Eight sleeps in and this house feels familiar, comfortable and welcoming.
It feels like home.
Everything is now unpacked and in it's place, though we'll continue to move the odd thing around, after all, it's not until you live out your day to day life in a new home that you discover the most convenient locations for ease and functionality.
This morning I was woken just before dawn by the welcoming laugh of two kookaburras perched high atop the street light at our front door.
This was very special to me as they are my favourite bird and bring immense joy to my heart whenever I see or hear them, but an extra joy came this morning because I sensed the Lord's favour and blessing in their visit.
Sophie sat at the front door watching with interest as I photographed my visitors.
She's still not allowed outside and it pains her. Fortunately it's a large home with areas she can play or hide during the heat of the day.
Another blessing and an answer to prayer are the two frangipani trees, one in the front garden and another outside my sewing room window.
I gather the fallen flowers and sit them in a small bowl of water on the kitchen bench where their fragrance fills the room.
I don't have a separate office in this home (I wanted a spare bedroom instead) but my dear husband does. It's a delight to have him settled in his own space with a new desk where he can spread out school reports and lesson plans, whilst still being close to the open plan area where my own desk and business matter reside.
Having my 'office' area in the main part of the house allows me to wander between desk and kitchen, easily tag-teaming the book work, blogging, sketching and emails with my daily baking and other food prep. Bonus!
I haven't lived in such a large open-plan space before so I was daunted at first by all the sweeping, mopping and vacuuming ahead of me...but you know, there's no reason to do it all at once. Dividing it between days makes this manageable and I don't have to clean floors every day.
Life is about balance, not perfectionism or an unreal expectation that a home needs to be on show.
Home is about feeling comfortable and safe.
Home should be welcoming.
Home is a sanctuary.
We have an enclosed patio which opens out from the living room and our bedroom, allowing a beautiful breeze to flow through the house without any annoying flies or mosquitoes!
(a great blessing in the tropics)
There's also a servery window in the kitchen which opens to the patio as well. When I bake bread it sits on the servery bar to cool and the breeze pushes the aroma all through the house.
This could be why Mr E has been asking for bread or toast 'a lot' this first week in our new home?
My sewing room is set up and is quite sparse compared to how it was in the old house.
I gave some things away and only kept what I knew I'd use, or things I thought Blossom may have a purpose for...but those photos can wait for another day.
The next free block in this year's "The Love of Home" BOM is due tomorrow but isn't it fun to receive your gifts early?
The pattern is an older one I designed back in 2012 and quite frankly I still love it, so hopefully you will too. Having just moved house there was not time to design and stitch a new block this month, however I don't think you'll mind sewing the October stitchery...
...especially as your FREE pattern includes not just the stitchery/applique block but instructions to complete the design as a cushion too!
You'll love how the back of the cushion ties with lace.
Okay, enough from me today.
I have bread rising on the bench, an apple cake to bake, and a tutorial for that garden book to prepare.
All good things.
Have a wonderfully peaceful and relaxed weekend, dear friends.
hugs
