Sometimes it’s hard to make a house feel like home.

It’s especially true for us in the tire house.  We have to keep things the way the owner likes them (from plates to couches) or rearrange everything we move when he comes to visit.  It’s his vacation home, after all.  He deserves to have his home the way he likes it.

So I create my own little sanctuary in the kitchen.  I like having a little corner that’s just mine.  A favorite spot of your own somewhere can make all the difference.  It could be a desk or favorite chair, a corner in the garage, or even your bed.

Martin and I each create our own spaces no matter where we live.  It’s our biggest trick for living in small spaces.  No matter what, we always have a corner of our very own.

Here’s my corner in the tire house kitchen.

It’s so refreshing when I feel out of place here.  I know that little drawer is mine, and suddenly regular old kitchen accessories start feeling like mini treasures.  Ordinary things like a scale or leaf-shaped cookie cutter start feeling extraordinary.  Putting on a handmade apron from etsy feels like a magic cape.

Suddenly all the faults I see in the kitchen – probably because it’s not my kitchen or the way I would organize it – don’t seem so bad.

Do any of you have a favorite corner or drawer in your home that is just for you?  What do you keep there?  Now pause.  How does that space change your perspective?

We’re big fans of capturing the moments around our house, and I’m absolutely sure there is one monumental time that is more worthy of celebrating than any other:  welcoming baby!

I’m so glad to present the much requested newest addition of {You Are Loved} baby books to Gadanke…

I wanted to make something that was just right for the detailed mom who wants to document every detail – growth charts, lists of loves, lists of firsts.

It was also really important for me to create a book for moms who like to go with the flow and jot down memories and experiences as the mood (and time!) struck them.

I’m all about supporting the local guys and opting for sustainable practices in life and in my products.  This crusade to find 100% recycled materials, products from sustainable forests, and resources made in the USA or the European Union has really come together well with these journals.  It’s my way of giving just a little tiny something extra to baby.

So mosey on over to Gadanke to look at the lovely new baby books, and pick one up for yourself, a mother-to-be, or a mamma with a little bundle of cuteness if you’d like.  Just make sure you get over there before my own mom and all the women in my family snatch them up.

Our table is filled with little bits of recycled paper confetti.

I think that there are stories in all of the bits.

New journals are coming together to celebrate those stories.

Won’t you come by?  There’s a new shop update at Gadanke tomorrow.