Every Now & Zen

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We all have good habits that we need to take out and dust off from time to time, right? It may be a practice we have forgotten to employ for a while, and it is important to remind ourselves to get back to it every once in a while.

This is one of those things for me...

Having a ZEN SPACE...

Do you know what that is? 

Here's what I wrote about it a few years ago:

A while back,  during a conversation about the frustrations of house upkeep, a friend shared a practice she employs to help keep herself sane during the craziest of crazy times...

As she described it, there is one place in her home (I believe it was the top of her nightstand) which, through thick and thin, come hell or high water, is always a lesson in simplicity, is clear of dust and clutter, and has just a few of her very favorite things artfully arranged on it.  This is her Zen Space.  

While the rest of the household may be falling into disarray with the family's comings and goings, she knows she can sit on her bed, take a few breaths, look at her Zen Space, and find a little peace amid the cacophony of clutter and chaos. What a fantastic idea...

 SO, do you have a Zen Space of your own? I want to encourage you to create one if you don't.

In my house, our Zen Space is our dining room table--the first thing we see when we return home. Lately it has been a MESS...so it is time to reinstitute this habit, and lay down the law of ZEN. :)

Where in your house can YOU create a Zen Space?

First, pick a small surface that is easy to keep cleared & dusted.

Second, make sure that only a few special things are on it--maybe a special picture and some fresh flowers--nothing else allowed. 

This uncomplicated, peaceful spot will be a gift to you when things are feeling out of whack and out of control around you house. At those difficult times, focus on this one clean, clear spot that is well within your control, and take a couple of deep breaths. So important and so helpful. 

 

One of my favorite things about my house...

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As many of you know, I live in a little, quirky old farmhouse that dates as far back as 1778. 

With its little rooms (which, at times, have been full of BIG challenges), and character-filled corners, there are many things to love. While I don't have a lot of square footage, or a lot of headroom (no cathedral-ceilinged entryway in this old shack), there is a history and vintage charm here that I always have just loved. And it just feels like home to me.

One of my FAVORITE original features of our home is the old cast-iron sink that has probably adorned our kitchen since the 1920's or 30's...

When we renovated our kitchen, we built our plans around this neat-o fixture. And while everything was reconfigured in the space to make using the room SO much more efficient, we wanted to be sure that the spirit and "cottagy" charm of the room stayed in place. 

It still makes me smile to this day. 

What charming and/or quirky feature do you love about your home?  I would love to know! (make sure to add it to the comments below..... :) )

A Before & After Just for the Holiday Weekend!!

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If you are anything like me, you may be dreaming of all the time you hope to spend outside this holiday weekend. YeeeeHAW!!!

But sometimes our outdoor spaces may not be the spaces of our dreams...

YET.

But, take heart! With a little vision and elbow grease, things can be turned around quickly!

My client knew that she wanted a colorful, stylish area that was beautiful and comfortable for her whole family to enjoy.

They already loved the screened in porch, but wanted it to look so much more pulled together than it did when they first purchased the home. 

So we got to work, and take a look at how it looks now...

So what changed out here? First, we removed the tired outdoor carpet, painted the concrete floor, and added a bright & cheerful outdoor area rug to anchor the seating area. 

We then topped it off with a new wicker seating set, brought in colorful pillows, twinkle lights, fresh flowers & live plants...and now it really feels like a space you could LIVE in this summer!

Happy Memorial Day, dear friends! I hope this inspires you to make your outdoor space exactly what you are dreaming of this season.