hal·lowed
[ hállōd ] sanctified: holy or kept for religious userespected: regarded with great respect or reverence
ha·ven
[ háyvən ] sheltered place: a place sought for rest, shelter, or protection
I thought about the Theme and Name of this Month's Event and it was a perfect description and definition of how we often attempt to create our Home's Atmosphere isn't it? Home is our Personal Retreat and Sanctuary, a place we, our Family, our Friends and Guests should feel Welcome, Rested, Sheltered and Protected within the walls of.
I say 'should' only because for the unfortunate perhaps that hasn't always been the case. I was Fortunate, I grew up in a Home where it always was a Hallowed Haven. So I had a Wonderful Home Life growing up and a perfect Example to emulate, in my own Style and Fashion, once I matured and struck out on my own to create my own Home.
I've always been Intrigued by Personal Spaces, since I feel that it often reflects and reveals so much about who resides there and has created the Space. A Personal Space typically evolves much like the Person creating and inhabiting it, because it is in fact an extension of them at their very core of Being. And if many reside there, the blend of or dominance of personalities is usually evident too.
Sometimes the Individual and their Haven are similar enough that you rather expected the two to go together because it totally fits and mirrors them well. Other times there are surprises... as the Person and their Space are disparate, like two separate Beings. You Wonder... is the True Self hidden under a facade or Persona that is presented in Public and in Private they are quite a different Personality? Or are they creating a Space more for others than for themselves? Or perhaps just following Trends that might not be Authentic to Self, but are just a passing Phase and they're Enjoying for now?
I know that speaking for myself, over the years, I've done a little of me in my Personal Spaces... a lot of me... and a little or a lot of and for others too, depending on who I've shared the Spaces with. Occassionally I've done a Trend that was explored and then moved on from to something more Authentic to us. Or as we Traveled Nationally and Internationally and I was Exposed to more, I often incorporated those Elements into my Style that I had Admired and felt Comfortable around and Connected to. You could often tell a lot about where I was 'at' Internally at that Season of Life, by the external appearance of those Spaces.
But regardless of the Form or Fashion of our Personal Space, I always strived to make it extend a genuine Welcome and put our Personal Stamp upon it so that there was no doubt it was ours and we actually LIVED there. Having it be a Comfortable, Restful and Spiritual Shelter that we could Retreat to and that others would feel a Positive Energy being in too.
I always Enjoyed visiting my Friends and Family that also created such an Atmosphere in their Homes. But it was always the most Interesting to get a glimpse into Personal Spaces of random people. Maybe that's the voyeur in me and why I particularly like the Land of Blog where so many Personal Spaces are Shared and Invite us in for virtual tours. *LOL* I worked the 2000 and 2010 Census so I saw a lot of random Homes of people I didn't know and that was really an experience and revealed such a diversity of Home Life on a broad spectrum. So over the years I've seen or been in an abundance of Personal Spaces and I never cease to be Intrigued and Fascinated.
Some Personal Spaces felt like a second Home, even if the Aesthetic wasn't necessarily identical or even similar to ours, but the Atmosphere Created there was so Inviting and Welcoming. Some that oozed the Personality of the Owner and you could tell who they were and what they were about by their surroundings because it was such an extension of them. Yet others that felt like a Model Home nobody in particular actually resided in because it had absence of the Individual's Personality or actual preferences and a feeling of being contrived. Or perhaps a Space Styled by someone else whose mark was much more evident than the actual Resident of the Space.
I have however quite often Wondered what our Personal Space would look like if some of my absolute Favorite Artists or Stylists came in and gave it a Make-Over, haven't you? Because certainly there are some Personal Spaces that I've just fell so in Love with that I WANTED to just move in and take up Residence!!! *LOL* Or at the very least have them be our Personal Stylist just to see what the Transformation would be of our Home once they worked their Magic there?!?
Though The Man once told me that even if that Dream came True... we'd probably eventually change it back again gradually, until it was totally us again and no hint of the outside Styling was evident... he was probably right. But I like to Imagine at least a room at Home done up by someone whose Style and way of Feathering a Nest I just Adore and Admire. For some it appears so effortless to make everything look Amazing and more importantly, keep it in Order and looking that way.
Because therein lies my Personal Challenge... I can Style and Create Vignettes I'm Delighted with at Home... but keeping it all in Order and looking that way... not so much. In fact, Housekeeping is not at all my Special Gift and I'm too prone to excess to have Order for long in any particular room. There will usually be piles of stuff that need to find their own place and space sitting around waiting for that opportunity! *Le Sigh*
And it's ridiculous because I'll work very hard to get a room just the way I want it, sit back and bask in the accomplishment... only to have it slowly evolve back to needing a major intervention again... and think to myself, how and why did that happen?! I usually cannot place all the blame on the other occupants of our Home, though they certainly contribute and do their part, I'm often the guiltiest party of the mess!
I think I need a Personal Assistant behind me at all times either reminding me NOT to do that... or running damage control in my wake, I'm not sure there's any other way to 'fix' me 'cause Lord knows I've tried! Others have too, they've failed miserably, so this has to be a really Awesome Personal Assistant who doesn't give up on me too easily. One who gets paid in Praise of how Awesome and Priceless they are, 'cause though they're worth their weight in Gold, we ain't got any! *LOL* So, if you feel so Led, sign up for the Position right here in the Land of Blog, I'm taking all Applications and you'll definitely Feel Needed. *Winks*
Be prepared that these 'Hallowed Haven' Posts will seem to go on for an Eternity my Friends... I fully intend to go Long to cram all my Images into Posts since this is my Favorite Event Theme Annually... and I don't get out much anymore, so when I do Escape, I'm Photographing everything in sight that makes great Blog Fodder! *Smiles*
And since this was a Creepy Doll Haven for sure this Year, I HAD to Photograph all of the ones I couldn't Adopt personally, as a Service to them of coarse, so that you could and so that I'd feel Justified Photographing a Hoard of Creepy Doll Parts! *LOL*
Because, remember how we JUST talked about my chaotic piles of great stuff all over Bohemian Valhalla? Yep, there would have been piles of creepy doll parts if I'd brought Home every one I fell in Love with and was Jonesin' to have in my Personal Space. Which is already at Critical Mass even though the Great Edit and Purge seems to have gone on forever and a day so we ARE making Progress in the direction I want to go and one day arrive at in Minimalizing and Simplifying my Life!
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian