Have y’all seen Marie Kondo’s new show? Is your house crazy organized yet? Ours is getting there. I hopped on the tidy up wagon last week by organizing the pantry & refrigerator, and I have to admit, it’s been really amazing. Something as simple as having food storage that allows you to see everything at a glance has helped us reduce our waste immensely!

I decided to hit the rest of the house this weekend, but found the whole only keep items that spark joy a lot more difficult than I thought I would. I wouldn’t call myself a hoarder. Most are surprised to find out that I don’t even have a storage unit for my furniture store. I do however, keep and purchase things for our home that genuinely spark joy all of the time. Most items are rare one-of-a-kind antiques, purchases from our travels or a shop that inspires me, and gifts that hold a lot of sentiment. I didn’t get much accomplished since cleaning out turned into hours of reminiscing. On the bright side, it was a sweet reminder of why I love interior design and decorating. A house can be beautiful, but it’s not a home until those personal touches that tell the story of your life are placed within.

 

Here are the 5 things that spark the most joy in my own home.

We kept our handwritten wedding vows in this sweet bottle gifted to us at our reception by a family friend. Also pictured, a 100 year calendar that’s a replica of one my grandmother had growing up. It used to blow my mind as a child.

 

I’ve always been a collector of random sticks, stones, and flora. My husband, Josh, made me a floral press for my birthday while we were dating. I’d say I’ve put it to good use over the years.

 

This saw belonged to my husband’s grandfather. His dad gifted it to us shortly after we moved into our current home.

 

I picked up these little birds from an artist in Santa Fe the weekend Josh purposed to me. We travel there often, and I’m sad to say that I haven’t been able to source the artist’s work ever since.

 

I can get totally lost in this artwork drawn by one of my husband’s talented aunts. She lived here temporarily a few years ago and had a showing at Cerulean Gallery. It hangs beside our coffee maker so I see it everyday, and everyday I find a new hidden image within the scribbles.