Inspired by the book 30 Chic Days at Home by @fionaferrisnz Day 17– Set your goals. I chose this next photo because it was cute and I snapped it on Thursday while visiting my parents. On further thought, maybe the dandelion is trying to tell me something. This dandelion wasn’t satisfied growing on the grass with his friends, he set his sights higher, and took root on a tree! I am a goal-oriented person. I love setting up challenges for myself and am very motivated by this approach I decided to take on this little 30 day challenge centered around Fiona’s book for fun, but also to help me focus on all the good in my life. It is also serving as a way to reconnect with a bit of writing. Back when my children were small, I maintained a blog called Among the Alders (it’s still up on the net if you search it). It focused a lot on all the crafts and nature projects I was doing at the time, as well as my interest in a Montessori-inspired home life. I really enjoyed the blog at the time, but life evolved, the children grew up and my interests shifted. It’s been fun to delve into a few different topics on this platform and reconnect with expressing myself.

Inspired by the book 30 Chic Days at Home by @fionaferrisnz Day 16 – Use your nice things. I love the concept of this, but in my case, there needs to be some clarification on who can use the things. Does anyone else out there have boys? If you do, you will know what I mean when I say boys do everything with a sense of ‘enthusiasm’ that often leads to unintentional destruction. The adorable pitcher in this photo was picked up at an antique store a number of years ago. It came with a set of six matching glasses. I loved the nautical theme and the fact the glassware was made in France. Unfortunately, this pitcher is all that remains of the set. One by one those glasses met the fate of the dustpan. Since this experience (and countless others) I now focus on how I alone can use my nice personal items on a daily basis. I’m wearing jeans most days, since I’m walking the pup twice a day in the woods. I’m still matching those jeans with silk blouses, perfume and jewelry. I wear a jacket, so there is no chance the blouse being snagged. I’m also using up all my beautiful body creams, even the ones I purchased in France last year that cannot be easily replaced.

Inspired by the book 30 Chic Days at Home by @fionaferrisnz Day 14 – Rest when you need to. I will bombard you with yet another puppy pic, because after all, who does a nap better than a puppy? (Ok, maybe a cat!) I nap a lot more during the winter months, which is probably a reflection of my body’s natural desire to hibernate and sleep the sub-zero temperatures away. Now that spring is here, I have a lot more energy, so the urge to nap hasn’t been very strong. Again, my body probably just wants to maximize the narrow window of warmth and sun our Canadian summer provides!

Inspired by the book 30 Chic Days at Home by @fionaferrisnz Day 13 – Have things to look forward to. There are so many aspects about summer that I usually look forward to, but with most plans on hold, I’m trying to focus on anticipating the little day to day pleasures. Fiona’s advice is to make a list of little things to look forward to, keeping these “treats” both small and achievable. We adopted Coco two months ago, a little toy poodle puppy. I still have to pinch myself that this sweet and adorable little creature lives with us. I have him to look forward to! Each morning still feels like Christmas when I’m greeted by this cuddly, furry, wiggly and affectionate little teddy bear. We are also working on small yard projects. My husband is installing a little stone terrace on our front step. I’m looking forward to enjoying this new outdoor space as the weather warms.

Inspired by the book 30 Chic Days at Home by @fionaferrisnz Day 12 – Keep the faith. I’m fortunate enough to live on the Atlantic ocean and experience magical sunrises like this one. It’s a reminder that the sun will rise each day. Each day is a new beginning.

Inspired by the book 30 Chic Days at Home by @fionaferrisnz Day 11 – Sort your photos. This is such a great suggestion for pretty much anyone looking for a project they have been putting off for years. When my second child started kindergarten, I vowed I would use the extra free time to organize my photos. That was 2010! I actually tackled this project last winter. Now that I have all the old photos in albums, it is such a treat to sit down now and then and peruse them. My digital photos are an entirely different beast yet to be solved as I have over 50,000. I did gather them all in one spot on the computer and backed them up to the cloud. I love looking at photos from my childhood as it is fun to be transported back to a simpler time. This is a photo of my first airplane trip to Florida with my family in 1979. I’m the little one in the front with my mom and the pigtails. This was back when we all got dressed up for such a special occasion, and airline travel was certainly a much simpler affair!

Inspired by the book 30 Chic Days at Home by @fionaferrisnz Day 10 – Create something. Fiona’s advice is to, “Find something that makes your heart lift with excitement and do that.” My creative efforts and projects these days are small yet satisfying. I picked up some plants at the garden center last week and I have been potting and arranging them on our front doorstep. I bought a fair amount of lavender and am hoping it can survive this humid coastal climate. The award for “household creator” definitely goes to my 15-year-old son. He has been in his glory since the lockdown began and has been working non-stop on countless projects. He makes the most beautiful wooden fingerboards (mini wooden skateboards) and set up an Etsy shop. Who knew such a thing existed? Grown men actually play with these things! I think they are such sweet little works of art. 💕🛹