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Unexpected Whimsy – Part 4

When we bought our house 3.5 years ago we loved everything about it… except the kitchen. It was seriously an armpit. Tiny and obscure. Plus, you had to roll the dishwasher over to the bathroom to plug it in and run it. 😂We hoped to eventually overhaul the space, but in the meantime I would have to settle for throwing some lipstick on a pig, as they say. I scoured Pinterest and antique stores for clever ways to embrace the quirkiness of the space and just went for it. Mint, red, retro, vintage. We removed cupboard doors, wallpapered the fridge, painted countertops, generally made the best of it. And in all truth, it served us just fine until we pulled the trigger on our major renovation last year.

Now that I have lovely granite countertops, a farm sink, slow close cupboard doors (YES!) and most importantly space to cook and be with my people, I’m continually grateful for how far it has come. But I keep these two little pantry buddies as a constant reminder of what a blessing we’ve been given.

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Unexpected Whimsy – Part 3

I’ve shared before how I have specific rules around buying serving ware because if I didn’t I would still have all the things in all the colors with exactly zero storage space for it. Now my collection is trimmed down to specific pieces in woodgrain or white… With the exception of accessories where I throw off almost all restraint. 🙌🏻 Picked up these little gold numbers the other day at World Market because they’re so charming and have the cutest phrases on them (how is a copywriter supposed to resist, pray tell!?). Plus, I got them for free by finding the $50 golden llama hidden in the store. (Do you know about this? Happening now through 11/22 check out their website for details. Funnest little treasure hunt you ever did see.) Can’t wait to bust these out over the holidays. Plus, I love the whimsy and warmth they add. I’m sure dinner guests will too! (Not sure what I mean by “unexpected whimsy?” Check out my previous posts here and here!)

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Unexpected Whimsy – Part 2

This week I’m featuring what I call “unexpected whimsy” and the role it plays in making a space feel cozier by sharing a few of the fun ways it shows up in our home. (Refer to yesterday’s post for more background.) This little vignette is in our daughter’s nursery. It’s full of custom art, bits of greeting cards I received at her baby shower, a felted doe and fawn pair I found at an antique store right after I discovered I was pregnant with her. Did it need a tiny golden penguin perched atop, proudly dancing outside the lines? Probably not. But does he bring me immense joy? You bet. I’ll happily retrieve him for her to play with once she grows out of literally wanting to gobble him up. And what about the fairy door down there on the baseboard? It was definitely not a need, but darn-it-all if I don’t swoon every time I see it just imagining how she’ll lay there on her belly tracing its ivy vines with her tiny fingers.

These little bits of whimsy bring me more delight than I can express – and make me smile at the future we will share watching her grow. I love rocking her and daydreaming about who she will be. I hope she loves this special little slice of our home that’s all hers. (The little blue deer plaque hails from our faves @rebelreclaimed, the print with the coral oval says “Be Brave” and was made by our friend Emilie of @liefdesign as well as the commissioned scripture verse in calligraphy. And of course some framed Rifle Paper Co. stock because always amazing.)

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Unexpected Whimsy – Part 1

Mantle decor

Someone recently asked me, “Why is there a fox in there?” After I thought a second, the only reasonable reply was, “because I like him.” And that, my friends is a huge key to feeling cozy in your own space. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ALL for minimalism. Decluttering our homes and heads frees us up in all sorts of ways. But, if you happen upon a little something – maybe even (GASP) something you don’t totally need – that brings you an unexplainable tinge of joy? Make it yours. Give it real estate in your day-to-day life. You’ll glimpse it out of the corner of your eye shuffling from here to there and smile to yourself. That’s worth it!

Which leads me to this week’s feature I’m calling “unexpected whimsy.” Anyone can walk into a furniture store and buy a beautiful dining set or tear a page from the Pottery Barn catalog and try to replicate it at home. But what about adding a little fun? What about a hidden element that means something sweet to you and maybe makes very little sense to someone else? That’s the whimsy only you can add, and it just might make your house feel like a home. This week I’ll be sharing a few of mine. What little treasures give you unexplainable happiness?

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All in the family

Finishing up my series on food, nostalgia and coziness… the ultimate — my mom’s chocolate cake recipe. Oh my word you guys, all the praise hands and heart eyes for this cake and frosting.

The story on this cake is that it’s literally an answer to prayer. Mom had been on the lookout for a good chocolate cake recipe, sending up periodic requests for the right one to come her way. Then at a family reunion she had a piece and KNEW she had found it. She traced the cake to her cousin and the rest is delicious, fluffy, chocolatey-euphoric history.


