Un-Word

The past four years I have picked a word to kind of guide me through my year.  A word to focus on.  A word to maybe even learn from.  In 2010 I chose the word Rest, in 2011 the word was Time.  I got really ambitious in 2012 and 2013 and chose the words Simplify and Accomplish.  In my case, these words were all meant to be positive reinforcements, motivators, inspiration if you will.

 

As 2013 was drawing to a close I got to thinking about a word for 2014, and also thought about the words I'd previously chosen.  I see all those words as good habits to develop, but I think what stopped me from being as successful as I'd hoped to be was the discouragement that would come when I didn't "do" as well as I had hoped.  Rolling all those words together...I could say something like:  "I tried to accomplish a lot in my efforts to simplify my life. There was never enough time to get things done, but I kept trying so adequate rest never really happened".    

I kept trying to make improvements by "putting on" new, good habits.

But I neglected to identify habits that needed to be "put off".  Habits that drain my
energy, clutter my life. Habits that waste my time, and wear me out.

Well, last week I was reading a couple of my favorite blogs,  Life in Grace and Nesting Place.  They, along with a couple of their friends, were choosing UN-WORDS this year. 

Here's how one of them described what they're doing.

"I love the popularity of claiming a word for the year.

This year I’m joining up with three friends (& hopefully you will join us) in

declaring a word that we ARE NOT.

An UNword.

The UN-word is a word that you are rejecting for the new year.

You would like to Un-Do it."

I think this is just what I need this year. I need to reject a word! 
Specifically, I need to reject "WASTEFUL".  I want to declare that I am not wasteful!  I want to "Un-Do" wastefulness in my life!!!  No more wasting my time, my space, my energy.  No more wasting my intentions, my knowledge, my gifts, my stuff, or my dreams.  I don't want to waste a moment...

That's the plan anyway!!

Visit HERE to find out other "un-words".

 

 

Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise,  making the most of every opportunity, because

the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Ephesians 5:15-17

 

The cute little house is an Etsy purchase from last year.  
It's tiny...that's a bar of soap in the background of a couple of those photos.  
I purchased it from The Cherry Heart shop.
 



One Little Word

In 2010 I decided that my word of the year would be rest and in 2011 I focused on the word simplify. I had some success focusing on the two words during their respective years...at least for some of each year.  But I discovered that my discipline in re-visiting my words throughout the year disappeared a lot faster than the year itself.  I really want this year to be different!

I started thinking about what my "One Little Word" should be for 2012 about a week ago....and it's been  difficult to make a decision.  But I did and I'm sure it's the very best word for me to focus on for 2012.  Quotes I read on other blogs and the New Year's Day message at my church confirmed that for me.


See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time,

because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:15-17

"I don’t really want more time;

I just want enough time.

Time to breathe deep, time to see real & time to laugh long,

time to give You glory & rest deep & sing joy…

I just want time to do my one life well."

Ann Voscamp

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

So my One Little Word is TIME.  I want to focus on my time.  How I spend it. Wisely? Or not so much?  I want to make the best possible use of my time.  The BEST possible use of the time the Lord has given me.

Time to sleep, time to live, time for health, time for Bill, for my children and my grandchildren. Time for friends and food and fun. Time to create, time to read, time to be, time for joy, time for me. Time for now...because the past is done and the future may never come.
Most of all time for Him...time for obedience, time for worship, time for gratitude, time for prayer and time to study. Time to try to know Him as well as He knows me.

I'm linking up with The Lettered Cottage for

This Little Word of Mine.

Simplify

 I chose to focus on the word SIMPLIFY for my "One Little Word" this year.  This is my eleventh post on the subject of simplying.  (You can read the others here).  

I used several quotes in the posts....this one is my favorite:

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. Hans Hofmann



I've been trying very hard to eliminate the unnecessary by sorting through and cleaning out closets and bookcases and boxes and totes. I've gotten through all but two rooms in the house and the fruits of my labor are stacked up in the living room.  Next step on the road to elimination is price tags....'cause it's yard sale time!!  I have lots of work to do this week!!

UPDATE:  Just for the record...this is not all mine!

