Katie Clemons

by Katie Clemons on February 22, 2012 • 41 Comments Love Where You Live Your Home

Home Is What YOU Make It

Written by DIY contributor Katie Clemons of Making This Home.

I can’t tell you the precise definition or location of “home”, but I can tell you this: home is whatever you make it.

In my case, it’s been a progressive making and remaking since the day Martin (my German-born husband) and I met. We’ve been called nomads when we moved to Berlin, Germany, gypsies when we came back to the US, migrators when we moved into a tire house, adventurers somewhere in-between, and more often than not, “that interesting couple”.

It’s a lot of packing and unpacking. But here’s something I’ve learned:

The beautiful thing about home is that it really has very little to do with the building. It’s all about the people.

A home is just the setting for all the stories of our lives.
Photo by Katie Clemons

Today as you read this, Martin and I are holding hammers and nail guns. We’re building a little home that we’ve been dreaming about for almost a year. (I mentioned the launch of our project briefly in this post, DIY: Finishing What We Start.)

Our home is anything but normal; it’s 720 square feet in the back of an airplane hangar. It’s a place for fixing and storing small airplanes. One day, it’ll have a big office for my online journal shop, Gadanke. It’s exciting, but it’s not normal.

Photo by Katie Clemons

Chances are, there’s something about your house that might not be so “normal” or “perfect”, too, right? That’s okay. In fact, that’s part of what makes life so beautiful. Do you remember the squished apartment with the awful oven that you and your husband first lived in? Remember baking a birthday cake in there? Do you remember the year the Christmas tree tipped over? How about something crazy like when a bird flew in the chimney or your son brought home a new pet without asking?

If we always focus on what the Jones Family does at their house, how can we pause and celebrate our homes? Our worlds? Our dreams?
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by Katie Clemons on November 16, 2011 • 25 Comments Family Bonding Your Family

5 ways to slow down and embrace your holiday stories

This season isn’t about the stuff and how much we can cram into our lives. It’s the people.

You and I have a mental list of all the awesome things we want to do this holiday season. It all stems from memories and traditions in our families. For me, there’s making Vanilkové Rohlíčky (vanilla crescents), a Czech Christmas cookie my husband’s grandma made as he grew up. There’s goofing off in the snow with everyone above. There’s cooking my very first Thanksgiving turkey as my mom coaches me in my home.

The problem—as we all know so well—is that this time of year can get really overwhelming in our search for the perfect holiday.

That’s why I’m here to challenge you with one thing: slow down. Take Emily’s approach (at Remodeling This Life) this holiday by only saying YES to the things you really, truly want to celebrate. And focus on the story you are creating this season.

Why story? Because the story is what defines us.

I realize that I could probably just skip the turkey this Thanksgiving and keep serving a vegetarian meal. But deep in my heart, I know. It isn’t about having meat on the table. It’s about creating that one beautiful day that brings our family together. It’s about the memories of that day – seeing my grandma teach my mom how to roast a turkey thirty years ago, watching my grandpa carve it at the head of the table. Thanksgiving is about creating foods that have been favorites for generations. It’s about gratitude.

Deep in your heart, you know, too. You know the things that matter most. You’re crafting a series of traditions and legacies that future generations are going to continue. That’s a version of us worth celebrating and capturing.

The greatest thing is when these traditions are celebrated and documented. Here are four ways to slow down and start capturing the stories of your holiday.
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by Katie Clemons on August 24, 2011 • 34 Comments DIY Your Home

DIY : Finishing What We Start

Written by DIY contributor Katie Clemons of Making This Home.

I’m a serious do-it-yourselfer. If we need a new blanket for the bed, I’ll start sewing a quilt. If we need bread for sandwiches, I might start making a loaf of bread. Now my husband and I need a place to live, so we’re remodeling an old airplane hangar all by ourselves.

It’s so easy to get excited about DIY projects! (Perhaps this is why I’m the DIY Contributor here at the awesome Simple Mom, huh?) It’s cheaper! It’s creative! It’s so much more fun!

But so many of our DIY projects are not getting done.

DIY is in my blood. Unfortunately, finishing my projects isn’t. You too? Do you have half-done knitting projects? Half-painted trim? A half-weeded garden?

Artist and songwriter Piero Milani said, “Why should I buy expensive art when I can make my own.”

Half-finished projects often end up being a huge waste of our time, money, and emotional happiness. It can be really hard to break the cycle. (But trust me – it’s so worth it when you do.)

So here’s what I propose for finishing the DIYs we start.
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by Katie Clemons on June 10, 2011 • 103 Comments DIY Your Home

What to Do with Old Cards and Letters

Written by DIY contributor Katie Clemons of Making This Home.

There is something incredible about the power of handwritten cards and letters. We love getting them; most of us love sending them. But then what?

My philosophy is this: get rid of all those cards and letters that don’t add to your happiness. Keep the things that matter; repurpose everything else.

Today, I thought I’d share seven tips for what I like to do with all the cards and letters I receive.

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by Katie Clemons on March 9, 2011 • 53 Comments DIY Your Home

Creating a Handmade Home

Written by DIY contributor Katie Clemons of Making This Home.

When we were young, our families often ate our food off of china. That’s what we called our very best dishes. Today, most of us are eating food on Made in China plates with Made in China forks.

This transformation in our culture makes everything cheap and abundant. It also means we’re spending more time trying to figure out how to simplify and declutter on a constant basis, more than anyone in history.

The best way we’ve started simplifying at our house is to just flip an item over and see where it was made. We start wondering: