The Nester
About the Author

Myquillyn Smith, The Nester, is a home stager, redesigner and design school drop-out. Her last home (a rental) was featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Cottages & Bungalows, Ladies' Home Journal and in her upcoming design philosphy book, The Nesting Place: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful....

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Flowers are big with me. But so are mirrors. I want more mirrors. I’m not vain, but when I’m feeling down and I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror or window, I have to remind myself that I was created in His image and that in itself makes me beautiful. Sometimes I just need a reminder.

  2. I’m about frogs. I like pictures of them, I have a frog doormat, I have a frog soap dispenser in the kitchen. I just think they’re cute and every time I see one I smile. 🙂 It definitely can take the edge off a tough day. 🙂

  3. My husband has constantly teased me about how much I will happily spend on flowers. But truly, they are the one accessory that never ever goes out of style and has to be good for your health! 🙂

  4. For me it’s little white Christmas lights. I put them all around my house for special lighting. If I had to choose one thing it would be those.
    Sounds weird probably….but that’s me!

  5. hmmmm…i think for me, it’s the sentimental bits of life. the rocks my boys collect for me, a flea-market find from my grandma, a reminder of a vacation from long ago.

  6. My trunk full of photographs. The trunk contains images that were captured by my grandparents, parents, friends, other family members and myself. I can look at an image that I am in starting at age four until present and tell you EXACTLY what I was thinking when the picture was snapped.
    One particular image forever instilled in me how powerful translation of pictures can be. This particular image was taken when I was 4 yrs old. We had visited my grandmother in MN as we did each summer. Always at the end of the stay we would gather for one last image. My grandmother would always cry. I knew my mother would send her a copy of the pictures. So, at this particular time I decided I was going to put on a big, big smile on my face so that she would know when she saw the pic that I had a great time, so loved spending time with her and that I loved the bunny she made for me.
    Well, on the long ride back to WI a sadness came over me bringing me to tears. I feared when she saw the picture she would think that I had that huge smile on my face because I was happy that I was leaving her to return home. My mother reassured me and tried to put my mind to rest by suggesting that my grandmother would be thrilled to see my smile, that that smile would brighten her day and she knows how much I love her.
    To this day when I view an image that I am not in, nor have taken, I wonder what the real story behind the picture is…is it the story I’m imagining or something completely different.
    Yep, my trunk of photographs is the one item I would choose. :O)

  7. Now this is just a little different than flowers – house plants. I do not have a green thumb, but I love to have something green in each room. And I cannot abide fake flowers, so something green that requires minimal light and less watering is perfect. I’ve managed to keep four alive for a couple years now, so I consider that a success!
    But flowers are a close #2 on the list.

  8. Oh, me too, me too! I love flowers! When I was newly out of college (gulp…twelve years ago), I visited one of my roommates for a little reunion. She shared with us how one of her friends had worked flowers into her budget. Not extravagant ones…just a small indulgence once every couple of weeks, because they brought her such joy.
    I never forgot that. And thus began my love affair with flowers in my home.
    I have a couple of sources…I plant flowers outside so I can snip off blooms and have them in bud vases around the house. But I also am known to visit Trader Joe’s or Kroger specifically to pick up an affordable bouquet, and then to make it last. I am serious, here Nester. Its amazing what you can do with a bouquet if you have varying vase sizes and are willing to do the trim-the-stems-as-the-life-ebbs dealio. I have had one Trader Joe’s bouquet last 2.5-3 weeks before. It was worth every one of the four hundred, ninety-nine pennies.
    🙂

  9. flowers are great but if i could only choose one thing, it would be candles. vanilla scented candles except of course in the fall i need pumpkin spice.
    found you through emily’s (chatting at the sky) tweet – love your blog!

  10. I’m all about fresh flowers and candles.
    We have a LOVELY little farm stand run by a very sweet older couple. They grow the most AMAZING fresh flowers, and at a VERY reasonable (in fact, cheap!) price. I go to them for all my flowers. It’s cheaper than growing my own and they always have a great variety during the different seasons.
    I love that they will hand me a pair of scissors and my daughter (5.5) and I can go cut our own bouquets!

  11. When my grandmother died, all I wanted was fresh flowers in my house. Perhaps because they signified life, beauty, and sweetness — all the things that my grandmother was.

  12. Yes! Flowers, candles, mirrors, yes, yes!! And what about pillows – do those count as accessories? I love the way a pillow can add a little punch of color with my white slipcovers. It’s also fun to change them out with the seasons to give the room a new look.

  13. Mine would be plants. Fake, real, I don’t care….just lots of plants. I like flowers too, but they die. I have plants tucked in all over the place in my house….and yes, some are real and some are fake. 🙂

  14. I was so surprised by what you wrote about today. You see yesterday I went to Walmart with my son and we passed a farmer’s market on the way home and stopped. My very first!
    We have been spit polishing the house as we have a very special visitor coming. I get to see my daughter and her family including my 18 month old granddaughter for the very first time. My daughter in law was at home doing some canning and heavy duty kitchen cleaning 🙂
    The first thing I saw besides the adorable tiny potatoes 🙂 was flowers. Glorious flowers of every color and shape! I wanted some for my daughter in law but had trouble. I told my son… I do not know… sunflowers or the mixed bunch? He said he could not decide either! So he bought the sun flowers and I bought the mixed bunch! LOL!
    We giggled all the way home like little kids thinking how surprised and happy she would be. And she was! We made the point to tell her… we did not stop to buy flowers because my daughter was coming. We stopped and bought the flowers for HER. I thank God everyday that she is in my life!
    Everyone has happy hearts and they are awesome! You have to smile!
    Sorry I got carried away but thank you for bringing this up!

  15. Flowers most definitely!!! Because I don’t think we can count children, cats and pups.
    I do have one kitty that looks totally color co-ordinated to my sofa! LOL
    My grandmother was the one that taught me about flowers.
    God Bless!

  16. I adore candles…the warmth, the glow, the scent. But if I had to choose just one thing, it would be plants. Like my home, my office at work is full of plants and people always comment on how peaceful and serene it is. Sometimes people come visit when they’re upset or angry and it calms them down.
    That said, I can’t imagine a home without pets. My fat, handsome cats are the best accessories I know!

  17. Besides any artwork done by my 5 yr. old, I would have to say native american pottery! 🙂 It’s ALWAYS been in every place I’ve lived! 🙂

  18. I am so with you. Mine would absolutely be flowers. I love them everywhere – inside and outside the house. And as you said, they do – in some understated and incomprehensible way – remind me of the Creator. And the reminder does indeed put things into perspective.