Home Is...

I would like to dedicate this blog post to the comforts of home.
For the past three years, my family has been in the process of moving. The decision to move to Sartell came shortly after I graduated, and after two and half very trying years with our house on the market, it finally sold this past January. Since then, we have been house hunting, and as of June we are exponentially raising our hopes that we will get the house on which we bid. We love our apartment (or, as we call it: The APT). It has made us such a closer family in those 1500 very tight square feet. But this summer, with both Austin and myself back in the apartment, we have collectively agreed that the phrase, "a house is not a home"  is no longer our mantra. We're ready.

My mom is ready to design and decorate her dream home. My sister is ready to be 16 and have her friends over to giggle in her room all night. My dad is ready to become a grill master in his own backyard. My brother just wants his own room again...(he is currently living on our couch, and his closet is in the laundry room. We're making it work, people). 

So as we have been dreaming and planning up our new place together- and as I am readying myself to find a place to live in Minneapolis come December- I have really been made to think about the parts that make some place really feel like home. Of course, the elements of comfort and "hominess" differ for everyone! For example, my friend Andrew likes his space to be cold and dark. He watches movies all the time, and sleeps like a bear cat, so it makes sense- right? Or take Annie, who treasures her quirky friends and family. Her space is littered with colorful frames that hold dozens of pictures, cute solar-powered sunflower gadgets, and family heirloom blankets draped on her couch and bed. Then there is Jared, who works from home. All he wants in life is a view. He would live in a box if it meant that he could look out onto this everyday:

(His view after a rainstorm from his current apartment in Minneapolis)

Here are a few features that I value and create to make my space my own:

| Flooding Sunlight | I always want to open the blinds and let in the day.

| Open Floorspace | I do everything on the floor. Dance. Nap. Craft. Eat. (Floor Picnic!)

| A Wide Desk | I am a filing freak. This space needs to be big and organized.

| Fluffy Bedding | Nothing says coming home better than falling into a clean, cloud-like bed.

Hopefully after reading this post, you will find yourself reflecting on the parts of your home you love the most. Spruce your place up a bit, give attention to the things you'd like to change, and most importantly, be thankful for the parts that make you feel comfortable. Take pride in your space, and invite others in.