Sunday Afternoon Tea - The cozy, warm, memory filled home

My daughter included the above photo in a message where she has been showing me how she displayed various Fall themed purchases she found while visiting.  This display made me smile.

The candle was purchased when I was with her and the fox head was found when shopping with Christopher's wife (her partner in crime who also loves to create a lovely home).  In another photo, she shared the display created with the chenille pumpkin and vintage measuring cups (that now hold battery operated tea lights), more finds from treasure hunting on vacation.

The vintage fan on the far left was a treasure from our very long ago trip to the famous Brimfield Flea Market together.  I love how objects can be a reminder of joy filled times together.  They are special reminders of blessed times, whether alone or together.  Much like the altars made by our ancient fathers were reminders of God's work on their journey.

As I write, I can view a print of a Colonial Williamsburg home that was purchased while on vacation there when the grandchildren were much smaller. Stephanie has prints from their first visit to England, now framed and on the walls of their home.

The grandchildren went home with University sweatshirts.  While they live and will probably go to college in or near New England, the family has numerous degrees from there.  Aunt M. has a degree from another University in the state and we try not to hold that against her.

I enjoyed listening to my older grandchildren talk about Shakespeare and books (except Elisabeth, who was at college) and my son's little children get excited over carving pumpkins.  Although Piper found the ummm... "guts" of the pumpkins to be disgusting.  So, of course, her male cousins had to play up the grossness of pumpkin innards.  ;) 

My daughter and I overlap a lot in our decorating styles and color preferences.  Except she likes lighter colors and I prefer deep jewel tones on the color wheel.  She is more a minimalist and I... am not.  She has a natural gift in bringing colors and objects together, which she had even before studying for a degree in Design.

But that is what homes are all about.  They reflect the people who live in them. As much as is in our control, and I do understand there are times and places and people that are not at all advantages to creating a peaceful environment, we need to do what we can to create Beauty and Peace in our home.

My goal for our home is to walk through the front door and feel at peace, even though it is not always a peaceful place.  Those things which fill us with joy and peace come together in the decorating of our homes.  For our home that includes lots of books, candles, art prints on the walls, pretty china, American primitives, music we love, movies we enjoy (we still collect DVDs), and objects which cause us to remember people and places.

I am convinced that is why a grandparent's home tends to have more stuff in it than the home of a newlywed couple.  Memories have been collected over decades that show up in the making of our home environment.  Perhaps in no other place more than in the Kitchen does that show up.

I cannot bake cinnamon rolls without thinking of my children.  My granddaughter, Faith, and I had a conversation about how I came up with our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Which her mother and older sister now make in their home.

When I make vegetable beef soup or fried chicken, I always think of my mother.  I cannot roast a Thanksgiving turkey or make our favorite casserole without thinking of my mother-in-law.  So many of our favorite recipes are attached to the name of a family member or friend.

Most of all, I want our home to reflect the love of Christ and the reality of His Word.  That shows up in books, Bibles, music, artwork, plaques, and conversations.  Grace filled conversations with non-believers as well as brothers and sisters in Christ.  Questions from pre-schoolers answered seriously and many late night conversations with our college student kids.

Home really is what we make it.  Not perfect.  Never fully reaching our dreams and desires.  But that is for another Time and another Place.  He is preparing that place for us now.  Can you even imagine?