I don’t have a quiz for you to take.  I don’t have a pill for you to swallow and then it finally dawns “uponst” you.  What I do have…is a tad of experience in homemaking.  I have been doing that very thing for years.  I can give you a pointer or two and then the one big question to ask yourself, that will determine your style. When we were first married…our little mobile home was decorated from stem to stern.  I had a major conflict of interests going on though.  In the kitchen, I had a sunflower and watermelon theme.  A mere few inches away…in the living room…I had cherubs.  (They went beautifully with our quail and wagon wheel couch. Hey…you work with what you get free, when you are newlyweds, and I was just fine with it. I still love freebies. 😉 )  Down the hall was the laundry area and bathroom and I think that I went with frogs (so cute) for a while and then a few other phases. Our master bedroom was burgundy and hunter green.  It may not sound like much to you…but I bawled my eyes out when we sold it…and I mopped the floors for the last time.  After all, our first child was brought home there.  I was beginning to see what was really important. My Granny made a home for her family in a little bitty farmhouse for years.  It was my favorite place on earth.  It wasn’t fancy…but she always kept it clean and was always cooking something good for her family.  They were very happy there.  They were focused on doing and living what God had for them…and not trying to keep up with everyone else.  There is a huge life lesson in that.  There is freedom there. I have went through several decorating phases through the years.(My husband is so patient…and gives me free reign in this area.  I do run my crazy ideas by him and get his approval though.  I also get his opinion and the kids…because this is OUR home, not just mine.  My favorite thing…is a place that we all enjoy.)  For a while, I jumped on a more modern bandwagon.  It was fun and that trend brought us fluffy carpets once again…but then…it happened.  I found myself…in home decor.  It had been there all along…because I have been drawn to antiques from day one.  No matter what phase I was in…there were always old things incorporated. Farmhouse Style.  How do I know that it’s the style for me?  I never get tired of it.  I have injected it into every trend and style…in some form, down through the years.  When I finally realized that I needed to go “whole hog” with what I loved…not what everyone else loves…I found true comfort at home.  I also realized that what looked beautifully intricate for others…only looked like a mess when I tried to decorate that way. I needed simple, clean, lines.  I needed smooth surfaces.  I needed for my home decor to make sense to me.  Farming is in my blood.  It skipped my dad…and went straight into my DNA.  It holds my interest.  Why wouldn’t I want to use that to make a home for us?  Another fun thing?  It’s not overly feminine.  That makes it fun for the whole family.   What really speaks to you?  What are your eyes drawn to?  What makes you sigh and dream?  I’m not promoting overspending or surrounding ourselves with things.  If anything, I might be encouraging you to simplify, to make room for the really important things in life…people. Here is the big question that I promised you.  Are you ready? What makes you and your family comfortable? Get in tune with all of your senses.  Observe your family and what they take delight in.  Maybe for you, it’s wildlife.  Maybe it’s organization. Maybe it is sunflower decor and watermelons.  Sunflowers are actually trending again…so if you love them, now is a good time for you. If we live to be a hundred, that is still too short to surround ourselves with anything less than what we love.  Am I making sense?  Don’t just dream about being happy and comfortable in your space.  Do something about it.  Put some thought into it.  I believe in you and I know that you can do it.  My Dirt Roaders are smart and creative. I hope that this helps.  I hope that we are not slaves to our homes…but that we use our homes as tools to help us in this life.  A place of refuge in a harsh world.  A place to reflect the love and grace of Jesus Christ.  If you are not comfortable with your home…it doesn’t always have to be that way.  No matter the size or the age…your home can be a place that says “Welcome home family…” at the end of the day.

Love from the Farmhouse,