Wednesday, January 16, 2008

A Place Called Home...

I've been intrigued and introspective about the concept of home since I was in college. My undergraduate degree is in Environmental Studies with a minor in Philosophy. While doing my studies I became facinated with the idea of place....the environment in which we live. Living with a sense of place. Living locally. I did my senior paper on urban agriculture and became involved with community gardens and community supported agriculture. Maybe part of it is that I still live within 15 miles of where I grew up and I chose that. Maybe it's the fact that I know I will never live outside Minnesota, it's in my blood. I need seasons. I need bitter cold days like today where the high is in the single digits to truly feel the pulse of springtime when it arrives. I am obsessed with this wonderful place in which I live.In the latest issue of Somerset Life magazine Pam Garrison wrote a wonderful article about her obsession with home, the concept of home and adornment of the home. She writes that what is probably fueling her infatuation with home is that it is where she finds the people she loves. Her family is at home and that means the world to her. Her sentiments ring true for me as well and I'm assuming for most of you. Ever since becoming a mother, home has a whole new meaning for me. It's where we play, sleep and eat. It's where I spend the vast majority of my time. I spend lots of time picking up the messes created (constantly) throughout the day, but it's also a place that nurtures us all creatively. I am constantly changing the decor on a whim. Whatever I'm in the mood for that hour, day or week. Pam writes about creating a home folio. I've wanted to do this very quite some time. I have piles and piles of magazines with images that speak to me, either with palette, whimsy or absolute beauty. So I finally gathered my stacks of glossies and got busy tearing out pages and cutting out pictures that moved me in some way. Then with sheer joy I began putting picture after picture in my favorite blank journal and the pages started taking shape. Setting a mood, making a statement. It was such a delight to collage my favorite pictures, papers and bits of this and that and step back and admire the play of colors and the feelings they evoke when all brought together. It is my own inspiration journal and it has already brought a smile to my face and creative ideas swirling in my head. Such a simple concept with such profound impact.

All photos are from my new journal. Do you keep an inspiration journal or a home folio? I'd love to hear about what it means to you:)

28 comments:

Sugar Bear said...

I read that article and making my own home folio is on my to do list this week! I have many tear sheets and magazine photos as well. Currently they are all sitting in a file. I can't wait to put this together and have something to inspire me as I move forward with my also every changing home decor.
Karla

Junie Moon said...

What a lovely and thoughtful post. Home is very important to me, too. I have tons of files and ideas of things I've collect that I can incorporate into my own home.

One of the things I'm focusing on in 2008 is organizing our house as things got a little out of control in the last 4 months of 2007. A renewed focus, my file of ideas, and I'm off and running to "love" my home.

T. Forkner said...

Oh, I love the framed one. Beautiful. This inspires me to start scrapbooking about home.

Lilli in Vancouver said...

I'm almost always obsessed with my home, probably because I've moved so much in my life.....17 times. I long to feel truly settled. And being a private music teacher, I spend most of my day at home.

Michelle Geller gave me a lovely Cath Kidston home planner that I keep opening, and intend to use soon :)

Johannah said...

I am a new reader and find your blog inspiring which is exactly what I need. We are building our own home right now in a patch of forest in the country. I designed it, and have HUGE scrapbooks full of inspirational photos.
It's neat to see these photos become reality in our house.

Johannah
http://puttingdownroots.blogspot.com/

Renee said...

As always,you fill us up with so much inspiration.I have started collecting magazines with pictures that I love,so now this is a great way to keep the pics,but get rid of the rest of the magazine that I didn't like.I really think it's a great idea.I think my home folio will be mixy matchy....but that's art,right?Who says everything has to go together? :) Well,thanks for sharing and bringing a smile to my face!Renee

Alison Gibbs said...

Fabulous post.
Great idea with the journal.
Home sure is a special place when it holds the ones you love.
Alison

Victoria - Florence and Mary said...

Your post today was really interesting as I'm currently living with my parents saving for a deposit on my own home. Now I'm older I desire my own space to stamp my mark.

I have many photos, images and articles gathered for inspiration when I create my home and think I need to create a journal to work though!!

Thanks for the inspiration!

Best Wishes

Victoria

Unknown said...

I just pulled out my home notebook from under a hidden pile this week!
Your pages are sooo inspiring - I need to add more to mine now too! Love it!!

Erin Neiner said...

H*O*M*E* has always been my place of refuge. When I visit my family I still get to reunite with the only home I knew until getting married. So many memories and good times fill me when I am there!!! If walls could talk!! It sometimes seems somewhat of a lost art with all the "stuff" out there to do. But my favorite times are just being home with my family, gathered together with random chit chat.

