This year has been a whirlwind of activity. So much has happened it’s been hard to catch my breath. Probably one of the biggest things is that we moved into our new home about six weeks ago. Being closer to everything and everyone has made us wonder why in the world we didn’t do this a long time ago. In all of the moving and fitting things in to the new space and settling in to new routines and rituals, there have been so many contented-sigh moments. Not just because everything is getting done, but because I’ve had so many chances to reflect on the space in which I dwell everyday, how I want it to feel, and choosing only to share space with things I find to be beautiful and useful to us. SO many projects and details. Nothing world-changing, but world-arranging for sure. Many folks have asked how things are coming or what projects I’ve been doing since we moved. So here’s a little glimpse of some of our settling-in.

My first little project was to fix up this little bookseller’s side table. I’ve always wanted one of these (who doesn’t want books-at-the-ready next to their chair or bedside?) My man spotted this little number at an antique store down the road for dirt cheap. We brought it home and changed it from this misfit forest green to a lovely shade of brown that hangs out comfortably with the rest of the room. I just love what a little jar of mineral chalk paint can do.

I am “feathering the nest” (as Todd calls it) room by room. We started with the guest bedroom space, with some hints that remind us of the décor of our beloved India.

Phyllis, my Survivor plant, has a new home in the kitchen where she gets plenty of sunlight and tons of attention. I wish I could say that Oprah, her orchid cousin, fares as well as she does. But for now, Phyllis will be the only plant I ever get to brag about. And yes, I name plants. Also cars.

Check this thing out. Is this not just pretty?? This lovely light fixture already lived in this house when we moved here. I am enjoying that because it’s really beautiful, but never something I would probably have bought myself (too fancy/expensive/hard to clean…) So now I get to see if some of those things are actually true about this beauty, or if I’ve just been scaring myself away from pretty lights for no good reason at all.

First floor laundry. Heaven. Nothing else to say about that.

Another thing that my eyes can thank me for! I just adored this painting the second I saw it. Hiding out in the same little antique shop where we found that bookseller’s table, this scene was perched up in a funky old frame just waiting for me. Rarely does a piece of artwork just grab me so specifically, but there’s just something so interesting about it to me. Who are these folks? What are they talking about? Who was looking on at them? A few bucks in the hand of the old man who runs the shop, and these thoughts and colors now live with us permanently.

The second we put together our Ikea bookshelf, I got busy stocking it with all my favorite bookshelfy things. This of course included my books, framed pictures, and some of the few keepsake things that I actually don’t mind dusting once in a while because they are just so darn special. Every day I get to look at my very favorite picture of Todd in the whole world, and the bright wide smile of our little Donna in Bangalore. Melt.

Y’all knew the “Freedom From Debt” sign was moving with us, of course! If you don’t know the story behind that, here it is: We made this FREEDOM sign from hundreds of pieces of chopped-up credit cards from our seven years facilitating Financial Peace classes at our church. Folks gave up their attachment to credit card debt and we commemorated it with this sweet ol’ thing. There’s SO much freedom represented in this little project!

The new Fancy Freedom Designs workshop. Love this organized workspace! Wait… who just said that?

Now for some serious happy homemaking… $2 and 30 minutes… voila! Cuteness for a weird little living room nook.

And then there’s this happening in the kitchen…

And finally, the very best part of our new house… the one who makes it feel like a home.

As I type this, the little neighbor kiddos are scream-laughing while they bounce on their trampoline in their back yard. The dryer buzzer just went off (way too loud) and freaked me out a little bit and poor Oprah needs a drink of water here on my desk. The ice cream truck song is playing creepily from the street, as it has done most days this summer.

Last night, a dozen friends and their kiddos kicked off their shoes into a big pile in the foyer under that pretty light fixture. I still need to vacuum up the dry grass. The noise of our friendships filled my ears and the pile of shoes and dry grass filled my heart. We are enjoying our extraordinarily ordinary life in the suburbs (I know!) and I am feeling just right about all these little gifts we’ve been given in this space we’re now living in.  Looking forward to many more memories here.