Wednesday, November 2

Thankful at home


Three years ago, I proudly shared with y'all my new living room. Some of you may remember:


With advice from Darlene Weir of Fieldstone Hill Design, I had worked on the room for months, and I was so happy with the way it had turned out. But one part of the room wasn't finished.


Although I'd searched diligently, I had not been able to find art for the one solid wall in this room.

Years ago, this wall housed my collection of crosses.


That wall had become a bit too busy, though, so I decided that I wanted to go with something much simpler when I redecorated this room.

And that was it. I knew I wanted something simpler, but what? Darlene suggested botanical prints and found some lovely botanicals that I could download for free, but those weren't quite what I wanted.

So I finally went ahead and posted those photos of nearly-complete room, certain that I'd find just the right artwork soon.

That was three years ago.

All this time, the wall in my living room has been completely empty except for the mirror. And do you know what?

I'm thankful for that.

I'm grateful that I didn't get what I wanted when I wanted it. The truth is, my soul needed this time of waiting, of not having just what I wanted when I wanted it.

Turns out that I needed to wait for a lot of things--and the waiting hasn't killed me. In fact, doing without something I want is really good for me.

I didn't rush to fill the blank space with any old thing just so it would be filled. I simply waited and tried to look at the empty space as a gift, knowing that some day it would be filled with something beautiful--or not. And if it was never filled, that would be okay.

This year, when I visited a charming art gallery in Northern Michigan, my eye fell upon some lovely antique botanicals from England. They were hand-colored in 1825 and had been perfectly preserved. My heart caught in my throat as I counted them. . . 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8! They were reasonably priced, and because I bought all eight, the gallery owner reduced the price by another 10%. The manager of my local Frame Warehouse worked with me so that I could have them framed just the way I wanted, including museum glass. (I have no affiliation with Frame Warehouse, but their service and prices were fantastic.)

And here's my living room today:



At Darlene's suggestion, I disregarded the first couple of feet of wall space on the back wall of the room, centering the furniture and artwork with the seating area rather than with the whole room.


The colors in the prints are delicate but vibrant.


My photography skills can't do them justice, but here's a closer look at one:


So now I'm thankful for this lovely addition to my home, but I'm even more thankful for the lessons I learned during the time of waiting.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
Psalm 100:4-5

I'm joining some blogging friends to celebrate lots of ways we're thankful at home. How about you? What are you thankful for these days?






17 comments:

  1. Richella, this is beautiful! Isn't it so true that waiting was better? You could have rushed out to Hobby Lobby or HomeGoods (which is what I'm often guilty of) but this is so much better. It's funny what we can learn when we wait a little. :)

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  2. Oh Rochelle, those prints were definitely worth the wait. They are just PERFECT! Great reminder for us all too. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Love the Botanicals, they look fabulous. Great find.

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  4. Thank you for hosting! I am so thankful for God's blessings, my family and being able to stay home and take care of my grandkids.

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  5. Delayed gratification paid off. Your prints are lovely.

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  6. Yes, when we wait we appreciate more. Living a life with simple abundance and gratitude is a beautiful thing.
    Jemma

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  7. Your living room is absolutely gorgeous! The prints you chose are beautiful! The room looks not only beautiful and elegant but also warm and inviting! You have done a wonderful job!

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  8. Absolutely gorgeous and totally worth waiting for! What a lovely room to relax in and what lovely pieces of history you have to enjoy now.

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  9. Richella,
    This beautiful story is a lesson I needed to hear, for sure. Patience is a tough nut to crack. It's ironic in that you only get patience by practicing patience. Your lovely words are a great ministry. And your lovely prints are a fabulous addition to the room. The entire space turned out perfectly. I'm so pleased that we got to share this blog hop together and that I have gotten to know you better. You are such a dear.. XOXO Susie from Chelsea Project

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  10. Well worth the wait! Your new art is perfect for your space.

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  11. Richella, it was definitley worth waiting for these perfect prints. They look wonderful in the room and balance out the wall perfectly. Not too light nor overbearing. They are beautifully spaced and make the room look complete. Think of your dissatisfaction if you had chosen something else just to fill up the space.

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  12. I love it! I, too, have learned to leave a space blank while I wait for the inspiration. Such a good lesson for our homes and our hearts!

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  13. Simple beautiful. And definitely worth the wait. You have a great taste! Thanks for sharing your blessings. I really appreciate your thoughts.
    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  14. Your room looks lovely - your prints are just perfect. I love the urns on the table, too!

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  15. Richella,
    Looks beautiful!! Thanks so much for visiting!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  16. Richella,
    Definitely worth the wait, dear friend!
    Your room is exquisite!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  17. Those are beautiful! Worth waiting for!

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