Simplicity

Simplicity is the discipline that guides French women in their personal style as well as in arranging their living spaces. They do not aim to have a great number of possessions, but to have the right things that enhance their lives with convenience and pleasure.

Anne Barone

It seems to me that simplicity shouldn't require discipline. The root word, simple, implies that it should be easy. But I can assure you simplicity is anything but easy. In our consumer driven, got to have it now, give me more world we live in it takes discipline and courage to live a simple life. It almost seems somewhat unnatural today to live in a small home with only a few beautiful and useful possessions.

I have recently been introduced to a new blog, La Bella Figura. The blog's author, Kristi, has shared some photos of her closet and kitchen. While her possessions are few, what she does own is very beautiful and useful. I have been very inspired by these posts.

I have come a long way. I only have about 25% of the things I owned when I first moved to Mobile from Atlanta three years ago. I pared down a lot before I left Atlanta and recently I have gone through and pared down some more but I still feel cluttered. There are some things I own that don't work for me and there are also some things I don't own that would be useful to me. Hopefully soon I will get to that point where I have the right amount of right things that make my life beautiful and functional.

Dreams

You got to have a dream, if you don't have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?

Rodgers and Hammerstein

I have been looking at real estate websites a lot lately. Not here in Alabama but in France. I really want to live in France. I love it there. I think I mentioned in a previous post that whenever I visit France I always feel like I am coming home. I feel comfortable there.

My parents and my aunt think I am nuts for wanting to live in France. I know there are a lot of obstacles to my moving there. I would need a nest egg, a visa, knowledge of more than basic tourist French. Then, of course, I would need to overcome my shyness so I can meet new people and not be lonely. Winston is good company but he can't talk.

Chances are high I will never move to France but I am not giving up my dream. Like the Happy Talk lyrics say, if you don't have a dream a dream will never come true. Today I took a little step towards my dream. I opened up a savings account with a local credit union to save for a home in France. It is always good to save money, especially in the current economic climate, so opening this account was a good thing. I plan to put a little bit away every month and half of any unexpected money that comes my way. I have also vowed to spend 30 minutes a day with my Pimsler French cds. I uploaded them to my Ipod so I can listen and learn while I walk Winston. Small steps but I need to start somewhere.

What's your dream?

The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection is my other favorite museum in New York. It is located at 1 East 70th Street on the corner of 70th and Fifth Avenue.

The Frick was founded by industrialist Henry Clay Frick. Mr. Frick loved to collect and study art and wanted to encourage others to do the same. His home was designed around his art collection in anticipation of the home one day becoming a museum. In his will he directed that, after the death of his wife, his Fifth Avenue mansion and his entire art collection would become a public gallery to be called The Frick Collection. He also left a $15,000,000 endowment to provide for maintenance of the collection and acquisitions of new art works. With the exception of a few pieces, the art in the permanent collection was acquired by Mr. Frick during his lifetime.

Mr. Frick had amazing taste. The museum has a fantastic collection of European and American Art:18th century French furniture, Flemish tapestries, and European porcelain and sculptures. In addition, The Frick contains a magnificent collection of paintings including works from Vermeer, Whistler, Constable, and Boucher. My favorite paintings are the Progress of Love series by Fragonard (which are housed in the Fragonard room pictured on the left.) I really love Fragonard’s sugary hedonistic style and would say that this room is not to be missed.

During the year the Frick hosts a series of concerts in the mansion’s music room. The museum also sponsors lectures, trips and a few benefit events every year. In 1920, Helen Clay Frick, Henry’s daughter, established a magnificent art library in the building next door. The art library has become one of the best resources for the research and study of Western Art.

Like the Cloisters, the Frick is a must see on any trip to New York. If you can't make it to New York, click on the link on the side of my blog and you will be able to take a virtual tour of some of the museum's collection.

The Cloisters

The picture at the top of my blog was taken in the Cuxa Cloister at the Cloisters Museum in New York. The Cloisters is one of my favorite museums. It is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is home to the Met's collection of European Medieval Art.

The museum is located in Fort Tryon Park at the northern tip of Manhattan. The land on which the museum was built was donated to the Met by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. He also purchased and donated several acres of riverfront property in New Jersey so that the view from the museum would not be compromised. Finally, he donated many pieces of the museum's collection.

The museum is named the Cloisters because it incorporates elements from five medieval French cloisters. It has an amazing collection of medieval manuscripts and illuminated books. In addition, the museum houses The Nine Heroes Tapestries and The Unicorn Tapestries.

The Cloisters is one of the most peaceful places I have ever visited. When you are there, it is hard to believe that you are in New York City. It is a wonderful place to think, write, relax or meditate. Strolling through the gardens and public rooms it is as if you have been transported to a quiet village in France. If you are in New York, I highly recommend a visit.

Buried Treasure

"One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries."
—A.A. Milne

I am sorry I have been MIA. It seems that my life is anything but simple these days. I don't see it calming down until July so forgive me if I only post once a week. I think what I miss most is reading all of your blogs. I am hoping to catch up on that this weekend.

I love the above quote. Though I really want to be, I am anything but orderly. As I have been cleaning out my closets and home, trying to get ready for guests to visit, I have discovered a few useful things. It seems that my closet is a bit like a thrift store, the storage containers are full of a lot of junk but if you dig deep enough you can find a treasure: a great pair of silver earrings from Tiffany's I thought I had lost, a cute pair of denim capri pants which are perfect for summer and a pair of slides that have sneaker like bottoms that have been great for walking Winston in the summer heat. It has been kind of nice finding these things. Normally, when I am feeling stressed (like I have been lately) I will go out and shop. This time though, instead of heading to the mall, all I had to do was shop my closet.

Have you ever shopped your closet?

Happy Birthday

Hey, look at this, two posts in one day. I just want to wish my sister a very happy birthday. She has her own blog, My Happily Ever After, which is linked on the side of my blog. (There are really cute pictures of my nephew on there.)

My sister is one of the most beautiful and talented people I know and she inspires me everyday. She is a very talented writer and is now taking photography and sewing classes. Most importantly, she is one of the best mothers I have ever known. My little nephew is so lucky.

So Traci, I just want you to know how much I love you and how lucky I am to be your sister. Happy Birthday.

Perspective

Wow, it has been a whole week since I posted. Too much going on right now. As you know, I posted a couple of weeks ago about wanting to get rid of many of the things that I felt were cluttering up my life. Cleaning out my closets and deciding what to get rid of is hard, I didn't realize how attached I had become to some of my possessions. Letting go has been very difficult. Today, someone sent this to me via e-mail. After reading it I realized how blessed I am and it has given me the push necessary to let my excess stuff go. I have decided to print this out as a reminder for when I feel the need to fill my life with stuff I don't need.

* If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.

* If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

* If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

* If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

* If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death ... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

* If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful ... you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

* If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder ... you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.

* If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.