tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30507214.post8684430544535760816..comments2024-02-05T03:35:14.493-05:00Comments on Making a House a Home: A welcoming home...Mrs. Uhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02171775571919828070noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30507214.post-61469566838510780572009-10-31T02:46:12.057-04:002009-10-31T02:46:12.057-04:00I know this is an old post, but I am new to your b...I know this is an old post, but I am new to your blog and was just gleaning from it. I wanted to tell you about a dear old lady that lived down the road from me when I was in high school We lived in a very rural area and the school bus didn't go all the way to our house, so we had about a mile walk home from the bus stop. This old lady, her name was Mabel, lived in a very small, cottage like home. Her doors were always open, laundry was always on the line, beautiful flowers were blooming EVERY where, and the smell of pie would whip through her windows. She would always walk out on her porch as she saw us children pass her home and she would invite us in for a bologna sandwich. I assume it was all she had. But her home was full of things not from Wal-mart, but from her life. Real things that had meaning to her. Needless to say, I always felt at home at Mable's. She was hospitality at its best.Joy Comes in the Morninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02565429387952969679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30507214.post-9757767192867700382008-07-29T21:22:00.000-04:002008-07-29T21:22:00.000-04:00I like a lived in look but not cluttered and messy...I like a lived in look but not cluttered and messy. My in laws never apologize for their messy house, but they should. I think the apology is important. It shows you care and take some pride in the appearance of your home even when it is not as tidy as you would like.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30507214.post-45488131224848623782008-07-21T03:07:00.000-04:002008-07-21T03:07:00.000-04:00A kettle that always gets put on, nice cups to dri...A kettle that always gets put on, nice cups to drink from. Something homemade (even if it needs to be defrosted) to eat. A fresh room to sit in (ie fresh air been through) and a clear chair/table area to sit at. Projects on the go to view and chat about, and the host does not mind stopping a while to give hospitality.Hill upon Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18295311920146857840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30507214.post-8705314472664257212008-07-06T17:09:00.000-04:002008-07-06T17:09:00.000-04:00My grandma's home comes to mind. It was not real f...My grandma's home comes to mind. It was not real fancy, but it was always clean and neat. It smelled of coffee perking on the stove. She had a completly stocked pantry and could throw a meal on in no time. The sheets and towels smelled like the outdoors because she hung the laundry outside. The windows were always open and there was a nice fresh breeze going through the house. We always gathered in her sunporch in the evenings for conversation and something cold to drink. We would all talk for hours. There was always music playing in the background, usually easy-listening or 40's type music. Not loud, just right. I have tried to put my finger on what it was that made it special and I can come up with one thing that made it different--it was simple, slower paced, and easy going. No feeling of being rushed or stressed or running to the next thing. I miss her and her lovely home but she gave me some really great memories. Thanks for letting me share.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30507214.post-36065599960596519252008-07-01T18:39:00.000-04:002008-07-01T18:39:00.000-04:00My favorite home to visit is my Grandmothers--it i...My favorite home to visit is my Grandmothers--it is exactly how you stated--it is neat and tidy but not glamoursly decorated--it is so homey--you just feel safe:)<BR/><BR/>I enjoyed this post Mrs. U--Now I need to think if my home is welcoming--and yes, I need to stop with the apologies too--if I think it is messy--I need to get over that.<BR/><BR/>JulieannJulieannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11366445046704238024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30507214.post-71346501644172075842008-07-01T12:42:00.000-04:002008-07-01T12:42:00.000-04:00The homes where I have been most comfortable have ...The homes where I have been most comfortable have been those which are obviously "lived in". You can tell that interesting people live there and that someone in the home really loves making it cozy and pretty.<BR/><BR/>There is a favorite shop Downtown that sells primitive country items. As soon as you walk in the doorway, there is a feast for the senses. She always has some kind of scent in the air (whether from candles or tart warmers) and music playing in the background. I like to do that when I know people are coming over.<BR/><BR/>I once read an article about decorating where they asked the reader to think of their favorite restaurant and what made it special. I remembered a place we went to often when we were in Holland, Michigan whose curtains were dutch lace and we would watch the shadows come through that lace onto the walls. That is why I have dutch lace curtains in the dining area and in our bedroom.Brenda@CoffeeTeaBookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02719695370857675146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30507214.post-84972617183594787652008-07-01T11:15:00.000-04:002008-07-01T11:15:00.000-04:00To me, a home always feels welcoming when it smell...To me, a home always feels welcoming when it smells like love.<BR/><BR/>Yeah, I said smells like love. Lemme explain, LOL.<BR/><BR/>When I was growing up we lived on a little hobby farm some way out of town. We kept a stocked pantry out of necessity and oftentimes afternoon tea consisted of hot scones right out of the oven, dripping with jam and cream, or we had homemade bread with our dinner, or the fire crackled. I grew up loving grass, trees, simple farm-y smells (although I could have lived without the, uh, 'product' the dairy cows left behind, LOL!) Rain has a smell. I LOVE the smell of rain. We never had very much money, but there was a hole lot of love wrapped up in that hot, buttery scone smell *smile*. Something in it said (from the perspective of my mother) "I missed you kids while you were at school today and I know you're starving. With a bit of flour and butter I whipped up heaven and put it on a plate for you". It wasn't about the food, it was about the relationship.<BR/><BR/>These days, baking is a lost art. My family lives in suburbia (no awesome rain-on-eucalypt smells :( I bake, but nothing like my mother produced. We don't have an open fire. I do try to recreate some of what my childhood gave me, but I fall woefully short. Perhaps that's a good thing. Childhoods are meant to be looked back on with nostalgia right? LOL.<BR/><BR/>Smells are (obviously) pretty important to me. I love how a nice scent 'dresses' a room. A room can be neat and tidy but when you add a simple floral scent - jasmine or sweat pea are both gorgeous - it just kind of 'makes' the room. I wish I was better at the 'guest ready' housework stakes but I think I'm doing alright if I can drag out the flour and butter and whip up some scones...<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/>Lizzie<BR/><BR/>http://whisperofgrace.blogspot.com/ (encouragement and resources for the new Christian)<BR/>http://lizzieshome.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30507214.post-64980130858166396022008-07-01T09:42:00.000-04:002008-07-01T09:42:00.000-04:00I think it's the lack of apologies--and I'm guilty...I think it's the lack of apologies--and I'm guilty of this. Instead of welcoming guests with "I'm sorry it's so messy," just ask them in and make them comfortable. This is always in issue for me because my toddler is always making messes!Diannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09517246579704472278noreply@blogger.com