Posts from the ‘Personal’ Category

Mantra: Make Things Happen

I really like this succinct mantra below.  I think that it really works if you honor your work every day.  Never give up!

Happy Tuesday!

Patio Inspiration

We have been working on decorating our new home.  We finished our deck and gardening last weekend!  Below is some patio inspiration, the remaining outdoor space we need to furnish and decorate!  Doug has always wanted Adirondack chairs so I am sure that we will eventually get a few of them!

Happy Monday!

Weekend Wrap Up

We had a productive weekend with gorgeous weather.  We donated some furniture we no longer needed.  We gave Victory a bath that she really needed.  This time, she at least was smiling during her bath, but she still wanted out of the tub!  Doug (along with Victory who loves to go in the car), came with me to pick out flowers and plants.  We planted flowers and plants; and I planted flowers in flower boxes and planters.  This was my first time ‘gardening.’  Doug (I assisted) put together some patio furniture.  Thankfully, Doug is really good at this sort of endeavor and he has so much patience.  We sat out on our deck last night and read for the first time.  It was really peaceful and Victory seemed to like being outside with us — she meandered around and then she eventually sat beside us.  So far, Victory would rather lay on the deck than in her Orvis outdoor bed!  We are looking forward to spending more evenings outside!

Happy Monday!

Home Inspiration

Doug and I moved into our new home about eight months ago — the time has really flown by.  At that time, we bought some new furniture for the house since we have more space, but we also wanted to be in the house a little bit to get a sense of the space and how we wanted the space to look and feel.  As such, we have been slowly decorating.

Over the weekend, we picked up our new end tables and coffee table for our family room from Doug’s parents’ house.  Doug told me long ago that he always wanted these pieces of furniture in our house someday as they were hand-made by a family relative and they also were in Doug’s Grandma Rose’s apartment.  Doug’s Mom found a local furniture finisher  and we selected a stain and had the three pieces of furniture refinished.  The mid-century furniture turned out really nice and we received these pieces of furniture as an early gift, which, thankfully made it back to our home without any problems due to Doug’s careful loading and packing of the cars!  (Victory did well on the trip).

I have been looking around for some accent chairs to order at some point for our family room, living room, and my office.  Below, are some accent chairs that I found that might work!  I like solid colors — clean and simple.

We still have a few walls remaining that are in need of some decorating that we are working on as well!

Happy Thursday!

The Importance of Handwritten Notes

We were taught to write thank you notes.  Today, it seems too easy with our electronic devices to just send off a note or a thank you note or post a note to social media.  However, I believe, a handwritten note means so much more and, after all, everyone likes to receive ‘good mail.’  I have kept all the notes and cards Doug has sent and given to me over the years and have them stored away for safe keeping along with the photo albums I have made over the years and continue to make.  For instance, I have cards Doug sent me when we started dating and cards and post cards that he sent to me when he traveled abroad.  I am so happy that I have kept these.  We even used to send each other cards on the eleventh of every month in our early years of dating — perhaps we should write each other more cards and notes more often for no particular reason!  I have also kept various cards and notes that people have sent and given me.  I like the idea of being able to look back at these tangible cards — there seems to be so much more permanency with a handwritten note.  Since I love paper so much, I enjoy making our Holiday card, which Doug proofs for me!

I keep stamps, address labels, cards, and stationery stocked in my desk drawers so it is optimal for me to write notes and thank you notes!  Here are some places that I like to purchase cards and stationery:  Papyrus; Quotable Cards; Rifle Paper Co.; Trader Joe’s; and Etsy — there are many independent artists that make unique cards.  Sometimes, while out and about, I find a set of cards I really like.  I also really like to use custom stamps and stickers!  I purchase custom stickers made by Moo; and I purchase custom stamps made by Zazzle.

So, why wait for a special occasion to send someone a handwritten note or thank you note!

Happy Writing!

The Power of Sleep

Doug and I have a regular schedule during the week of going to bed early, and Victory is very much involved in our night-time ritual, which includes our final walk before heading up to bed where Victory climbs the stairs and jumps on the bed and gives us tons of kisses before finally settling down to go to sleep resting in between the head board and one of our heads!

I know that I feel so much better when I get enough sleep.  I try to get around seven to eight hours of sleep a night.  I am able to think more clearly, be more productive, and I overall feel better.  If I do not get enough sleep, I am tired, agitated, unable to concentrate, and it takes me twice as long to do a task, and I am prone to making mistakes.  Hopefully, enough sleep and daily exercise will keep us healthy and well!

Arianna Huffington talks about the importance of sleep in this brief Ted Talk video.  Arianna Huffington also has a new book out, Thrive, where she discusses the four pillars in her book: well-being; wisdom; wonder; and giving.

Happy Tuesday!