Taking Joy...

Part of keeping home is taking joy in it. I love my home! I love how I can add little touches to make all the occupants feel warm and loved. I love how the sun streams through the windows and touches the furniture and carpet with it's joyful light. 

A home is made up of the love shared within it's walls, the tears shed, hugs given and laughter heard. It's an atmosphere. Memories slowly built up day by day. Home is about the people not about the building. But as a keeper of the home, I love to add to the ambiance of our home by adding little touches, always changing, ever fluid, reflecting the current season.

On my kitchen window sill I have potted herbs...

and a pretty purple planter with young lavender plants, just waiting to grow up a little more before potting on.

I love to brush the leaves of the basil and lavender and smell their heady scents will I wash the dishes in a deep sink of warm bubbly water. I love how the sunlight streams into this window in the summer and autumn, it's gentle rays dancing on soap suds :)

My fireplace mantle reflects the season. Two tiny jars, a gift from a dear friend, hold June's roses. Shells and sea glass collected on a holiday in Cornwall (this was a family effort, everyone got quite into collecting shells and sea glass for mum) are spread out before the 'family' sign, a gift from my sister-in-law, which again reflects what is most important to us.

Below the mantle is a little flower garland gift made by another dear friend of mine. I am reminded of precious friendships by lots of little things that surround me :o) - I love that!

Sitting on a kist made for me by my grandfather for my birth 40 years ago is a little jar with razor shells collected from a family trip to Morcombe Bay a few years back.

Beside it is a small Yankee candle that my daughter bought for me while we were in York on Friday. As I type this post this little scene above has changed, the razor shells have been ferreted away by my youngest daughter to decorate her own room... I think I may have passed a habit of home keeping on ;)