I’m sure you’ve heard the saying before “Home is Where Your Story Begins”. And while I believe there is so much truth to that saying, I think it goes so much deeper than that! Over the past week or so I’ve had more conversations than expected circling this very topic, and it’s caused me to do my own reflection on our home, and the spaces I create for my family.
I highlighted this new sign from Between You & Me on my summer mantle this year because from the first moment I read it I loved it. 
I think I loved it so much because it speaks to the core of why we all long for a place to call home. A place to feel welcomed. A place to feel safe, where we can let our guards down and truly be ourselves.
It reads “The ache for home is in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” – Maya Angelou
I think sometimes the true meaning of home can be undervalued, or taken for granted. Unless we have truly been without a home, we can get trapped by the message of our society of bigger and better, and needing more stuff. I also think this happens because it doesn’t always get verbalized, so it can fall under the radar.
For instance, when I make a meal for my family that they particularly enjoy, I get praised, and suddenly I’m the greatest chef in the world. But everyday my family comes home from their day, and they walk through that door, there are no compliments, no praise. Nothing said about creating “the most wonderful home in the world!” ha ha. 
It’s easy to see how home can quickly become undervalued if it’s not being talked about. But I believe it can be one of the biggest impacts in a persons life. I love this quote by my blogging friend Melissa Michaels – 
It’s a gift, that environment you created, that space you cultivated, even if you just fluffed the throw pillows on your couch – when you take the time to make others feel comfortable and welcome in your home you are offering them a gift. It’s not always about having the nicest and the best. If I think back on every home I’ve had, through every season of life I’ve been in, there is one common thread through them all – it was a welcoming environment. Whether my living room was made up of thrift store furniture, or when we could finally afford to buy a new couch. 
It’s never been about how much money we had, but about how I made our spaces feel with what we had. Making spaces feel cozy with throw pillows, or simply lighting a candle with a heavenly scent. It’s all about the atmosphere we cultivate, and I believe as women we set the tones in our home. My kids always gripe when it’s time to clean, yet once it’s done all they can exclaim is how good it feels in our home. I loved the quote by Tad Carpenter once we started a family – “What I love most about my home is who I share it with”. It takes the focus off of the “things” and reminds me who I create our home for. 
The Home should be the Treasure Chest of Living. – Le Corbusier
I just mentioned this in my Kitchen Countertop post, but I feel like I say it quite often. Your home should be full of all the things you love, because you are the one that has to live in it. Our home tells our story in so many ways, from the gallery walls of family photos, to treasures collected from trips to the beach, to family heirlooms passed down from generation to generation. I think the thing I love most about our home, is it feels like us. 
I believe that a home can be created on any budget, in any type of a space, and I know this to be true because I’ve lived it. From the time I was decorating my own bedroom in high school, to being a broke newlywed, and learning how to decorate for our young family.
Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love. – Nate Berkus
No matter the budget, no matter the size of your space, home is what you make it. And I hope today you feel inspired to look around your home, be grateful for all that you have, and cultivate an atmosphere that invites people in and welcomes them to stay awhile!
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Thank you Bre and i do feel blessed to have my home and sometimes i don’t have any one here to share it cause my family is so busy but i know they will come if needed and they feel comfortable. My grandchildren do know where the drinks and snacks are,lol!!
I love your blog, and so appreciate your philosophy of decorating and HOME that is so lacking today. Thank you.
I like the fluffy throw pillows you have. They look so comfy 🙂