Wonderful Books to Read
Good Morning,
We are in the first week of October. October already…. I have been pulling all of my autumn and winter inspired candles to the front of the cabinet. I can’t wait to use them. I also ran some errands this weekend. I finally found the perfect faux leather skirt at Target. You can click on the size to change it to yours but I went and picked up my size and tried it on. I love it! It’s not too short and hits me at the perfect length. It is going to look very chic with a sweater this coming season.
Now time for this week’s inspired post from Living a Beautiful Life. I hope everyone has been enjoying the snippets that I have been sharing from this book. It has been a lovely evening read and a way to end my evenings.
This week’s inspiration is…. “Coming home and shutting the door on the outside world is an experience I look forward to, and I celebrate with something refreshing.”
“Having a soft drink, fruit juice, or a cup of tea or coffee as I prepare for the rituals that will follow, both symbolize coming home and uplifts me. And while I prepare my refreshment, I anticipate having it in a favorite glass, cup and saucer or mug, in my own place. We remind ourselves, as we pause, that being home is a real treat”.
Being home is a real treat! I cannot tell you how working from home has given me such peace during this time. I look forward to the holidays. I am enjoying even the cold days that we have had this week. I am loving the rain and crisp air. There is something about the autumn months that gives me peace. Truly it does.
photo credit Charisse Kenion
At the end of Chapter 2, she mentions her “Grace Notes” and one of them was “when you’re just about ready to throw away your cologne, put the bottle in your lingerie drawer to give you and your clothes a lingering fragrance.” What a wonderful idea? Have any of you tried that? Let me know in the comments section below.
I hope you all enjoyed this week’s beauty inspiration. Here is the first week’s and here is the second week’s inspiration from the book.
Here is the link to Alexandra’s newsletter.
Have a great Monday!
Hello Everyone,
It’s Friday… the last full week of September. I am a little sad. I love September. It’s still warm and it’s a welcome month to autumn. Next week here in Indy, we will have some days where it will only be a high of 50 degrees! I am so excited. I am hoping for some rain but the drop in temperature helps with the plants.
So on to today’s post. Most of you learned last week that I was going to be sharing little tidbits from the book that I am currently reading called Living a Beautiful Life. I am in the middle of Chapter 2 which is called “Creating Something Special Out of the Ordinary” and I think the title pretty much speaks for itself.
These words from Alexandra stuck out to me and I highlighted them. “Much of enjoying life is in the details- the larger issues have a way of working themselves out. Handling daily tasks well and thoroughly affects how we feel, our happiness, and the overall quality of our lives”.
“The outside world can seem troublesome, dangerous, uncertain (boy is that so true right now). Frustrated by the difficulty of making a difference, (a lot of us are in this boat right now) we find it hard to grasp how we can effect change and make the world a better place in which to live. One’s home is a personal space of refuge.
“By creating beauty and order where you live and work you will be controlling the private hours of your life”.
I found this so interesting that she wrote this in 1986 and how this information is so fitting for right now.
I want to close this post with this last suggestion from Alexandra… ” when you feel that the little things in your life are satisfying and speak especially to you, it’s amazing how outside pressures and disappointments loosen their hold. Intimate, necessary details add up to one’s private life. Select them with care because they are your life”.
I hope you all enjoyed today’s inspiring post. To read last week’s see here.
On Monday I will be sharing my September favorites and I have a pretty long list. Also, I am taking Monday off from work and will be going to get a pedicure and I want to look for some vintage earrings. Enjoy your weekend!
(photos via Pinterest)
Hello Everyone!
I am wearing sweaters! Yay, but we will see how long this lasts. Yesterday I stopped at Walmart and picked up a few more faux autumn flowers and some delicious pumpkin bread from Starbucks! I haven’t had any in some years! It’s still delicious.
photo credit Rachel Ellen Events
Okay, it is time for our weekly inspiration from Alexandra Stoddard’s book Living a Beautiful Life. I am really taking my time and trying to savor this book bit by bit.
