Of Hearth and Home

Hello to you all. Today I want to share a little 'hearth and home' post with you. Our home is our refuge in an often crazy world, and I for one love to make my home a comfortable, warm and welcoming place for my family. I'm not talking about going out, spending a fortune and redecorating, just changing things that I already have around a bit, adding those special little touches like fresh flowers from the garden and so on. 

I have this beautiful Welsh Dresser that sits in our entry hall. Up to now it has been used as a bookshelf, but really, that's not it's purpose. I have often admired the dressers I see in the background of some wonderfully creative bloggers with all their little knick-knacks and wanted one just like that.

 Now I know this sounds silly, but it suddenly struck me on Monday that actually, I DID have one - I just needed to put it to it's proper use. Funny how we sometimes don't see what we have until something triggers an 'a-ha' moment.

Tuesday was spent sorting out books that I wanted to keep and those I wanted to give away or take to the charity store or recycle. The bottom half of the dresser has held all our school books of past years, those were all boxed and put up in the attic. The books from the dresser shelves now live at the bottom of the dresser.

Here's the before picture...

And after...

It's still a work in progress as far as I'm concerned, I'm not completely sure that this is how it will stay but I'm happy with it for now. It's a great spot to display seasonal bits and bobs, which as you know, I love to do in my home.

Top shelf; we have some family photographs, a pretty pot of spring Hyacinths, a Tilda mouse I made last year and a little spring themed teapot. A little garland of knitted acorns that I made two years ago is strung across the front.

Next shelf down is a little vase with a bunch of button flowers my daughter made, a re-purposed toast rack which now holds letters (I got this idea from a decor mag recently), the word that is core to our home 'Family', a wooden heart frame - a gift from my youngest daughter and another little teapot from my collection.

Bottom shelf we have a vase of daffodils, a large mason jar of pine-cones collected in December, nail and thread art courtesy of my youngest daughter, a copy of Chambers Book of Days and a box of Landlove and Landscape magazines, both of which I use when planning out fun things to do and make during the seasonal year and a little cross-stitch standing calendar.

My Hyacinths are not far from breaking out in flower - I can't wait to catch their beautiful aroma each time I pass. There are so many small things that are just so seasonal for me, each year I have the same little delights that say 'home' to my heart. Blooming indoor Hyacinths are one of those 'January' things for me. Started in December, the darkest month of the year, these flowers remind me that the days are lengthening and the promise of spring yet to come.

Daffodils are another of those later January early February 'things'. I love how in these months of bleak, cold, wet sometimes snowy weather, these pretty flowers instantly brighten up my home.

It must be the colder weather and naturally staying indoors more, but I have been inspired to clear the clutter and to make the most of what I have in my home. Do a bit of re-purposing, creating and nesting. I have ideas, lots of ideas, and as I move from one room to another, or just pass by a spot that suddenly cries out for a change, I note it down.

 I have a little list of 'Home Blessings' to attend to this year. I have made a little card that now lives in my weekly planner, If I have a moment to do something on the list I do so and then cross it off. So for example, one of my 'Home Blessings' is to wash the windows. Snow, wind and rain, all of which we have had quite allot of lately,  seems to make it so dirty and each time I look out of my windows lately it's through a layer of dust. So that task has been put on the list. 

There are other bigger things that are going to take more time and perhaps a little money, things like 'make scatter cushions for conservatory'. Those tasks will need to have time carved out of my day and scheduled to get done.

'Home Blessings' - isn't that just such a lovely thought? I love that I get to bless my home and my family with little bitty things :)

Have a happy weekend all...