Nesting

The wind knocked these nests out of the trees in our yard. They had long ago been abandoned by their previous occupants. I was delighted to find them, and promptly brought them into the house to decorate with. I love nesting.

My nesting instinct began to emerge when I was in the 6th grade. I was spending the night at a relative's house when I opened the closet door and saw a stack of Better Homes and Gardens magazines. I opened up the first one and was soon amazed to see the lovely homes featured. I grew up in a farming community, so ladies were just happy if their home was functional and clean. I was astonished to see how beautiful some people's homes were. Being the visual person that I am, I was delighted to discover this whole new world. Before the night was over, I had read every decorating magazine in the stack, and was dreaming of how I wanted my future home to look.

Through the years though, reality got in the way of my having a dream home. Our frequent relocations and limited budget forced me to eventually give up on trying to have a magazine worthy home. Eventually I quit trying to make things even match, and just started purchasing whatever furniture fit the need of the current house we were living in which meant that we had a mish mash of styles and colors in the house. Being married, raising two kids, and working two jobs didn't leave much time for decorating either. I was usually just glad if the house was tidy enough that you could walk through it without a shovel being necessary to clear a path.

After this past New Year, I looked around me and realized how much I disliked the way things looked now. Our unmatched and unstylish home wasn't very relaxing or inviting. My nesting instinct kicked back in and I decided to do something about the disorder surrounding us. I started by looking through all those decorating magazines I keep lugging back and forth across the country.

My style has always been country, probably because of my childhood. After perusing lots of magazines, I realized what I really like now is primitive country. The homes featured in Country Sampler magazine were definitely my favorites. I love chipping paint, worn wood, and rusty metal. I like my posessions to look as if they could tell me a story of the life they have lived. I enjoy having things that remind me of my connection to the past. Primitives do that for me. They remind me of the simple, country world I grew up in and long for still.

So as I pack for our upcoming move, I am keeping in mind the new home I have pictured in my head. I am trying to take only those items we actually use frequently or that have meaning for us because they are from loved ones or are valuable. I am already dreaming of unpacking and decorating the new house. I can't help it. I love nesting.

Blessings to you!