Homemade Lovin' : Part 1

Update*** In my effort to "shop my house" for decorating solutions, I remembered an old cast iron corn stick pan that (surprise) was my mother's. With DD#2's help, I hung it in the nagging blank spot over the library-turned-dish cabinet. Love it! (By the way, the walls in our kitchen/living room/dining room are not weird greenish-gray. They are a fresh light green shade called "Apple 3" from the Laura Ashley paints at Lowe's.)

All this winter nesting has got me thinking a lot about the art of homemaking. I got my love of all things house-related from my mother. She has absolutely no interest in computers, but if she were homemaking today, I have no doubt that she would be searching the blogging world regularly for cute decorating ideas. She was a talented seamstress and floral designer, she threw lovely bridal and baby showers and dinner parties, and she always had some new goody she had crafted for a forgotten corner of the house. My mother is a lover of beauty, and that is a gift from God.

I am not naturally organized, and I am more a crafter of words than fabric. I can barely thread a needle, much less sew a pillow or slipcover. Hand me a glue gun or some baking ingredients, and I'm much more comfortable. I love beautiful gardens but have a black thumb. (Fortunately for me, I married a man who discovered a latent green thumb in his gene pool.) I am an idea thief, not an idea developer.

All that to say this: though I'm letting go of any notion of being a perfect homemaker--or even one as good as my mom--I am embracing what it means to create a lovely, orderly space for my family. (Some days are more successful than others.)

Our house was a major fixer-upper. After the first "ick!" response, we saw the windows, the wide,long front porch, and the open floor plan ...and the main-floor level laundry, a rarity when most are located in the basement. The yard and the basement are a long way from finished. A lo-o-n-n-g way, but that's okay, because imperfect is okay. Plotting and planning the next project has become part of the fun. Most days.

Here's some things I love about our house (besides the occupants):
*Lots and lots of natural light from lots and lots of windows;
*Lots and lots of books;
*A cozy fireplace insert (imperfection at its finest--it took four years for us to finish that);
*A nap-worthy, squishy-cushioned couch.

See what I mean?
This post is getting long, so I'll close with a question: what do you love about your home? What do you wish you could change? Does homemaking fill you with pleasure or make you break out in hives?
Blessings,
Ginger