Come Write With Me | October 30, 2026

Greetings my lovelies,

Have you ever been doing something completely ordinary when, out of nowhere, you realize something about your life has changed? Not because of some grand event or earth-shattering revelation, but because, for just a moment, you notice something that has been quietly happening right under your nose.

That happened to me a week or two ago, of all places, while I was standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes. I happened to glance out the window and saw Kona and Winston in the backyard, enjoying their little corner of the world. As I stood there, looking outside and then around the kitchen, I felt something I hadn’t felt in this house for a very long time. I felt comfortable, peaceful, and genuinely happy to be there. It was such a simple moment, yet I found myself thinking about how much I was enjoying our home.

Now, here’s the funny part. A year ago, I absolutely hated this house.

I know, I know. That’s quite a turnaround, isn’t it? But before you start imagining that we were living in some horrible, rundown disaster of a house, let me explain. There wasn’t anything particularly terrible about the place itself. I simply didn’t like living here. The rooms were functional, the furniture served its purpose, and life went on, but there wasn’t much warmth or personality in our surroundings. It was somewhere to eat, sleep, work, and repeat the process the following day. Considering that I work from home, I was spending an awful lot of time in a place I didn’t particularly enjoy.

And believe me, that wasn’t always how I felt about making a home.

Years ago, when I was married to my former husband, we owned a house together. I poured a tremendous amount of money, time, and effort into that home, making it beautiful and creating a place I enjoyed. When we divorced, he received the house as part of our agreement and eventually sold it. Since Ronnie and I have been together, we’ve always rented, but that never stopped us from making our homes our own.

In fact, we’ve probably spent more money improving rental properties than most people would ever consider reasonable. We’ve repaired fences, renovated rooms, improved yards, and tackled projects that technically weren’t our responsibility. Some people might wonder why we’d spend our hard-earned money on a house that belonged to somebody else, but we always looked at it a little differently. We were the ones living there, waking up in those rooms and spending our evenings within those walls. Why shouldn’t we enjoy the place we called home?

Then came the house we rented from 2019 until 2023.

When we moved in, we were told we could stay for as long as we wanted, and we took that to heart. We settled in, rolled up our sleeves, and began transforming the property. We repaired the fence, renovated parts of the interior, and created a gorgeous backyard. I loved that outdoor space and everything we’d put into it. There was something wonderful about seeing all that work come together, knowing we’d created a place where we could relax and enjoy ourselves.

Unfortunately, the future we’d imagined there didn’t unfold quite the way we’d expected. Our landlord died by suicide, and afterward, the relationship with his wife deteriorated. Eventually, we left under unpleasant circumstances, and all those years of work, money, and care were left behind.

By the time we moved into our current rental, Ronnie and I had pretty much had enough. We decided we weren’t going to pour our money into renovating another house that didn’t belong to us. We’d maintain it, take care of what needed taking care of, and leave the expensive improvements to the property owner. After everything we’d experienced, it seemed like a perfectly sensible decision.

The trouble was, somewhere between deciding not to renovate another rental and settling into everyday life, we also stopped making much effort to create a home we enjoyed. We moved our belongings in, arranged the furniture, and carried on. The rooms weren’t particularly inviting, and there wasn’t much that reflected our personalities. We were living in the house, but we weren’t really enjoying it.

Then, sometime this year, things began changing.

There wasn’t a grand decorating plan or a dramatic weekend where we decided to overhaul the entire house. It happened gradually, one thing leading to another. We bought a new couch for the living room, added a fish tank, and started putting more thought into the furniture and surroundings. We made more of an effort to keep things clean and organized, and little by little, the house began feeling different.

Ronnie bought me a beautiful wooden desk, an accent chair, and an art table for my office, which also happens to be my crafting and gaming room. I absolutely love that space. The warmth of the wood, the furniture we’ve chosen, and having room for the things I enjoy make it somewhere I genuinely want to spend time. It’s where I work, write, create, and disappear into my games when I feel like escaping the real world for a while.

Our bedroom has been getting some attention, too. We bought a new wooden bed frame, and I love how much character it brings to the room. Now, if we could just find a dresser that actually goes with it, I’d be delighted. The one we have is perfectly functional, but it looks rather out of place these days. I swear, once you start changing furniture, the pieces you haven’t replaced suddenly become impossible to ignore. 😂

And then there’s the living room, which is becoming one of my favorite places to spend time. With the new couch and fish tank, it’s beginning to feel like a room meant for relaxing and enjoying ourselves rather than simply somewhere to put the television. I’d still love a beautiful area rug, a fireplace entertainment center, a new coffee table, and perhaps another accent chair. There’s also the hallway runner I’ve been thinking about, more wall decor, and a chest freezer for the kitchen.

Yes, a chest freezer. Not everything on my wish list is romantic and decorative, you know. Sometimes a woman just wants more room for frozen food.

