Because It’s So Much More Than Decorating…

Not too long ago, as I was logging onto Facebook to share a new blog post, I noticed my newsfeed was filled with all kinds of sadness. A school shooting, a plane crash, a bombing…I felt a little silly posting about my latest project. How trivial, I thought.  When you see all the problems in the world around you, and know people are grieving so much, who really cares about this new DIY Leaf Garland?

Almost immediately after this day, I started working with a client. I do some local consulting and had the gift of working with this particular woman. A hardworking single mom, she was stuck in a rut with her home. Everything in her house, down to the paint color, was picked out by her ex-husband, and she was ready for a fresh start. After our first meeting, which was in the late afternoon, she texted me that evening and had already been to the paint store and was halfway done her family room! She was so excited about everything. It was such a joy to watch.

I would wake up to texts from her days later, saying she had insomnia and hasn’t been this excited since she was 5 on Christmas morning. She transformed literally before my very eyes. From a tired mom in need of a change, to a fearless decorator, painting at all hours of the night and trying colors she never dreamed of, and so happy in her new space. It was one of the most rewarding things I’ve been a part of. She had no idea she could pick up a paintbrush and do it herself. She had no idea the effect it would have on her life. How being in a space she loves could trickle down into other areas of her life and bring her so much happiness.

I explained to her that our home should be our haven. Our safe place. We work hard. Really hard. To have a comforting place to land at the end of a long day…to recharge…it’s important. So important. Things like entering your bedroom at night and turning on a cozy lamp on your nightstand to read, instead of the bright glare of an overhead ceiling fan light. These things seem tiny and unimportant. But they’re really not. She took that to heart and put everything into turning her house into her favorite place to be – for her, and her two girls. And they are thrilled.

I had this idea for a blog post after I saw the change in her. I see it a lot in clients when they fall in love with their home, but she embodied it more than anyone I’ve worked with. It was a life-changing experience. I asked her if she’d mind it if I shared her story, and this was her response:

“I would love for you to do that. It was so empowering to redecorate. It not only changed the way my house looked, but the way I felt about myself. It is amazing how much redecorating changes your outlook on everything. I am so proud of us. I say go for it and I can’t wait to read it.”

In the span of a few short weeks, SHE – the girl who never picked up a brush – painted her family room, her bathroom, her bedroom, picture frames, and a dresser. I mean. How awesome is that?

Now does decorating solve the world’s problems? No. Will my latest blog post trump the horrible things that are happening around us? Of course not. But does having a home that feels like your favorite place to be have a positive effect on a person and maybe help lighten the load?

I believe it does.

So I will continue to post away. No matter what happens. I will continue to share my passion with you and help you in your quest for your own haven. Your own safe place to land at the end of a long day. Because maybe, just maybe, if we all lived in a place that made us feel joyful and safe and secure and comforted, our world would be a happier place. And perhaps a post about a $4 kitchen island makeover is the break you need after the heaviness of everything else.

It doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t have to be a total gut job renovation. Even the smallest of things can make a difference. We don’t all have the money to change everything we’d like to change, but little things can really have an impact on us. That favorite picture frame that used to be your grandmother’s that sits on the table, with a photograph of a happy memory. Or a can of paint to brighten up an entire room and make you feel alive again. Or that vase you picked up on your honeymoon that has been collecting dust in storage – dig it out, buy some fresh flowers for a few bucks and place it on your kitchen counter. You’ll be amazed at how you feel when you see it.

Home. We spend so much of our lives there. It’s where we laugh, where we cry, where we live. And it should feel as heavenly as it sounds. Let’s make it that way, together.

home

I won’t ever second guess the power it holds again.

 

 

Comments

  1. Little changes can make such a difference. I pulled upper cabinets from between my dining room and kichen and put them in my laundry room. I felt like I had a whole new home and it didn’t cost a dime!

  2. Hi Liz,
    What an amazing experience for you to be a part of and what an inspiration the woman you worked with must be.

    Please know that your blog is so much more than decorating to me (and I’m sure to all of your readers). While I initially started reading your blog for a good diy fix, I now find myself stopping by for a little spiritual “pick me up”. Your faith in God, love of family, passion for creativity, and just overall joy have a way of jumping off the computer screen and brightening my day. I just wanted to say thanks for the time you invest in your blog and yes, please keep writing! I love a good DIY Leaf Garland but your blog is so much more than that…it’s good for the soul:)

    • Oh goodness, Lacy, thank you from the bottom of my heart! This moved me to tears. I can’t tell you how much it means to hear this, and how blessed I feel to have readers like you. God bless!!

    • Ditto to Lacy’s response. I love those days when I’m scrolling thru emails and then I see one from “Naptime Decorator”! Not only do I totally love your style and amazing decorating tips but how you tie in sweet stories about your munchkins and hubby. Over the last few years (and having a 10 year old) I’ve made the decision to NOT watch the news (waiting for my hubby to tell me anything I really NEED to know) so thank you for this post and also for letting those of us DIYers know that it’s okay to get excited (and feel proud) about our home projects. Cheers to you Liz!

  3. What a great post! God has been showing me the last 6 months that a ministry doesn’t have to be something huge and world changing. A ministry is using the gifts and talents God gave you right in your corner of the world. You may just change someone’s world, like that single mom who needed some encouragement and for you to share your gift. Please keep using your gifts and talents, especially on this blog. You are blessing others!

  4. Carli Heringer says:

    Well goodness, Liz. I never thought a blog post about decorating would make me cry! Lol. This beautifully written and is so true for me. My home is a place where I feel safe, and comfortable, and at peace. I love pouring my heart and soul into it and looking around and seeing the life that is being lived here. And your blog is therapy for me. I mean that whole heartedly. I genuinely look forward to pulling it up a couple times a week and seeing what you are up too. For just a few minutes I can forget about my problems and get lost in your wonderful world of inspiration and decorating. At this point, it feels like visiting an old friend for coffee. Keep posting! Id sure miss you if you didn’t. ♡♡

    • OH THE TEARS!!! Thank you, Carli! Your words mean so much – wow. Just wow. 🙂 Have a beautiful day, dear friend!

  5. I second the comments about ministry and what you are doing with your blog. I also excitedly await your next post because of your attitude about life and family and God and because I can tell you aren’t obsessed with possessions but use them instead to create beauty and it makes you feel joy to create and you share that joy with us. What you do is much more than a little blog or decorating. Keep it up 🙂 God uses us right where we are if we let Him. And the things you come up with are always inspiring!

    • Thank you, thank you, Nicole. This is such a beautiful sentiment. I’m so happy your enjoy the blog. Have a wonderful weekend:) XO

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