The women in my family have a thing for desserts. We come by it honestly. My brother-in-law tells a story that when he and my sister were dating, he came over one night to find my mom walking on the treadmill… eating a piece of homemade fudge. I was doomed from the start. HA. There was another time she had just finished baking the most beautiful Oreo cheesecake and dropped it. We grabbed forks and ate it right off the kitchen floor, giggling the entire time. My mom has always made so many amazing desserts and pies from scratch, that for our birthdays we actually requested boxed cakes – FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL. (face palm) Now we know better. My other sister regularly cuts the recipe in half for an 8×8 pan like I did tonight. Otherwise, danger. We know the damage we are capable of.

Thanks Mom, for so many sweet memories topped off with a “Shelley-sized portion” of tastiness.

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Sweet nostalgia… and bread

You know that one dish you simply must have every Thanksgiving…? Or maybe you occasionally travel back to a place you once lived and eat through a list of foods you can’t get anywhere else. I personally believe nostalgia has a lot to do with coziness. Especially when it comes to food. We make sentimental attachments through all of our senses and taste is one of the strongest.
All this week I’m going to feature foods that carry a deeper story for me. Today it’s this bread. I make this beautiful round loaf for company, for us, for holidays, basically anytime I remember to start it the day ahead.

A few years ago I was part of a cooking club. It was a special group of women – brave, vulnerable women of substance. We’d have a meal theme and each person would contribute a dish… But pretty much ALWAYS this bread. Someone would volunteer to bring it – and instantly be my hero for the evening. Now every time I bake it in my own kitchen, I think about those evenings we literally “broke bread” together, slathered in butter and honest conversation.

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Here-ness. Dearness.

You know when a word or phrase keeps bouncing around in your head? This week mine has been, “Nearness, dearness, here-ness.” According to Professor Christian Bjørnskov, “It is through hygge that we find and build really strong relationships with other people. There is an effortlessness in hygge, which means that we can be together as friends and family without having any plans besides relaxing and enjoying a good time together. We dare to be who we are in each other’s company, and this affirms that we have stable relationships in our lives, meaning we will never stand alone. This is social security of great value, and one of the most important sources of our happiness. In hygge we also find a sincerity and comfort that means that we dare to express ourselves when we disagree. And when we, in a respectful and relaxed way, dare to discuss the bigger questions of life, we get the opportunity to see ourselves and the life we lead with a new perspective, becoming more aware of what makes us happy. At the same time this new perspective opens our eyes to what we are able to change in order to improve our wellbeing… hygge contributes to a general contentedness in the long run.”

Thus, here-ness. No agendas. No distractions. Valuing ourselves and each other enough to have real talk. The invitation to sit down at the table, stay awhile and forget time together.

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Let us feast

I’ve had some trouble getting into the Fall spirit as it’s still 80 degrees here in West Michigan but I’m sorry, I just can’t bear the thought of sweating my way through a pumpkin patch. Lots of people love this weather and I’m not complaining — it IS beautiful — I’m just daydreaming of throw blankets and slippers, and rain boots and plaid scarves, and hot cider and apple pies, like a civilized Midwesterner. 😉But even with our unseasonable temps, today was decidedly cozy – because of my people.

When the babe fell asleep just as church let out, we decided on a Sunday drive out in the country to let her rest. We saw old barns and new fences, bumped along gravel roads and happened upon a small pond. We held hands and made jokes and enjoyed the feeling of having an almost 7 month old who has finally grown to tolerate an afternoon car ride.

It felt a little more like transitioning out of newborn survival mode into becoming a family — to a backdrop of passing orchards and changing leaves.
Then this evening we popped over for dinner with friends. We arrived expecting to order pizzas to keep things simple – but she’d prepared a veritable hygge feast! Italian sausage soup, challah bread and yummy roasted veggies with feta and farro a la Smitten Kitchen. We caught up on work life and ate seconds and basked in the safety of being known, juggling kids and stories and making plans to do it all again next week. It was that good kind of chaos we all need a little more of.


As we transition into the season of gratitude and harvest, make space for a little savoring. Don’t put off making plans with those you really love. It doesn’t have to be a holiday, pizza on any old Sunday will do. Thanks for filling our hearts and bellies, Havilah.

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Craft the perfect vignette

Composition is important to design and creating coziness. I like vignettes that mix elements and textures to create a well-rounded and approachable look. For instance, in this cozy little corner alone are metal, wood, glass, greenery, paper stock and ceramic finishes.

Bump that up against a window full of light and a couch you could just sink your buns into, and you’ve got a recipe for the good stuff. Neutral, natural, vintage AND modern.