The Good Kind of Unkempt
As I continue to put together the puzzle that is our new house + our belongings gathered over 14 years, 8 homes, and 3 kids, I find that I am chronically rearranging the pieces and re-evaluating how I’ve styled each space. I often walk around, analyzing, where do I like this picture best? Or do the chairs make more sense here or there? Or does this go in the keep, donate, or trash pile?
There is one category, though, that rarely needs tweaking and that is the house plants. Bless them.
Despite the fact that I’ve historically been more of a faux plant kind of girl, when we moved in one of the first things I did was go buy a handful of house plants. I was fresh off living in a basement for 18 months where not even the hardiest of plants have much of a chance. I must have been craving the liveliness and natural beauty they bring to a space, and that’s exactly what they did.
The splashes of green - my favorite color - made me happy, plus it was the easiest decorating decision I’ve made thus far.
When in doubt, add more plants!
Thankfully, we get a ton of natural light in the main living space of our house. This works out well not only for my plants but also for me, because I’m kind of allergic to turning on overhead lights or lamps during the day. (A brief rant: It bothers me more than it should, “fake” lighting. Just give me pure, unadulterated sunlight, okay? And lamps are for evenings when the sun has tucked itself away and maybe rainy days qualify for lamplight too.) Anyway, thanks to all that natural light, it’s safe to say my house plants are flourishing. I don’t take any credit; I’m no plant lady. I simply water them once a week and keep them near-ish to a window; the rest is handled by God’s brilliant design of photosynthesis.
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Now that spring has arrived, I’ve noticed my philodendron plant on the shelf above the kitchen sink has gotten a little, um….out of control. The long stems have grown quickly and extensively, draping all the way down to the countertop. Greenish-yellow trailing tendrils dangle in my face as I wash dishes and heart-shaped leaves sprawl across the window that overlooks the front of our property.
The plant is a bit obtrusive for the space, I’ll admit. But I don’t want to trim it and I don’t want to move it. There’s something about its audacious leafy branches in my face, stretched from one shelf to the other, greeting me each time I approach the sink. I especially love when the afternoon sun shines its beams onto the front of our house, and all the leaves in that kitchen window begin to glow a brilliant green.
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A couple of weeks ago, my family and I kissed our chickens, goats, and doggies goodbye and hit the road to Florida for a quick spring getaway. A vacation is always a luxury, but this one felt *needed* if you know what I mean.
We arrived - happily, so happily - to bright sunshine, a picturesque green beach house, and quiet, unpopulated shores (the very best kind). The beach was chillier than we anticipated and we all got a little too much sun that first day, but sand-filled memories were made and it was such a sweet reprieve for all of us.
Driving home, I did what I always do on the way home: I scrolled through the piles of pictures I’d taken during our time away, trying to narrow down my favorites. Sad as it always is to leave the beach in the rear-view mirror, my heart filled right back up as I relived moments of sun-kissed smiling faces, beach wind-blown hair, ice cream-covered grins, pails spilling over with shells, chasing speedy tree frogs down the boardwalk, messy s'mores by the bonfire, and my girls twirling on the wet sand.
Isn’t it interesting that it was those unkempt, wild fragments of our trip that stood out to me the most as I scanned through the pictures. My eyes were drawn to them because they were absolutely teeming with life. Radiant.
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We returned home from our trip way past all of our bedtimes, but the next morning I grabbed my small brass watering can and set about the house, watering my thirsty plants.
I pulled my lush philodendron down off the kitchen shelf and as I watered the soil, it occurred to me - finally - why I’m so absurdly delighted by that plant (silly as it sounds). It’s because it embodies the good kind of unkempt in life, just like my technicolor beach memories: full of life and growth and exuberant beauty, the kind that doesn’t hold back.
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Here’s to noticing the good kind of unkempt around us, the evidence of life being well-lived and vivid memories being made. May we look on these scenes with smiles on our faces and warmth in our grateful hearts.
