A Little Help With Your New Year's Resolution

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With it being just the third day of 2012, it is only natural to reflect on the year that has just ended,  as well as plan some positive changes we would like to see in the year ahead....

No matter the time of year, or what you are trying to accomplish, I would like to encourage you to think of your home as the foundation for the life you wish to build.

Yeah right, you say. How does that work??

Let's think it over....

Want to lose weight/eat healthier in 2012? An organized, lovely kitchen is a place you can enjoy spending time in preparing healthy meals. When you are no longer fighting with cluttered cabinets and a pantry in which you can't find anything, new possibilities emerge.

How about saving money and /or getting out of debt this new year?? Being able to find things you have already purchased and make use of the things you own, instead of going out and buying a duplicate or triplicate is just a start. Wanting to spend time at home because it feels comfortable, peaceful and relaxing keeps money in your account that would otherwise go to filling your gas tank, filling your tummy at a restaurant, or filling your shopping cart with things you don't really need.

What about personal growth? Want some of that?? With planning and intention, your house can provide you with space for quiet and reflection, a place to gather and organize your thoughts, and a place to rest so that you have the energy to go back out in the world and forge ahead!

Here's to a 2012 filled with peace, health, and prosperity...and a home that nurtures you & helps you be your best!!!

 

vintage greeting card image courtesy of vintageholidaycrafts.com 

St Peter's Church, Bermuda

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The last full day we were in Bermuda we plucked up our courage and drove our little scooter all the way to the eastern tip of the island to see St. George's Parish. While there we saw St. Peter's Church....Wow.

The oldest parts of the structure date to 1620, and  it is believed to be the longest continuously used Anglican church in the Western Hemisphere.

I am sad to say that we were't able to tour the inside the day we were there. Even still, the outside of the building was so striking in its simplicity and beauty, especially against the intense blue of the sky, it made quite an impression on us.

The building is made from Limestone, and has Bermuda Cedar details like these lovely doors....

lamp posts, and rails....

Looking at these pictures just makes me happy.

Tomorrow I hope to post some pictures of cheerful houses with white roofs....

 

 

 

 

KISS and Tell!

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Are you familiar with the KISS method? You know, Keep it simple, Stupid (although, for the record, I much prefer being called "Schnookums" or "Sweetiepie").... Simplicity is at the heart of of joy and beauty, but we often forget that at this time of year. We get big boxes out of  the attic and spread their contents around the house, we spend lots of money buying more things to be put about, and we over-schedule ourselves to the point where we don't even have much time to be at home to enjoy all of that atmosphere we work so hard to create.

So how can we employ the KISS method this season? Here are a few ideas to beautify your home and keep it simple, Santa:

  1. Almost anything can be made into a seasonal decoration, if you love it and find it beautiful. Small touches around the house, such as sprigs of evergreen on a bookshelf, a vase filled with pine boughs cut from the yard, a glass bowl used the rest of the year but now filled with glass ornaments are all simple ways to adorn your home.
  2. Decorate with only your most favorite decorations this year. Consider donating those that you don't use and don't truly love. There will be less to put away on January 2nd, and there will be more room in which to store it!
  3. Choose a color scheme for your decorations and use it throughout the house. With all items being cranberry and dark green, or silver and blue, or whatever your favorite combinations is, you won't need as many decorations around to create a cohesive feel and overall impact.
If what you are hoping for this season is peace and joy (and I am pretty sure you are), remember to keep it simple. The difference will be telling!