…all I knew is that my heart was broken and I needed to move fast. I felt like E.T. in the movie when he pointed to his own heart and said “ouch”…my life was in a word or two–a mess. I had never lived all by myself and circumstances conspired to kick me in the butt and get me started on a new chapter.
I needed a place where I could belt out “I gotta be me” with Sammy Davis Jr. with tears streaming down my face. Where I could look at myself in the mirror not to assess errant hairs on my chin or a new wrinkle ( I prefer to call them expression lines), but to look into my own eyes like they do in the movies and ask my reflection….How in the hell did you get to this place?……at this time?……at YOUR age?
I was forced to reassess my own dreams. I didn’t know what they were anymore. As a Mom who loves my kids more than life, I knew I wanted them to be happy and chase their own and that could be considered a dream. As a wife, I know I had supported my husband in his. Don’t get me wrong. I loved being both a wife and mother, but in my efforts to make sure everyone got their chance to experience their dreams, I lost sight of my own and realized I had put them up on a proverbial shelf in the back of a dusty closet in my mind long ago. Living alone would force me to unpack that dusty box of dreams and reconsider the possibilities.
When I moved in, I truly did not know what I wanted for my life moving forward. All I did know was I needed an environment that would nurture me in my journey to perhaps discover for the first time what I am made of. It has been an amazing twelve months. A year ago today, I started a new chapter. I wanted to make sure to have inspirational spaces both inside and out to support my own inside out discovery. I passionately believe we all do. There is a lovely synergy between creating an environment supportive of our lives and us. Making an effort is an investment in our souls. What we build up ends up building us.
Having a home and if you’re lucky enough to have a garden creates an opportunity to express yourself through your environment. Regardless of its size your home is a reflection of you. My present home is a rental that is 650 square feet. In this past year, I have discovered the simplicity of smaller. You can live large in a small space. The dimensions do not matter. What matters is when you open that front door the space that beckons says “Welcome home”.
Here is where I moved into a year ago… full of possibilities and challenges…those vertical blinds did not exactly light my aesthetic heart on fire. The walls were a peachy tan color and the floor although original was way too honey toned for me.
Since I love to have people over for entertaining, I also needed it to function as a dining room as well. That was a tall order for its dimensions. It is 16 by 13 feet, but with my awesome tulip table, a Saarinen knock off, I was able to create a dining zone that works within the whole room’s aesthetic. I can just pull up a chair or two and I am ready to serve a lovingly prepared meal.
The Greek Key rug hides a lot of the honey colored floor…it looks beautiful both in the daytime and at night.
I found an awesome 9 by 13 rug that was not only inexpensive but covered a lot of the floor and helps to define the living area. I purchased inexpensive Greek Key curtains from Amazon and hung them as close to the ceiling as was possible. It helped to make the room feel taller and serve to hide the vertical blinds. I love Greek Key…but that will be for another post.
A year to the day later, I continue to “feather my nest”…collecting feathers on my walks to a nearby park.
It has been a year full of challenges and there have been a lot of self help books read while on that daybed… My little cottage will continue to evolve. I will never be “done”. It is a work in progress, just like all of us are.
In my next posts I will show you my kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom—oh, and why I love Greek Key, in no particular order. My cottage nurtures me. I hope your home nurtures you, and if it doesn’t…
“there is no time like the present”…it is your present…wrap it up in beauty. Honor it by honoring YOU!
Until we meet again. I am so excited to share this journey with you.
Eileen