Fourth of July Display

I've noticed an uptick in decorations available to help celebrate the holidays. Christmas has always been the biggest, but other holidays are getting their due these days. I'm especially

amazed at the number of Halloween decorations available.​
     When I was a kid, I loved making art work in school that marked special events. There's something comforting about being able to depend on something special occurring on the calendar year after year. So these days, I make the time to mark the seasons and events in my home. I keep totes of objects for each season and holiday. The basics include changing out the sofa pillows and making a display on the tall glass cabinet in our dining room, and I love the seasonal gel stickers I can apply to the mirror above it. I try to have fresh cut or potted flowers for the table, and for some occasions, I hang a wreath on the front door. I even try to have season-appropriate candy in a clear, old-fashioned candy dish for the grandkids.
     Decorating like this lifts my spirits and helps keep me connected to my community and nation in a fun and whimsical way. What about you? Do you enjoy decorating for the holidays? I would love to hear what you do.

from Home of the Heart, my best to you.
 Linda

​A house that has a library in it has a soul. ​                                                            Plato

     Being a writer, I admit to being biased. When I'm in a home that has no books, it feels empty and devoid of warmth, personality, and heart. I don't care how much money has been lavished on the furnishings; a house without books might as well be an impersonal hotel room as far as I'm concerned. 
     The image I have here is one of a set of bookshelves my husband and I have in our home. As you can see, it contains more than books. Having lived in New Mexico for a number of years while studying textiles, I have a number of books on Native American weavers and weaving. I even have the beater stick I made from an old oak folding chair that I used when learning how to weave a rug on a traditional upright loom.
     There are a few photos and framed art too, among the children's books (favorites from my own childhood), as well as contemporary novels that my husband enjoys, and books on Christian philosophy. In other words, the books and other artifacts on these shelves are brimming with our personalities. Our house feels alive, or has a "soul" as Plato would say, partly because of our books.
      I hope your own home is alive with your personality, your heart, as reflected in your books.
 
from Home of the Heart, my best to you.
 Linda

What are your favorite colors to wear? Chances are they complement your complexion, and that's not an accident. Most of us know intuitively, what colors look good on us. We also tend to choose shades of those colors to fit our personality. Big, bold personality types often choose dense or bright colors. A quieter person will likely choose a softer, lighter version of a color.

     You're catching my drift, right? If you're going a little nuts trying to choose a new color scheme for your home, look in your closet to gain inspiration.
      However you decorate, I know you'll want to make a home for the hearts that reside there.

​From Home of the Heart, warmly yours,
Linda