Go Placidly Amidst the Noise and Haste of the Universe...

Go Placidly Amidst the Noise and Haste of the Universe...

uyguguygu   18.59   Comment  

I want to tell you about a book I read when I was fourteen or fifteen. I can't remember the name of the book at it was so short I think I read it in the course of an afternoon. It was classic young adult fiction, the sort of thing written for moody teenage girls (which, of course, I was) to devour and feel like someone understood them. 

Anyways, the book was about a girl who was in high school and wanted to be a dancer. She must have been in a pre-professional company or something. Every day she would go home and struggle with whatever she struggled with and tell her parents she wanted to be a dancer. 

And every time she said that her dad would gently remind her, "You are a dancer."

And that was the whole lesson of this book. You are a dancer. 

But maybe you're not a dancer. Maybe you write stories in your spare time. You, my friend, are a writer. Or maybe you ride your bike up a mountain or only down the bike path by your house. You are a cyclist. Maybe you make dinner every night, and even though the only patrons at your restaurant are you and your family or even just you. You are a chef. 

The point I'm trying to make here, the thing I first read in this book and learned through living and trying, is that you are what you are doing in life. Even if you're not being paid to do it, if there are no material gains or social rewards where you put your time is who you are. 

One of the things that is generally implied in life as you are growing up is "do good work and the rewards will follow." I believe that contrary to that idea the work is the reward in most cases. There is pleasure in having and finishing, of course, but the stretch of hard work, and the space and time you give to being something, if that makes sense, is where the real joy is discovered.

***

I cannot honestly remember the brands of any of my dance clothing. I do know my pointe shoes are Bloch. 

All of these stunning photographs were taken by Jessica Triggs at Heartflip Photography. Love and gratitude to her, always. 

Of Rights and Responsibilities

Of Rights and Responsibilities

uyguguygu   15.47   Comment  

I've been thinking a lot, particularly as I drive, about the etymology of the word stewardship. I have been mulling over the history of the word as well as what it means to be a steward in this day and age.

My older etiquette books (cira 1840's) refer to a steward as the head caretaker of an estate. They had the right and responsibility to manage it, and do it well. A steward was involved in all matters of the estate, from accounting for possessions to making sure the land was managed well and was productive. A steward was one of the most important hires a family could make, and to have a good steward was to have a successfully run estate. 

As time moved forward to train, then ship, then air travel the word steward began to refer to someone who was responsible for you, the traveler. They would take care of your baggage, your cabin, and attend to your needs. 

Today we no longer have stewards and stewardesses out and about. We refer to the helpful (and sometimes cranky...but mostly helpful!) people on airplanes as flight attendants. I haven't traveled long distances by large boat, though, and there may be a person aboard who is a steward. 

Bearing that in mind - I am my own steward. I hold stewardship over all of the the experiences, things, and people I have the fortune or misfortune to come to know. I hold the responsibility for how well my limited estate runs. 

I don't believe that you ever truly own anything. Everything is simply on loan to you - it has been given with the intent that you may use it to serve your purpose but you must take care of it, demonstrate your stewardship of what you have. I feel as if I can take care of what I'm given now - from my career to my relationships to the objects in my house - I will be better prepared to handle the large things later. 

Here are some small ways I show stewardship:

- I buy the best quality I can afford and maintain it -  I save to buy one pair of leather boots I can wear for years instead of four pairs of plastic ones I can wear for three months, I  mend any repairs needed in clothing once every few weeks, wash it carefully and properly, quickly wipe down appliances when I'm done using them, rinse out my makeup brushes once a week, keep the inside and outside of my car clean.

- I keep in touch with the people who I value, regardless of what gain they bring to my life - I write letters, call, text, send out a semi-monthly family newsletter, meet for coffee

- I stay on top of my finances - My income is limited as a teacher but I know how to shuffle the money I do make into the places that count - Savings (both long term and for things I want in the near future) first, paying down student loans second, bills third, and everything else last. 

- I focus on the long term - This is a tough one. I, like anyone else, enjoy a bit of instant gratification. If I see it, I want to buy it right away. I want things now - a better paying job, a sailboat, a nicer car, travel, moving abroad. I know, however, that life doesn't work that way for most people. You have to build your life, build your estate, manage it well, work hard at it, and things will happen. A few people get lucky and things just happen - the rest of us, though? We have to build it ourselves. It's not a bad thing, though. It teaches perseverance. 

