Life Plan

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us

Joseph Campbell

When I was a teenager I had a life plan. It went like this:

1. Go to college
2. Get married
3. Have children
4. Live happily ever after

I did go to college and then graduate school but the last three never happened. At almost 40, I am still single and childless. I think about this a lot and it always makes me sad.

I read the quote above a few days ago and I have been thinking about it ever since. It occurred to me that my plan has kept me from doing some things I would have loved. I never moved to Prague to teach English as a Second Language because I knew it would be difficult to meet people. Same for going on a mission trip to India, moving to San Francisco and, of course, moving to Paris. I could have done any of these things if I had set my mind to it but I didn't. I was always waiting for Mr. Right. I have never even owned a dog for fear that I would meet someone who didn't like my dog, was allergic, etc.

Well no more, I am going to discard this plan and I am going to find the life that is waiting for me. I am starting with a puppy, a toy poodle named Winston. He is coming to live with me next month and I am very excited. If God decides to bless me with a husband and children great, if not that's OK too. I am ready to live the life that is waiting for me.

Creating an Hermes Scarf

This is a video of a scarf printing demonstration by Hermes at the South Coast Plaza boutique. The name of the scarf he is creating is Les Amoureux de Paris. I would love to be able to attend one of these demonstrations in person, but I am never near a boutique when they visit.

Flowers

I bought these roses yesterday at Fresh Market. I love fresh flowers, specifically fresh white flowers. White flowers are so pure, simple, and beautiful. I am not much of a plant person, I have a hard time taking care of them. Flowers are better because there isn't the pressure to keep them alive. Since I know that they are not going to last forever, I don't feel so bad when they wilt and die. Plus, the flowers just smell really lovely. Sometimes I wish I had the budget to buy flowers every week but then I wonder if I would appreciate them as much as I do buying them just once a month like I do now.

What kind of flowers do you like?

Gratitude Journal

Real life isn't always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgment of what is working in our lives can help us not only survive but surmount our difficulties.

Sarah Ban Breathnach

The above quote is from the book Simple Abundance. I bought this book last week after reading several good reviews. It is a lovely book with lots of very interesting topics. The first topic that caught my attention was keeping a daily gratitude journal by writing down five things to be grateful for every day.

There are some days when I would find it difficult to even come up with one thing to be grateful for let alone five. I find that when I am really sad or under a lot of stress I spend the day feeling sorry for myself and wishing for things I don't have. This will inevitably lead to overeating, buying things I don't need and/or not sleeping well. I recognize that this is not good for me and is a roadblock to my desire to live a simple life. I plan to start a gratitude journal today. Maybe by listing things I am grateful for everyday the bad days will be fewer and far between and I will be happier on a daily basis. Here are five things I am grateful for today:

1. My faith
2. My sister
3. My nephew
4. My parents
5. My best friend

What are you grateful for?

Quiet Time

This is the Memory Garden at my church. I love to come here right before church starts on Sunday and pray. I also come here during the week if I am feeling a little sad. It is a wonderful place to gather your thoughts.

Do you have a place where you go when you need some quiet time?

Fountain Pens

in today’s Internet-DVD-cellphone world where overachievers rule, dot-coms spring up as fast as houseflies on a hot summer day and die off just as fast, and nobody has time even to sneeze, a fountain pen is a wonderful — and useful — diversion, a practical reminder of a time when things were a lot less hectic.

Richard Binder

I love writing. I am not talking about writing a note or journal entry but the physical act of forming words on paper. I love the way the ink flows onto the paper. I have not switched from a paper agenda to an electronic calendar because I would miss writing down my appointments.

I love to write with a fountain pen. For many years I resisted using a fountain pen. I wasn’t a serious writer or anyone of importance so the thought using any pen other than a disposable ball point pen seemed silly to me. A few months ago I read an article on the pleasures of using a fountain pen. I decided to give it a try. Not wanting to invest a lot of money on a pen I may not like I began with a disposable fountain pen. When I started to write with it, the pen seemed a bit scratchy. I discovered the ink wasn’t flowing well and shook the pen up a bit. The ink began to flow smoothly and I began to understand what the article was trying to express.

