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The Life That's Lived There

a life well lived

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I’ve asked more than once, actually on a daily basis, “what is the deal?” Sometimes knowing, just allows you a point of reference. Creating a home is important, actually it has always been the basis for who I am and where my brain is. I have been designing and redecorating homes in my head since I was a child, sitting on the floor of my father’s library, and making a home for Barbie from books, washcloths, and knick-knacks.

Luckily I met my soulmate early. The night we met (the eve of my brother’s wedding, we were paired in the wedding party) we sat on the couch in my parents home and literally planned our life together (yes, we had JUST met). We talked about destinations we wanted to travel to, homes we would like to own, and places we would live. We married four months later (that was 1982). Our first home we purchased as husband and wife was a cute little house in Michigan built in 1913, on Church Street, where we could hear the bells from the historic building down the street. It was full of charm with a white picket fence, and will always remain in my heart as we brought our first baby home to this house. We walked to town, went antique picking through the shops and on the sidewalks (much to my new husband’s horror), and enjoyed concerts in the park. We loved that little old home, and we have not owned an older home since. My heart has been yearning, although I could never claim depravity for the homes we have owned, but I still desired that quaint feeling that only an older home can provide.

34 years ago, we were just a couple of kids. Shown here with my brother and his foxy wife. At our parent’s home, that mirror in the background hangs currently in our guest room.

We left that little house and purchased a newly built condo in San Diego, where baby number two arrived. From there, we moved north to a brand new tract home in a cul-de-sac where my brother and his family lived down the street. When that was sold a few years later, we rented a few other homes in the same town while trying to find our paradise, the place we would raise our children since our final baby had been born and we needed to start worrying about schools. After much research, we chose the perfect place, and purchased three acres of wooded land, moving back to Michigan to build our dream home. While renting a tiny condo with three children for a year, we built the home I had designed and drawn as a teenager, but with a new eye for optimum family living. It had everything we could want, gorgeous property, and we could hear the bells from a church nearby (which tugged at my heart for the memory of our first home). I thought we would live there forever.

Fast forward to us moving back to California eight years later, renting briefly before buying a lovely home with a pool. Since I had reluctantly gone back to California, a place we were born and raised and near family, I spent most of that time trying to figure out how to get back to Michigan. Let me just say, I can be persuasive, but my dear husband saw the need for our children left at home to return to our quality of life in Michigan, and back we went. I was desperate to return, so when I was slightly unenthused about a newly built home, I conceded because it was lovely and I really couldn’t complain. Besides, I was finally going to get my little cottage on a lake in northern Michigan as well, so I figured I could daydream there. We spent eleven years in that home, and finally sold it when we downsized after all of our birdies were out of the nest and married. I was anxious for a renovation, so we purchased a home (from it’s original owners) built in 1956. It took us a year to complete a renovation inside and out, and we finally settled in to enjoy our empty nest. However, I am never comfortable relaxing for long, so we found another project house in the same neighborhood, and moved to that in 2018, after an extensive renovation. I am now waiting for the perfect ranch style home to come for sale, so we can move to our next ‘forever’ home.

In creating a home in a newly renovated house, it was very important for me to honor the history that the house had lived but to also make it work for our lifestyle. I’m constantly antiquing, finding new items, and reworking what we have, always sure to carve out the areas for the activities we are engaged in. Having your home work for your lifestyle is key, because if it doesn’t, then things seem a bit too chaotic for my liking, it’s hard to keep clean because storage usually is an issue, and things just aren’t as comfortable when life in a home is out of sorts. This is one of the things I hope to share with the blog — how to make your home work for the life you live there. I want to share the things I have learned over time, because as I have gotten older and looked back, I was always greatly influenced by experiences I had, people I met, and places I visited. I feel like creating a home sends you on a bit of a self discovery tour, because it is only through truly knowing yourself (your family) and what you want, that you can create the space that you are most YOU in. I’m hoping you will join me on this journey and the fun that is ahead!

Hi, I’m Jill.