How do you show stewardship in your life?

***

Scarf: Unknown (similar here)

Earrings: Unknown (similar here)

Jacket: Barbour

Shirt: Urban Outfitters (can't find a comparable shirt, sorry!)

Skirt: Self Made

Boots: Frye 

Ten things for 2013

Ten things for 2013

uyguguygu   15.22   Comment  

Here are ten things that are making my life lovelier this year. They are small things, nothing fancy, just little things I've loved having around in my life this January. 

1. Workbasket

Inspired by the idea of 18th and 19th century women's workbaskets I decided to corral many of my personal projects and things to do into a basket to be taken out in the evenings and worked on a little at a time. 

2. 2013 memory jar

I found this clever idea on Pinterest. I'm looking forward to opening it up on January first of next year and looking over all the wonderful things we did in 2013.

3. A stack of new and old favorites to read

I received a lot of books over the holidays and I've been utilizing paperback swap - there are lots of books to read around here and I've been curling up with them in the evenings. 

4. My planner

I purchased this last summer but it's still going strong, looks beautiful, and keeps me organized. I know exactly when everything is happening, I can jot down ideas in the blank pages and the book club book of the month on the top of each monthly calendar. There's even a spot for two lines of daily gratitude. I like to use Washi tape to block out larger projects, workflow, or time off. 

5. Our new couch

Finally, the wait is over. We have somewhere to sit!

6. Grey suede booties

I bought these in November in anticipation of holiday parties but they have turned out to be incredibly comfortable so I've been wearing them to work a lot. It's hard to find shoes that match my school's incredibly strict dress code, look nice, and don't make you want to soak your feet in a tub of ice after chasing twenty-six 8 year olds!

7. Letters to and from

I'm a dedicated letter writer and I look forward sending and receiving more of these dear missives from dear friends. 

8. French press

We've been long contemplating switching from our regular drip coffee maker to a French press coffee maker. We've been holding back because said drip coffee maker works perfectly fine. We received this French press coffee maker as a gift so there's no reason not to switch now!

9. Reorganized desk/workspace

The couch prompted a reorganization of our living space. I decided to move the desk behind the couch so I could look out the window as I worked, I cleared off a lot of random things that we really were not using, and I found some pretty things to hold supplies, pens, and stationary. We used the couch to split our living room into two distinct spaces: one for working and one for relaxing. It's been really great to have a better flow in our main living space. 

10. New Workout Clothes

January has been a bit of a wash for working out. I had a week in between bronchitis and an injury that's waylaid me to get my workout on but I know as soon as I'm cleared to head back to the gym I have some super cute clothes to wear while doing it! 

Best of '12

Best of '12

uyguguygu   12.21   Comment  

2012 was a solid year. Now that it's coming to a close I have a chance to look back and reflect on some of my favorite things from this year. While there were many, many amazing things that never even made it onto this blog here are, in no particular order, five of my favorite things that happened this year:

1. Sleeping in a ghost town in the mountains

I've always been a huge fan of ram-shackled ruins, if you haven't guessed by now.  The scenery in this area is the most beautiful in Colorado, as well. This camping trip took the cake, even if our tent was broken, it was raining for part of the trip, and I ended up sleeping in the car. 

2. All of the mountain bike "W's" this year

Sometimes we call winning "Taking the W." I had the chance to race a lot this summer, in several different places. I think I won five races this summer and a series overall as well! Not too shabby and I hope to improve upon those results in 2013!

3. Easter in Santa Fe

Santa Fe seems to be our holiday town. We spent Easter weekend there this year and we also went for Thanksgiving. It's really a beautiful place, full of art and classic southwestern architecture  Can I also say I'm slightly obsessed with The Shed, the best (and most difficult to walk in if you're tall) restaurant in Santa Fe for classic New Mexican food? 

