Well
They say August is like the Sunday of Summer and they aren't wrong.
I hope you've had a chance to rest, play, grow and create this summer.
Me? I've been completely quiet online this summer.
I don't know if I told you, but I just finished writing my third book (Cozy Minimalist Home was part of a two book contract). I had my head down working on that for the past few months. I turned in the manuscript, and then our family took a long-planned-for trip to Yosemite.
It was the trip of a lifetime and so fun and I wouldn't trade one moment of it, but as soon as we got home, I had to start working on all the photos for the next book. And even though I had a vacation scheduled in the middle of two big deadlines, I realized I came home exhausted. Working through my next deadline to
get those photos in was a beast.
A few weeks later, once the photos were turned in, I was finally able to truly step away for a few weeks. I ended up listening to an episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast by Gem and Alan Fadling about How to Plan a Restful Vacation.
It's a great episode and I recommend you listen with your spouse BEFORE you plan a trip, if possible 😂. As Gem and Alan talked about their recent vacation, they ask a question about your vacation mindset that I can't stop thinking about:
"Am I trading one kind of hurry for another?"
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This one question changed everything for me because it helped me understand how in the world I had the NERVE to come back from a dream vacation absolutely exhausted.
It turns out, all it takes for me to begin to feel unhurried is a few days at home without any deadlines or assignments, with no expectations. I ended up having three weeks with zero agenda and it was simply luxurious.
My house and I had the most life-giving time together as I cleaned out our junk drawers and decluttered areas that have been neglected for over a year. I read a ton of fiction, planted a bunch of plants, and went to Lowe's whenever I wanted--twice in one day even! I got in a major painting mood and touched up the trim paint on our porch and kitchen just for fun because I felt like it. None of it was on a to do list, I
only did things if and when I wanted.
I traded hurry for unhurry without even leaving my house and it made all the difference.
On the Homefront
After almost two months away, I finally logged onto Instagram this past week and BAM! -everyone is doing amazing things in their homes!
Of course, I follow all sorts of home accounts, friends, heroes and DIY mavens and I couldn't believe how much progress people made in their home while I was vacuuming cat hair out my junk drawer and throwing away holey underwear.
I am so SO happy for them and inspired by all the progress, truly, but by no fault of anyone but myself, I can easily slip into the mode of feeling like I must be the slowest person ever when it comes to finishing our house.
It's been six years, why can't we finish up this fixer upper already?!
Ruth was writing about her own fixer upper and she says:
"...the SECRET to dreams coming true
is to want everything you CAN do,
when you CAN’T do everything you want to."
--Ruth Chou Simons
Time, money, inspiration, skill and the freedom to make changes all affect what we can do in our homes on any given day, week month or year. But no matter what our circumstances are, there are always tiny things we CAN do.
For me, one way of doing what I COULD DO this summer looked like taking three carloads of stuff to the goodwill and painting the ends of my kitchen island to cover up the dirt.
What does it look like for you today?
PS, one way I remind myself of how far we've come is to look at before photos. Next week, I'll share some before and current photos of our fixer upper over the past six years.
Dates to remember:
The Nest Fest: Our 4th annual festival we host here at our home in Midland, NC is October 19. Tickets go on sale in September. Vendor applications are now closed, we have some charming vendors this year! I'll announce this year's featured authors when tickets go live. But hint--Ruth (mentioned above) will be back
again!
Here's to home!
xo
myq
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