I have the Houzz App on my iPad. It makes me happy to look, wish and dream. Slowly, I’ve been adding things to my home that make it MY home. We bought, we weren’t given, we bought for fair market value my husbands childhood home from his mother, but this has never seemed like my home. I have always been afraid to do anything because it makes his mom mad, or it made his dad mad (he built the house before they were divorced), I even made my husband mad a few times. So I stopped. I stopped doing anything for me and this helped me lose my identity and authority as a wife and mother.
Back to how this pertains to LIFE. One of the things I saw in the photos of these beautiful houses and homes (stay with me, we need to make houses homes) is that they had plants! Living plants! That’s what I needed to add life to our home, but how does one go about this when they have a brown thumb and very little light in their home?
I started by scouring the net for low maintenance plants and settled on Succulents, which I hadn’t heard of before (YES, my head has been in the sand). We were also given a plant from my husband’s company when his father passed that I have been determined to keep alive, one month and counting…. Neal’s dad also had Aloe plants that I feel like if he can keep them alive I certainly can.
So this weekend I went on my quest to get some nice planters and Succulent plants. I had never been to Marshall’s but a friend has been pestering me to go in there. Holy COW! I don’t get out much, but this store is like trinket heaven on sale. I carefully purchased 2 small ceramic pots and came home. My sweet little boy (14 lol) brought the bag in and went to hand it to me, and I missed, **SMASH** yep the new pots were toast. To which I replied “People are to be treasured and not things”.
This comment made my husband mad, really mad. He grabbed the car keys and left. When he came home he had two more of the pots and glue. He was able to glue one of the broken ones back together. I was also informed how much my whole family hates that saying. That they want me to want something, to want something better. This is provoking a whole different line of thinking…but back to LIFE!
I re-potted one of the Aloe Plants from an ice cream bucket into one of my treasured Fiesta Millennium Vases. I potted the Succulents and stood back to look. I felt LIFE was in MY house. Mine and my family’s. Those of us paying the bills and maintaining this home. And so on my Grandmother’s china cabinet and buffet is now some life. But if you look at the photo with the 2 urns, urns I wanted so badly (10 years ago) but when I got them didn’t know what to do with them, they’re empty. My next step is to get matching insertable vases to put in them and fill them with life too.
Crossing my fingers I can keep the plant life living!
Well I have to admit, without stepping on anyone’s toes or feelings, that I felt my blood pressure rising when I read your review!!
I’m sorry, but that was your house once you owned it and your hubby could have been more supportive!
We’ve only owned two houses, but my husband said that this was my area and that he trusted me to make it a home.
That’s what I did! Major decisions, we made together. And talk about plants! IF I could I would share with you a picture of my “nature” room.
Sue, I would love to see you plants! Feel free to email me a photo winterwitch @ networkingwitches.com.
My husband is NOW supportive but he wasn’t when we first bought this house. He’s come a long way. It’s just taken so much time for me to get enough courage to stand up for myself.
Yes!! I love plants inside my home!! They really bring life to the indoors!! Too bad I killl every plant I touch lol 🙁
I love this article. Plants do bring life into our homes and they are great for the air we breathe. I am praying for you and your family. God Bless
Thank you for sharing. I love plants but most of them don’t like me.
Plants are a great addition to any home.. I have tried so many times to have a rooms filled with them but I either over or under water so now my husband takes care of them and they are gorgeous…
I can’t wait until the weather allows me to get out into the garden. I have some herbs on the balcony too.
This was a great post! Thanks for sharing!
Be it indoor or outdoor, I am a murderer of plants. Hasn’t stopped me from trying though. Wish me luck. I’m wishing you luck too.
I have a Christmas cactus that is at least 10-12 years old. It blooms all the time, except at Christmas??? I love indoor plants!
I’m happy that you have found something to bring life & home into your house. I hope you continue to gain support from your spouse & family so you can make a space that feels like “home” for you as well.
I agree with your statement that “people are to be treasured, & not things”. Anymore it seems that our society is too focused on what we have, instead of who we have. Thank you for your post!
I love plants but they don’t love me back! 🙁 lol oh wait…unless it’s a cactus!! I can keep those alive for a while! I love the different little colored cactus plants. Last spring I decided I was going to make me a flower bed. It was so much fun making it but OMG I didn’t realize how much work it was to keep it up! lol Your plants look amazing!
Low maintenance — my kind of plants!
I do like plants. Sometimes they will live when I take care of them and sometimes they don’t make it! But I do enjoy them.
I don’t have a green thumb, but my husband does. We have a lot of plants in our house and I think it makes the house feel so much more comfortable.
I am so happy you are moving on some to make this house your home. The succulents look wonderful. Keep up the good work. God Bless