How to bring meaning into your Home

Over the years, my decorating style has changed. When I got my first apartment, I couldn’t afford anything so I essentially went to IKEA and purchased everything that could fit into my little studio in a day. As I continued to move apartments in the City, I swapped out my IKEA furniture, for items that were much more thoughtful and meaningful. While it’s easy to grab the trendiest piece of furniture from West Elm (and I still do that on occasion, too!) I’ve tried decorating with pieces that have family history, or hold a special place in my heart. It makes being in your home so much more enjoyable when you get to look around at things that make you smile.

Sharing some of these items that we have in our home below.

Milk Jar Vases

The day before Jonathan proposed to me, he went up to our proposal location in Millbrook, NY and stopped by an antique store that had hundreds of antique milk jars. He snagged a few before heading to the local florist to make flower arrangements for what would be our engagement dinner the following evening with our parents. I love reusing these jars as they bring back such happy memories of our proposal, engagement, and love story.

Katubah

A Ketubah is a traditional Jewish marriage contract that is signed just prior to the wedding ceremony. We worked with our Rabbi to come up with a really special and modern message to include. I absolutely love our Ketbuah, which we have displayed at the end of our large entryway hallway. Side note, my signature is absolutely hilarious. I was so, so nervous that I essentially just scribbled. But I love looking at it because it gives me all the feels.

An excerpt from our Ketubah message:

May there be peace in our home, may we be blessed with good fortune, health, and happiness, and may our devotion to each other ennoble us. With my beloved by my side, everyday is good to awaken to, and every moment is a gift.

Wooden Ladder and Blanket

I’ve always wanted to bring home a ladder from my families farm. There are tons of treasures in some of the old barns, but I never knew how to get these item back to NY. Well, fast forward to Covid-19 and we had our car in Iowa and a quick and easy way to bring back a large item! We grabbed this very, very old and beautiful wooden ladder in one of the old barns on the farm (which has been in my dad’s family since 1887!) It was used by my Great Grandpa Tomlinson. We took it home, and put some TLC into it before ultimately bring it back to NY.

Hanging on the ladder is a beautiful white knitted blanket made by a family member. While we can’t remember exactly who, it was one of my grandparents or great grandparents.

BabylonStoren Prints

I’m trying to get much better about buying keepsake items on our travels. On our honeymoon in South Africa, we fell in love with our stay at Babylonstoren and brought home 4 garden postcards which we framed and hung in our Kitchen. I love looking at these beautiful botanicals while I’m cooking or baking away.

Rice Canister

My mom’s maiden name is Rice, and growing up, my grandparents were avid antique-collectors. Their entire home was filled with special items they found all over the United States, including at least 50 Rice Canisters. Still to this day, my grandmother has them all over her house, but my sister, my mom, and I have gradually taken a few here and there so we could decorate with them in our own homes. I love having mine displayed on our bookshelf. It reminds me of my strong family values daily.

Glass Apple

My Great Grandma and Grandpa Dexter had this beautiful glass apple in their home. I was so lucky that I knew almost all of my Great Grandparents until I was in middle school. After they passed away, it was given to my mom, who recently gifted it to me and Jonathan. While my family is Christians, apples are meaningful in the Jewish religion as one of the most popular Rosh Hashanah customs involves eating apples dipped in honey. Ancient Jews believed apples had healing properties, and the honey signifies the hope that the new year will be sweet. I haven’t found a perfect home for this little apple just yet, but it’s currently sitting on the books we wrote our vows in for our wedding day, on our bookshelf.