Recently, someone asked me a question that made me pause just a little…
It wasn’t a deep thinking, what is the meaning of life, delve into your past feelings
and figure out why you are the way you are
type of question.
It was a straight forward question that should be simple
and easy to sum up in a few sentences.
I sat down, opened my computer and I started at the beginning.
962 words later.. not bad.
But about 712 words over the assignment.
And I scratched my head
and started to take out this and that to shrink it down.
How do you sum up where something began,
and how it became something different,
and how it is a part of who you are now
and always was but you didn’t know it
and how you had no idea that the beginning was even the beginning
when it was…
in just a few sentences?
‘THE’ question was easy.
It was about my style.
Describe ‘French Country Cottage’ and what it is all about.
Should be easy, right?
Here is how I started…
‘French Country Cottage is…
Well, it is… it is…
It is all about…’
I could feel myself starting to sweat.
Like sweaty palms you didn’t do your homework or prepare for the quiz at school
sweaty feeling.
sweaty feeling.
Like how could I NOT be able to answer that in just a few sentences?
And then I went through the whole ‘Identity Crisis’ mode.
And I began to question if I even knew myself anymore.
I mean, if I couldn’t sum myself and style up in just a few sentences…
WHO WAS I?
And then I stopped.
Took a sip of my coffee, closed my eyes, closed my laptop and sat quietly for a few minutes
and gathered up my ‘who in the world am I ‘ thoughts.
The funny thing about the assignment is that it is so simple.
And yet sometimes trying to explain something to someone in so many words is not so easy.
It is much easier showing what French Country Cottage is all about than explaining it.
Especially in 250 words.
But that simple question pushed me to look further and really delve into
more than a photo or a vignette that sums up my style.
It made me think about something differently.
I know my style.
I know what I like.
I know who I am (well, maybe) 😉
but telling someone else all that and having them ‘get it’ in 1 paragraph?
Well, that was a creative challenge.
And you know what?
I loved it.
And I opened my computer back up and started typing away.
I will share what I wrote down soon but it got me wondering…
what word comes to mind when you think of French Country Cottage and my style?
How would you describe YOUR style?
And the most important question…
can you nail it in 250 words…
or do you have some explaining to do?
😉
Basically, that question and sweaty palm moment got me back to the romancing your home series
I was sharing earlier this year.
Because, romancing your home is all about looking at your style.
Your home. You.
Your home. You.
Noticing how they have changed.
Seeing how much has evolved.
Paying attention to why you maybe lost that loving feeling with your home
and maybe taking a step back towards something
that you forgot.
And loving your home all over again.
Maybe your home is gorgeous gorgeous like walking through magazine pages
with lots of pretty plump pillows on the sofa,
a perfectly polished coffee table with a stack of well read magazines
and small trinket box,
and small trinket box,
vase of flowers
and that elegant chic artwork on the wall…
Maybe you have the latest on trend wall treatment
and this years popular color everywhere…
but is it you?
It is easy to get lost in the mix of
keeping up with the trends,
chasing the latest and greatest inspiration and bringing it into your home to ‘get the look’.
Maybe before you know it-
your home feels less like you and more like something or someone else.
So the question of ‘Describe your Style and What makes it YOU’
is a deeper conversation on that same thought.
Every thing you have in your home is a part of your style.
It is part of what should make you smile when you walk through the door.
It should reflect you and say something about you-
not the latest and greatest trends.
And if it doesn’t make you smile when you walk in-
then maybe it is time to sit down and write down a few words
to get back on the path to loving your home.
So are you up for the challenge?
No sweaty palms…
just 250 words all about your style and what you love.
You might be surprised at what words come out.
just 250 words all about your style and what you love.
You might be surprised at what words come out.
And speaking of words-
this post has a lot of words.
Do you see why that 250 word challenge was difficult for someone like me that basically has a mind that keeps going going going like a run-on sentence?
😉
Happy Wednesday everyone.
Give a few minutes ��
My style is definitely eclectic! I live in an 1832 restored farm house which is on the National Register of Historic Places. When I moved in 25 years ago, I had grandiose ideas and lots of antiques!!! I decorated this place to the nines and was very pleased.
