Ever wonder how a $4 photo copy of the words to a country song by Doug Stone, a little craft paint and a 3x3 foot canvas could possibly be integrated into French farmhouse decorating? I don't blame you. There was a point in 2012 after I heard this song for the first time that I would have wondered too. Today I'm going to tell you why this song has new meaning in my life and a new place in my home but first, I've got a confession to make:
Sometimes I forget the amazing parts of living in a small house.
I'll admit it, sometimes I get so focused on the fact that I've made three trips to the basement to find pots and pans (or, occasionally, one of the boxes containing my winter clothes which won't fit into my two foot by two foot closet) that I overlook some of the more important aspects of life in our little house.
Like the fact that when I misplace something there are only three rooms to search in order to find it. I have to admit, my search time has been reduced to the point that I almost don't mind looking for my glasses two or three times in the same day.
Almost.
I sometimes overlook the fact that cleaning the entire house takes only twenty minutes.
Okay, I'll admit that this is mainly because there are boxes and piles of furniture stacked in every room of the house. This limits the dusting to the top of two dressers, a couple of night stands and, occasionally, the sideboard in the dining room. "Vacuuming" now consists of making a quick pass through the hall leading to the bedrooms, whatever part of the kitchen floor may be visible and a section of the living room rug that measures roughly 5 x 8 feet because there are boxes, a couple of armoires and two desks from the storage locker which now cover the remainder of the rug and virtually all of the hardwood floor.
I'm learning to appreciate that fact more each day and I'll bet that you're not at all surprised to learn that it's because limited time spent cleaning allows more time for junking!
Even with all of these perks, the very best thing about living in a little house is that the lack of space means that we're forced to spend time together. Yep, these days, I'm all about mandatory family fun.
When my sons were home for the month December, we shared one bathroom, one television, a love seat and a couple of chairs.
We also shared card games, cribbage, cooking, and more than a few conversations about school...and life. While I'd like to credit my sparkling personality and quick witted magnetism for our increased togetherness, I suppose that at least initially, the time we spent in the same room was primarily due to the fact that there really was no other choice.
By the end of the first week, however, we were spending time together because we chose to. Heck, there were even a couple of times when my sons' friends actually came over to hang out.
Please note that if there were more than two of them here at one time, I simply excused myself to fold laundry or bake cookies. This helped to avoid what could have been an awkward situation created by my having to sit on someone's lap because there were no more available seats.
I've traumatized my sons enough over the years to warrant therapy, a tell-all book or two, and a few chats with Dr. Phil so,m I don't think that I really need to add to the horror by sitting on their laps, or the laps of their college age friends, regardless of what may be a perfectly logical reason for doing so.
So, if you
Or, you may find that there's an entire dining room set in the living room along with the living room furniture and two extra sets of chairs from the Goodwill because they were only $5 each.
But if you can just
they'll be laughing (probably about the fact that I had to use a knife to chip the ice off of the inside of the front door last week to open it) and talking (about whether or not I'm in over my head with this project),.. and trying to figure out why I cut a hole in the bathroom wall.
And do you know something? I wouldn't have it any other way.
Well, except maybe for the ice coming out of the electric outlet in the bathroom on days when it's below zero.But, other than that, I wouldn't change a single thing. Okay.Maybe I'd change the oven. But you get my point...don't you?
If you'd like to make canvas wall art like this one for your home, simply open the link below and print it on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. I took my print to a local copy center where I had it enlarged to 24 x 36 inches and then I trimmed it to fit my canvas.
I used clear gesso to adhere the paper to the canvas because that's what I had on hand but I think that Mod Podge would also work. As you can see, my copy did smear just a little but I don't mind because I wanted it to feel rustic. Love Grows Best in Little Houses Printable (Click HERE)
I painted the little gray house that's in the lower right hand corner using craft paint. It was created by drawing a 3x3 inch square with a triangle on top. After the gray paint was dry, I painted a small pink heart.
This canvas artwork will a part of my Valentine's day mantel (which I'm creating later this week in the hope of retuning the bins of decorations to the basement in the hope of reclaiming the loveseat by the weekend).
UPDATE: Link to my full Valentine's day "little houses" mantel is HERE.
It will have also a permanent spot somewhere in the French farmhouse to remind me that love really does grow best in little houses just like mine.
And it may not even be due to the fact that when you run out of hot water mid way through your shower, you're sometimes forced to stand in the hall soaking wet, wearing only a towel, waiting for the water heater to recharge while someone else uses the bathroom...but it sure is a conversation starter.
