True Confessions

I have a confession to make.

I have a woodstove.

It has been a love/hate relationship from day one.

It is quite possibly is the best heat source you could have if you live in a region with winter. However, it is a decorating/design nightmare!!

So imagine to my surprise finding images on pinterest of living rooms with a woodstove!

My number one issue with a wood stove is trying to decorate the mantle! You always see lovely vignettes atop a fireplace mantle but with a wood stove that big black pipe is hot to the touch and quite frankly, ugly, right smack in the middle of everything.

This one below is a nice compromise, still allowing a mantle to decorate.

This one is off to the side of the room and not the focal point….. which is a little better.

Although I like the texture and warmth (no pun intended) of firewood, this stack would be definitely regulated to the outside shed and not something I would stack in my living room!

Glass doors do allow the mesmerizing flicker of flames to radiate throughout the space.

And here is the pitiful display of my wood stove and I have tried to make the best of it. We originally planned to put in stove insert with an actual fireplace surround, however, when we went to pick it up the cost did not include doors (really????? we have to pay extra for doors??) not to mention several other “added” costs.

Also, on a sadder note, we had just received news that my brother-in-law had passed away while at the store, and we had to rush to the hospital.

So there it is….. at 10% of the cost this little stove came home with us that day, we had waaaaaay more important things to do and think about than how pleasing to the eye this would make the room look. And that’s the plain truth. Some things don’t really matter at all. We love people and use things, and not the other way around.

So, with Thanksgiving approaching, I am grateful for my family and all the good memories we have had, and will continue to have, around my humble hearth and home.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, and make His face shine upon you!

Blessings,

Cindy

Want more of Cindy and French Grey? Check out Natural Elements – Sticks and Stones

Learn more about the author Cindy Gardner