Older and Wiser Now

Last March I posted an exercise I had done in 2004 about creating a perfect day in my life which is used to help you focus on what you really want.  In March I wrote that most of it still rang true but that I would probably update it now that I'm older and wiser, and the beginning of a new year seems like a good time to review it.  So here we go ~ my older and wiser version ~ with commentary this time.

Let me introduce you to ~B.  At first glance she may seem like a traditional sort of girl, but upon closer inspection, you will soon realize that she is quite unexpected with her jazzy sense of style.  Let’s take a peek into what a typical day is like for her. 

Unexpected and jazzy sense of style. I still like this! I like to think my new, emerging DYT T1 style is starting to bring this out more and more so that it doesn't seem to take you by surprise. I feel like my outsides are beginning to match the inside of me finally!

One thing you will notice immediately about her, is that she takes the time to indulge herself in the little luxuries of life.  The fresh cup of hot cocoa in the mornings before pulling on her wellies, fetched from a neat little row, as she heads out the door into the crisp morning air with her chocolate lab hot on her heels ready for a brisk walk along the river near the nature preserve.

  via

 

Little luxuries? Heck yeah! I'm all about mindfully chosen little indulgences! But that dog stuff~I'm really just not a dog person and I'm glad my family realizes that now! So that part is now out! I will still take that walk please, thank you very much!

On her way home, she can be spotted at her local neighborhood farmers market,  where they know her by name and set aside the best produce for her, knowing that she will soon be there.  Today she has collected some fresh eggs and veggies for a delightful omelet she will savor outside on her brick patio underneath the grape filled pergola.

This paragraph is my lovely little provincial dream! I love to eat as locally as I can and with the freshest produce possible! It was a huge focus for me back then and still is. I love supporting and knowing my own farmers. It just feels gooood and makes me all warm and fuzzy inside! And I'm happy to say since originally writing it, that I do have my own grape filled pergola on a brick patio ~ this one has been a dream come true!

She relishes the change of the seasons as she sips a cup of fresh apricot nectar she made herself, listening to the many flocks of birds and geese honking overhead as they migrate along the major flyway she lives under.

via

Yep! The seasons are lovely here and I still love to hear those geese honking by. Oh and by the way, fresh apricot nectar is like summer in a glass! It is the nectar of the Gods! Just sayin'....

Her home sits on a green and leafy estate and is filled with a mix of traditional and quirky items that hint of a surprising swank little European hideaway.  It nods to her rich Danish, English and German heritage and love of history but has a very forward thinking approach as she contemplates her own legacy. 

This and the following home decorating paragraphs are still a work in progress but are a good reminder to me of my focus and what I like.

She has thrown open her large, tall leaded windows so that the breeze will gently blow the beautiful window treatments in a graceful manner as she contemplates what to read from her beautiful collection of classics, and charming old etiquette books. 

Her house is not cluttered with ambiguous items, but each thing is carefully chosen with an eye for aesthetics and function, as in the leather bound photo albums she has created with beautiful gold embossing their spines.  Because if there is one thing she understands keenly, is that the details make all the difference on the whole. 

Leather bound photo albums ~ check! Details definitely do make a difference and is something one must constantly be aware of. I need to refocus on this as I whip my house back into shape again!

Her closet is neatly organized and one gets the feeling of stepping into a chic little boutique.  It is filled with classic clothes with clean simple lines, yet the first impression can quite deceive you for while it is classic, it is never stuffy or boring.  Upon closer examination you will notice that each piece is set apart by exquisite and unexpected details that make them truly as unique as the girl who wears them. 

This paragraph is very interesting to me. It was written pre-DYT when I really wanted to be the perfect little Audrey Hepburn. But I'm not Audrey Hepburn and I think I knew that. I knew I wanted unexpected details. I think I wanted to bring the fun back into my wardrobe and life even back then. I am much happier with a jazzier, fun wardrobe.  I guess you could say I'm more like Muzzy Van Hossmere from Thoroughly Modern Millie ~ ha!  But not quite as crazy!  ~wink~wink~ 

The majority of her wardrobe is filled with casually elegant clothing that give off the air of being on holiday all the time.  It is what she considers “Park City Chic”, resort-like, casual and comfortable.  For this truly fits her active lifestyle as a mother.  She looks equally at home whether casually strolling the streets of Park City galleries, chasing children and dogs, or running to the local PTA meeting. 

I still like the idea of "Park City Chic" because it can be outdoorsy, casual and still look appropriately grown up. And who doesn't want to be on holiday all of the time???  Hello!  Sign me up!  I just need to translate this with a a lighter fun factor in mind. :D

She treasures her friends and family, and often you will find multiple people and impromptu festivities going on.  Tonight however, she will spend a quiet night with her family, helping her daughter with her homework after a lovely dinner of butternut squash soup, crisp salad and bread.  Later they will play quiet board games and  maybe take a peek into the telescope before the children head off to bed.

via

Oh yes! I love a good party with my close friends and family and I still love those quiet evenings with my family. But I don't really like board games ~ sorry! I tried to like them, but that part has to go! This part also reminds me that it has been way too long since we pulled out our telescope. Isn't there a meteor shower sometime soon? I hope I didn't miss it!

Once the house quiets down, ~B. settles into her cozy little nest of a bed with her sketchbook and sketches out the details of her new eveningwear collection.  And of course, she snuggles with her husband while sounds of Paolo Conte waft through the air.

Aaaahhhhh! I love to snuggle with my husband!  But that eveningwear collection has never materialized onto paper yet, but be assured, it is absolutely exquisite in my head!

~ ~ ~

This was good to reflect on.

All in all, this still shows what is important to me

and is still how I endeavor to live my life.

In lieu of resolutions, this is another method

you could use to map out what you want this year.