4 weeks ago on one of the hottest days of the year, I bundled Bertie into the back of my car surrounded by bags, boxes, sleeping bags, food, everything we would need for our first night in our new home.
On the 2 hour drive up I could feel my shoulders dropping, the anxiety lifting slightly, I was on my way to my new life, one I had been planning for some time, one where it would be just me and Bertie.
We arrived at the house mid afternoon, I remember just standing in the garden thinking “Ive made it”.
That first night was cosy to say the least, it was very hot, I was sleeping on a camp bed and Bertie decided he was too precious to sleep on a sheepskin rug, he would have to share the camp bed with me. Something I never want to repeat
The next day the removal company arrived with my furniture, boxes and garden pots. It was getting more real by the minute. Now my sofa was in the sitting room, my kitchen table was in the dining area, my bed was in the bedroom and there were boxes everywhere. I spent the next couple of days unpacking boxes and getting things vaguely where I want them. I’m a firm believer that the quicker you can get those boxes unpacked and things put away (not necessarily where you will leave them, I have changed kitchen drawers around several times) the quicker you start to feel settled in your new home.
There are things that are not to my taste but that is ok, I don’t need to rush decisions, again advice I have always given my Home Styling clients.
Why then do I not take my own advice?
The garden is a blank canvas.
When I arrived the grass was above my ankles, parts of the garden you can’t get too because of brambles and weeds. I have lots of ideas of what I want to do with the garden, did I listen to my own advice and wait 12 months before starting any big projects. No I didn’t. At the weekend I invited a landscape gardener around to look at some of my ideas, he was a lovely guy and had some great ideas but by the time he left I was totally overwhelmed by everything.
Lesson learnt.
Looking back over these first four weeks, I’ve realised this move was never just about the house.
It was about creating space for a different way of living.
For years I’ve helped other people create homes they love, but somewhere along the way I forgot that a beautiful home is only one part of a beautiful life.
This next chapter is about finding that balance.
It’s about slower mornings with coffee in the garden, long walks with Bertie, exploring the local area, making new friends, being creative again and allowing the house to evolve naturally over time rather than trying to have everything finished by Christmas.
Willow & Hen is growing alongside me. It feels as though it’s entering a new chapter too.
The handmade pieces, candles, home inspiration and journal will all be inspired by this house and the life I’m creating here. I want Willow & Hen to become more than a place to buy beautiful things, I want it to be a place that encourages us to slow down, enjoy our homes and remember that they are there to support our lives – not become another project we are constantly trying to finish.
I’m sure there will be more unexpected bills, plenty of jobs still to do and moments where I’ll wonder what on earth I have taken on.
But there will also be cosy autumn evenings, with the fires lit, candles burning. Spring flowers appearing in the garden, new favourite places to explore and memories waiting to be made.
And I think that’s what this next chapter is really about.
Not creating the perfect home and garden.
Creating a life I love living.
Sue x