After two disposable pens I decided to move on to an actual refillable fountain pen. I conducted a lot of research and read many posts on the Fountain Pen Network Forum. I decided to purchase a Sheaffer Prelude. The pen was heavier than I anticipated but it was easy to use. Not to mention it looked beautiful, much more attractive than the disposable pens I had been using.




I love to write with my fountain pen. It makes me feel like a real writer every time I use it, even if it is only to write a grocery list.

Do you use a fountain pen?

The French Cafe

One of my favorite things to do when I visit France is sit in a café. I love that for the price of a cup of coffee you can sit in one place all day and think, read, write, people watch etc. The wait staff won’t bother you or tell you to leave. We don’t have this kind of establishment where I live. I mean you can go to Starbucks coffee and sit down for a while, but it isn’t really the same. We do have sidewalk cafes but unless you plan to keep on buying food your time at a table is restricted.

I read this article the other day on the Bonjour Paris website. I too am envious of the old man who gets to sit in “his” café all day. I have dreams of one day saving enough money to move to a small village in France and become a café regular. I could sit all day and write in my journal, write letters to loved ones back home, read a good book and enjoy the simple pleasure of life in a French cafe.

Making Lists

I am leaving to go to Dallas tomorrow for a week. I am going to visit my parents, my sister and my little nephew. To prepare for the trip I am creating a packing list of everything I need to take with me. Actually I am making two lists: one for clothes and another for personal care items. I am also making a list of everything I need to check before I leave: turn off all the lights, lock the doors, oven off, small appliances unplugged, etc. I should probably keep these lists on my computer and print them out when I need them.

I really like to make lists. I have notebooks full of lists. Lists of movies I want to see, books I want to read, places I want to visit, scarves I want to get, things I need for my house, birthdays I need to remember, etc. I always carry a tiny notebook in my handbag (separate from my journal) in case I need to make a list when I am away from home. When I am overwhelmed by everything I need to do I make a list and it gives me a sense of control. The best part about making the list is checking things off the list. When I can cross a list item off I feel like I have accomplished something and that always makes me feel better.

Do you make lists?

Moleskine City Notebooks

I have been using Moleskine notebooks for years. I never leave home without one in my bag. I like to keep a journal. I always wanted to be a writer (actually a poet) but never really had the talent. Keeping a journal keeps the dream alive even if it never goes anywhere.

Recently the company introduced a line of notebooks called City Notebooks. The notebooks are a bit like a create your own vacation book. Each of them contains a detailed street map for the city as well as a metro/subway transportation map. The rest of the pages are blank to allow you to design your own travel guide. There are tabbed sections to write down information about your favorite hotels, restaurants, museums/attractions, shopping and other information. There are also several blank pages where you can write down notes or keep a journal of your trip. In the back of the book there is a pocket for storing receipts, tickets, and other keepsakes from your trip. I bought the Paris city notebook a week ago and I am having so much fun using it to plan my trip. I will have all my information from travel magazines, websites and blogs in one small book that slips easily into my handbag.




Of course, Paris isn't the only city available. There are several more European cities as well as a few cities in the United States, Canada and Asia. For more information you can visit the Moleskine website.

Signature Scent

My Grandmother always wore Shalimar. It was her favorite perfume and her "signature scent". She has been gone for ten years now but whenever I smell Shalimar it is like she is right next to me giving me a hug. Whenever I smell Shalimar it makes me happy.

I really want a signature scent but I have had a hard time committing to a single fragrance. For a long time I wore Chanel No. 19 and it had a great chance of becoming my signature scent. The eau de parfum became extremely hard to find though, and so I had to move on to other perfumes.




