Home Sweet Shanghai Home

I received a package in the mail yesterday, from a very dear friend, that reminded me of home.  (Yes, you can send me mail and it actually gets here in one piece!)  Home in general and my home specifically.  It had a quote that said, "Home is where you share the joy and love."  There was also a little note on the corner that I decided to leave on there that stated she hoped I loved my new home in China.

That is the thing about dear friends.  They know you.  They know what you want and they know what you need.  And she was right on both counts.  I do love my Chinese home because it has features that I have always wanted but mostly I love my Chinese home because I'm sharing the joy and love of my family here.  We are a family again.  Warms my heart to think about it after being separated for so long.  I digress.  Thought I would take the opportunity to show you the superficial reasons that I love about my new home in Shanghai.

Faux Fireplace surrounded by my childrens'
artwork and annual Halloween pictures
The large lovely centerpiece will eventually
be replaced with a painting or a carving. 
Just have to find it first.

My stitching corner - favorite place in the whole house!
Allows me to stitch and still be able to keep an eye on the kiddos
in the family room.  Most likely glued to Nickelodeon Asia
or the daily James Bond flick.

For those that don't know me well, I love to be creative and make things, especially with needle and thread.  Let me just say that this house is a crafters paradise.  I have an entire living space devoted to stitching and enjoying my favorite pieces that I brought from home.  Has the wheels turning for a similar space when we return to the states.




Then there is the breakfast area that we use as a games/crafting table.  It doesn't matter what we leave on the table because it is out of the way.  Plus is it next to my scrapbook cabinet which makes it extremely convenient to work on scrapping projects as well as craft projects.  This is going to be a crafty Christmas because we will be making all of our Christmas ornaments for our tree this year. We are so excited that we have already started making some we found on Pinterest.

Emma Grace showing off her latest Trophy from Jumpstart

The best room is the office because I have room to display more of my favorite pieces from home as well as store all of my crafting, quilting, needlework, and painting supplies.  I already have plans to move my children out of their playroom when we get back to Tupelo and create a chic sewing/crafting space instead.  Don't worry, I haven't totally displaced them, just moved them to a different part of the house. :)

The office has so much storage that all of my crafting stuff has
a place and I can still display some more of my favortie things
 like my quaker boxes, Mason Jars filled with ornaments, threads,
antique buttons, and foreign coins plus family pictures, pottery and books.  This space stores a big piece of my Tupelo home.




The Playroom

     

 The easel eagerly awaits a trip to the art supply store for new paints and chalks.

Poor Garden Cat is hanging out in
the office because I ran out of wool
to finish the last three inches.  A lot
of woman in Shanghai do needlepoint
so I'm hoping to find the market that
sells the wool.  Think of the fun that will
be searching for a stitching market!

All 200 stuffed animals made the trip and seem to be adjusting
well to their new digs in the attic.

So far we have been settling in nicely to our new home.  Everyone has started making this space their own but it is going to take some time. Living in someone else's house is a bit odd.  You slowly have to put your mark on the space while respecting the items that are here - whether there is an appreciation for all the furnishings that have been left behind.  I think that will be a fun part of this journey.  Going to markets to and finding treasures that mix my old stuff with my new life in Shanghai.  Adding pieces slowly and deliberately and living with things like a clock/fountain/lamp until I can find a replacement at the lighting market.  I've been making my list of things to look for and can't wait to start checking them off.  Home is what you make of it, goofy dried flower arrangements and all.  We are off to a pretty good start here in Shanghai.  Hard to believe that it has almost been a month.  Can't wait to see what the future holds!