My daughters have both contributed.  I was a little embarrassed by the large piles of stuff and just really felt the need to clarify!   : )

It's kind of funny to see how the boxes and totes ended up stacked underneath the SIMPLIFY sign!!

Simplify

I'm still trying to focus on and apply to my life this year's "one little work".

"SIMPLIFY"

Something I've realized is that no one can really SIMPLIFY their life until they've learned to be content with what their life is.  Then they need to work within that contentment to weed out what isn't necessary. Maybe finding a more simple life in the process.

"...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.'

Philippians 4:11-13 

Thank you Regina for my new SIMPLIFY picture. I love it!

Still At It.....

sim·pli·fy verb \ˈsim-plə-ˌfī\
sim·pli·fied sim·pli·fy·ing

Definition of SIMPLIFY
transitive verb
- to make simple or simpler: as, a : to reduce to basic essentials, b : to diminish in scope or complexity : streamline, c : to make more intelligible : clarify
- sim·pli·fi·ca·tion \ˌsim-plə-fə-ˈkā-shən\ noun
- sim·pli·fi·er \ˈsim-plə-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun

Out With the Old......

Yes, I continue to simplify.  I made REALLY good progress this past weekend.  I went through my closet and dresser.  There's a HUGE box to be taken to Goodwill and several smaller ones to put with all the other yard sale stuff.  The final stack of unwanted magazines isvin the recycle pile.   I sorted through my (pre-digital) photos that were in three cardboard, under-the-bed storage boxes and got rid of a large bagful of blurry, out of focus shots.  The rest are now arranged neatly in one larger plastic, under-the-bed storage box.  So ~ I'm happy with making a little dent in simplifying my life.  I got rid of a lot of stuff!

I also found something to help with future simplifying.....in the kitchen, I think.
I bought this cute wire rack (at Walmart) and two pint-size mason jars and I'll be filling the jars with some cute pens and pencils, or maybe some straws.

"I can do all things through Christ

who strengthens me".

Philippians 4:13

One Little Word

Our life is frittered away by detail...
Simplify, simplify.
Henry Thoreau

 

I'm going to spend some time simplifying my life this weekend!  I'm going to enjoy doing it too!
I hope you enjoy your weekend!!!

My Magazines

I'm about one day away from finishing "the sorting of the magazines"!  It looks like about half of them will be staying and the other half will be re-cycled.  I feel pretty good about completing my first "simplify" project.  I tore pages out of a lot of magazines and will file them for future reference.  I also took some pictures of some pages in the magazines.  Here's some lacy pictures that I took.  I think lace is so pretty.  

I'm not sure what I'll do with these photos ~ for now I'll just save them, but they'll be taking up a lot less room then they used to!

Simplify #2

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

Hans Hofmann 



artfire



Simplifying (my One Little Word)  is not an easy thing to do.....but the magazines are 75% finished. So that's progress.

Simplify #1

As I wandered through the house looking at all that I wanted to remove, I noticed a similarity in each room.  Magazines. Everywhere. Stacks of them. Boxes of them.

I discovered exactly where I would be starting to "Simplify"!

I gathered all the magazines from the family room, the bathroom, two bedrooms, and my craft room.

Then I stacked them on, or piled them under a card table that I set up in my bedroom.  I've always liked to have a little reading material close by!!  I figure if I flip through 25 of them each evening I'll have this job done in no time.  The hardest thing for me is throwing them away (by this I mean "recycle" them).  I thought about having a "Giveaway" with the ones I don't want but honestly, the shipping costs would quickly get out of hand.  Maybe I'll see what's left at the end and offer them to my blog friends for just the cost of shipping.   Would anyone be interested in that?

Love the covers on the Martha Stewart magazines ~ and I totally forgot about the stack of Christmas craft magazines.  I can't wait to look through those again.  I guess this simplifying may not be as hard as I thought.  At least not this week!

One Little Word ~ Simplify

I have been feeling over-whelmed by life for the past several years.  It's partly because of the way I've lived for many years before. I'm a collector and a saver and a procrastinator and I have a lot of good intentions. But I just don't have a lot of time.  Add to the mix some big changes in my life over the past several years. 
On Christmas morning we were sitting in the living room looking at all the stuff in the room. Decorations, brightly wrapped packages, furniture.....so much stuff.  Stuff that spilled over into the kitchen, the family and the rest of the house for that matter.  One of my daughters pointed at one of the "decorations" ~ she thought it was kind of funny to see it in the midst of all the stuff.

