Posted on

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?

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.