Tag: Moving

A Decorating Dilemma

Whew! We’ve all been there. Moving from one place to another is pure chaos. Even though a moving company handled the packing and transporting, the process stressed me out.

I apologize for my long absence from cyberspace. In my last post I mentioned our upcoming plans to move to a retirement community. For the past month, I’ve been consumed with trying to create harmony between myself and my new living space.

Our new apartment is small. (1500 square feet) We no longer have a garage, which was quite useful for stashing items we didn’t use everyday. Now, every inch of storage space matters. Although we tried to downsize, our closets are full. The movers stacked our framed art against a wall in the guest room. Every time I walked in there I thought, “What are we going to do with all of these pictures?” We live in an open floor plan with less wall space, and more windows.

If you think God doesn’t care about the little things we deal with, think again. This is one dilemma I prayed about, and His answer increased my faith.

I felt a need to keep the art I still liked—colorful landscapes and nature scenes from trips we’ve taken. So, I carried each picture from room to room to envision how it might look on the wall. Still, I couldn’t see how this eclectic mix could possibly fit together. Most of all, I didn’t want to make unnecessary holes in any of the walls. Once the pictures were hung, that’s where I wanted them to stay.

Two years ago I repurposed these frames with photographs I took at Lue Gardens. The colors brightened up the dining room and complemented our chairs, so I decided to keep them.

Then I found a collection of small canvases Jenny, our daughter, had painted. For years they decorated a bedroom. When I carried them into the dining room, I realized they matched the chairs as well. Jenny and I found some rustic looking frames at Joann Fabrics, which my husband prepared for hanging. Originally I thought I would line them up horizontally on another wall.

Enter Shaun,O’Dwyer, a floral designer with an eye for hanging pictures. Shaun came up with a new idea. Create harmony by bringing these different elements together vertically. Then hang them high. The result is amazing. I always thought pictures had to be at eye level. Shaun opened my eyes to new possibilities.

If you are wondering what to do with something old, instead of throwing it out or giving it away, think about changing it. Enlist the help of someone who might see things differently and create a new look.

“Redecorating has the power to make us feel like we have created new energy, a new vibe, a new life” —Dr. Sherrie Campbell

I am so thankful God cares about the little details in our lives. When it comes to creativity, I want to remember to look to the master creator. Behold, He makes all things new! (Rev.21:5 KJV)

Thank you for reading my blog. Leave a comment. I’d love to hear how you solved a decorating dilemma.

When Does a House Become a Home?

Welcome back, readers. I apologize for my absence from cyberspace. During the month of June, Herb and I immersed ourselves in the process of downsizing to move to a new location. Under the best conditions, moving is emotionally and physically exhausting. Add ninety degree temperatures and moving becomes unbearable. Now that we have settled in our new home, I’ve rewarded myself with a nap every afternoon.

Yes, piece by piece we dismantled the old homestead and carried all the things which passed the “keep test” to our new digs. As each picture came down and each knick-knack packed, the old place lost its charm. And when Two Men In A Truck came to carry the furniture out, the empty shell no longer seemed like the same home we’ve known for the past sixteen years.

I highly recommend Two Men and a Truck to anyone making a move. The team carefully handled our belongings and listened to our requests. They also wore face masks in compliance with local Covid-19 mandates.

We were ready to go. Perhaps it was the impact of the pandemic that encouraged us to let go of our sentimental feelings. After all, when you’ve been staring at the same four walls for months on end with no opportunities for travel, you get a little stir-crazy.

Buddy whined the first two nights, but eventually he acclimated to his new environment. Beagles are happy if they can continue to eat, and Buddy never missed a meal. Since we were doing most of the moving ourselves, we involved him in the process by allowing him to supervise.

Once everything was out of the old location, it took awhile to determine how to utilize the space in each room. Even though I thought I’d downsized, I sorted and gave away more clothes when I couldn’t squeeze another item into our closet.

After a few days our family became more comfortable in our new home. We hung a few pictures and placed potted plants on the front porch. During my youth, it always took awhile to break in a pair of new jeans. When you brought them home from the store the fabric felt stiff. After washing and wearing them a few times the jeans softened. In the same way a house becomes a home by living within the space.

“Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling.” —Cecelia Ahern

A home is made by the people who live there and the love they share. Home is where the heart is. May you be happy in yours.

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