be happy for this moment.

He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I'm participating in Kelly's "Show Us Where You Live Friday." This week the topic is living rooms. I love looking not only at decor magazines and sites but especially other people's real homes. It's fun to see what actual people, not necesarrily designers, can do with their spaces.

To start, our home is tiny. I can vacuum the entire house just being plugged into one outlet. It's cozy, for sure! Our living room is in the front of the house, right when you walk in the front door. It's the largest room of the house and where we spend most of our time watching television, on our laptops or enjoying the fireplace.

When you walk in the front door and look to the left, this is what you see. I've left the laptop there for full effect. It's where both of ours sit 99% of the time. There is also nothing on the walls but the mirror. I cannot decide what I want and, therefore, have never purchased anything.

I love our fireplace. It's especially cozy in the winter. Bella enjoys sitting on the mantel and watching the birds.

Standing at the fireplace looking back into the room. The front door would be on your front right.

Our "entry" table has favorite family photos, lots of books and our wedding album (in black and white with the mongram and bow). The basket holds all of Nick's horseracing handicapping notes, papers and pens. If I didn't corral it, I would have it all over the house!