Sophisticated Simplicity

Last week I purged about 70% of my closet. My goal was to create a calm sense of simplicity in my life. I'm pleased to say that my morning routine is far more streamlined and the clothing I've chosen to keep has a cohesive look that reflects my personality. But simplicity is not the only bi-product of having a capsule wardrobe. I've also noticed that my clothing choices are more sophisticated. The reserved color palette, the cohesive fabrics and the uniform shapes of the clothing I kept are, without even trying, more sophisticated than the jumble of clothes I had before. I think it was Leonardo DaVinci who said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Smart guy.

This is NOT a photo of my closet.

I'm writing for Houzz!

Hello dear readers. I've just begun some freelance writing for Houzz.com and am excited to share my first article with you! Thank you to home owners, Melanie and Omar Abderrahman for opening their beautiful home and heart for this interview. And thank you to Houzz for asking me to come over and play!  So head on over to Houzz.com, read and comment and thank you for your support! Click HERE for the full article.

Eco-Minded Haven in the Utah Desert

Follow me on Houzz.com by clicking HERE.

10 Tips for a Mindful Home

Last year, my husband cut this list out of Shambhala Sun magazine and put it on our fridge.  I look at it every day.  I love it so much, that I wanted to post it here! The list was compiled and written by Karen Maezen Miller who has an awesome blog called Cheerio Road.  Check it out if you have a chance.  And now, "10 Tips for a Mindful Home".

Yes.
This is all worth repeating.

Wake With the Sun

There is no purer light than what we see 

when we open our eyes first thing in the morning.

Sit

Mindfulness without meditation is just a word.

Make your Bed

The state of your bed is the state of your head.  

Enfold your day in dignity.

Empty the Hampers

Do the laundry without resentment or commentary 

and have an intimate encounter with the very fabric of life.

Wash Your Bowl

Rinse away self-importance and clean up your own mess.

If you leave it undone, it will get sticky.

Set a Timer

If you're distracted be the weight of what's undone, 

set a kitchen timer and, like a monk in a monastery, 

devote yourself wholeheartedly to the task at hand until the bell rings.

Rake the Leaves

Rake, weed and sweep. You'll never finish for good, 

but you'll learn the point of pointlessness.

Eat When Hungry

Align your inexhaustible desires with the one true appetite.

Let the Darkness Come

Set a curfew on the internet and TV and discover the natural 

balance between daylight and darkness, work and rest.

Sleep When Tired

Nothing more to it.

Six years ago...

...I married the most miraculous man.  

He is the whole world and everything in it.
Happy Anniversary, my love!

Our program cover

The flower girls

The bridesmaids

The groomsmen

Photos by Jose Villa

Because it pleases me.

What do these photos have in common? I'm not sure... maybe a little floral, maybe a little purple, maybe a little zen. When ever I decorate, cook, rearrange, create or blog, I'm mostly looking for things that please me. Today, at 41 weeks pregnant, I'm comforted by these blossoms and soft color schemes. Perhaps I'll pick up a bouquet of purple flowers for my bedside table - a gift to myself in anticipation of my upcoming labor and birth.