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iving consciously and appreciatively. Over the past year as I have created The Simply Luxurious Life I have seen a change in myself - a positive change. A sort of balancing if you will. Maybe it's a year of maturity, maybe it's a sense of calm about a handful of things that I am more confident about, but more than anything I feel I am living more grounded and appreciatively.
Over the past month three things occurred - rather normal bumps in the path that I calmly took care of: a scare with one of my dogs (he's back to his regular happy self now) and two challenges caused due to living in an old house. My calm approach wasn't always my reaction in the past, I'll be honest, but this time, I swiftly dealt with each issue and am now enjoying a home that is functioning properly as well as an adorable English Cocker (barking, kissing and all).
There is an amazing power that comes with accepting where you are now in your life - in each moment that presents itself - making the most of the moment, appreciating the good that surrounds you, and continuing to be thankful even when things have been cruising along smoothly for quite some time. Behaving in such a positive manner is truly a magnet for more wealth - whether it be an improved and cheerful mood of those around you, opportunities in life, work or love, or a healthier and happier you.
Each day I become a stronger and stronger believer in the aphorism "You get back, what you put in". How we choose to deal with people - family, friends, employers, service workers, etc, is reflected, for the most part, in how we are treated in return. Similarly, as I spoke about in Monday's Inspirational post - Let Passion Be Your Fuel - hard work will reap great rewards, but as always, it will take substantial effort. In order to create the life you want, you must first embody it in your day to day life. If you want tranquility, peace and stability, you must exude those qualities yourself because "like" really does attract "like".
As a way to help add even more motivation to take responsibility for making the life you wish to live, read the following post - Take The Reins
I would first like to welcome you - - to the first weekly newsletter of 2011! Whether you are enjoying your first edition or have been subscribing for quite some time, I hope you are able to find inspiration, ideas and enjoyment in what you receive every Friday. The first quarterly newsletter Creating A Simply Luxurious Year
was met with resounding success as it went out on January 1st, and I want to thank everyone for your comments, retweets on Twitter and views. I'm so happy you enjoyed it, and I wish you well on your journey these next three months to build a foundation for an amazing year (if you haven't already had a chance to read it, click here to view).
This week's newsletter spotlights a blogger who I first met during the first few months of my venture into the blogging world. She is inspiring, resourceful and repeatedly shares fantastic ideas for enjoying food, home decor and life in general. Please do stop by Splendid Market and introduce yourself, if you haven't already, to Emily from my side of the woods - the Pacific Northwest.
Also, you will find the new weekly regular posts have debuted this week. I hope you are enjoying seeing Style Inspiration on Thursdays and the brand new series Financial Food For Thought which appears on Fridays. A brand new Why Not . . .? three part series began this week focusing on Creating Your Own Signature Style?. Catch up by clicking here to see exactly what having your own signature style might look like for you.
It is my hope that this weekend is a positive precursor to what the rest of your 2011 will look like. Be sure to take some time for yourself and enjoy one, or two, of your favorite pastimes.
Have a lovely weekend, and until next week, I'll see you on the the blog!
-Shannon
EXTRA FASHION & DESIGN POSTS
Articles from Around the Web You Might Enjoy
(courtesy of Slim Paley)
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Monday's Inspiration:
Tuesday's Rooms of Inspiration:
Wednesday's Why Not. . .?:
Thursday's Rules of Style:
Style Inspiration:
Financial Food For Thought:
Foodie Friday:
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| Reader Spotlight |
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Emily
How do you define luxury?
I
find luxury is anything or any situation that makes me feel extremely
comfortable, pleased and sometimes, even thrilled.
Personally,
I've found that I enjoy the great "luxuries" of life much more when they are
mixed in with a something exotic, rustic, authentic or adventuresome. Good food
has always been a favorite luxury for me, and I've had the privilege of dining
at some of the top restaurants in the world, but I sometimes find it to be
contrived to have "it all"...a refined setting, beautifully prepared food,
hovering service, etc. all at once. I find great food is more enjoyable when a
little "spice" is added into the mix.
"Elegant
food in a rustic setting" is my idea of a luxurious dining situation, and one
that can please all of the senses. I
always want to have fabulous food, be it refined or casual, but somehow it
tastes better to me if it is presented in a rustic or unusual setting or manner.
I guess that explains why I have a special affection for high mountain huts.
This affection inspired me to ski the Haute Route last spring, from France to
Switzerland, staying at a different hut along the route each night. After a
long day of ski touring, my friends and I would convene in the dining room to
share the local mountain fare with an international blend of skiers. It was
such a thrill to glide and climb across this historical route and to have the
chance to experience and absorb the authentic alpine culture.
On
the first night of 2011, I was fortunate enough to experience my favorite dining
situation again, a little closer to home. Our local ski area has a rustic gem
of a restaurant with wonderful cuisine, perched at 6,872 feet and surrounded by
miles and miles of undeveloped forestlands. I have skied to lunch at the Summit
House restaurant many times, it's the highest restaurant in Washington state
and offers an astounding view of Mt. Rainier. This year, Crystal Mountain built
a gondola to bring people (with or without skis) directly to the summit to enjoy
the view, lunch, or now, dinner. The "Mt. Rainier Gondola" began operating on
1/1/11, I loved watching the shiny red cabins float overhead all day, and was
so excited that I had reservations for dinner that evening. Our friends came over
for black-eyed peas and champagne before we bundled up, boarded the gondola and
were lifted up into the darkness. We watched the small village below disappear,
sipping champagne and staying warm beneath a classic striped woolen blanket. Then,
slowly, the twinkly lights of the restaurant above came into view. The evening
was splendid, and every element, the fire, the fellow culinary adventurers, the
food, the service, was all the more exquisite because of the rare opportunity
to travel to and from dinner in a gondola, full of friends, on a cold and clear
winters night.
What luxuries do you enjoy in your every day routine?
In
this busy world, time is one of the greatest luxuries. I find it quite
luxurious when I have time to take an extra wink, covered in smooth white
cotton bedding or beneath a cashmere throw; or an evening at home with my
favorite sashimi salad and a movie; or free time to reflect, to learn something
interesting, or to read a beautiful poem. Quiet time to myself feels quite
luxurious to me.
I
also find it a great luxury, day-to-day, to live in a pleasantly decorated,
organized home which functions well for my busy family and is filled with things
we love. I thrive on creating great food and beautiful settings at home to
share with my family and friends. Over the years, through study, trial and
error I have come up with ways to create these foods and settings with ease.
One of my inspirations for starting Splendid Market was to share some of my
strategies and "lazy-lady" techniques for creating such everyday luxuries at
home.
What luxuries do you hope to enjoy in the future?
Well, after the blessed,
busy, bustling holiday season and a week on the ski slopes, warmth sounds most comforting.
A week at The Royal Mansour in Marrakech would be a lovely luxury! I can only
imagine how wonderful it would be to collapse in their steamy, fragrant
Moroccan spa, and indulge in a few treatments. After a little pampering, I
would love to roam the souk, and the old city of Marrakech, taking in all of the
culture and cuisine it has to offer.
I would also love to
enjoy the luxury of being able to speak French fluently. Last summer, at the
end of our family vacation, I found myself alone for a day in Nice, France. I
loved the challenge of getting to the "marche des antiquities" in the old part
of town, dining and accomplishing my daily necessities while swimming (well, more
like dog paddling) in a lovely sea of beautiful French accents and words. It
occurred to me then, that with another 30 days of immersion, perhaps living in
a small hilltown, I could be well on my way to fluency. That would be a splendid luxury indeed.
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