Home (not quite) alone and happy

The house was quiet this morning. David went to work early. Margot fell back asleep before Mila even woke up. I was so grateful for a few peaceful moments because yesterday was long and busy and exhausting. Fun (mostly) but still exhausting.

(This dresser--acquired at the same estate sale where we got our dining table--used to smell like old lady perfume. Now it's one of my favorite pieces in the house. I store all kinds of stuff in those drawers. It's fantastic.)

I forget sometimes how much I like my quiet little house. I think I want to fill it with people and noise and food and fun. I think I am bored of just me and the girls doing the same thing day in and day out.

(David's the only one who can solve that triple cross puzzle. The top was a gift my brother & sister-in-law brought back from India.)

And then I have several opportunities in a row to go out and be with people and have adventures...and I get maxed out pretty quickly. I enjoy it all, of course, but it takes time for me to recover from that kind of thing.

(The typewrite is also from the estate sale. It still works. I love it.)

That's how it's been all week. Lots of busyness. Lots of socializing. More stress than I'd like. It makes me realize what a homebody I really am.

(This fern is my current favorite houseplant. I want to find a head-shaped planter to put it in.)

Which I guess is why it's so important for me to make our house a sanctuary for us. When things get overwhelming, I need to come home to a space that feels safe and cozy and ours.

(This blurry plant is Mila's. She picked it out and insists on holding it every now and then. The lizard is from Ecuador...another gift from my brother.)

I'm trying to surround myself with meaningful objects, comfortable furniture, beautiful art, soothing colors, good books, happy music, delicious food, and a loving family.

(My mother-in-law gave me this plant when I started teaching almost five years ago. David brought the basket, giraffe, and pith helmet back from Africa. The little red gourd thing is also from Ecuador. And my friend Lydia took the photo while she was in New York.)

So far, I think we're doing a pretty good job. Because even though the floor is filthy, and the curtains still aren't hemmed, and I've got two gallons of paint for Mila's room that may not make it onto the walls for another month or more, and the master bathroom doesn't have a functional shower, and I still (am grateful for but let's be honest here) HATE our hand-me-down couches, and and and...I don't mind. Too much. Because unfinished and full of crazy as it sometimes is, this is my happy place.

(David made the mosaic in high school. The rhino is from Kenya. The plant was a cutting from my sister-in-law's spider plant. The story people print can be purchased here.)

My babies are here.

(Another spider plant cutting. I think the shell "planter" makes it look like a hermit crab. The necklaces are from Kenya.)

My husband is here.

(The clock, art books, lamp, and music are from my college days. The mask is from Africa. I made the triangle "art". The vase was a West Elm indulgence. [It was on sale and I couldn't resist!] The plant was one of my impulsive houseplant purchases.)

Our life is here.

(The pineapple is from the estate sale. The bowl is from Kenya. The Taste of Chicago tickets are leftover from an awesome trip I took with some friends many years ago.)

Plus we have cookies.