One of the key themes I come back to at The Whiskey Porch is "seasonal living".  It's an aspect of a Simple Lifestyle that adds texture, and color, and variety, and a natural flow to things.

When we talk about living with the seasons, what does that really mean?

To me, it's simply shifting your lifestyle with the seasons.  Doing different things in different spaces, as the seasons progress through the year.

Focusing on the connection to the landscape and the outdoors is just as important as the creature comforts and floorplan that you incorporate into your home design.  So, the interior isn't entirely separate from the outdoors and the landscape that your home sits on. 

By creating this connection intentionally, we craft a direct link between our daily activities and the cycle of the earth. 

And.  We can greatly expand the amount of living space available to us.

Let me explain.

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At this time of year, porch season is on my mind!  It's been a few months for us here in Northern Arizona and since early spring is often windy here, it's not quite porch sittin' time, but it's getting so close.

Meanwhile, what better to do than ponder some inspirational ideas on how to dress up that porch and put some projects on the honey-do list.  

I thought I might do a quick look at a few inspiring porches over the next few weeks to get the juices flowing and highlight a few design or layout concepts that I think are worthy.

First up:  Simple does NOT mean boring.

With this photo it's hard to know how big the entire porch is.  Could be just this bit and then the front door to the right or twice this large perhaps.  

But given that's it's a fairly shallow space and likely not all that large, there's a few things I truly love about this styling.

​Scroll down for 4 reasons this porch works.

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​I know the day after Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about making lists of things to give or buy.  And spending all day in line to get the best deals.  

But here at The Whiskey Porch we do the exact opposite.  Enjoying each other with gratitude for what we have and adding artful décor to our little home.  And spending time outdoors which is often gorgeous in these parts!

Here's a little peek at how we do things, Nordic style, here at Juniper Hill Cottage...

The American Dream has virtually always been:  more + bigger = better.

The fad and trend that's predominated the last many decades has been to stretch yourself to the limit in order to acquire the most impressive home possible.  This home would prove that you were successful, and obviously make you comfortable and happy.

Over many decades, that's turned into crazy-big homes which required large incomes to buy and maintain, along with massive consumption of resources to build and live in.

​Tiny is fine if that's what you really need or want, but it's pretty extreme and unsustainable by most standards. 

​A more manageable and still meaningful downsize might mean reclaiming older, smaller homes and shifting to a less consumerism mentality, while still participating in a mainstream community and lifestyle.
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​Swedish Lagom will help you embrace a simpler lifestyle.

​Swedes have a few lifestyle concepts that might be part of the reason they are often considered one of the happiest places to live.   This post is just a little introduction to "lagom".

Lagom is all about living in moderation.  Finding a balance ... in life, at work, in your finances, and certainly with the size of your home.   Thinking about the "whole" and not just the "self".

To be fair, this is an idea that's been hyped and also can be, ironically, overdone.  But at it's core I think it has a lot to offer our American overly excessive way of life, if applied in a thoughtful way.

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Greetings,

Today is a big day for us.  We've officially launched our new brand The Whiskey Porch, which appropriately coincides with National Simplicity Day.  No accident, really.  I wanted to set a goal to work towards and force me not to work it to death, in an attempt to achieve perfection, before hitting the 'launch' button.

That's one thing I've come to learn in life --  perfection will never be achieved, and done is better than perfect.  And, so, here we are!  Happy to be with you and striving full speed ahead to create and share all kinds of ideas and inspiration.

To get us started, I wanted to write just a little bit about two things:  What is The Whiskey Porch all about?  And, why launch on National Simplicity Day?  
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perfect balance  -- whether it be in a craftsman bungalow, a tiny historic cottage, or somewhere yet to be discovered.

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