Where is Home?

by jen edmondson August 21, 2018

Where is home for you? For me, home is both a place and a feeling. When you move on the average of every three years, home becomes the people you call family and the love that is between you all.

When we moved into this house 12 years ago, it was just a house. But for the first time in my life, I wasn’t moving every three years; I lived in one place for TWELVE YEARS!! We are now empty nesters living in a 3600+ square foot house! That is just too much house for two people and it makes more sense financially and logistically to move to a smaller abode.

After 12 years though, this house is no longer “just a house” this is a home where my kids grew, laughed and cried, had sleepovers and fevers, learned to cook, had TV movie nights and snuggled for hours, ……this is where they developed into the fabulous people that they have become; this house is now chock full of memories and it is hard to let it go.

My kids are mad, naturally, that we are selling the house and moving. They think we are making this decision very cavalierly like “woot woot the kids are gone….we’re outta here……!” But that is not the case; on the contrary! We love this house and all the memories. The truth is, it just doesn’t make sense for two people to live in and manage all this space. I wish there was some way I could convince them that my heart is broken too……not only have they flown the nest, now I must say goodbye to the house where most of the memories were made with them.

Its funny, in preparation for the move, I have been doing tons of purging. But when it comes to the kids belongings, I have been having such a difficult time saying goodbye to their stuff. Getting rid of their stuff is like getting rid of them! Alas, I have dozens of Rubbermaid tubs stacked in the basement with baby clothes, hand drawn pictures, shoebox dioramas, beloved stuffed animals and other mementos.

Not only do I save ALL their belongings, but I have several very special belongings of my own that I simply can NEVER part with. The antique mantel clock that is beloved and cherished because I remember it sitting on the antique cabinet next to the rocking chair in my grandma’s kitchen. Even though we have a king size bed, I will never part with headboard my husband made for the queen size bed we had when we were first married.

So I ask myself “when home is ‘the people you call family and the love that is between you all’ then why am I keeping all of these things?” All I can come up with is that as a result of moving so many times, I never had a place that would evoke memories of my past. It turns out that my possessions that I moved with me were the things that evoked those memories. And while for the first time this house is truly a home for me now and filled with memories, I must bid it adieu and move on. I will no longer be able to walk thru the house and catch the shadow memory of one of my kids rolling on the floor in their room laughing hysterically. I will have to replay memories in my head and refer to my beloved “things” to evoke my memories as a move forward in time.

So I guess I have to say that my things are my home.

So we have established that I am a “things” person, but now I think I better understand why I am a things person. Knowing this, it is no surprise that we create silverware jewelry / silver spoon jewelry. Our creations are deeply rooted in the principle of honoring the past and evoking memories; while the moment is gone, a token of the moment in time is preserved.

Are you a “things” person too? Have you also wondered why your “things” are so important to you? Perhaps my philosophy will help you to better understand yourself. With that being said, perhaps you have grandma’s silverware sitting in a box in the dining room right now. When was the last time you used that silverware or even opened that box? Perhaps you should make some lasting mementos from that silverware so that you can enjoy it regularly.

At Laughing Frog Studio we delight in making custom silverware jewelry and other creations for our customers using their family heirloom silverware. (Note, we make stuff for the guys as well as the girls.) So dust off that silverware box, and start thinking about having some custom holiday gifts upcycled from your family's vintage silverware; give your loved ones the option to wear or carry "home" with them. Order a spoon ring for your teenage daughter, a knife bell necklace for your mom, a fork money clip for your dad, a spoon keychain for your son, spoon link bracelets for your sisters, etc.

Its best to get your custom orders in early, so email us right away at jen@laughingfrogstudio.com to get the ball rolling.

www.laughingfrogstudio.com

Cover photo courtesy of Homes by Seebold.

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Where is Home?

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