MCFH: IDHTBPTBB

That is a lot of letters in that post title!  Let me spell it out...
My Cozy Fall Home (Day 29): It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to be Beautiful

I have many things I could post that would fall under this subject!  Even though I fight perfectionism, it's impossible in the home of a busy and large family, many of whom do not see the need for 'perfection' in the same way, and things get USED.  Our home looks lived in, and that's OK. It's supposed to be warm and welcoming, and although it has plenty of old things, not a museum.  

On top of the cabinets would not be a good location for
candles.  They'd be hard to light & might burn the ceiling,
 but these add a nice touch to the kitchen.

Today I want to talk about an item that's new to me this season.  I am usually a fan of authenticity, but I fall away from that in this case.  I love candlelight, but candles, not so much.  Candles can leave a surprising amount of ashy particulate in the air and all over the house.  Princess Sassy found that when she used candles, the grandprince and grandprincess had black residue around their noses, and that can't be healthy.  Also, candle wicks burn down into the candle, drowning or becoming too embedded in the wax long before the candle is used up.  They become much less attractive at that point, too, so, for me, never last long and it becomes expensive to keep replacing them.







In lieu of candles, I've been using wax warmers that use light bulbs to melt the wax, so fill my home with lovely scents, seasonal or other, while also adding points of light.  This has been a great option, but since they plug into an outlet, location choice is limited.  





Enter these beauties that I found at Costco: battery operated 'candles.'  The LED bulbs should last for years.  The light varies somehow, creating an impressive representation of flickering flames.   The exterior is a layer of white wax, which adds additional reality to the candle appearance.  



Costco had these on sale... a set of 5 in varying sizes... for under $20!  I'd say they have added more than that value in ambiance to our fall home.  

Not perfect, but beautiful.

MCFH: On my Table, the Sequel

Our table has reappeared out from under the piles of books! It’s nice to have it back. I'm a little afraid to see how long/not long it lasts, but for now, I'll enjoy it.

Hosting our Bible study group is always good motivation to move projects along and regain our home. 

MCFH: On my Floor

My Cozy Fall Home, day 19, 4 days behind.

On my Floor? Tape! (And random kid-shoes, too, of course.) 

What’s really been on my floor lately is dog hair -from our always-shedding, allergic-to-who-knows-what yellow Lab. The hair tumbleweeds collect under the table and chairs, so I thought a rug might help ease cleaning challenges. 
That led to days of figuring the proper size (room size and shape vs table size and shape), and of looking through options online. 

The 3 rugs I ordered are included in this screenshot.  But I'll wait until they arrive to reveal which ones.

Since we have 3 rooms in sight of each other that I like to coordinate, but have separate identities, too, I also decided to replace 2 smaller rugs (1 lovely hand-me-down I will use elsewhere and 1 outdated and dark). My desktop was full of screenshots to mix and match, and drawing on floor plans worked with the tape to help determine size. 

Soon I’ll have new “On my Floor” shots to share!

MCFH: Wall Art... and Black & White

My Cozy Fall Home, days 12 (Wall Art) and 20 (Black & White). 


I’m running behind, so am combining! A few years ago I bought these big, poster frames and created some art pieces of burlap and calligraphy that felt a little forced and not like ‘us.’ 

All the kids wore Chucks at some point.  I think my favorites
were Prince Stoic's stars & stripes.  This particular pair
were Princess Eager's signature fashion statement when
she was 5.  With dresses or jeans, these were her choice.

I decided to embrace the ‘beautiful mess’ of family life as art instead. With 8 kids there are always shoes scattered around, just bigger through the years...and from the time I looked at toddler shoes abandoned on the floor, I knew one day I’d miss it. - 

Prince CuddleBunny's little suede boots after stomping
through the building site when our house was under construction.

For some reason, the kids have always been crazy about taking pictures of their siblings' shoes, so I had plenty to choose from in various ages/stage, shapes, and sizes.  It makes these photos, double, about family, and they have since adorned our living room walls.  

These were favorites worn by 3 of the princesses before
one of the dogs did them in.  They bring back lots of
memories of their teen years.

Very much more ‘us.’

MCFH: My View

My Cozy Fall Home, day 8: 
My View. 


These 2 are frequent visitors to our yard. They gave us a bit of a scare when the young one came by herself for a few days, but Mama has been back with her since. 






I wasn’t as wild about them sampling my vegetable garden (which they apparently did in the dark, because I only saw the evidence), but I’m ok with the clean up of fallen prunes. 

The dog is less sure that we should share.  













The baby settling down next to her ball probably doesn't help.

MCFH: Vignette

I decided our home needed a specifically fall touch this year.  Preferring to collect items through the years that have personal or family meaning, or have been made by an artisan, I felt a little like I cheated in heading to the discount department store to fill out this vignette.  

The catalysts for this decorative urge were the beautiful, red-orange, Chinese lanterns from a dear friend's garden, and the sea blue goblets Princess Sassy gave me a couple of years ago.  Those join my Scentsy warmer that adds more cheerful light patterns on the wall, and, today, a yummy Clementine Clove scent.

This little scene adds such warmth to our home, I have gotten over my 'store-bought' snobbery, and now I have a base to build upon with collected items in the years to come.

My Cozy Fall Home, Day 7: Vignette, hosted by The Nester.

MCFH: On my Sofa

My Cozy Fall Home, day 6 hosted by The Nester:  

On my Sofa

I have all sorts of plans in my mind for pillows galore, and quilts under which to snuggle.  In fact, I have old pillows from my in-laws' house, just crying out for new covers.  

Meanwhile, we are not really short on fuzzy things to cuddle on our sofas...










If we can fit!