Scenes like….
a bookshelf overflowing with good and beautiful books.
the color splotches on kitchen island when an afternoon of watercolor painting is finished.
the Christmas morning hurricane of wrapping paper shreds.
a gargantuan pile of dishes in your sink after a celebratory meal with your people.
the disarray of books and supplies scattered from a productive day of homeschool.
overalls decorated with dirt from working in the garden.
the mess in the kids' bedrooms after having a pile of friends over to play.
your toddler’s sticky hands from blowing bubbles on a hot summer day.
the pile of library books when you first get home and dump them all out of the bag.
the chaotic whirlwind that is an elementary school field trip.
bedhead after a good nap.
the conglomeration of pillows, blankets, and cushions from building forts in the living room.
the smattering of freshly fallen leaves on the sidewalk after a big fall breeze.
the organized chaos of a good thrift store, brimming with treasures.
(…..what scenes would you add to this list?)
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be in such a hurry to clean up or brush past the unkempt that I miss the beauty buried within these untidy parts of life. I want to appreciate whatever is left unfiltered in our overly-filtered, curated world. I want to make it a point to savor the good kind of wild — the lush, vibrant, and free things. Whether that’s just my favorite plant or the kids’ scooters and helmets strewn all over the front porch, it all tells a story.
Beauty is everywhere.
“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is
God’s handwriting.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
What we’ve been up to:
The school year is drawing to a close! We still have a lot of fun in store for the remainder of the year thanks to our local homeschool co-op. Some recent highlights:
Aven just finished reading The Hobbit and loved it; she’s now learning to crochet and continuing to work on sewing skills.
Finn is learning to read and doing a great job! It has been an incredible experience for me as a mom to be the one teaching him such a life-changing skill.
We are raising some adorable baby chicks! We originally got 4 chicks to start with (1 Isa Brown & 3 Wyandottes) and then we inherited 6 Easter eggers from some sweet friends. The kids are enjoying the whole process of getting to care for them and see them grow.
Elowyn had a stomach bug the week before our vacation. The rest of us drank 1-2 glasses of 100% grape juice each day because it’s rumored to stave off a stomach bug — something about how it affects the pH in your system. Well - no one else got sick! (If you’re a mom, you know that’s basically a miracle.) So just something to keep in mind if anyone in your family falls prey to the dreaded stomach bug — grape juice for everyone else!
After too much research + overthinking, we finally started our raised bed gardens last weekend! To save some money, we used cedar fence planks and concrete planter wall blocks to create the beds. Can’t wait until we can harvest from our own backyard!
What I’m loving:
Christianbook’s “Slightly Imperfect” section // I got new a CSB She Reads Truth Hardcover Bible for only $12! It only had a few bent pages in the very back, otherwise perfect condition. I like having a couple of different translations of the Bible to refer to.
Watercolor // We watercolor together weekly as part of our homeschool but there are many times the kids also pull out the supplies just on a creative whim! I keep all of the watercolor supplies in a cabinet by the kitchen so they are easily accessible and the kids can set it up mostly by themselves. It can be done really cheaply with basic sets from Amazon and watercolor paper from Walmart or the dollar store. Fun for kids and moms ;)
The Birds & the Bees Education Guides for parents // I’ve been following these educators for years, and the information they share on having age-appropriate conversations with your kids about bodies and reproduction is beyond helpful. Highly recommend purchasing their course! (I also saw a coupon code recently from Joni Lay, not sure how long it will work though! LAYBABY20)
Wherever you are spiritually, you should listen to/watch this podcast “Did the Resurrection Really Happen?” with Dr. Jeremiah Johnston. It’s a fascinating conversation about how Christianity is a reasoned faith. The Gospel can handle being scrutinized because it’s the Truth and that never changes.
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I hope you take a beat this week to notice the good kind of unkempt in your daily life, and let it remind you that memories are being made, stories are being woven, and beauty is blooming.
I’d love to hear from you, if you have thoughts on anything you read today. Just hit reply and it’ll come straight to me. Or if you have a friend you’d like to share this with, please do!
Have the best week, friend!
living in his Radiance,
Shanna