MCFH: Favorite Follow(s)

Today's prompt in the My Cozy Fall Home challenge, hosted by The Nester, is Favorite Follow.

It is tough for me to choose favorites... and impossible to choose one... because I value different blogs and different Instagrammers for different reasons.  Each one I follow adds a little (or a lot) of something unique to my life and my interests in faith, family, home, quilting, design, and just 'being me.'

That said, there is a base of people I almost depend on for sustenance.  Coincidentally, perhaps, they are also the people whose blogs, then Facebook and Instagram pages, I have followed the longest.



Not at all trying to kiss up to our hostess, but I believe The Nesting Place was the first blog I followed, so her Instagram follow was also one of my firsts, and is still one of my faves.  I loved her book, The Nesting Place: It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful, and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff, which I've preordered.  I enjoy her emphasis on working with the home you have to make it comfortable and inviting with no need to be picture-perfect.  These Instagram challenges she creates inspire me to try new things to improve the decor and overall atmosphere in our home.  Her Instagram page is here.  (The links to her books link to those pages on Amazon, just to be helpful, but you can purchase them from whatever bookstore you so choose. I receive no benefit from you clicking through or buying from Amazon.)

Through that blog, I was introduced to Myquillan's/The Nester's sister, Emily P. Freeman.  Emily has helped me learn about big things, like not being perfect, letting my soul breathe, and identifying and valuing the 'artist' part of me. I have enjoyed her books, online course (Create + Complete), and podcast (The Next Right Thing)... and I'm not really a podcast person.  But she's taught me to sit still and listen.  - Maybe not as often as I'd like, but it does happen.  She has also recommended books within her blog, Instagram page, and online courses that have become some of my favorites.  I often have so many questions about applying the concepts she talks about to my life... I'd like to go spend a week with her and have her be my life coach!

I am pretty certain that reading something Emily shared led me to Holley Gerth.  Holley's blog, emails, books, and Instagram posts have fed me deeply in the area of faith.  One particular post had a huge impact. In the face of worldly, societal, and, even, family pressure, I was feeling that my role as a homeschooling, stay-at-home mom/homemaker was not valued.  "Everyone else" had jobs that make money for their families, and I my contributions no longer seemed to mean as much to anyone.  Her post entitled, We Don’t Have to Be Productive Today changed my life... or got it back on the rails.  I had my husband read it, also. and we were able to discuss it and address the hurt I'd had, trying to live up to worldly standards and prove my worth at home by a list of daily accomplishments...and always falling short, felt a failure.  Holley confirmed how I'd always felt, and that doing what God has for me to do was still more important than how others thought I might 'better' use my time...even if it was those for whom I was doing things. They may not appreciate it now, or may never, but I know, and I know that the Lord knows, what I do is important.

I 'met' Katie of Domesitphobia through the Gardenweb Kitchen Forum, and started following her blog after that.  Except for being a member of the TKO (Totally Kitchen Obsessed), she was everything I'm not... a brave, irreverant, fiercely independent writer, traveler, foodie, photographer, who worked at various jobs, and also at remodeling and improving each home she shared with her much loved and handsome military husband, and who was happy with dogs instead of kids.  She has since changed her mind about becoming a mom, and I'm happy for her in experiencing that blessing via her beautiful daughter.  The 3 of them now live in Italy, because of another move for her husband, so her Instagram page is full of beautiful evidence of the their Italian experiences.  She's quite a bit younger than I am, but I want to be like her when I grow up!  But with more kids.

MCFH: Stripes

About the only thing I can say about stripes in our home is that being completely devoid of them, we need to add some!! 

I could find no stripes in the house to share, not even on a book spine.  I could usually share the Stars and Stripes flying from our front porch, but our last, weatherworn (to tatters) flag had to be retired and hasn't yet been replaced.








My wardrobe is also pretty short on stripes, except for this sweater, which is definitely a fall favorite, and, which I was wearing during this cozy moment when the grandprince and grandprincess decided to help me grind coffee.  

OK... This one has no stripes, but could
you resist posting it?!

