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If you love thrifting, a bit of DIY, good coffee, making something out of nothing and a few good words, then I think your gonna like it here.

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The Life Changing Magic of Twelve Days Straight
On Best Laid Plans, Slow Progress and Finishing Already
Half the Room, Twice the Space and Other Benefits of Our Back Room Makeover
Ducks in A Row

House Shaped Things?

I’ve long been obsessed with all things house and homey – rooms and spaces and windows and walls and fixing them up and making them look pretty. I’ll quite happily do that anywhere at any time but there’s no place like home.

In the beginning there was an empty room, a little bit of space, a little bit of light, a little bit of time Grace McGleen – The Land of Decoration

Few of us have all things flowing towards us, few of us are living in ideal circumstances or in our dream homes.

But that never stopped a good life from happening.

If I were to sum up what I hope my home to be, I’d say easy on the eye and inspiring to the soul. Lovely in a way that demands little and gives much, that makes you smile, that welcomes you in, that sits you down.

Some days I succeed, some days are iffy and somedays I wonder why I bother at all but I’ve worked out over the years, that big dollars, big skills, big time and big smarts aren’t prerequisites to a comfy home or to get within shouting distance thereof.

Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can Arthur Ashe

You’ll find me saying in one way or another over and over again that the smallest of changes can make the hugest of differences. Often we look for the big changes and the gigantic answers and the total makeovers – but they come along only once in a while – if ever. Give me small steps taken often any day that add up big differences – in our homes, in our families, in our faith.

Home may be the most powerful word known. And, you know, sometimes home isn’t a place you find — but home becomes the place wherever you are. Sometimes home is tiny, like a quiet crevice in a wild world you can crawl into & exhale & listen to your heart beat & hear His whisper. Sometimes home is a dream come true simply because He who is Truth led you there. And then sometimes home isn’t what you hoped for but Hope can find you anywhere

Ann Voskamp

Heart Shaped Things

I live an hour or so just south of Sydney in the beautiful Illawarra and on days when there’s a good strong breeze I can smell the ocean. That’s still a treat for a girl who grew up in the heat and dust of country NSW a million miles from the water and a million miles from feeling at home.

I share home with two gorgeous kids, Ethan 19 and Olivia 16, two dogs Loki and Fifi, one chook and six rabbits.

My husband of almost 20 years, Ken passed away in July of 2022

You can read a little about that here.

So home has changed but it has held us well as we get used to life without him.

We moved here from Sydney in 2005 full of big plans. Some we have seen through, some we are still working on and some that have sat back and laughed at us. You can read more about that here and here .

Each Friday I publish a short simple post called the Friday Recliner. Its a little reminder that rest is important and doing things we love and just for fun are too. Consider it a permission note to enjoy your weekend.

I share: a good word, a good look, a good idea and a good read (sometimes two) and occasionally I throw in a good laugh or a good listen.

If you want to receive the Friday Recliner direct to your Inbox then just click on the follow button in the side bar.

You can find all the Good Reads from every Friday Recliner since I started with it on one page right here

Take your time, take a look around and feel free to Subscribe to get latest post via email.