I wore a Guerlain perfume called Cherry Blossom which I loved but it was a limited edition so it could not become my signature scent. Champs-Elysees was next but no one liked the scent on me so out the door it went. I tried a couple of Hermes perfumes (Rouge Hermes and Eau des Merveilles) but they were a little too strong. I wore Fracas for a while but the perfume's scent changed. At least it changed on me so I no longer buy it.



For the past five years I have been wearing Annick Goutal's Gardenia Passion. I bought my first bottle at her boutique in Paris. It is a great perfume and the bottle looks so pretty on my dressing table. I love the way it smells and I get a lot of compliments when I wear it. I am not sure, however, that I will still be wanting to wear it when I am in my 60's, 70's etc. It seems like a perfume for the young.



So my search continues. Maybe I will have some luck this fall in Paris. I plan to try out a couple of perfumes at Caron. Hopefully I will finally find the one, the one perfume I feel I can wear for the rest of my life.

Do you have a signature scent?

Please, Check-In

When I decided to celebrate my birthday in Paris this year I vowed not to purchase anything from Hermes until then. I was going to save my money and buy some fabulous items to celebrate. Things were going really well until this scarf started calling my name.




I love Kelly Bags. I have one and it is my favorite bag. It has spoiled me for all other bags. So when I saw this scarf, a Kelly going through an x-ray machine, I couldn't resist. OK, now I promise to be good until I get to Paris.

Life in a Novel

Last weekend I was reading the Victoria magazine forums when I came across the most interesting question. If you could live inside a novel what would it be? I love this question though answering it ended up to be more difficult than I thought.

The Scarlet Pimpernel was the first book that came to my mind. While I love reading books about the French Revolution I am not sure I would want to live through it. It must have been very scary and I have a feeling I would have ended up without a head.

Then I thought about Madame Bovary. I ruled this book out because of the lack of modern conveniences I enjoy. This also ruled out all of Jane Austen's novels, the Little House on the Prairie series as well as Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody Emerson books.

I eventually came to the conclusion that I would like to live in Joanne Harris' Chocolat. I think the small French village depicted in this book would be perfect for me. After all, Lansquenet-sous-Tannes is in France where I feel I am meant to live. I think the size of the town is perfect. I could get everywhere I would need to go without ever getting in a car. The time period is modern enough to provide the daily comforts I need but old-fashioned enough to satisfy my desire for simplicity. I think I would be very happy there.



What book would you choose?

One Perfect Tomato

When I was in college I had a French professor who told me she went to the market every day and bought “one perfect tomato.” I asked her why she didn’t just buy a few at the beginning of the week and save some time. She told me she wanted her food to be as fresh as possible and she didn’t mind the extra time it took to go to the store everyday. I am still unclear how she ever found a perfect tomato at our local Bi-Lo, but I digress.

In almost every book I read about life in France the authors always mention that the French don’t shop for food like we do in America. They have much smaller kitchens and limited storage space. They buy enough food to last for a couple of days and end up shopping several times a week, many times in smaller specialty shops and open air markets. Here most everyone I know shops once a week at the local grocery store,Wal-Mart or bulk stores like Costco and Sam's Club. Only occasionally do we visit the farmer’s market. Most cities here don’t have the open air markets like they do in France. I recently read that in just one week in Paris you could shop at 58 different markets, how amazing.

When I was in Atlanta I did most of my shopping on Saturday at one grocery store. I worked so many hours during the week by the time I would pass my local grocery store on my way home I was too tired to shop. Forget about the farmer’s market, it was too far. I would always end up throwing out a lot of food at the end of the week because by Wednesday I wouldn’t really like what I chose on Saturday and ended up eating out for the rest of the week. This was not good and I gained a lot of weight. I also developed high blood pressure from the combination of stress, poor eating and lack of exercise.

Now that I have more time on my hands I have started shopping for food every couple of days. I discovered a small open air fruit and vegetable stand about 5 minutes from my house. I found a local meat market, wine shop and bakery. I started buying smaller portions of cheese and nuts at my local Fresh Market. I have lost a little weight and am feeling much better. I buy only what I need for two days so I am not bored with my food and won’t be tempted to eat out as often. Most importantly I am not wasting food.

