It was one of the most heartbreaking moments I had ever known. Our older son, aged six, had decided that he wanted to run away. Embracing the “Let him do it” attitude, I went with him to pack his things. “I’ll take this,” he said. “Nope,” I said, “you didn’t buy that with your money.”…
Okay, I’ll admit it: housekeeping is not really my thing. Don’t get me wrong. I like a clean house as much as the next person, but as an author I much prefer to spend time in imaginary worlds rather than the (sometimes) dusty real one. And I’m okay with that. What’s more, so is my…
When you’ve been living in a space for a while, it can be hard to see the possibilities. Quieting your space is a simple practice that will jump-start your creativity and give you a fresh perspective. It’s kind of like a body cleanse for your home, only there’s less time spent in the bathroom (unless…
I’ve never really liked the term housewife or understood where it comes from. I’m not the wife of a house. Being called a homemaker though? Right up my alley. It’s a picturesque, eloquent label. It speaks of creative juices and hard work mingling to conjure up a place of cozy belonging. It’s a goal and…
When my husband and I bought our first home, the artist in me came out. I painted each room a vibrant color and adorned the windows with colorful patterned curtains. The rug in the family room alone represented half of the color wheel. One day my husband gently made a comment about how too much…
We bought our first home last month, after decades of transient living in rented housing, both separately and together. I’ll never forget the day we looked at it for the first time. As we walked through its then-empty rooms, footsteps echoing on the hardwood floors, I was imagining all the people we could invite inside…