My Cozy Fall Home, Day 4: Stripes.

MCFH: On my Table

My Cozy Fall Home, Day 3:  On my Table

I promised to be honest...

We are in a transition phase in our family and home life.  We are still years from being empty nesters, but are working our way there.  A home that started its life bustling with 10 active people, now has only 4 most of the time, and one of those has her foot on the threshold, pointed outward.

This is a picture of our current home transition.  We moved into this house with 4 bedrooms-full of princes and princesses.  2 of the rooms had 3 inhabitants each, and have collected leavings of all who lived there.  One of those rooms is now empty.  Well, empty of bodies, but not empty of stuff!  This is the evidence that I'm working on that.

Belongings from the boys' room, mixed with this year's homeschooling activity,
and Princess Eager's photo editing station (the computer).
What about dining, you may ask?  Anywhere else!

Going through 3 princes' belongings, has unearthed many books and games that have made it only as far as the dining room table, now mixed with the current year's re-shuffle of homeschooling materials.  All homeschooling materials will move to shelves in my current sewing area when I've developed a new sewing room elsewhere. (With a door.  That closes!)  The destination of my own 'studio' is yet to be finalized, so the piles await.  

They can't move until the sewing room is empty... The sewing room can't empty until the new spot is decided and properly prepared.  So this is my fall table decor!  We'll just chalk it up to another of the 'beautiful messes' that indicate we have had, and continue to have, a rich family life.

MCFH: Collection

My Cozy Fall Home, Day2: Collection. 

I’m not much of a collector, since with a large, creative family, our home already has plenty of clutter and cleaning challenges.  But I do I have a 'thing' for useful ceramics.  In fact, an e-friend coined my addiction "Vesselarianism," as I love pitchers and mugs, as well, but I'm most drawn to bowls. (I wrote about this previously in My Not-so-secret Problem: A Bowl Addiction.  More and better photos can be found there.)  I am tempted to buy many, but budget keeps that to a minimum.  I also like to limit my collection to pieces that mean something to me.




The white and green bowl is one I had made especially for bread baking, although, these days, with so many of us watching carbs and gluten, it's primarily used for produce.  The eggplant purple ones (my favorite color!) are part of a larger set made for me by a friend.






I have to say that my favorites are the smaller bowls made by my Princesses Bossy and Artiste,

while I also have a special fondness for the delicate, flowered bowls brought home from Japan for me by Princess Sassy and Prince Steadfast.

My Cozy Fall Home Challenge

It's been a looong while since I've posted here, but thought I might give it a shot again.  I have plans to set up my own art and quilting workspace within the house, get more organized, get on a schedule, and with all of that, try to get more regular with (hopefully brief) blog posts.  

Today I am joining The Nester, and others who to choose to do so, in sharing our 'Autumn Homes' this month on Instagram.  I've never really decorated for fall, but this year I gave it a tiny try, and figured participating in this challenge might motivate me further.  I can't promise to post every day, but do plan to be honest and share the imperfections and needs as well as decor.  You should come along for this fall ride, too!  

Start by sharing this image on your Instagram page, and post photos in the following days that suit the topic.  Always remember to add "#MyCozyFallHome" to your post, so everyone participating can see your photos.

Myquillyn Smith (AKA "The Nester") says the point is to see our "imperfect, cozy, creative, simple or not-so-simple fall-i-tized home. No fanciness or perfection required."  

Thank goodness for that last part, since it means, 'no pressure,' and everyone is welcome!  

Cuddled Up

Wet and dark outside, football on TV (and thankful to be) inside, and furry contentment x3!

Hope you are safe, dry, and warm on this winter day!

Silent Night

Silent Night... All is calm, all is bright... 

Merry Christmas, everyone! 

We’ve been without internet for days, so I’ve missed several themes in My Cozy Winter Home. 

Today we’ll just go ahead and wrap up with 
‘Sparkle,’ 

...some ‘Tradition,’ 

...‘Nativity,’ 

and ‘Stockings’ all at once!

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas with your loved ones!