"The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~
I love to have a "pretty" house. Decorating is fun for me, although I have a hard time nailing down exactly what my style is. Sort of a medly of cottage styles with a little French country thrown, and a light sprinkling of shabby chic. Mostly, I decorate with what I like, and I don't worry if it fits into a particular style. We have a lot of antiques in our home, but it's not fussy. I don't want anybody afraid to sit on the furniture. I put a lot of thought into colors because I want everything to feel soothing, relaxing... cozy. 
One reason I want that cozy feeling is so that our home is a place of refuge and rest for my family. I want this to be a place to refuel before we venture out into the world.
But for a long time, I almost never entertained guests. I was too caught up in wanting everything to be "perfect" first, and I never could seem to get it all done and make it perfect enough. I had a pretty home with no guests to enjoy it. Eventually, I realized that was wrong on so many levels. God commands us to show hospitality as a way of loving each other. That's what I want to do. I want my home to be a place that's full of God's love, where friends, neighbors, and family can come and feel blessed. I still like doing things to make my home pretty, and I don't expect that to change. But I finally realized that it doesn't matter that the bookshelves in the living room aren't done, or that I still have torn linoleum in the kitchen. I made a choice to change how I'd been doing - or in this case, NOT doing - things. Since then, I've hosted a few coffee & dessert parties, a brunch, birthday parties, "high tea", play dates, cook-outs, potluck dinners, holiday gatherings, and more. Not only has this been a way I can bless others, it's been a huge blessing for me, too.
The biggest compliment I've had is not when a guest admire the roses in my garden or the new curtains I made or any of the other projects I'm always doing (although I do admit it's nice when somebody notices those little things!). The biggest compliment I can have is when a guest thanks me for blessing them, or when they just tell me my home is cozy.
One reason I want that cozy feeling is so that our home is a place of refuge and rest for my family. I want this to be a place to refuel before we venture out into the world.But for a long time, I almost never entertained guests. I was too caught up in wanting everything to be "perfect" first, and I never could seem to get it all done and make it perfect enough. I had a pretty home with no guests to enjoy it. Eventually, I realized that was wrong on so many levels. God commands us to show hospitality as a way of loving each other. That's what I want to do. I want my home to be a place that's full of God's love, where friends, neighbors, and family can come and feel blessed. I still like doing things to make my home pretty, and I don't expect that to change. But I finally realized that it doesn't matter that the bookshelves in the living room aren't done, or that I still have torn linoleum in the kitchen. I made a choice to change how I'd been doing - or in this case, NOT doing - things. Since then, I've hosted a few coffee & dessert parties, a brunch, birthday parties, "high tea", play dates, cook-outs, potluck dinners, holiday gatherings, and more. Not only has this been a way I can bless others, it's been a huge blessing for me, too.
The biggest compliment I've had is not when a guest admire the roses in my garden or the new curtains I made or any of the other projects I'm always doing (although I do admit it's nice when somebody notices those little things!). The biggest compliment I can have is when a guest thanks me for blessing them, or when they just tell me my home is cozy.
When a guest in my home feels welcomed and loved, only then is my home truly beautiful.
