Life is a process of continual discovery, and our surroundings should bear witness to the search.  The best discoveries are those that are unique and exciting, with elements of the familiar and comforting. The same can be said for style, which can’t be obtained by simply following a prescription. Good style is ultimately a found style – stumbled upon, discovered and collected over time. It is easier to hire a designer, choose to be either shocking or conservative, to use massive clutter or leave rooms nearly empty for effect. But homes that feature a true sense of style are most often those that have been lovingly assembled over time, piece by piece, matching old and new with creativity, common sense, thriftiness, and occasional humor.
Daivd & Amy Butler

Oh how I love that quote!

This month I’ve been thinking a lot about my home.

We moved into our current home when my my son was a small toddler and my girls were babies.  The move was necessitated by the fact that my husband had a long commute… and with the addition of twins we were bursting at the seams in our old home.

Despite the fact that our home now was a new build with large closets and more square footage, I’ve never really settled into the home the way I had in our old home.

Our old home was built in 1948, it had small rooms and closets.  But it excelled at storage for such a small space.  There were built in drawers and cupboards under the stairs.  There were clever nooks.  Our old home fit us perfectly, both in style and organization, with a place for everything and everything in it’s place….

It fit us perfectly right up to the point when we had twins,  that’s when our two small bedrooms became way TOO small.

I had high hopes for our new home.  I wanted it to be a home that we stayed in for many years.

But pretty much from the time we moved, I have felt frustrated by what our home doesn’t have.  Our home doesn’t have all the wonderful little storage spaces I had in our old home…

• I don’t have a convenient place for kids coming in the door to hang their coats or put their wet boots… they often end up on the floor next to the front door.
• I don’t have a space for my computer and printer… right now they are on the dining room table.
• There is no place for my sewing machine and craft supplies… except the kitchen table.
• I am short on pantry and kitchen storage space.

But this year my one little word is:

What that means to me is BE where I’m at.

My goal this year is to make my home work for me and my family.  I want to find solutions that combine function with style.  I want to find solutions that combine “creativity, common sense, and thriftiness.”

Step by step, I want to solve the organizational problems in my home and finally BE here, settled in and cozy.

I am SO grateful for my home. I love many things about it.  It’s high time I stop focusing on the shortcomings and start working toward solutions.

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