4. Driving 4,000 miles in a giant loop around the eastern half of the United States

This was the trip, as two guys I met in a hostel in Nashville told me, of a lifetime and I didn't even realize it until they had pointed it out. They had worked and saved for a year to do what I had flippantly decided to do. I was able to ride my mountain bike in 8 different states on some amazing trail systems, see both sides of my family, take my grandmother-in-law on a roller coaster, go swimming in a classic southern swimming hole in a pebbled river in the smokies, camp all by myself for the first time since before I was married, couch surf in a beautiful home filled with books, head out to Nashville's honkey tonk bars with fifteen people from eight different countries, and so on... 

5. Jessica's photo shoot

One of my favorite things ever is to take pictures. I also don't mind being in front of the lens, either, especially when you have someone as fun and patient as Jessica taking the photos. The pictures that came out of this session are deserving of framing - she is an amazing photographer and doesn't mind heading up to the archives room of the library and shooting away in front of the card catalogues! I don't think there is a better combination than libraries and vintage ball gowns.  

A Sturdy Cotton Housedress

A Sturdy Cotton Housedress

uyguguygu   17.17   Comment  

I whipped this dress up two days ago from a pattern given to me by my Aunt. The pattern had originally belonged to my Great Auntie Flossie, who I believe was Auntie Flossie through marriage. I'm honestly a little unclear about how exactly she was related to me - she was present at every family event, though, so she was family anyways! 

Whenever I sew one of her patterns I become extremely thankful for her and that she saved these patterns for so many years! Even though some of them are marked smaller sizes than I am I haven't had to majorly alter anything from her pattern stash yet! I also am thankful that my Aunt thought of letting me pick through Auntie Flossie's sewing room - many of the convenience tools come from her, and were things that, at the time I was given them, I wouldn't have been able to purchase. I would probably still be making do without electric scissors, an array of slopers, three different sizes of eyelet setters, a thimble with the top cut off (indispensable!), and other little treasures. I still use many of her vintage trims and buttons whenever I sew, although some of the cuter things like buttons in their original cards or Milwaukee Advertising needle cards remain unused and waiting for display in my someday sewing room.

In hair news, this is the third set I've tried so far, and it's worked a little more enthusiastically than I've expected! I used sponge rollers everywhere this time, and of course setting lotion as usual. I've had a hard time keeping the curls brushed in place in a wave as they keep wanting to form individual curls all by their lonesome until my hair looks like it's going out in all directions! I used a 1950's setting pattern with a distinct part but I feel like it almost looks a little more 1930's to me. I think it might just be the length of the hair that's giving it this 20's/30's vibe more than the setting pattern at this point. I feel like a character out of I Capture the Castle or something! I love Cassandra Mortmain so this look doesn't worry me all that much.

Dress: Simplicity 1819

Shoes: Vintage

Three Days Across the Country

Three Days Across the Country

uyguguygu   18.40   Comment  

I'm on the road all summer long. Last week I departed from Denver and left my husband behind to fend for himself. I drove through Eastern Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and into Wisconsin. 

(Privately owned...and very difficult trails in Nebraska! I won't tell you who owns part of them but I can tell you they were flippin' sweet :)

(Beautiful books in a house of more beautiful books. This place I stayed at was a place where my soul felt at rest.) 

I split the drive up into three days -  my schedule went something like this: Wake up, Drive seven hours, Nap, Ride Bike, Sleep. There was eating somewhere in there too, but I was determined not to buy food from the gas stations or fast food places along the way so I mostly ate fruit and nutella sandwiches.

(Vast and endless driving.)

(I ended up driving behind the Miss Iowa Rodeo Queen for Miles and Miles. I passed her on the freeway and she looked like a pageant winner even from peeking in her truck!)

Honestly, despite the fact I don't have cruise control, I had the time of my life. I got to ride private trails in Nebraska and a hidden gem of a trail system in Iowa that is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers.  

(Campsite in Iowa)

(Surprisingly wonderful trail system in Iowa)

Honestly, despite the fact I don't have cruise control, I had the time of my life. I got to ride private trails in Nebraska and a hidden gem of a trail system in Iowa that is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers.  

Finally, right before I went to my parent's house in Wisconsin I stopped at the trails I learned to ride on in 2008. What was at times impossible is now a flat easy race course. I remembered every inch of those trails, too, which surprised me, and I was able to just fly around them. 

(Guitar on the dock before bed...)

(Home again, Home Again...)