Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Order and treasures...


When God lay pen on paper to design me, He gave my mind a need for visual order.
I don't cope with clutter, and I don't cope with lots of things out of place.
My mind and heart beat faster and anxiety steps in to rob me of the peace it craves.
As I have shared before, we live in a rental house. It's a relatively new home, and a requirement of our lease is that we do not hang anything on the walls. This is kinda hard for me as I have designed a lot of lovely things over the past few years that would bring these empty walls to life.
However, rules are rules.
Needing some beauty to catch my eye I have tried to create little 'pockets of pretties' wherever a suitable space can be found.
Blossom upgraded her chest of drawers recently, so I took possession of her old one and have it just inside the front door. This week I'll make decisions on what to display there...
There are also a couple of little alcove shelves there too, which hold special things that remind me of treasured friends...
  
The elephant on the left was a Christmas gift from Wendy, and the sampler is one I stitched from Fee's gorgeous Blessings Sampler pattern...
 This Welcome sign was a gift from a university friend, Lara, who now lives all the way across the world in Canada and is the mother of many sons...
On the other side of the front door entrance area is my favourite book case. The pretty pink Elefantz bunting was a gift from Fee a few years back...
...and atop it are my pears that have been collected. My dear friends Ruth, Vikki, Wendy and Angela have all made a contribution to my collection. 
The couple figurine is one of two I have - gifts from my friend Joy all the way over in Esperance, WA, when we left in 2009 and moved up here. 
The 'friend' card was a birthday gift from Vikki, and is displayed to remind me of how much I love that gal and appreciate her gentle heart.
I think if we take time to look around we can find ways to make a space welcoming, and to reflect the nature of who we are.
The chair holding that potted plant is one that Blossom and I salvaged many years ago (one of two). She painted them both white and we recovered the cushions in shabby style florals. They are dreadfully uncomfortable to sit on, but beautiful as a plant or book stand...
 The lamp shade below was all hand stitched by my daughter Kezzie, and the lamp base was retrieved from an op-shop for a few dollars. They made a perfect pair...
 
 Small spaces, filled with things I like - and things that matter -  give my home the sense of order and design I need. Even a rental house can be a 'home' if you work with what you are allowed and don't focus on what you cannot do.
The Arnott's biscuit clock below was a purchase I made at a market with Mr E last year when he took me away for a few days up to Cairns. We had just received some difficult news and decided to scurry away and be alone for a bit while we made decisions about the future. The clock is a replica from many, many years ago, and reminded me of my Nana. It was $10 well spent, and when I sit beside that table and stitch, I feel her close to me again, and remember that out of the hardest times comes the greatest love...
Finally the to-ing and fro-ing of the tropical summer/autumn heat is subsiding, and I can begin pottering outdoors this week to make a little haven. I'll start small and see where my imagination leads...

...be blessed in your own space...

Hugs
Jenny
xx


11 comments:

Shawkl said...

Jenny,

If you can't hang things on the wall you can lift things up by stacking. When I saw that small brown corner bookstand (in your planted pot chair photo)...I immediately though how lovely it would be painted white...and stacked on the dresser inside the front door. Instead of books, it could hold little welcoming treasures.

A latter...painted white...could replace it. And layers of folded quilts and lacy things could fill each rung.

I'm sure you could find a place for those books in colorful paper or fabric covered boxes on the floor...stacked of course!

Hugs!

Shawkl said...

Sorry...I meant to say "ladder"...but I must type like I speak!

margaret said...

when the personal things that mean so much are on display it makes a house so much a home, yours you have done beautifully. Not sure how I would cope without walls for all my hardanger I have done and lots f other embroideries, even have one done by family going back to 1824 which is a beautiful vase of flowers embroidered with human hair

Lida said...

We may put anything we want on the walls, but we just redecorated and then it takes some time to get the hooks I need to hang what I want, because my DP love the clean walls! LOL!
But slowly I can get it how I love it! No need to hurry! Love the way you decorated and I like the alcoves! Maybe after my holiday I can make you a pear too! Hugs
Lida

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the reminder to really appreciate all the treasures we already own.

ukcitycrafter@live.co'uk

daisydilly (vicki) said...

You've done an amazing job of displaying your treasures without adding any holes in the wall. Lovely

sandi s said...

I love seeing your home. I like finding treasures also and making them over to work in my home. You are Blessed with many friends.

Tammy said...

Wonder if you could use the Command Hooks? - they leave no marks on the walls at all. No holes either.

barcord said...

Tami is right. Command strips are great, as they do no damage.

Jennifer J said...

I was going to suggest Command strips, as well. Depending on the size, they can be strong enough to hold a full Christmas stocking! they come off without a trace, and no need for the landlord to have a problem. I've never heard of a landlord forbidding holes in the US - you just have to fill them before you leave!

Jenny of Elefantz said...

I should have mentioned in the blog post that we have tried the Command Strips already. You see, we live in the hot and humid tropics, and the glue used in the command strips changes its chemical structure when left in our climate. In our last rental we used them in Blossom’s room. When we were moving and had to remove the items from her wall, half a wall of plaster was removed. Mr E had to replaster the wall, and we learned the hard way not to use them in this climate.
So I look for other ways to decorate… ;-)