Lining the nest on the cheap ... with thoughtfulness and creativity.

Squirrel Animal Medicine

Gathering, Activity, Preparedness.

 

The gathering power of Squirrel is a great gift. It teaches us balance within the circle of gathering and giving out. They remind us that in our quest for our goals, it is vital to make time for play and socializing.  

Squirrel teaches us to conserve our energy for times of need. If your totem is Squirrel or Squirrel has recently entered your life, lighten your load of things that are unnecessary – things that you have gathered in the past and may be cluttering your life – thoughts, worries, and stresses. 

Squirrel is also the totem of action. Ask yourself are you too active, not active enough, afraid of enough, hung up on accumulating and collecting. Squirrel people tend to be a little erratic – trying to do many things at once. Take the time to stop and listen to your inner self – and don’t forget to play!

Why all that makes a whole lot of sense to me ...

This morning, while I was sitting on the back porch drinking a cup of coffee, I watched a squirrel gathering leaves and twigs on the ground and taking them up to it's nest in the top of a pine tree. I could hear the "stuff-crunch-stuff", and then the squirrel would scamper back down, grab another mouthful of leaves and twigs, haul it home and do the "stuff-crunch-stuff" thing again. I watched the squirrel do this about nine or ten times. I assumed it was girl squirrel cozy-ing up her nest in preparation for having babies. She was decorating.

For a few days now I've had home redecorating on the brain. Maybe it's my artistic nature. Maybe it's the lure of Spring and things being "new" again. Maybe it's that I want to get out of the rut I feel I've been in for too long. Whatever the reason, the urge to re-do my nest has been biting my butt pretty hard.

While the will is there, sadly, the wallet isn't. The upside to a seriously limited budget is I like the challenge it presents.

I'm sure y'all have seen all those shows about how to decorate on a budget, on a shoestring, or the classic "Makeover your living room for under $500!" Those kinds of shows are great for inspiration/ideas, but if y'all are like me, that $500 is bill-paying money. Who's got a spare five Ben Franklin's laying around for throw pillows and knick-knacks? Not moi'. So I have to be really creative. Shopping has be done at thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, etc. I'll have to refinish or re-purpose things I find or that I already have. A little ingenuity can go a long way when it comes to decorating.

I've already said that my thoughts on the color scheme is based on 'water'. Calm, cool, soft ... like this sea glass ...

I want to blend pale aquas, khaki, mocha, lavender, light blues, and sea green through the house, but I also want chocolate browns and the occasional "pop" of brighter versions of the colors like this great rug ...

I'm also pretty crazy about this pillow ...

 

I want to play with textures and different finishes. I have a tv cabinet I would like to refinish like this chest of drawers ...

I want to keep it an overall contemporary decor with some eclectic touches. It should feel relaxed, yet artful and interesting. I despise 'matchy-matchy' decorating. I think it lacks any originality, personality or imagination. The husband would argue that.

So, I'm on a mission to decorate without spending much money. I might even try to do one of those self-imposed tricks like only giving myself $50 or $75 per room just to see how creative I can be. Do one room per month. I think that would be a lot of fun!

The other side to my decorating plans is getting rid of a lot of stuff. I want to really 'clean house'. Not only does that reduce clutter and junked up closets, it also helps me un-clutter. It makes me feel burdened to have so much stuff. Didn't used to be that way - the more the better! - was the motto. Now I just want minimal. I want to open a cabinet and see it organized. I want to open my sock drawer without it exploding.

And that mindset bleeds over into my life in general. I need calm. I need to de-stress and let go. I need to get outside and plant flowers, go hiking, sit in the sun. I've spent the past several years in a space, both mentally and physically, that has been the complete opposite of where I wanted to be. I think now is the time to change it ... and sewing a new throw pillow or two is a great place to start!

Namaste', y'all ...