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Making a House a Home with Family and Friends
When it comes to making a comfy cozy home, family and friends has to be right up at the top of the list. Wouldn’t you agree? To me, Friends and Family make a house a home just as much if not more than decorating the house itself.
The hubby, the kids, the pets. Amidst all the chaos of busy days of getting the kids ready for school, shuffling off to work and doing all the household chores, there’s always that time when everyone is just chillaxing on the couch enjoying a good movie.
Or picture a family gathering where everyone has just had a big meal and is not sharing ole time stories, reminiscing old memories and laughing.
These are cherished memories in themselves and create the love that makes a house a home.
It’s not the physical decor or the food on the table, it’s the people. The people you love. The people who accept you as you are.
That is exactly why I have so many photos of my family in each room of my home and, Yes, even the bathrooms! They bring joy to my heart and soul and that comfy feeling of knowing where we belong, together.
Things that make a house a home with Family
- A quiet night with a bowl of popcorn and a movie
- Family traditions passed down generation to generation
- Celebrating Birthdays, Anniversaries, Accomplishments
- Taking the time to discuss the day
- Overcoming challenges together
- Working on projects together
- Planning the future together
- Being present in each other’s lives
- Laughing at an unexpected occurrence
If family is not nearby you can always count on your friends showing up at your door every now and then. They come because you have also made a safe place for them to put their feet up and relax.
A place that you can giggle about recent trends, share a glass of wine, go through the week’s happenings and just be you.
Friends have a way of bringing a variety of life to your home. Whether you have them over for coffee, dinner, a shower, a movie, planning your next outing, or a quick chat, you are never bored.
Things that Make a House a Home with Friends
- Dinner with friends at home
- Lounging on the sofa with a cup of coffee
- Wine and Cheese on the patio
- A game of charades
- A wedding or baby shower
- The dreaded Tupperware party (LOL)
- Chatting away over lunch
As I wrote this, all that kept coming to mind were memories of good times shared. It’s funny because a glance to the kitchen reminded me of a dinner party last week, and as I tried to think of other places in our home with family and friends, each room had memories that brought a smile to my face.
It’s those feelings of warmth and comfort in those familiar faces and memories that make my house a home to me.
How about two free scrapbook collage layouts you can use to start your family and friends memories for your home?
Petite Art Projects for Busy Days
Winter holidays can stuff your home with relatives, gifts, and gear. There’s room for art, too—just think small.
Try these petite projects:
- Portable sketchbooks allow for art anytime and anywhere—with family in the kitchen or living room, late at night in a cozy bed, or even in the bathtub, à la Bonnard.
- Create a festive still life sketch. Think colorful lights, wreaths, snow globes, holiday foods, candles— you get the idea.
- A postcard-sized watercolor in a readymade frame makes a great gift. Or create a series to keep and hang together or to inspire a new body of work.
- Make it shine. Everything seems to shimmer during the holidays, so reach for the metallic paints, pens and inks. Don’t scrimp on the mica or glitter. Heighten the drama by using a black surface.
- If you’re solo in the studio, turn on your favorite holiday music and see what transpires. Need a theme to jumpstart your creativity? Try the winter solstice.
Have a Couple Hours? Try a Mini Plein-Air Oil Study
Plein air painting can be done anywhere. Step outside and turn in a complete circle to choose a vantage point. Then start painting.
Artist Emilie Lee offers these tips to simplify plein air paintings:
- Skip the underpainting (it takes too long to dry).
- To depict an entire scene, look immediately for big shapes and drop in your horizon line.
- Alternatively, focus on one detail—paint a branch rather than a tree.
Have an Afternoon? Turn Your Family Picture Into Art
Does your family gather for a holiday photo shoot? Turn the results of that session into a sketch or drawing.
Avoid detail overload with these tips:
- Apply horizontal and vertical grid lines across your photo reference so you can copy your composition one square at a time.
- Simplify clothing designs and decorations. Allow one or two details per figure or element.
- Go abstract with backgrounds and anatomical features.
- Concentrate on color values. If you get these right, the hues need not exactly match the photo.
