Flip Clock

winter bedroom refresh ✨ ever since I was a little girl I have been picky about my space. things had to be just so and "feel" right. I was raised in a big family full of love but tight on money. there was no budget for anything extra, constant financial stress, a huge focus on helping those less fortunate, and a combo pack of shame and pride in not having a lot. I loved beauty and art and things made with care and intention, but antiques or travel just weren’t part of the world I grew up in. sooo, I learned to make things myself and get creative. I've always loved a gathered, authentic, meaning-filled style. special rocks found on hikes, handmade things (knitted, carved, woven, baked, sewed), mementos from our travels, books, plants, hand-me-downs, thrifted and upcycled items. anything that has a history and a story. (since my PhD in Victorian literature and first book, Dress Culture in Late Victorian Women’s Fiction, focused on sewing, the handmade, and working-class activism and textiles, this may start to make more sense!) the thing is, in a rental situation, you've got to get it looking cohesive from day one but you may not have the budget to do all the things you want to do right away (we certainly didn't). my advice? focus on handmade, recycled, thrifted, and vintage items and mix them with the best quality linens, finishings, rugs, lighting, etc. you can afford. style is always evolving and when you can afford to upgrade later on, do it! again, I don't mean in a fast-fashion, fill-up-a-landfill way but in a slow, considered way. our cabin may not look as buttoned-up as I hope it will one day, but I love the handmade things in every room, objects we made ourselves with love and intention: handmade furniture and gorgeous nature photography (both by my talented hubby!), hand-sewn pillows, macramé plant hangers, little handwritten notes, dried flower arrangements. it doesn't photograph super well but I adore our closet hanger, made from an aspen branch we found. ♡ in other words: take your time and be creative so your space feels just as welcoming as your heart!