What a year! This {I MEAN *THAT*!} WAS *THE FASTEST YEAR* of my life! Digital design is such a trendendously cool & mind-expanding experience. You know the saying, "Ignorance Is Bliss!" Well, "Knowledge Is Bliss++!"
Creativity has opened my eyes to a whole new world, people, thoughts, beliefs, various artistic mediums .... In the midst of this wealth of knowledge hovering in virtual weightlessness, a sentence rings in my ear ...
*...THE ART OF LIVING SIMPLY...*
{OH! WHERE ARE YOU, SIMPLE LIFE?}
As I fast approach middle-age, life has become bulkier {in more ways than just my waist}! I am more aware of the potential within myself & wish I had that knowledge, wisdom & maturity back in my 30s that I've developed in my 40s!
I find myself with a garage full of transitional clothing & various furniture accumulated from my kid's growing up, along with seasonal accessories & decorations purchased from slightly impulsive moments of weakness! This stuff is causing major storage issues!
Then, my closet which is WAAAYYY too small & requires about two days of TLC & TUFF LUV to rid myself of sweaters, jackets, jeans & blouses that I DO NOT WEAR ANYMORE! Classic or Not! And the shoes? I'm sweating as I think about which ones I would have to part with -- or is that a HOT FLASH?! {Yeah, total hot flash ...}
When I'm not working at my computer, my 2nd addiction is HGTV: Divine Design, Designed to Sell, House Hunters International, & Property Virgins are the primary shows I watch! Also, Sarah Richardson, Sarah's Cottage -- which I have a harder time catching but LOVE. I wish I could work for that girl. Her or Candice Olson; yes, in a heart beat! I find that I am really, really, really ready to renovate our Master Bathroom. It needs work. I could patch it together but noooo, whatever I start, I have to do it right, not halfway & once I start, the dollars add up! Calgon awaits! {As it sits in the box, hardening into one big lump!}
Next, my yard ... Living in Texas is awesome, except for ONE THING. I cannot be Martha Stewart here in Texas -- Nope. I coooouullllld, but ya see, that would require sweating ... a lot - which ya gotta admit, isn't all too appealing! I founded our neighborhood garden club, loved it. Fun & lots of ladies still enjoy it. It's just that pulling the same weeds two weeks afterwards makes me wanna pull my hair out! So, I believe in low-maintenance landscape for the most part - with an occasional bed of tulips or a new antique rose planted. Wherever you want Bermuda to grow here, it won't... and where you don't, it does!
Meals. Is it just me? Or, are you all as tired as I am of eating the same dinners & lunches over & over? To put together a picture perfect meal is a DREAM. It is so ARTFUL to watch chefs create a beautiful meal to enjoy with family & friends that screams *PURR-VECTION*!
Housework. Will I ever catch-up? Will I ever start enjoying folding laundry and putting it away, instead of glaring at it like it's a mountain that I'd prefer not to hurdle???? Ever????
My Dogs. They are gorgeous little creatures -- until it rains or their hair grows out or their allergies run amuck, so whenever I wanna photograph them for you all, I can't because their eyes are stained or their hair is matted!
My Photography! I signed-up for two amazing classes last year. Papier Creatif took priority & so I have this burning desire to become better & will FINISH both classes! The best layouts truly do begin with beautiful photography! Yesterday, there was a gorgeous sparkling of frost on the balcony stair rail -- my camera battery was dead. {LOL! Yea, that's life in a nutshell!}
- Art. With Digital Design & Scrapbooking, I am deluged with new ideas & having a mom whose an artist, makes it very easy for me to come up with list after list of ideas & concepts. I am finalizing details on *NOEL PRIMITIF*. I know if you are like me, you haven't had much time to devote to your photos & scrapbooking. Never fear, we'll get it done!
- Religion. Christmas Eve we went to church to watch my daughter play cello in their contemporary Christian band and celebrated. Ahhh ... food for the soul. I wish I had squeezed it in more between all those weekend soccer games with the kids. It was so uplifting & I would attend there, if it wasn't a 45 minute drive!
- Time. Managing Time. Managing Tasks. Managing Issues. Managing Schedules. I've got this spreadsheet & Stephen Covey has received several orders from me over the years, so .... {I wrote incorrectly in my calendar this morning, don't ya hate that??!}
*WHAT'S A CREATIF TO DO!???*
I don't know, girls. I've seen posts about New Year's Resolutions, Project 365, One Word, Me Journals, Classes of Every Kind! -- all terrific, all wonderful! Here's my advice ...
Just do your best, *Become a Better YOU*. Joel Olsteen wrote a nice book about it, easy read, a bit repetitive but I find that helpful to reinforce concepts. Not in a brainwashing kinda way but a positive, uplifting way. There are a few analogies I did not completely agree with, but overall I enjoyed the book.
MIX IT UP.
GROW.
LEARN.
LET IT GO.
TAKE IT EASY.
WORK HARD.
PLAY HARD.
LOVE LOTS.
LAUGH LOUDLY.
BE A BETTER YOU.
EXERCISE.
PRAY.
FINISH WHAT YOU START.
GIVE EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT.
LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
SHARE YOUR HEART.
FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.
TAKE A JOURNEY - DARE TO LIVE HAPPILY.
Happy New Year, Creatifs!
