Holly Connors from Simplify, Create, Inspire was one of our first linkers and is still one of our biggest supporters for our Thursday #HIT link up. I fancy myself as a bit of a creative type so her blog was an instant fit for me. Even though Holly is busy with two small girls, she finds the time to blog at not only Simplify, Create, Inspired but also at her family travel blog Four Around The World!
Holly has some creative ways to simplify your life like The Weekly Bill Pay Method and Three Habits Guaranteed to Increase Productivity, which I read and re-read ? While the Four Around The World blog is full of inspiring travel reviews and advice like How To Keep The Kids Entertained During Travel and Without A Care In The World – Stress Free Family Holiday!
If you are like me and require a little help in simplifying your life, why not sign up for Holly’s Simplify Your Life Challenge! But before you do, have a little peak into her gorgeous dining room.
Tell us a little about yourself?
I’m a mum of 2 girls aged 3 and 6 months. My background is in psychology, having worked in corrections for the better part of the past decade. However as it happens so often, life after kids changes things so just over a year ago I took the big risk to leave my successful career and focus on other things. At the time it was studying education, but a random turn of events lead me to blogging and freelance writing which is my main source of income now, plus it means I am at home with my 2 girls. It all came from a goal to get more organised and simplify at home, which is the main focus of Simplify Create Inspire. Aside from that, my husband and I love to travel and having kids is no reason to stop the adventures. We just make them more kid-friendly now and we recently started a family travel blog to document the journeys.
Tell us about your favourite space?
My favourite space is nothing spectacular, and to some it may look a tad cluttered, but it happens to be our open plan dining room area. Being the centre of the house, we are in there often or walking past constantly, so it is an area always in sight… and one that can look pretty shabby when things get a bit messy. I have a bad habit of piling stuff up on the dining table. Oops!
What is it about this space that makes it your favourite space?
In our dining area we have a glass cabinet filled with memories. There is all of our wedding items – the cake topper, the flowers, our sand ceremony vases. It holds my husband’s childhood sport trophies. There are special items I have created, such as the Honourable Mention altered mini suitcase I created for Scrapbooking Memories Masters in 2014. And of course, it is filled with our travel souvenirs. Beer steins from Germany, nesting dolls from Poland, wood carvings from Fiji. Items from so many different places around the world. Plus there is even my basket of flowers from my big sister’s wedding back in 1992. When we have friends visit, it can be quite a conversation starter when they see some of the different items on display and gives us the chance to tell stories and relive those special memories.
Right across from the dining table is another favourite spot, with our engagement photo shoot images on display and other decorative items on top of the shelf. Look closely and you will see the flowers in the vase actually represent our two daughters – Lily and Violet. Plus I love the dark wood look of a lot of our furniture. It goes with the antique carved dining table we have, which may need to retire soon as we now need to sit outdoors under the patio if entertaining because a 4 seater table doesn’t accommodate many.
What are your favourite items in this space?
I love our dining table. The detail is not visible in the photographs, but underneath the table cloth the table is hand carved with patterns all the way around the edges, and a carved base as well. It has seen better days but I love the intricate details. It will be a sad day when we part with it, so I won’t be ready to see it go just yet!
How does this space make you feel?
As a memory keeper, our dining area and all our special memories on display makes me feel reminiscent and inspires us to start planning new adventures. It is a great reminder of the moments that stood out from our past. Some of them are sad, but most of them are wonderful!
What a gorgeous and homely spot this is! I love the memories and the conversation starter pieces. My Dad has a very similar cabinet filled with all his holiday trinkets and I can stand there and listen to the stories that go with each one for hours!
When not blogging at Simplify, Create, Inspire or Four Around The World, you can find her on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest
What is your favourite space? Care to share a picture?
Nicole xxx
Thanks again for having me Nicole. I know I love seeing inside other people’s spaces… Although I’m not much of an interior decorator so your home is much nicer to see than mine lol one day though! Maybe when the toddler & baby stop trashing the house ?
There’s a big storm brewing outside right now. Let’s hope it passes us over! Stay safe x
Hi Holly! Thank you for sharing your home with us. I missed the storm, we were up on the Sunshine Coast, though my daughter was home and tells me we didn’t get anything at all. So disappointing!! xx
I love that cabinet with all those magical memories! Imagine if all those momentos could talk, oh, the stories they could tell!
What a lovely thought Sammie, if only they could! I used to think my toys came alive at night and would watch over me sleeping, if only they could talk, they would have plenty of stories to tell!!
And this is what you call a space with soul. I have a similar buffet/cabine unit Holly and it is full of different things that mean something to me. I love seeing my treasures on display. x
Perfectly put! xx