Empty

Well son #3 is off to learn Mandarin Chinese and to grow and to serve. I am thrilled for him! But it's been hard to have to a quieter house and leftovers in the fridge. It's very difficult for this momma to adjust when her babies leave the nest. There is always an empty spot in my heart and my home. We sat down for Sunday dinner in the dining room with one more empty chair.Speaking of my dining room, I don't think that I've ever shared many details about the furniture there. The table was our first and only purchase from an antique store. I love the details of this 100+ year old beauty! Each end has leaves that pull out and up to extend the length. It's distressed and creaky and charming.
It has taken it's fair share of abuse from our family from meals to toys to school projects. We have made many memories while gathered around it. I often think about the stories it could tell of it's previous life with other families.
I inherited these gorgeous chairs from my grandmother. I adore their detailed craftsmanship. And I love having something from a past generation as an important detail of our home. We originally started with six chairs but are down to five with many of them having been rebuilt and repaired. Even though they are heirlooms we use them and enjoy them and love them.

A few months back I stumbled upon
two tufted beauties at the thrift store. I was smitten the moment I saw them! They now sit at each end of our table and are often called into service in our living room when we have guests and need additional seating. I am delighted by the way they soften the dining area and bring in a bit of a feminine element to an otherwise more heavy and masculine space. Opposites do attract!

Occasional Glimpses

The other night I walked through our darkened home. I walked into the family room and turned on the lights. Their glow brought enough light that I needn't turn on any others. As I finished up in the kitchen I turned and looked into lit the family room.
At that moment I got a glimpse, a still shot, like a photo in a magazine. The room was far from magazine perfect. Pillows and toys were strewn across the floor, which needed a good vacuuming. All of the surfaces needed to be dusted, but still I got that glimpse that happens on occasion.
I stood to take it all in.

Along with the glimpse came a feeling of reverence.
This is our home. Ours.
We are the ones responsible for making it a place of comfort. It is a place where laughter abounds,
where friends are welcome.
A haven for memories.
A shelter from the storms of life.
A sanctuary for our family.I stood in awe as I thought of how
our hands have created many of it's contents. This is the same room I pass through dozens of times each day
but at that moment it felt different.It seems that I get so busy with the day to day that
I lose sight of the wonderful details that are my life. So when those occasional glimpses occur I try to take it all in,
cherish the moment,
appreciate what has been revealed to my soul
and express gratitude for the blessings I have been given.

For I am truly blessed.

Not Just One

My husband decided that our home needed another computer. He was tired of sharing with the kids so he bought them an inexpensive used one. I thought it was a great idea until I had to figure out where to put "our" computer. We already have a room in the house designated as "the computer room" where computer usage is easily monitored. The room also contains all of the game systems so it gets quite a bit of use, especially on the weekends. It was decided that the other computer would find a home in the master bedroom---not the ideal place, but again, a place where it's usage can be monitored. However, I didn't want the computer, sitting on a big ol' desk, to be the main focus of the room.
I showed you this petite vintage dressing table that I started working on a few months ago. It was a thrift store find. Unfortunately I deleted the "before" photo of it looking quite sad covered in pastel green and pink sponge paint. I stripped all the paint, gave it a good sanding, and painted it a creamy white. I replaced the hardware with these pretties. And now it sits quite proudly beneath the vintage tin shelves in the corner of the room.