In case you’re jumping in late, I’ve joined up with the Nester and the 31 Day challenge to write every day for 31 days. You can catch up on previous posts here. One of my favorite things about this 31 Day challenge is reading other bloggers posts. You can check the entire 16oo+ bloggers here. It’s a web site created solely for the bloggers to linkup to with categories to organize each theme. It love that it’s a Christian community of bloggers!
Some blogs I discovered and have been enjoying so far:
-Simple Truths; 31 Days of being present
-This Beautiful Holy Mess; 31 Days in my search for balance: Body.Mind.Sole
-The Nester; 31 Days of Vignette Me
-The Traveling Bride: 31 Days of Embracing Life and it’s Changes
-Chatting at the Sky: 31 Days of Artists Who Influence
one more;
Many sparrows: 31 Days of Living Free
Just lately I’ve gone through an overhaul. I started selling like mad my country decor on a Facebook yard-sale community. Suddenly everything was gone. I had erased county from my house (there are few odd ball leftovers) and was left scrambling trying to figure out what to throw on the walls now.
What style am I?
All I knew was that I wasn’t country anymore. My small ragtag collection of things are trying as hard as they might to look ‘cool’. I’m still wondering what style I’m going for and how to get it without breaking the bank.
I can’t have an unfinished, undecorated empty house for people to walk in too!
Seriously, after reading the Nesters’ book, It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful, it put me in a painting/decoraitng frenzy. I felt like I had the power to paint anything. Decorate and redesign anything. I felt like I had the power to turn junk into treasure.
We recently painted our deep blue counter top kitchen Mystic Sea, pale green to cover up the rich warm yellow. The ugly, unpainted door just got it’s fresh coat of white and is now awaiting door knobs.
Lets talk about our homes. Yes, the ones that aren’t quite finished. Have never ending projects. If we could just find one more throw pillow, one more thing to hang on the wall and the perfect curtains…. Are any of you out there with me? Our houses are never good enough?
What if we never arrive with our decorating desires?
This just might be the case. I may never arrive.
I want to be ok with people coming into my house. I don’t want to be the apologizing type drawing attention to empty walls or ugly counter tops. By doing that I’m drawling attention to my horrors whereas otherwise they probably never thought about it!
I know when I’m at somebody else’s house, the more comfortable the hostess is the more relaxed I am there. If they are ok in their mess then, by George, so am I! If they are nervous and up tight, I’m not very relaxed and prone to leave early.
So, I want to be ok with my house -> the way it is. Will I stop rearranging and painting? Hopefully not! Will I quickly excuse not having up fall decor or the miss-matched polka-dot table cloth? I’ll try not too. I want you to feel at home when you step in the door and comfy enough to stick around for coffee and biscotti!
Being intentional in how I make others feel.
That’s my thought for the day. This may or may not have anything to do with the amount of family from out of state coming this weekend…. (I can complain about my house to my mom though, can’t I?)
Join me on my journey to find intentionality in my friendships -every day, for 31 days!
Jolynn Friesen 
Good advice – as I’ve gotten older I worry less about the state of my home, but I still find myself apologizing for it sometimes. Thanks for the reminder to be a relaxed hostess!
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I think before we EVEN think, an apology comes out! It just happens. We’re just sure they are making judgy assumptions about us by what they see!
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Hi! I wrote about a similar thing just yesterday… I have found so much inspiration from The Nester’s book!…I am also participating in the Write 31 day. Feel free to check out my post if you want. http://presentlythriving.wordpress.com/2014/10/05/5-of-31-welcome/
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Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Yes, loved the Nester’s book!!
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I love this post! I always say, ‘this house is never done!’ I have shared your post on my social pages. Coming by from Austin Bloggers. Lots of love, lisa
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Ooohh! Thanks for stopping in here! 🙂 And, wow! Thanks for sharing! Now to not feel pressure to write amazing posts! 🙂
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Very true! A house needs to be lived in and a bit of a mess makes it come alive. I remember being in some houses that were so neat and clean, they were almost sterile and you couldn’t feel the life in them. But a little mess makes things come alive and we need to live with it…
Have a great week! – a fellow 31 Dayer
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So true! Who want’s a sterile, lifeless house? “a little mess makes things come alive” <- love that!
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I love this. My husband is always afraid to invite people over because our house isn’t perfect, but few houses are! I go ahead and invite people, because as long as our house is clean and welcoming, I don’t sweat it. Great thoughts!
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I like that you still invite people over – though hope it doesn’t cause tension in your marriage 🙂
My husband like to make sure the house is CLEAN before we have people over. I think that’s good because even though it’s not perfect, it’s cleaned up which is inviting and welcoming like you said.
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This is so true. I often apologize when people stop by. I need to stop that and just enjoy their company and make them feel at home. Thanks for the reminder.
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We all apologize from time to time! It take intentionality to catch ourselves before the words are uttered!
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This is so true! The attitude of the hostess definitely plays into how comfortable or uncomfortable we feel! My series 31 Days Of Intentional Living will be addressing hospitality later this week 🙂
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Oohhh! I like your blog name and your 31 days topic will be neat to follow since it’s basically like mine 🙂
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I do think you’re onto something here. We’ve basically chosen to prioritize paying for our house over most decorating (because that just fits who and where we are better right now) and I think people still have a good time when they come over even though the walls are still all empty and white, and the cabinet door paint is all banged up from a kid and a dog living here.
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Hummm… This makes me think I should ask some close friends how they feel when they come into my house. I wonder if the people make the home or the decorations….
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I swore I would never have an undone house. Then kids came along and I am going with messy chic!
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Love ‘Messy Chic’!
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I had no idea, you had left everything country behind. That’s been you as long as I knew you. Can’t wait to see what you new style is. It was so interesting to see this cause I was having similar thoughts Sunday evening as I “penned” thoughts about my desires for our house and what I want it to accomplish for us & speak to others. I’m quite familiar with the “un-done” house so I don’t think I find myself apologizing for that specifically. I’d be quicker to apolgize for the clutter. And I think I”m learning to be more ok with that. Of course, I do try to have a clean house when entertaining, but I want to be ok with a friend stopping by and being greeted with the mountain of shoes my kids have gathered in the entry-way. After-all, our home is first & foremost, where we live.
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Yes, Lucy, country is nearly evident in my house these days except for some odd remnant pieces. I can’t wait to come to your house and see how life as a whole has changed for you! Your toy area, kids bedroom, the pile of shoes and just everything! And, please don’t apologize for clutter. That’s a product of God’s blessings! Love ya!
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so needed to hear this as a new wife, fixing up a rental home that will only be lived in for several months. We are loving having people in our home but I can struggle because it’s not at all how I would like it to be. Thank you! (and I’m loving this series!)
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Love this! I can be too much of a perfectionist when it comes to having people over 🙂 Also, I was thinking I didn’t get a post notice from you for awhile, and here it showed I wasn’t following you.I may have bumped my follow button 🙂 So thanks for liking my post, that way I remembered your blog!
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It’s so easy to be a perfectionist about out houses- Grrr! That just reminds me of your farm hosting post! You sure were brave there!
Ha ha! Glad you found me again 🙂
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Thank you so much for including me in your reading — I’m honored! And being intentional in our relationships? Yes! I *always* need to be reminded of that. Thank you!
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