No place like home

I just spent the last two days doing a very unique babysitting job for a single dad who was raising his son by himself. It was actually a very touching situation. This little boy was so sweet, but also very independent and almost lonely. At one point, we got to talking about airplanes and he told me he had flown on one to go see his mom way out in Michigan. I could see how much he clearly missed her. He fell asleep on the couch both nights, so I carried him to his bed and tucked him in, which he seemed to like. He latched onto me and it felt good to fill that void for him, even if only for a couple of nights. His dad seems like he's trying to give him all that he can, but it's hard to be both mom and dad. It made me appreciate what I have at home all the more.

Speaking of home...something else that made me sit up and take notice was the decor of the condo this pair lived in. Nestled in the hills of a fairly affluent community, it was very tastefully decorated. However, it did have a very masculine touch and was definitely a minimalist's dream. I don't know if being female has anything to do with it, but I like to have "things." Yes, I will confess to being a material girl...to a certain extent. I've been paying very close attention to the interior design of others' homes and taking mental notes. I love attending the annual Street of Dreams every summer. It's a great way to get decorating ideas. If there is one thing I have taken to heart and am attempting to work into is the idea of "less is more." I have always been such a clutterbug, so it is a hard habit to break. So I've been tackling one small area in the house at a time, otherwise the tasks would overwhelm me. It's a great new project that I can do whenever I'm in the mood and is fun to think about how I could redo each area into something better. Maybe by next year, our townhome will have received the needed facelift. In the meantime, I will enjoy picking away at each little project and window shopping for new decor.