Isn’t that what we all dream of- a beautiful life? Coming to the end of our days with no regrets, no major goals unfinished, and at peace with our world and our Maker? But many of us get caught up in the rat race of life and decide, usually by default rather than conscious choice, that we just don’t have enough time, energy, money, talent, or ______( you fill in the blank) to have the life we always dreamed of having. So, we settle. This is just the way it is, the best I can do, we tell ourselves. And we stop trying. But what if that isn’t true? What if, in just a few minutes a day, you could begin to have the life you always dreamed of, one step at a time? Would it be worth it? Would you give it a try?
Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas; they are in your own backyard, if you but dig for them.
Russel H. Conwell
I had a busier than usual holiday and post-holiday season and am just this week stopping to pause and reflect on the goals I want to set for this year. Pulling out an old friend, Simple Abundance , by Sarah Ban Breathnach, I resolved to read through it in the coming months and put her ideas of Simple Abundance and authentic living into practice in my home and in my life. I am inspired by beauty, and can feed my soul by creating a new beautiful space somewhere in my home.
For me, part of a Beautiful Life is having a Beautiful Home, at least in the rooms we use frequently. Just because I cannot hire a designer to make over my rooms every few months, all is not lost. One of my favorite ways to spruce up my home on a tight budget is to utilize the principle of Use What you Have Decorating. By simply moving a piece of furniture or an accent piece to another room, I can create a whole new look without spending a dime. My husband and I have collected pottery since we got married almost 19 years ago, so I’m always trying to display the pottery without it looking like a pottery studio. My family of bookworms has filled far too many bookshelves in our house, so I experimented this week with using books as part of the decor intermingled with the pottery.
I’m pretty pleased with the results and have completely changed the look of my family room without any major purchases. I feel at peace and content when I sit in that room, and it feels warm and inviting to my family and friends. Now that’s a beautiful life!
I like it!
Found your through Melissa’s site…I have to dig out Simple Abundabce, and then dust it off. Haven’t looked at it in years. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
I love books mingled in with the decorations I love. Right now I have only 4 books on display, they were from my grandmothers vintage childrens book collection. I love looking them, because even though she’s gone, there is still a piece of her nearby.
I like to change my room around to get new looks too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I have never read Simple Abundance, but it sounds like my kind of book! Thanks for the tip. And yes, I agree, having a beautiful home to spend time in makes life beautiful. That is important to me too.
enjoy your lovely home & blessings to you this weekend! thanks so much for sharing today.
melissa
Looks so pretty! I agree, using what you have in new ways is a great way to go! 🙂
ps == thought it was really funny that my “code” to submit this comment was “Santa Democratic”, and I’m not kidding!! 🙂
It’s great when you can use things you already have and save your money for coffee and books! 🙂
-Kim
Stacey,
That is hilarious! Needless to say, I have no control over the codes!
I love your idea about simply moving items or interest to another room. Oh, the book Simple Abundance…Love it! I think it would be fun for everyone who wants to reread a great old stand by to discuss it throughout the year. As for books, I have started stacking some of mine in differant places suck as 5 that are differant hues of pink on the same shelf as some dolls that have pink clothing….etc.
Jane
I love the results of your work. You said you’d like to come to the end of your days with no major goals unfinished. I don’t think that will be possible. I have just too many projects I want to do and I’m running out of time. It seems that while I’m working on a major project I think of three more that would be just as good to do. I’m afraid that I’ll wear out before I run out. 🙂
Hi! I really enjoyed talking with you at BlissDom. Thanks so much for following me–now I’ll follow you, too.
(Of course, I hope too much of that wisdom stuff doesn’t rub off on me–my stock in trade is foolishness, you know.)