My children left for college and lives of their own, the husband found someone he preferred to me so he left too…
The cats and dog all crossed the Rainbow Bridge and I was quite alone in my mausoleum…
I started purging, throwing out, burning, selling and replacing antiques with functional comfortable welcoming pieces…
I’ve been alone here for 18 years, have three grandbabies who feel right at home when they visit and I am quite content with my more meaningful “eclectic” home!!!
What is my style. I have taken those quiz's that ask you questions then let you know . They said I like Farmhouse chic, Boho, French Country Farmhouse and rustic. But starting out in my first place away from home I had country and traditional, I secretly liked what is called shabby chic, but I was married and he did not like that style. So 20 years later I am on my own with 3 kids and you guessed it my house had shabby chic and
cabbage roses all over and pink = Victorian for quite a while. I loved the magazine called Victoria. I have always loved painting and drawing and making things..ie like gift tags, bags, cards. playing with clay. I had a white dresser that was passed down to me to use for my oldest daughter when she was a baby, I took the dresser and sanded it and put a wallpaper with little pink rose buds all over , It turned out really cute. Now that I have raised my children I m back to blues and naturals , with some black , I love the romantic look ,but not too frilly ,I like the farmhouse look because it is casual look with and that is how I want my home to feel cozy and casual. But I am also back to only buying what I truly love and not what is the in thing do . You will usually find me in a pair of jeans and my boots on any given day. I love to repurpose items and look at vintage, antiques and some where in all of that I enjoy cooking and baking 🙂
Love it 🙂
I think limiting yourself to one or two or even three different styles to describe yourself would be hard. I always say my style is surrounding myself with what I love. Which in my case is French country, french farmhouse, white cottage, chippy and shabby!!!! Re loving beautiful pieces with character and history back into my decor. I agree with you I think pictures of your home describe your style more than words ever could. If you smile when you enter into each of your rooms than that is who you are and what your style is.
Happy rest of the week.
Kris
Right?! Not easy at all but I love it makes you really think about how to describe your style, what you love in decor, etc. 🙂
That straw hat is very country….and not French country…like all of us you may be a mix….
Courtney
I love your blog and you inspire me to be a great blogger and you inspire me by your great love of beautiful things but style I think really depends on a lot of things and the Seaon of life. For example, I just read about a blogger who loved her guest room and gave it to her son, or like me, I have two empty guest rooms because I am an empty nester and surround myself by memories. I do agree that you must surround yourself with beautiful things, it doesn't have to be expensive for me I find my inspiration at Goodwill or thrift stores. Life is ever changing with the Seasons and I will continue to only post the things I love and my style will reflect the same.
Debby
Debbygoesshabby.blogspot.com
Love the assorted pink flowers-it's you. Everyone has a signature.
Over the years I have been this and that. Love Pamela's answer.
I have a framed saying many of you will identify with:
"I have tried so hard to be who I ought to be, I forgot who I am"
Myrna
Very timely post for me because I've actually been thinking a lot about this and feel I got a bit sidetracked by all the farmhouse out there and had started pushing my style towards the less formal, more country farmhouse look, but suddenly started to feel that's not really me. So what is me?
The easy catchall phrase for my style is French Country, but it's really not. It's very influenced by French Country, but with a distinctly American scale to it, some English formality thrown in, a hint of West Coast shabby patina, and an overlay of East Coast edginess. My life philosophy is that the key to happiness is pleasing the 5 senses, so at home that translates into lush fabrics, fragrant candles, Yann Tiersen playing through the Bose sound system, dark chocolates and Montrachet and of course all the visual beauty I can possibly surround myself with. To that end, my 6 defining design elements are gilding, crystal, white linen, florals, chippy paint or patina and vintage silver. If you throw in some animal print and mongolian lamb, all the better. But above all, my style is warm and open, so no matter how pedigreed any of the elements in our home may be, everyone is welcome, no one is ever asked to remove their shoes, and we would never save the "good stuff" for special occasions.
My style is eclectic antique and always has been. I don't go in for current trends. And I don't redecorate for trends. I decorate once & that's it. We are comfortably messy…I don't like it, but it's the way it is. I'm too set in my ways & probably lazy to redecorate LOL, but at my age, I don't have the energy…not that I don't enjoy seeing other people's beautiful spaces. It's funny, I love shabby chic, but I don't have a bit of it in my house. I recently wrote a blog post called "Vintage Picker Off Limits Home Tour" if you want to take a peek. It's my style right now anyway.