“Most people had a history in this region, but not my parents, and my early, defining relationship to my environment was a feeling of being not from here, even though I had never lived in any other place.”
Source: Empty
“Most people do not need more space; they need less stuff, combined with a rethink of the space they do have.”
Source: Happy Inside: How to harness the power of home for health and happiness
“Clutter is the arch-enemy of the restful home. It is the interiors equivalent of a to-do list that never gets completed, undermining any attempt at relaxation. Physical clutter equates to emotional debris, stifling energy and dampening enthusiasm.”
Source: Happy Inside: How to harness the power of home for health and happiness
“Nothing makes me sadder than seeing pristine children's rooms decorated in the same style as the rest of the adult home – it's as if the children are not really allowed to exist.”
Source: Happy Inside: How to harness the power of home for health and happiness
“Looking at a plain wall is akin to staring blankly into space. We have a fundamental need for visual nourishment and stimulation in our homes, for our eyes to dance lightly over surfaces and not find them wanting.”
Source: Happy Inside: How to harness the power of home for health and happiness
“A house is never empty with a pet in situ, nor is an owner alone – a pet provides security, companionship and affection too.”
Source: Happy Inside: How to harness the power of home for health and happiness
“Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.”
“What is gardening but tidying and maintaining an outside space? And yet we don't think of it as a chore; we see it as a pleasure and something that relaxes us. Crucially, it is something that often fully absorbs us while we do it. This is the very definition of a mindful activity.”
Source: Happy Inside: How to harness the power of home for health and happiness
“Keeping "best" dinner sets for use only when you have guests comes with the assumption that unless it is a "special occasion", you do not deserve to eat off them. This is a subtle dig that goes right to the core of your self-esteem. Are you alone not deserving of the best?”
Source: Happy Inside: How to harness the power of home for health and happiness
“I was born upon thy bank, river,
My blood flows in thy stream,
And thou meanderest forever
At the bottom of my dream.”