Prettiness & Priorities

Working is a part of my life, as it is probably yours, too. Why not make our work lives pretty, from what we wear to what we use as a planner or journal? We all need to be organized…but we can be prettily organized.

I don’t know about you, but I’m welcoming 2016 with open arms. While 2015 wasn’t awful or anything I want to forget, it was incredibly busy and hectic, more so than years in the past. Juggling the children’s schedules, my husband’s new job, the writing of a textbook with my two dear colleagues, and teaching a full load of courses among other things made this year go by like a flash. If I have neglected you as a friend in 2015, please know it was unconsciously done. There are only so many hours in a day, and unfortunately, to do lists often take priority over having a good time.

But 2016, I look forward to you…to good times, to family and rekindling friendships, to love and laughter, and to enjoying life to its fullest.

Yes, there will be pressing priorities, but there will also be other things to look forward to this year. I have vowed to incorporate a little prettiness into my life as it combines with my responsibilities.

I hope you get to fold some prettiness into your priorities as well. Let me know what you’ve set out to do, what you hope to achieve, and how little bits of pretty can make your life wonderful.

Simple things, like pretty flowers, can brighten anyone’s day, especially as the winter months seem drab. Placing flowers on your desk or your dining table is a way to bring some “lovely” into the room.Because our home only has one dining area, I try to make ours look nice since it is a place of constant congregation. Our fireplace is the centerpiece in the room, and I always look for ways to make the mantle look cheery.Fresh flowers on the entry table combined with a decorative bird cage (we are bird lovers in this family…we still have our two parakeets, Holly and Poe, who celebrated their six-year anniversary with us on Christmas Eve) is simple and welcoming for guests as they enter our home.The blog has a new look…and it’s all about simplicity. And prettiness.I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing prettier than a teapot, teacups, and home-baked treats. And white roses…my favorite along with hydrangeas.Dried flower wreaths can break the monotony on the walls of a home with square and rectangular pictures. This wreath was a gift straight from NYC from my husband’s sister last Christmas.A priority for me in 2016 is to get this collection of short stories published and out the door. I tried my best to make the cover different than anything else I’ve published…with a hint of nostalgic prettiness.