Creative Homes

2014 is here! Ready or not, it's time to make it happen! I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas, and that you were able to spend time relaxing, enjoying quiet moments, contemplating, planning, and just enJOYing the life that you have.I took 10 days off from the shop and studio, and wow was it wonderful! I lolly gagged, rolled around in my pj's, tried new recipes, organized, spent time with family and friends, partied like it was 1999 {oh wait}, bought and read new books, and wrote down dreams and goals for this new year. It was awesome.....totally awesome. {insert clapping cheerleaders here}One of the new books that I purchased {and read} was Creative Family Home. I absolutely love this book because the spaces are original, playful, and most importantly.......lived in! I really appreciate the fact that while definitely modern in appearance, each home is unique and special because of the people who live there. The artwork on the walls, the collections in the corners, the mismatched chairs, the glorious book shelves with treasures galore, the random garland, the rocky horse in the dining room......I mean how refreshing is that?For someone like me...this book is preaching to the choir. Amen? Living with who and what you love, and letting your home tell your story speaks volumes to me. This is what I strive for in my own home. It is not all about having the latest trend in home decor....and it is absolutely not about having the same thing everyone else has......but rather picking, collecting, and displaying things that you love and are meaningful to your family. Boom.I love when people are eating in my dining room and I get to tell them about the antique table they are sitting at. It is over 100 years old, belonged to a retired minister, and we bought it at an antique store about 16 years ago. It was our first big furniture purchase, and I cried when I walked in and saw it... because it was exactly what I had been looking for. It was way out of our price range.....but we made it work...and it will NOT get painted! I can only hope that one of my children will want it in their home one day. I also love to tell people about the " I Suwannee" print that was made by me, for my husband, out of a print that we inherited from his grandmom.{we would never have used it if it hadn't been for Pinterest! Shawew!} Then, there is the artwork that we have collected over the years...each one with a story...each one purchased from artistic friends, interns at Knack, or picked up at the goodwill for the simple reason that I was drawn to the geometric water color in the wheat {only to find out they are famous prints worth thousands}! There is also the bowl that I made from a car break drum, the recycled window "hutch" that I designed, and the car mirror candle stand whose candles light the room with their soft glow {you would never know I had to make friends with a little pit bull named "red bones" at the junk yard to get those mirrors!}.......These are fun stories to tell.....We had more people in our home over this past holiday season, than we have had in a while....and it was refreshing and fun! I loved opening the doors to our home big and wide! Sharing the stories of my home, and hearing over and over again that people felt comfortable and loved here... was an extra special blessing.I hope to share more and more of our home here this year....it is a big part of who I am and why I do what I do. I want to continue to make it unique and special for those who live here, and spend time here. After all, this is what home should be about right?xo,Barb