Creating a home is a process and it's something best done over time. Home should be a haven where we can craft the life we want. I love homes with lots of books, comfy spots to lounge, organized spaces to work, beautiful treasures from life and travels, and mementos from a life well spent. But the thing I love most about homes, is the life that's lived there.

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I need a day out for some fun, what about you? May I need a day out for some fun, what about you? Maybe a little shopping trip to @livingstonantiqueoutlet for some treasures. I’m in booths 25 and F7. Lots of goodies! #thrillofthehunt #vintagefinds #livingstonantiqueoutlet
Meow, it’s almost October! Time to head over to Meow, it’s almost October! Time to head over to @livingstonantiqueoutlet to find that perfect vintage find to complete your fall decor. Happy hunting! #vintagefinds #thrillofthehunt #vintagestyle
It’s been a weird year no doubt, and working on It’s been a weird year no doubt, and working on my vintage booth has given me an important mental escape. What could be better than good memories, which are easily sparked when seeing something vintage (“my grandma had those glasses” or “we had that game as a kid” etc.) What vintage items bring back memories for you? #vintagefinds #livingstonantiqueoutlet #thrillofthehunt
This is my other little booth. It has no number bu This is my other little booth. It has no number but I’m at @livingstonantiqueoutlet next to the amazing @fragments009 who is in booth 46. It’s a tiny little booth but it has some fun stuff. Restocked today, come by and see me! #vintagefinds #livingstonantiqueoutlet
Little booth refresh at @livingstonantiqueoutlet i Little booth refresh at @livingstonantiqueoutlet in booth #25. Oh, did I mention that I moved to the booth next door? Lots of goodies and more in my other booth! Also, there’s a sale going on! #vintagefinds #livingstonantiqueoutlet #thrillofthehunt #vintage
Words to focus on, found in my @erincondren planne Words to focus on, found in my @erincondren planner! This too shall pass, and our comeback can be strong! Hang in there peeps 😋#staysafe #staystrong #erincondren #hopeforthefuture
Since everything is closed these days and we’re Since everything is closed these days and we’re all home practicing social distancing, it’s a good time to paint. Obvi I can’t take anything to @livingstonantiqueoutlet so I’ll just be stockpiling for when things go back to “normal”, whatever that is. This piece painted using @bungalow47 furniture paint in Farmhouse Sink #vintagefinds #paintedfurniture #fleamarketfinds #fleamarketstyle #homedecor #restyledfurniture #renewedfurniture
Sharing my goblets for the #desertrosechallenge by Sharing my goblets for the #desertrosechallenge by @chairwhimsy and @simplysoutherncottage because this is all I currently have. My mom still has all the dishes, but I brought the goblets home in my carryon last time I visited. I grew up spending several weekends going to the Franciscan outlet with my mom, adding to her Desert Rose collection. I was raised in the San Fernando Valley outside Los Angeles and I think the outlet was somewhere near Sylmar, but it was the 70s and I was a kid searching for china with my mom. They sold seconds that couldn’t pass as perfect, and I remember helping to find the ones where the flaws weren’t noticeable. I remember being there when they began offering the pink goblets and my mom was over the moon! I have 12 of them, the collection she had, and soon I will begin carrying back (once again in my carryon) the dishes so this token of my childhood will live on at my adult table. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! #desertrosechallenge #pink #franciscan #vintagefinds #fleamarketstyle #vintageglass #vintagedishes #desertrosegoblets #homedecor
Are there any repurposers out there? If so, you’ Are there any repurposers out there? If so, you’ll appreciate this because this is ingenuity at it’s finest! This cute wood tray has a wood hanger as a handle...genius and one-of-a-kind! I can’t even with stuff like this, I just love it so much. It’s usable and a great conversation piece, available in my little booth at @livingstonantiqueoutlet #vintagefinds #oneofakind #repurposed #farmhousedecor #fleamarketfinds #fleamarketstyle #thrillofthehunt