I have finished Chapter 1 and I am starting Chapter 2. There were a few more things from Chapter 1 that I wanted to share…
Alexandra said, “I always have fresh flowers at my workspace, even if it’s three daisies in a little vase. And I have a handful of my favorite books near me for inspiration and reference.”
photo credit Julie Hengel
I am guilty of having books and flowers on my desk or near it. Alexandra said she believes that beauty can be achieved in the smallest, simplest ways, and this beauty enriches your work experience. I couldn’t agree more. Having a beautiful space at my job has helped me through some rough patches when dealing with co-workers.
One more quote that I wanted to share from the chapter was… “Personal rituals make you a poet- and they can help you feel good about yourself and others. They reinforce the significance of the simple acts we perform repeatedly. While you are fulfilling basic needs, you can make the ordinary quite extraordinary. When you make your everyday rituals- simple things such as bathing, sleeping, and editing- meaningful and attractive, they nourish other areas of your life.”
Good Morning!
Whew has it been a week for me! I am still working on micro-managing my daughter and it has been tough. I have been practically doing Algebra with her. A few days ago we had a Google meet with her teacher that lasted about 3 hours! I have never done Math that long a day in my life! But I love my kid and want her to succeed.
As you can see from the photo above my book finally arrived! It took longer than a week to get here but alas it’s finally here. I have started to read it and it is wonderful. I still can’t believe that Alexandra wrote this back in the 80’s.
photo credit Melnychuk Nataliya
Each week I would like to share little tidbits from the book. I have only read a few pages and I found so many wonderful “nuggets” that I had to share them. The first thing that Alexandra discussed was rituals. I talked about this on the blog a few times ( see here and here). She said, ” Instead of rushing through our lives to get somewhere- instead of saving up real living for later- I think it’s important to remember that each single day is all we have. Single days experienced fully add up to a lifetime lived deeply and well”.
I like that…. lived deeply and well…
photo credit Anthropologie
She went on and talked about rituals and making every day lovely. But I have to share one small story that she discussed. She talked about her friend who has made bill paying into a ritual. She said, “She puts Brahms on her stereo, she placed an arrangement of flowers on her desk, she dresses in a fresh blouse and skirt so she is actually ready to mail her bills (keep in mind no online bill-paying) as soon as she’s finished. She has elevated a necessary task- bill paying- into a ritual through the details surrounding how she does it”.
I love that small story and I am sure that there are many in this book. I also noticed that at the end of each chapter she has a section called ” Grace Notes”. I am sure that I will be sharing those. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the everyday!
photo credit Mrs. Shockley
Good Morning!
It’s the last full week of August and I am looking forward to September. I love September. The air seems fresh and the flowers and trees are still in bloom.
I recently became a classic connoisseur member on Jennifer’s Youtube channel! It has taken me forever to join. I kept forgetting! I am so happy that I joined because it opened up a vault of other videos for me to watch.
In one of her videos, she shared a snippet from Alexandra Stoddard’s book called Living a Beautiful Life: 500 Ways to Add Elegance, Order, Beauty, and Joy to Everyday of your Life.
Now I have not heard of this book before but it sounded lovely. So of course, I headed over to Amazon and order it. It should be arriving sometime this week. I look forward to reading it. I have one of her books already and she is such a wonderful writer.
This is what the dress looks like on the model. I love the blue and the floral pattern. I can see it now with my light blush pumps from Kate Spade and maybe my quilted chain handbag. I am not sure which handbag but once I saw this dress I knew that I had to attempt to make an offer. So exciting!
I hope you guys enjoyed this post and let me know if you have read the book above by Alexandra. I am hoping that it will be an inspiring read.
Enjoy your Monday!
Good Morning Everyone,
It is Wednesday and these days are just moving along. I do enjoy being home…. very much. I hope everyone is doing well, staying healthy, and safe. Going to the grocery store has become a pain. I feel like I am preparing for surgery every time I go. Geez….
This past weekend I got up early and let the dogs out, lit a candle and opens some windows. I came upstairs and looked at a few books on my shelf and my eyes landed on my vintage Martha Stewart books.
It has been a while since I have read these.
