Book Review: The Nesting Place
The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful
by Myquillyn Smith
Myquillyn Smith of Nesting Place has been blogging for over six years and her first book just hit the shelves of our library. She has been featured in several magazines, many other blogs and is wildly popular. I have to admit, however, that I have never really followed her. I just don't love her style. Perhaps, because of that, I felt like she had nothing to contribute to my life or home. In fact, I almost didn't read this book.
But I must recommend: Read this book.
It is way more than a Do-It-Yourself guide to decorating and thrifting and painting. It is not Design 101. Rather, she gently and graciously reminds us to focus on gratitude and joy and love. She gives permission to live in and love the place we're in right now.
She hit the nail on the head, in a section titled Giving Up on Perfect. I am absolutely guilty of this self-defeating problem...perfectionism. She says, "Instead of giving up on a perfect idea, what if you gave up on perfection? Lower your expectations and realize that as long as we all choose to walk around clothed, the laundry will never really be finished. If we live fully in a home, there will be messes. Why does that surprise us and make us feel guilty?" (p 50) Ah, yes, perspective!
What freeing advise she gives, "Allowing things in our homes and in our lives to be incomplete, imperfect, and undone in some ways is a form of trust. Can you give up and allow some imperfections in your life?" (p 50) And on a related topic, "I realized that when I apologize for my home, I'm declaring to all within earshot that I'm not content." (p61) I can feel that I need to apply this not only to my house, but to my children, the yard, my body, relationships, and on-and-on. Allow some imperfections, be content, trust.
It is ironic that I don't care for her style and she even admits, "I never take decorating advice from someone whose house I don't like." (p92) She goes on to say, however, "If I can't appreciate her style or find real beauty there, there's no reason to consider her opinion...Get advice from people who are doing the thing the way you want to be doing that thing. It's a universal law that can be applied to almost any situation." (p92)
And what I almost missed because I didn't like the decorating in her home was way she was doing that thing. The way she approached her home. I still think it's unlikely that I will decorate with faux antlers or anything hot pink, but what I can incorporate is the heart.
by Myquillyn Smith
Myquillyn Smith of Nesting Place has been blogging for over six years and her first book just hit the shelves of our library. She has been featured in several magazines, many other blogs and is wildly popular. I have to admit, however, that I have never really followed her. I just don't love her style. Perhaps, because of that, I felt like she had nothing to contribute to my life or home. In fact, I almost didn't read this book.
But I must recommend: Read this book.
It is way more than a Do-It-Yourself guide to decorating and thrifting and painting. It is not Design 101. Rather, she gently and graciously reminds us to focus on gratitude and joy and love. She gives permission to live in and love the place we're in right now.
She hit the nail on the head, in a section titled Giving Up on Perfect. I am absolutely guilty of this self-defeating problem...perfectionism. She says, "Instead of giving up on a perfect idea, what if you gave up on perfection? Lower your expectations and realize that as long as we all choose to walk around clothed, the laundry will never really be finished. If we live fully in a home, there will be messes. Why does that surprise us and make us feel guilty?" (p 50) Ah, yes, perspective!
What freeing advise she gives, "Allowing things in our homes and in our lives to be incomplete, imperfect, and undone in some ways is a form of trust. Can you give up and allow some imperfections in your life?" (p 50) And on a related topic, "I realized that when I apologize for my home, I'm declaring to all within earshot that I'm not content." (p61) I can feel that I need to apply this not only to my house, but to my children, the yard, my body, relationships, and on-and-on. Allow some imperfections, be content, trust.
It is ironic that I don't care for her style and she even admits, "I never take decorating advice from someone whose house I don't like." (p92) She goes on to say, however, "If I can't appreciate her style or find real beauty there, there's no reason to consider her opinion...Get advice from people who are doing the thing the way you want to be doing that thing. It's a universal law that can be applied to almost any situation." (p92)
And what I almost missed because I didn't like the decorating in her home was way she was doing that thing. The way she approached her home. I still think it's unlikely that I will decorate with faux antlers or anything hot pink, but what I can incorporate is the heart.
All my life I thought my dream was a pretty house,
but really, my dream was to create a home.
Home.
Home.
A place of rest while we are on this earth.
A safe place for our children.
A place to love and be loved.
A place that is beautiful. A haven.
With enough money, anyone can create a pretty house.
With enough money, anyone can create a pretty house.
But it takes intention to create a home.
(p 181)
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