Lovely thing to say

How lovely scribbles

That was nice. My friend visited my new house after I downsized and waxed lyrical about how friendly and welcoming and nice it was which bucked me up no end. I bet your house is lovely.

That must have made you love your home even more Scribbles.

How lovely Scribbles. Can I visit?

Of course, kitty. Just let me know when you're heading this way and I'll put the coffee on!

Well done. It's a knack some people have. My mother's house was always welcoming and comfortable, although it wasn't ever untidy. I hardly remember her doing housework either. Even when she was in her 90a and just sat watching TV all day, it was nice to go in there.

I don't have the knack at all.

Scribbles, can you pinpoint what it is that makes your house so welcoming?

It's nothing to do with the colour of the cushions or whether your kitchen surfaces are gleaming, so I wonder what it is.

That's lovely Scribbles. JackyB I wonder that, too. Recently I've had two young men visit my flat - one a builder, the other a plumber - and they both went, 'Wow, this is a really nice place,' when they walked in. It's a very small, unsophisticated place, full of quirky items like bottles my son dug up working on a building site, and various unfinished projects, like a half-knitted pheasant ha ha. My sons say 'It's cosy, mum,' so I think what's happened is I've turned into my mother and become a warm, welcoming granny, with a home full of odds and ends! Flip, I never saw that coming, but I'm happy about it.

JackyB
It's not the house, it's the people in it. We are both gregarious people, love entertaining.
This got me thinking of 3 of my neighbour/ friends. All people that I've entertained in my home. When I've had need to talk to them over something I could be standing on the doorstep for 15 mins?
When any neighbour knocks on my door the first thing I say is: come in, cup of tea?
Some people have it, some don't.

A very good friend was chuffed to bits when someone visiting her house admired it saying “It looks just like a show house”
I’m glad for her, but if they had said it to me (unlikely) I would have been very disappointed if not insulted!

I remember as a child visiting my mother's sister. She was so houseproud we rarely got beyond the kitchen possibly in case we ruined her Ercol furniture. I was always uncomfortable as a child.

How lovely Scribbles.

A very young, enthusiastic Community Police Officer recently complimented us on our home.
Bless him, he was young enough to be our grandchild.

Human warmth & kindness, that's what makes a good home

That is nice, Scribbles - I got a similar comment from a neighbour who said he loved my home as it was cosy. I was surprised as he is half my age and I imagined that it would be thought old-fashioned. I'm not the tidiest.
There is a style of decor which I saw in a magazine which had things like embroidered cushions, a crotchet throw and pretty pottery, etc. It was right up my street and I was a little perturbed to see it titled, 'granny chic'! Make of that what you will.

When I worked as a TA in an infant school, one of the staff told me that I was always so calm and caring with the children. I used to feel anything but calm a lot of the time, but these kind words made me realise that I was doing a good job.

DD had a friend who lived in quite a big house with lovely gardens - Ours was a much more modest place but the friend once said to DD - I love coming to your house - it always smells of food!
DD once came home from this friend’s house and announced she could not understand why they had a freezer (bigger than ours - chest type) - as all they had in it was a small packet of fish fingers!!

My sons saying I love you mum .

Some years ago an elderly friend of a friend visited us for a few days and told me that our home was the nicest house she'd ever seen. She was a minister's wife, had seen a lot of houses over the years and seemed very plain spoken so I was extremely flattered.

DGD: ’Did you wear these when you were a princess?’

At a cousin’s daughter’s wedding, he specifically named me and said that I had always been kind to him, especially during his rather chaotic and eccentric childhood. I was in tears...

I get a lot of " oh wow " when people walk into my kitchen, not sure why they are surprised. Maybe they are expecting old fashioned units and old lady curtains.

One of my friends said to me a few years ago, do you know me n so n so can always tell you our problems, whatever they are, and you never judge us ever, that means such a lot to us you have our backs, you are an amazing friend, that made my day,

I was told recently, 'your daughter in law doesn't realise how lucky she is to have such a caring, loving and helpful mother in law like you'. This was said by someone who had experienced a very different type of M-i-law.
It made me feel good.

Meryl , I agree. I try to make people comfortable. After all, it’s only a house and “stuff” no longer matters to me. People are far more important.

My dad who had cancer said not long before he died ‘You’d make a good carer.’. He was very undemonstrative so it meant a lot to me.