::Behind the Robin's Nest::

Sublime. Ineffable.

Unique.

Maybe some of you Bright Lights remember my first blog ::cottage instincts::?

I just can't get that beloved nest out of my mind.  Other than being supremely beautiful and including all my favorite colors in nature (robin's egg blue and earthy naturals), it represents so much of my decorating (and life) philosophy.

Nature often provides me with not only decorating inspiration (!) but with life lessons that sorta plunk themselves into my consciousness in a flash of "OH!"  And Mama Robin and her nest have been one of the most profound lessons for me. Let me 'splain....

So a random mother bird, one of millions upon millions, just doing what she does by instinct, creates one of the world's most beautiful things....not just those sublime blue eggs, but a home for them: cobbling a nest together with what she can find, shaping it into a perfectly imperfect dwelling.

And we humans in all our wisdom and knowledge continue to stop everything to stare in admiration and awe when we find one.

How often do we nest builders sell ourselves short in our efforts to create a homey dwelling as we daily peruse the IG accounts and blogs of others, comparing and seemingly falling short of some iconic standard of  'beautiful'?

Pretty sure Mama Robin just does her thang each spring, even though millions upon millions of other mother robins are doing their thangs too, not wasting precious energy on comparison.  She trusts her own nesting instincts. I think we'd all be much more content with our homes (and lives) if we could just get in touch with our guts.  Instead of copying everyone else, then scrutinizing every little thing until we go cross-eyed, THEN getting depressed because our homes (and lives) somehow don't measure up to the chick with thousands of followers on social media outlets.

Maybe I'm just talking to myself, here, but methinks I'm preachin' to the choir.  As fun as decor social media can be, we can learn to trust our own individual instincts, just like Mama Robin. I constantly remind myself that it's fine to reap knowledge about design and DIY projects, but not-so-fine to spiral into the depths of 'not good enough'.

So, that's why I will always include a Robin's Nest in my header.  It represents best what I hope my blogging accomplishes....to encourage fellow Robins to follow their instincts and recognize the sublime, ineffable, unique beauty they create as they saunter thru the rhythm of their daily lives.

Cobbling together our nests, we glean inspiration and motivation from other nesters, allow ourselves the freedom to follow our instincts, and know we've created something worthy of respect and awe because it comes from deep within ourselves.  A sacred thing.

In the natural world, each robin's nest is different, but we all know a nest when we see one, yeah?  Whether it's made of primitive sticks and downy feathers, or shards of styrofoam, plastic straws and random pieces of garbage, how those materials are knit together is a unique expression of one bird's instincts.  We're amazed by both...the rustic beauty of the one, the ingenuity of the other. Both are worthy of the divine task of cradling precious cargo.

I hope to model for you what trusting your instincts looks like via this blog.  I'm a learn-as-I-go, process-what-worked-and-why kinda girl, then I move on to apply what new bits of experience I gathered to my next creative pursuit. And I plan to share those experiences with my readers.

Decorating, like life, is a series of tries.  Fails and successes both play major roles, but the TRYING is the stuff of life.....  Keep trying to follow your instincts.  Be respectful of the creativity within you, honor it, and let it express itself in your family's nest without shame. Remember whatever efforts you make are sublime, ineffable and unique....and so so lovely.

Just like Mama Robin's nest.