The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful by Myquillyn Smith

Without a doubt, Myquillyn Smith's The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful was my favorite book I read in the month of May. I was so excited to be given a copy by BookLook Bloggers in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

I have a hard time with decorating. It doesn't come naturally to me and I am always SO worried about what other people think of my house. Myquillyn writes a blog all about "Nesting." I've read it for years, and while her style is very, very different from my own, her ideas about making something your own is what has resonated with me. She is so encouraging about making the home that you're in your home - even if you know it won't be forever. See why this struck a cord with me?

This, to me, sums up exactly what the book is all about: "What if you were less hard on yourself for the ways you and your home fail, and you looked instead at what's already there? What if creating a beautiful home was less about stuff and more about attitude? What if you already have everything you need to have the home you've always wanted? You don't have to get perfect to have a pretty house. Most of us simply need to learn to see the beauty in the imperfect. Because life is gloriously messy. We can find rest in our less than perfect circumstances when we figure out that no amount of striving can create the perfect life we think we are looking for. True rest comes when we realize that we can't get it from trying extra hard. We find rest when we give up." {Myquillyn Smith. The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful (Kindle Locations 2491-2492.) ZonderKidz.}

Smith's book is so encouraging and helpful. It is not a book about how to decorate, more a book about finding the confidence to let go of perfection and turn a house into a home. She encourages risks and is even of the opinion that mistakes are great things when finding your style. Let go of the pressure that others may place on your style and do what you like because YOU like it! I would SO encourage you to pick this book up and take a look no matter what stage of life your house is in. She offers encouragement for those who are not in a forever home as well as tips for those who have lived in a home for so long that styles have changed and homes have become cluttered. It has something for everyone.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”