As for our decorating style, I don’t think you could put us neatly into one category if you tried. I love traditional furnishings, vintage pieces, cottage-inspired coziness, a bit of Southwestern character, and naturally, a touch of witchy whimsy. Give me the warmth of beautiful wood, the richness of leather, earthy colors, inviting textures, and things that look as though they have a little history behind them. I don’t want a house that looks like a furniture showroom where you’re afraid to sit down and get comfortable. I want rooms that feel lived in, welcoming, and full of personality.

And speaking of personality, I have to talk about fragrances, because for me, the way a home smells is part of its atmosphere.

I love candles, wax melts, and those warm, comforting aromas that make a room feel inviting. Pine is one of my favorites, especially around the holidays, and I adore the rich scent of leather. Give me woodsy fragrances and those cozy, familiar smells that remind me of autumn, Christmas, and old-fashioned homes. Fruity and citrus fragrances? You can keep those.

We’ve been using wax melts, although some of them seem to give up on life after about five minutes. Seriously, how can something smell so wonderful when you first turn it on and then disappear into absolutely nothing? We also use Air Wick plug-ins, but I’ve been wanting to try the Wallflowers from Bath & Body Works. Naturally, with Kona, Winston, and the fish tank, I want to be mindful about which fragrances we bring into the house.

Right now, our Halloween decorations are out, and I’m already looking forward to Christmas. I can picture the house dressed for the holidays, with all those familiar colors, warm textures, and little decorative touches that make the season feel special. There’s something about Christmas decorating that I absolutely love, and this year I’m especially excited because I’m finally enjoying the rooms I’m decorating.

But here’s where things get interesting. As much as I love the furniture we’ve bought and the changes we’ve made, I don’t think that’s the whole reason I’ve fallen in love with our home.

It’s the way life feels here lately.

Our house has become a peaceful place, with a comfortable quiet that I really appreciate. But it’s certainly not without laughter and fun. Ronnie and I spend time together, watch television, play, and eat dinner in the same room. Sometimes we’re doing something together, and sometimes we’re simply enjoying each other’s company while doing our own things. The other evening, while I was working on this very blog post, Ronnie was drawing me a bath. It’s those little moments, the ordinary kindnesses and familiar routines, that make our days enjoyable.

And of course, there’s Kona and Winston. Anyone who shares a home with dogs knows that they bring their own kind of character to the place. Watching them outside, having them around throughout the day, and sharing our everyday routines with them is part of what makes this house feel like ours.

Which brings me back to that afternoon in the kitchen.

I wasn’t standing there admiring our furniture or thinking about the next decorating project. I wasn’t making a shopping list or imagining how much better everything would look once we’d finished another room. I was simply washing dishes, looking out at the dogs, and enjoying the atmosphere of our home. There was no special occasion, nothing particularly exciting happening, and yet I felt completely content.

It struck me how much had changed, not only in the appearance of the house but in how I felt about being here. A year earlier, I could barely find anything I liked about the place. Now, I was looking forward to spending time in the living room, enjoying my office, thinking about holiday decorating, and finding pleasure in the everyday routines that make up our lives.

And the funny thing is, we still don’t own this house. That hasn’t changed. We still rent, and there’s always the possibility that circumstances could change again someday. I haven’t forgotten what happened with our previous home, and I certainly don’t intend to start spending thousands of dollars renovating someone else’s property.

But I’ve come to appreciate the difference between investing in a rental property and investing in the comfort of our own lives. A beautiful couch, furniture we love, cozy rooms, and decorations that reflect our personalities aren’t just improvements to a building. They’re things we get to enjoy while we’re living here, and many of them can come with us wherever life takes us.

I suppose what I’ve discovered is that I don’t want to spend years living somewhere without enjoying it simply because it isn’t ours on paper. This is where Ronnie and I are spending our days, where Kona and Winston play in the backyard, where we laugh, relax, celebrate holidays, and make memories. We may not own the walls surrounding us, but the life happening inside them is ours.

There’s still plenty I’d love to change, and knowing me, there always will be. I’ll probably never stop finding beautiful things I’d like to add or imagining another little project we could tackle. But I’m enjoying what we have now, rather than waiting until every room is finished or every piece of furniture matches.

And I still smile when I think about that moment at the kitchen sink. After all the changes we’ve made, it wasn’t a new couch, a beautiful desk, or a freshly decorated room that made me realize how much I loved being here. It was an ordinary afternoon, a sink full of dishes, and two dogs enjoying the backyard.

Sometimes, that’s all it takes to notice how lovely everyday life has become.

So, my lovelies, today’s Come Write With Me prompt is: What makes your home somewhere you want to be?

Is it the warmth of your favorite room, the smell of coffee brewing in the morning, the colors and textures you’ve surrounded yourself with, or the familiar sounds of the people and pets you love? Maybe it’s a favorite chair, a treasured collection, or simply that wonderful feeling of walking through the door and knowing you’re somewhere you can relax and be yourself.

Have you ever lived somewhere that didn’t particularly feel like home, only to discover that somewhere along the way, you’d fallen in love with it? I’d love to hear about the places, people, and little everyday moments that make your home special.

Until next time,