story {sense of place}

i recently ran across a post on ali edwards' blog that really caught my attention. despite it's simplicity, it immediately reminded me of a photo i'd taken around christmas. her post was titled sense of place. my photo has very little in common with hers, but that sense of place was what got me. in ali's words:

"there's something about the environment
and a sense of place
that adds so much to the photo...
all pieces of our everyday life"

ever since capturing this shot on december 26th, i've loved it. it's not glamorous but it's real.

i love that it captures the main living area of our home.
i love that it feels warm.
i love that it shows our home full of family.
i love that it shows the men retreating to one another.
i love the random, imperfect touches like the green balloon and coats draped on the banister.
i love that there are christmas decorations in sight, but they are subtle and it could've been taken on any given day.