There it was ~ staring down at us from above.  SIMPLIFY.  In this house it's not a statement of fact....it's more like a dream...wishful thinking.  I want it to be a reality. And I'm not talking about just the material things either. I want to SIMPLIFY my life....my surroundings, my soul and my spirit.

So my "One Little Word" for 2011 is SIMPLIFY.


Definition of SIMPLIFY
transitive verb
: to make simple or simpler: as a : to reduce to basic essentials, b : to diminish in scope or complexity : streamline, c : to make more intelligible : clarify

Synonyms: streamline
Antonyms: complex, complexify, complicate, perplex, sophisticate


Out with complicated and in with simplified.  Starting now.

Yummy Advertising

I got a new magazine today ~ one of BH&G special publications called Christmas Ideas. There are lots of great ideas in it but my very favorite page in the magazine is an advertisement for Moda Fabrics. It must be the colors ~ I love red & green!

I am loving this peppermint pincushion so much! I also love that there's a link to the designer's blog ~ and she's going to post a tutorial for the pincushion later this week. I can't wait! You can visit Camille's blog (called Simplify) here and you can read about the pincushion here. Enjoy!

Blogoversary & Free Stuff

Update:

Debbie from News from Goat Creek picked the first art print!

Joyce from Scrap fo Joy picked the first pillow!

Kathy at Coops Cottage gets art print #2!

Debbie at Cumberland Books gets the final goodie - pillow #2!

Yesterday marked one year since I began my blog. I find it a bit hard to believe that I've stuck with it for a whole year ~ enjoying every minute of it, I might add! I love all the inspiration I find and all the lovely women I've met. I enjoy peeks into their homes and seeing things they've created. There's been some great recipes to be found and wonderful words of encouragement and wisdom! I've enjoyed meeting their families, reading about their lives ~smiling at the silly stuff, and praying for them when life's a little rough.

I'm grateful that having my blog has made me look a bit more inside myself, it's made me dig into my memories and I've enjoyed laughing at some of the things I've remembered ~ I've even enjoyed reflecting on things that weren't quite such happy thoughts.

My blog is also a very special way to show photos of my grandbabies to my family and friends far away ~ I do love showing off those babies!!

I've been challenged a bit too! I want to create more, I want to cook more (hope my family skips over this one in case I change my mind), I want to explore more and I want to enjoy my home more. To that end I continue to sort through and weed out my stuff! I need to Simplify!

I found a couple more things that I don't need and thought my friends in blog land might like to have. There are two of each of the above pictured items. The sweet little pillow is about 8 inches square ~ it's not handmade by me, but it is nicely stitched by someone!

The art print is by tole painter Pal Olson and it measures 9x12 inches. What a special message is shares!

As I mentioned their are two pillows and two prints ~ if you'd like one of them please let me know. Just comment here and tell me which one you'd like. The first two comments for each item will win! That makes a total of four different winners!!

So come on ~ help me out! Give these things a good home!

I Finally Did it!

Dare I say....I'm almost embarrassed to admit it....I finally took down my Christmas tree. I'm so glad it's down. I love to get the Christmas stuff put away and re-arrange the furniture a little bit. I love to put back some of my favorite things that get packed up at Christmas time.

These two little pillows are a couple of my favorites ~ I really hope I take "simplify" to heart this year.

This is one of my favorite little groupings in my living room. The little bird is my second favorite "fat bird". My first favorite is my profile picture. The little red berry tree is a candle I found at a thrift store years ago.

When I took the tree down I also took the snowman off my front door ~ this is the new door sign. I just found it at Homegoods ~ I think it looks pretty good. I think it will look even better after I paint the front door ~ I think it's going to be barn red.

I love all the great decorating ideas I find here in the land of blog. One thing I've really loved seeing is the transformation of thrift store finds using black paint. I think I'm going to try out some black paint on this little chair.......




.......and on this reproduction cranberry picker. I think I'm going to love the outcome. I'll post some pictures when I get them done.