Happy Happy Novel Twelvemonth | A Living Room Update... Amongst My Painting

This morning, Emma is dorsum at school, I am sitting inwards my novel kitchen purpose (that Mike together with I created yesterday... I'll percentage it subsequently this calendar week when I've had a gamble to mode it), drinking coffee, watching Mr. Darcy play inwards the backyard, deciding what to brand for dinner, doing laundry, writing most happiness together with enjoying the novel Capri Blue "Currant Blossom" candle I splurged on this weekend.  Happy. 

Last yr most this time, I wrote a postal service most my vision was for this spider web log entitled, "Let Your Heart Be Light."  I wrote:

"Life is to last lived together with felt - richly together with abundantly.  We are all hence blessed - halt worrying together with alive happily." 

Jan has arrived again, together with I notice myself really happy.  Not because of the endless listing of blessings inwards my life (which are all expert reasons to last happy), but because I select to last happy.  I brand modest together with big decisions all solar daytime long that fulfill the determination to last happy. 

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 twain of weeks agone nosotros met amongst an architect to beak most the add-on we're planning for our house.  She was fabulous - bespeak all of the correct questions.

"What exercise you lot desire out of the novel space, beyond the rooms together with the physical vision, what is it that you're looking to feel, experience together with exercise inwards your habitation that you lot aren't able to now?" 

I started spouting (in a hurried fashion, of course):

I desire to last able to run together with leisurely gear upwards inwards the kitchen piece beingness able to lookout adult man Emma.  I desire a cozy tabular array inwards forepart of a fireplace at which to pass hours on Sabbatum forenoon enjoying java together with long dinners at nighttime after Emma goes to bed.  I desire us to accept a big pair of cozy leather chairs (also close said fireplace) to lounge inwards together with lookout adult man TV.

When I start talking most the paradigm present perfect scene that the novel add-on would create, I can't assist but double dorsum together with think, is it actually possible for a room to add together that much happiness to my life?  In some cases, yes.  I love to gear upwards together with beingness able to gear upwards piece giving Emma infinite to last (safely away from boiling H2O together with frying bacon) would brand me happy.  But can't nosotros sit down approximately our electrical current dining room tabular array together with accept long leisurely brunches?  Yes.  And don't nosotros accept a leather chair inwards our living room that is pretty darn unopen to a fireplace together with a TV?  Yes.

There is an tendency inwards our civilization that says, I'll last happy when.  Instead of waiting for those things to occur to last happy, larn ahead together with brand the choice to last happy now. 

Slow Down.  Relax.

As I start to test that paradigm present inwards my head, the big matter I notice is the casual, set back, slowly going, relaxed feeling that I see.  Most of the fourth dimension my life does await together with experience similar that.  But... sometimes (ok, too often) I notice myself rushing through things.  Dinner, cooking, shopping, working, writing, shooting photos, cleaning, fifty-fifty vacations... everything.  I notice myself feeling similar I can't relax until everything is done, or everything is clean, or everything is lay away together with neat.  When Emma is at school, I run approximately the identify multitasking my a** off hence I tin "feel good" when I larn home.  Huh?

Don't larn me wrong, inwards my truthful core, I'm a very, really set dorsum person.  But sometimes I notice myself getting sucked into keeping the same standards I had for myself, our habitation together with our lifestyle earlier Emma.  And the reality of it is, is that I but demand to allow it go.  Rushing approximately for hours hence I tin experience relaxed for 10 minutes at the halt of the solar daytime because my to-do listing is checked off doesn't brand a lick of sense.  And it drives me crazy.

So, here's to lounging on the sofa together with reading some blogs, flipping through Foolproof (continuing my "Month amongst The Barefoot" Project) deciding what to brand for dinner instead of putting laundry away

At to the lowest degree for a expert twenty to a greater extent than minutes this morning...

While Mr. together with I are lounging, taste this update on our living room.  You tin visit this link to encounter previous progress photos, equally good equally sources for purchases together with pigment colors inwards the room.  As you lot tin see, in that location are a twain of novel additions.

Mainly this paradigm created by... me! 

I'm non claiming that it is a masterpiece, equally it is sure really flawed.  But I similar it.

I based it on this photograph I took on our honeymoon inwards Tuscany.  It is the start "real" matter I've e'er painted... likewise 100's of pieces of furniture, over together with over.

Mostly, likewise that it reminds me of the amazing views off of our honeymoon terrace, I love that I could work whatever colors I wanted together with I could customize it to last just what I wanted for our living room... something I was struggling amongst piece looking for artwork.  I chose a to a greater extent than muted palette than that of the photo, equally you lot tin tell.

My method was elementary : I drew a grid on the printed photo, together with hence a grid on my canvas.  Then I but started sketching together with paradigm using acrylic paint.

I love the texture I was able to larn amongst the acrylic. 

I'm looking for a gallery calorie-free to hang higher upwards it... but they seem to last really expensive, of course.  It alone took me a twain of hours - together with was fairly cheap (less that $50).  I'm thinking of creating something a piddling to a greater extent than airy for the Spring together with Summer months...

Here is a pivot for your bookmarking!

Other novel things approximately the room include drapes together with antique brass drapery hardware (similar to our main bedroom)...

And the paperwhites accept replaced the garland on our mantle.  Cozy, don't you lot think?  I intend I'll catch even hence some other loving cup of java together with calorie-free that burn : )

As I said, daily happiness is a choice that nosotros brand through modest together with big decisions nosotros make.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 piddling 1 for me it is consciously taking my fourth dimension together with choosing to last relaxed fifty-fifty though my listing is long together with my to-do's many. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 big 1 is the vi solar daytime opor-garai I but booked to Seaside (where nosotros got married) for us inwards Feb - beak most relaxing!   See that photograph above?

You mightiness call upwards this photograph from my postal service most happiness terminal year - Mike together with I inwards Seaside but after nosotros got married.   I can't hold off to percentage our favorite identify inwards the basis amongst Emma.   How exercise you lot select to last happy?  Please percentage - you lot mightiness inspire someone... or me!

Just a reminder, you lot tin visit this link to encounter previous progress photos, equally good equally sources for purchases together with pigment colors inwards the room.

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