is simply a reflection of my heart.  She writes that "our true home is inside each of us.  Our houses are the outward expression of something we have already achieved."  Inside out, a reflection of our heart.
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