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I need a day out for some fun, what about you? May I need a day out for some fun, what about you? Maybe a little shopping trip to @livingstonantiqueoutlet for some treasures. I’m in booths 25 and F7. Lots of goodies! #thrillofthehunt #vintagefinds #livingstonantiqueoutlet
Meow, it’s almost October! Time to head over to Meow, it’s almost October! Time to head over to @livingstonantiqueoutlet to find that perfect vintage find to complete your fall decor. Happy hunting! #vintagefinds #thrillofthehunt #vintagestyle
It’s been a weird year no doubt, and working on It’s been a weird year no doubt, and working on my vintage booth has given me an important mental escape. What could be better than good memories, which are easily sparked when seeing something vintage (“my grandma had those glasses” or “we had that game as a kid” etc.) What vintage items bring back memories for you? #vintagefinds #livingstonantiqueoutlet #thrillofthehunt
This is my other little booth. It has no number bu This is my other little booth. It has no number but I’m at @livingstonantiqueoutlet next to the amazing @fragments009 who is in booth 46. It’s a tiny little booth but it has some fun stuff. Restocked today, come by and see me! #vintagefinds #livingstonantiqueoutlet
Little booth refresh at @livingstonantiqueoutlet i Little booth refresh at @livingstonantiqueoutlet in booth #25. Oh, did I mention that I moved to the booth next door? Lots of goodies and more in my other booth! Also, there’s a sale going on! #vintagefinds #livingstonantiqueoutlet #thrillofthehunt #vintage
Words to focus on, found in my @erincondren planne Words to focus on, found in my @erincondren planner! This too shall pass, and our comeback can be strong! Hang in there peeps 😋#staysafe #staystrong #erincondren #hopeforthefuture
Since everything is closed these days and we’re Since everything is closed these days and we’re all home practicing social distancing, it’s a good time to paint. Obvi I can’t take anything to @livingstonantiqueoutlet so I’ll just be stockpiling for when things go back to “normal”, whatever that is. This piece painted using @bungalow47 furniture paint in Farmhouse Sink #vintagefinds #paintedfurniture #fleamarketfinds #fleamarketstyle #homedecor #restyledfurniture #renewedfurniture
Sharing my goblets for the #desertrosechallenge by Sharing my goblets for the #desertrosechallenge by @chairwhimsy and @simplysoutherncottage because this is all I currently have. My mom still has all the dishes, but I brought the goblets home in my carryon last time I visited. I grew up spending several weekends going to the Franciscan outlet with my mom, adding to her Desert Rose collection. I was raised in the San Fernando Valley outside Los Angeles and I think the outlet was somewhere near Sylmar, but it was the 70s and I was a kid searching for china with my mom. They sold seconds that couldn’t pass as perfect, and I remember helping to find the ones where the flaws weren’t noticeable. I remember being there when they began offering the pink goblets and my mom was over the moon! I have 12 of them, the collection she had, and soon I will begin carrying back (once again in my carryon) the dishes so this token of my childhood will live on at my adult table. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! #desertrosechallenge #pink #franciscan #vintagefinds #fleamarketstyle #vintageglass #vintagedishes #desertrosegoblets #homedecor
Are there any repurposers out there? If so, you’ Are there any repurposers out there? If so, you’ll appreciate this because this is ingenuity at it’s finest! This cute wood tray has a wood hanger as a handle...genius and one-of-a-kind! I can’t even with stuff like this, I just love it so much. It’s usable and a great conversation piece, available in my little booth at @livingstonantiqueoutlet #vintagefinds #oneofakind #repurposed #farmhousedecor #fleamarketfinds #fleamarketstyle #thrillofthehunt
“Goody Two Shoes”, we all know one. Wouldn’t “Goody Two Shoes”, we all know one. Wouldn’t this make the cutest little gift for the goody vintage lover in your life? I love to find fun things like this, they make such unique and thoughtful presents. These are found in my new little booth at @livingstonantiqueoutlet #vintagefinds #uniquegifts #goodytwoshoes #vintage #thrillofthehunt #fleamarketfinds #fleamarketstyle

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