Cooling down

I like these 'cooling down' days. Enjoying simplicity, eating left overs and thinking about new years resolutions. At the beginning of 2013 I decided to get rid of fifty things a week, this became such a constructive habit and made my life better and more enjoyable while I had to deal with some pretty hard circumstances. Now I feel extra motivated to think about some new goals for 2014. The why and the how are very important when it comes to resolutions: why do I want this (do I really really want this), how is this going to make my life better? And how am I going to make this happen? Subgoals guarantee succes on the short term and will, in my experience, keep you motivated for the long term. I'll post my list soon, love to hear about yours too!

Holiday Greetings

How valueble to focus on Light in dark days. Hope you're having a good one too.

Blankie

        

I love these cold december days, they make my house feel like a blankie.

(I'm really into naïev art lately, love this painting by An Rutgers van der Loeff)

Destressing

Do you know those uncounsious and unnecesarry rules you can have for yourself? I'm trying to uncover and than get rid of them.

Street view

I can't picture myself living in a modern uniform street anymore. I need variety, I need stories. Loads of stories can be found in my street, especially in december.

(Streetview was this weeks theme of 'corner view' a weekly appointment to show something from our own corner of the world)

Modern day cowboy

I feel a bit like a modern day cowboy lately. Keeping it simple but packed with flavor.

My favorite clothes

                            Are the ones that invite me to an go on an adventure..

Rainy Days..

Are perfect fot nostalgic projects

Self Portrait

We (participants of ´corner view´) were challenged to do a self-portrait this week, so this is me..trying to live lighter. Less clutter,  less projects and even less hair. Getting rid of half my clutter (in many ways) made me twice as happy. It´s an easy equation really..

Like Wine

There really is a time for everything. If I think of all the things I´ve been through the last couple of years; I´ve played, took risks, I struggeled, fought monsters (both real and imaginative ones) I flourished, I was frustrated, I was happy, I dreamed, I created and I cried. I am starting to see that it was and is all part of my unique journey. Al those times together helped me mature my vision on life like a good wine.

(1. detail of the painting I am working on currently 2. treasures from the marketplace)

Visual Organizing

I love it when I get my left side of the brain and my right sight of the brain working together :)

1. Wedding Photography Notes
2. Designing the decoration of my sisters wedding
3. Sketch I made 2 years ago, thanks to my improving time management skills, I finally got to the painting stage.

Evening

 

A bittersweet symphony is the best way to describe it, but the bitter makes the sweet so much more sweeter: enjoying the autumn evenings of long meals, good talks and painting.

More than Words

 

Some words from my creative journal that keep me focused

For lunch

I´ll miss those simple summer lunches

this summer was hot, beautiful and hard (*

one thing I will take with me into the next season

is the beauty of simplicity,

I think summertime was designed to remind us of that

 

*) my fathers started undergoing chemo therapy, intense times..

 

The Way Back

 

One of the things that intrege me the most is how we can stay in a place where we can hear that small soft Voice above all the other voices, screaming for our attention. Lately I have been very practical about turning the volume of those voices down by providing myself a surrounding of peace. I am not a minimalist but I´m starting to see how true ´Less is more´ really is. How owning to much stuff distracts me, keeps me occupied and steals my focus and above all my time.

Ever since the beginning of this year I´ve been getting rid of 50 items a week, wich is working for me very well. It helps me getting things done without being overwhelmed... and wow I´m starting to see results!

My goal is not owning next to nothing, but I do strive for simplicity.  It is a journey that requires a lot of patience, but small consistent steps is the way to go here. In the meantime these keep me inspired
about living a simple life in a tiny house/, videos about simplicity and minimalism, this amazing blog 

Spring Nights

 

Long and light spring nights turn my kitchen into a gallery  (a different context helps seeing it with different eyes). It´s been pure joy and pure frustration at the same time to paint again. But: some things work, some things don´t. I´m learning to accept that the things that don´t are just as an important part of the process as the things that do.

Flowers

 

It has been pouring for days now. So no picking flowers in the sun, but still enough flowers to enjoy inside.

1. I forgot what seed I planted, surprise surprise..
2. Tile wisdom best translated with ´there is no place like home´ I replaced the dark brown frame with this bright pink, really happy with how it turned out.
3. Portrait of my little sister making big descisions

Ticket

Just one euro for a ticket to wonderland, I´m almost embarrisingly happy about my flee market find, with illustrations from W. Tsjizjikov.

I am sailing

After some great festive days today was for decluttering; again some steps on the long but rewarding journey to simplicity are made.

1,3 Queensday 2 Couldn´t resist this sailor, so I brought it home with me :)

Feet

My mind and feet are having a discussion, my mind wants to stay where things feel stable and secure, my feet want to go wherever the road takes them. Not an uncommon discussion, but this time my feet seem to be winning.

1. An illustration from my archive, I miss those moments
2. The first glimpses of spring

Preps & Props

 

We had a great time yesterday kicking off the preperations for my babysisters wedding coming winter. I will be responsible for decoration, design and photography, so busy times coming, but looking forward :)

and... after 4 (!) months with no internet, I am reconnected to the web again, which makes me a verrry happy lady!

1. my other sister was our hostess, love her new place 2. pom poms..we need lots of hem 3.no party without balloons