This past year I started ripping out pages from the many, many magazines in goal to declutter. Right now I just have them in plastic page protectors in a huge 3 ring binder. I like the look of your journal. Do you have everything glued down??? Lovely cover also!

I will have to look up the article you spoke about.

Deb said...

This is a beautiful inspirational journal. I couldn't agree more with you about the love of HOME ~ and I also keep lots of little journals and file folders filled with "wishes and dreams" :-}

Anonymous said...

I just love it when you update your blog! You have to be one of the most insightful, full of love and creativity, person I know! I check it daily and you get me so excited to do something creative once I've read your words! Thank you so much for providing me the inspiration I need to keep doing all these things I love!!!!!

Happy Days!
Robin :)

Anonymous said...

Great idea! I'm waiting for a new journal to arrive and what a good subject. Home means santuary for me. I want it to be a place of safe haven not only for family but friends. One day a friend said Gees, I took my shoes off, I'm sorry! I just smiled, he felt at home.

Amy said...

I love the idea of keeping an inspirational journal. Home is very important to me too. Thank you for your inspiration! Amy

The GlitterFairy... said...

Journal might be too strong a word, but I have lots and lots of piles of pictures of things I love, things that inspire me...and someday I might just get them organized... I do love to look thru them and dream...your journal is beautiful, as is your home, I'm sure!
Glittery hugs,
Laurie

Bonnie said...

Hi Kari. I loved reading your thoughts on home. You hit the nail on the head. I too for a while already, have kept a home portfolio/journal, in which I cut out things from magazines etc that inspire me, motivate me, ideas and tips I would like to try. It is very therapeutic and I love just picking it up every now and then and paging through it. It is also a great way to keep all your thoughts and ideas in picture format like that together. I will do a post on mine sometime for you to see.

Theresa said...

gosh, I used to - a LONG time ago. I wonder what it would say about me now. Having moved house about 7 times since 1992, and about to move again, my "dream home" scrapbooks got reduced and finally had to go. But I'm thinking of starting another one (or two), everyone needs to dream!

wanderlustandpixiedust said...

Don't have a journal but thanks to your post I think that I will start one soon. Would be a great way to start off the new year. To fill it with goals and dreams...

Gina said...

I love your comments on home. Ever since I could paint the walls of my home without asking someone's permission I have kept a home folio. It has served me well...although balancing my desires with those of my husband's has always been a fun challenge.

Becca said...

I do keep a book of inspiration from magazines. I am going to start a cooking journal. Home reminds me of food. There was always a lot of baking and cooking going on. I was just cooking yesterday and making a page of my new cookbook dirty. At first I was mad I was getting it dirty, but then I was reminded of the crusty pages of the cookbooks my mom owns. The well loved recipes that are barely visible through the caked on flour bits. I was reminded of pulling taffy, licking the cookie dough off beaters,eating warm homemade doughnuts, watching bread rise. Good stuff!

Anonymous said...

There's no place like home! I feel like I'm visiting your home when I come to your blog. : )
I have a folio I made years ago. It would be interesting to look that up and see what things have changed since the late 70s, early 80s. (I have to think where that is now!) Now I clip magazines and tuck away the pages. I like what you did with your folio-perfect!

tricia stirling said...

These are gorgeous pictures!

Tammy Gilley said...

Yes, yes! There's no place like home! xoxo

Unknown said...

I lived in Asia when my girls were little. I was so homesick for our life in the States that I started a book of western style decorations. My sister sent me Victoria magazine and some other favorites. When we moved to Canada I pulled out my file to get some decorating ideas, and I couldn't believe my eyes. The kitchen was identical to one of my favorite pages in my journal. The family room too looked similar to one I had dreamed about. I am back in the States, but my favorite eye candy is still my inspiration to dream. Karen

Ann(i)e Hafermann said...

man i love your blog!!!!! i can sit here all night...reading and rereading, looking and looking again at all the gorgeous images!!
LOVE this musing on "home".....i HAVE to get a home journal started!!
xoxoxo

Bonnie said...

I made a post at the end of this post about my home-file if you want to view it:
http://bouncingbonbon.blogspot.com/
2008/01/laundry-home-file-and-photos.
html#links
Bonnie

Michele said...

I've always had angst about what "style" I wanted to be surrounded by...I'm going to put all of my loose pages together as you have and perhaps I'll find that a certain style will emerge on those pages. Thanks for the push I needed. :)

Anonymous said...

I have the top photo in my inspiration journal too! Great minds think a like, huh?