Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Motherly advice...what makes your life sweet?


You know what the worst thing is about trying to keep us with The Joneses?

It's that by the time you think you've caught up with them, they've moved on to the next Big Thing.

We've all been a bit guilty or even a lot guilty of following the trends The Joneses follow. Especially we blogging folk.

I know I've done it. Own up. You have too.

The great thing about getting older, or blogging for longer, is that hopefully you also get wiser, and realise that your name isn't Jones (apologies to those whose name is!), and that you can find your own way in life.

I know what makes my life sweet, and it's not Chevron striped homewares or wire cage tealight holders, no matter what the DIY bloggers and KMart try to tell me. 


Chevron stripes alarm me a bit. All those sharp pointy angles. It's not soft and pretty at all. It's a bit like when I told my husband that we were not to have one more pointy plant in the garden (he loves Yukkas and Agaves), and that we had to plant lots of hydrangeas and roses to break it up. It didn't take him long to point out (no pun intended) that roses have pointy things too. They're called thorns. Yes. But they also have beautiful scented flowers...the Queen of all flowers, don't they.
I like blogging about what makes my life sweet. Living a simple life when you're surrounded by consumerism is not always easy. But I love the challenge of having the pretty things in life by crafting many of them myself. That said, I also acknowledge that sometimes it's less expensive and a better use of my time, to just buy things I like. Where's the sense in paying to have my own photograph of the Eiffel Tower blown up and printed on canvas, when I can go to the Dollar Store and buy one already done, for the price of a lunch for one?

So here's a list of all that is sweet in my life...
Family
Photos....I love 'em...everywhere
Music
Roses...fresh, dried, in pictures, on fabric
Home
My kitchen with all my pretty utensils and crockery and silverware


Creativity
The internet....I'm so glad I've  lived to see this wonderful tool and all it can bring to our lives
Fragrance
Lavish textures from silks and velvets, lace and tulle, to sequins and crystals, pearls and gems
Friends

My life....right where it is now. I cannot think of a single need or want in my life that is not fulfilled

This little vignette I composed encompasses many of those loves.

A froth of tulle, frosted bottles with tinted water housing lavender and an old fashioned rose from my garden and pearls. I like it. It's me.

 What's 'you'? Find it, nurture it, treasure it.

We're not all The Joneses.
 
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9 comments:

  1. You and I have the same silver teapot Mimi so I keeping up with you there but my culinary skills leave a lot to be desired and yours are magnificent. I'm happy for you and that's probably the difference. It hurts some people to be happy for others but when you are, it's a very liberating thing. By the way I have lots of pearls so I'm keeping up with you there too.
    Janiebabe

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  2. I like roses too, Mimi but my husband doesn't like the thorns. Another blogger told me recently about one that has a beautiful scent but no thorns so finally I might get one we both like. I like pretty things but am the only one in the house who does. The menfolk just don't appreciate pretty things :-)

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  3. Dear Mimi, What a beautiful article, and so true. There is no peace or contentment in keeping up with the Joneses and chasing trends. I prefer a simple life, a more old fashioned one. This goes for decor, clothing, music, entertainment, and just general everyday living. I may not be popular or have the coolest this or that, but I am surrounded by people I love and take much joy in the little, more important things. I am a daughter of the King and consider myself so richly blessed with the things money can't buy. With love, Kelsey

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  4. I agree Mimi! Let's enjoy keeping up with our own ideas of "what's me" rather than following the latest trends. (Although we can find inspiration all around us as our creativity is often fed by other people's creativity!). Lovely post as always!

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  5. I am not a fan of Chevron stripes either Mimi! I love hydrangeas and have done since I was a little girl. Yesterday at the plant nursery I bought a variegated brunfelsia commonly known as "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow", which is another childhood favourite of mine, the scent of the flowers wafting in the air makes my life sweeter.

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  6. Hi Mimi, I could have written that post! Agree 100%. And yes I hate chevron stripes. My DIL has put my gorgeous little grandson into some hideous with a capital H outfits, all in the name of fashion. I don't like chevron patterns on a tiny baby. Just urk. Always good to read what you are writing.

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  7. Amen Mimi,
    I couldn't agree with you more..........I think we get a lot of wisdom as we
    get older, and it truly is the simple things in life that make us the happiest.
    I agree with Janiebabe...........we all so need to learn to be happy for each other..........the bible says to rejoice with those that rejoice and to
    weep with those who weep. sometimes we can be really good at weeping with those who weep, but terrible poor at rejoicing with those who rejoice. Both
    are imperative I think.
    Lovely post, and my list would be very similar to yours.
    Hope you are having a good week.
    Blessings, Nellie

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  8. I agree that comparing our lives to those we see in blog land is crazy. We need to take joy in our life just as it is. Right now, I am wanting to purchase an orange tree and a lemon tree. I live in the Pacific Northwest and for years I had a beautiful indoor orange tree. When it bloomed, the whole house smelled divine. Unfortunately, it didn't make it through this winter. It brought me so much joy that I really want to start over with a new one. The last one did great for at least ten years!

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  9. lovely post Mimi. When I was young we lived next door to 2 Jones families. The first ones were elderly,he wore long johns and she had those knee length bloomers(we could see them on the clothes lines). When they moved a younger family moved in, both children had bright red hair and very pale skin, were badly behaved and wanted everything. I have nothing against red hair and pale skin(I was blonde with even paler skin lol) but it seemed to go with bad behaviour in my neighbourhood. So as an adult I never wanted to keep up with the Jones's, especially if it means wearing those awful bloomers lol.

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I love hearing from you! I always respond to comments, so don't be shy! Mimi xxx