I used to think it odd when friends of mine would stress clean. Now, I can see the cathartic feeling that comes from a good scrub and the satisfaction that a clean home brings. The regular routine of sterilizing my environment gives a pattern to my days, and a sense of satisfaction to my soul.
I have always liked the filling up and arranging of a room. It was something that was meaningful and came naturally to me, even as a young child. I would take my mothers old kitchen curtains, combine them with a discarded bedspread, move the furniture, and display coordinating accessories. My bedroom was transformed into a farmyard theme, simply by using what we already had.
Nowadays, I am finding that the nesting instinct is very important to creating my own functional space. Luckily, I am creative. I paint furniture, I sew, I have gathered odds and ends that now can be used in unexpected ways. A bit of lace picked up at a flea market for $1 can soften the edges of a bare window. A family heirloom can dress the corner of an old painting. I am surrounding myself not only with objects, but with the idea that I can make my space both beautiful and functional….without spending a lot of money.
This is an important idea to me, because beauty is important to me; and I don’t have a lot of money. I need my space to be one in which I enjoy just being there.
Nesting Instincts
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