I still need go to the grocery store for some things, but I use my french market basket and buy only a little at a time. This “one perfect tomato” way of shopping has now become a part of my life that I really enjoy.

Uniforms

My first experience with uniforms was at age 5 when I joined the Brownies. I loved my Brownie uniform: cute brown dress, brown shoes and a fabulous brown beret. Every Thursday we had a meeting so I wore my uniform to school. Thursdays were great you got up and knew what you were going to wear. Two years later I became a Girl Scout and got a different uniform. It wasn't quite as nice as my Brownie one (ugly green skirt, printed top, no cute beret) but I liked wearing it.

When I was nine my dad was promoted and we moved to Sydney Australia. I started wearing uniforms everyday. I wore a blue and white checked dress with hideous black shoes that got really hot when the sun beat down on them. On Fridays it was sports day and we wore yellow dresses with bloomers underneath and white sneakers. In the winter time a gray flannel dress and turtleneck replaced the other two uniforms. The nice thing about the uniforms was not having to decide what to wear in the morning, I just reached into the closet and pulled out the dress. Three years later we returned to the States and I didn't put on a uniform again, or so I thought.

Three months ago I was invited to my cousin's house for dinner. While we were eating his oldest son and I had the following conversation:

Jack: Aunt Mary, why do you wear the same thing everyday
Me: I don't
Jack: Yes you do, black and jeans
Me: Don't be silly, I do not wear that everyday
Jack: OK, whatever

I was a little upset and when I got home I went to my closet to have a look. He was right. I didn't literally wear the same thing everyday but all my clothes were remarkably similar. In my desire to simplify my life, I had created my own uniform.

In the fall/winter my outfit looks like this:


look 13 by celiajuno featuring Prada shoes

In the spring/summer it looks a little like this:


Untitled by celiajuno featuring Passport shoes

When it is really hot I do sometimes wear a pair of Khaki shorts, but not on a regular basis. For church or dressier occasions I wear a black or navy skirt and a twin set. But that's it, that's me in a nutshell.

I started to wonder, in my desire for simplicity had I gone to far? Should I go shopping and get some new clothes? Do I look silly? I found a red coat on sale and bought it. I wore it a couple of times but I never really felt comfortable. I tried some lighter colored pants but again, I was never comfortable wearing them. I was always afraid I had a stain on them. I tried some gray and dark red tops. I kept the gray but got rid of the red. I did end up with a couple of pastel tops for the summer and I do have my scarves to add a dash of color. I also added some red shoes and a red handbag but that's as far as I am willing to go right now. I like my uniform. It's my signature style. Maybe I will change it one day. Maybe one day I will finally use the advice from A Guide to Elegance. For now, though, my uniform makes me comfortable and happy and that is what's important.

Do you have a uniform?

7 Things I love

Last night the lovely Stephanie over at Bonjour Madame passed on a Kreativ Blogger Award to me. I am honored that she would choose me as one of the recipients as her blog has been such an inspiration to me. The rules of the award are to list 7 things you love and then pass the award along to seven more blogs.

Here is my list of favorite things:

1. My family, they mean the world to me. I am blessed to have many aunts, uncles, and cousins in addition to my parents and my sister. We are very close.

2. Shopping at Farmers Markets. I love the smell of all the fresh fruits and vegetables.

3. France, I want to live there.

4. Teaching Sunday School. I teach 4 and 5 year old children, they ask the best questions and really make you think.

5. Trains. I love trains, I think they are the best way to travel.

6. Pearls. I wear pearls everyday and have since I was a teenager. Pearls are simply elegant.

7. Libraries. I love books and think visiting libraries is a great way to spend an afternoon. I love to read and learn new things and you can do both of these things at the library.

OK, I am passing the award on to the following:

Marie Antoinette's Gossip Guide
The Vintage Scarf Blog
Message in a Teacup
Dreams of Genevieve
Of a Certain Age
Olive Rue
The Beautiful Life Blog