Beauty...

In my last post I shared my contribution within Rebecca's deco, a bit of my artistic process, a favorite quotation, some of my personal insights into human behavior but I believe their was a hidden desire within there as well. That desire is one of my own, to surround myself with beauty!

I believe this can be accomplished in a variety of ways, everything from a clean and well cared for body:, spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally; a clean and cared for home, the way we act and react with others, especially those closest to us; and by having at least one little something within our lives that we are truly passionate about.

Like so many other people, I struggle with finding a way to balance it all, but I also try to make a conscious effort to do my very best at it. I don't always find time to fit it all in a day, nor do I no longer attempt to. I've found that by scheduling allotted amounts of time within the week works best for me but I believe others should do what works for them in their own ways.

Lately I've been focusing more attention to our home. Cleaning, straightening, organizing, painting, and decorating. Of course, there will always be that never ending list of things to do but I'm a firm believer that everything has its seasons. I'm desiring to finish painting our kitchen, especially before the upcoming holidays. I'd love to be able to just go out and purchase the things that I desire so that it would be completely finished, but then I realized that I would be short-changing myself of the beauty of the process of it all. I'd love to have new kitchen curtains, I've been back and forth about having them custom created, purchasing some, or making them myself. I've found I'm fond of the latter because I could also create some additional items: placemats to match, a toaster cover, use some scrap fabric to tie in with some of my decor, and maybe even create my own rag rug!

I'm behind in a few things: cleaning the studio, washing the fabric for my quilt, cutting it, and beginning to sew it together. Creating a few Christmas gifts. Working more on some personal art projects. But I know one day I'll get there and when I do, I'll admire not only the artwork but will be truly able to say, "it was a labor of love" and "I truly enjoyed the journey."