New Year

New Year

Circa: 2015

       It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone and 2015 is here! First of all I would like to thank all of you that have followed me since the beginning and embraced my style, voice and love of the past! What was intended to be a small personal blog that would probably only be seen by my family and friends now has nearly 400 followers! I am beyond honored and blessed and hope to continue to inspire you to add a little vintage touch to your own life. 

       I know that just like everyone else I  always make, and often break, my new years resolutions. We'll this year my resolution was simply to become healthier and happier in body, mind and soul. I feel like this can only aid me in my mission to inspire others in daily life and through my blog. One of the ways to do that is through meditation and reflection on a daily basis. Whether it's few minutes in the morning with my coffee or unwinding after a long day at work I want to take a moment for myself to find my inner peace, creativity and have a release from stress and negativity. Therefore, I thought that I would start this new year sharing my own personal haven and some of my favorites items in it.

      I created a peaceful and relaxing environment in the corner of my office/guest bedroom and invested in a few items I wanted to share with you today. Of course I had to add my own personal and vintage touches to the space to stay true to my authentic self!

  
    My first purchase was my Riverrock Essential Oil Diffuser by Deneve. I was introduced to the power of essentials oils by a close friend and I have been a believer ever since. I love this diffuser because it fills the room with soothing aromas and produces the calming sound of a babbling brook when in use.  My personal favorite oil blend to unwind after a long day is lavender and rosemary. For the mornings at home and at work I like to use grapefruit, lemon or peppermint.

      In this space I also wanted to incorporate elements of nature and chose flower petals from my garden and a beautiful miniature Orchid plant. Orchids have always been one of my favorite flowers and I love how this petite version perfectly fits on my table. I was curious as to the symbolism surrounding orchids and I discovered that different cultures throughout history have believed in the healing, disease-fighting and protective properties of this beautiful flower.

      
        For Christmas, my mother-in-law gave me a few of these wonderfully petite candles that are perfect for dinner parties, bubble baths and meditation and prayer. I love their light scent of Eucalyptus and Mint after a long day.

      

       To complete the space I added a few personal touches such as my angel statue, gilded heart ornament and very special mirror. The mirror is a beautiful wedding gift that Chris and I received from my Aunt/Godmother Melody. She created this beautiful piece of art with a heartfelt message on the back that I treasure to this day!

  
    Finally, for those that are interested in trying meditation for the first time I would suggest beginning with guided meditations. In the past when I have tried meditation it was very difficult to quiet my mind, focus on my breathing, relax and sit still for more than five minutes on my own. However, I have found that guided meditations allow me to relax and  and focus and find release after a long and stressful day or needed energy in the mornings. I have found several wonderful free meditation podcasts online including Meditation Oasis and My Meditation Station. 

  
    I hope that this helps inspire you to create your own meditation and prayer space in your home and more importantly take a few moments for yourself each day. As for the blog I have some wonderful plans in store for the new year including a way to bring my vintage life into your own home. At the beginning of January a dear friend told me that this is the year of positive change and growth and I am looking forward to every moment that of it and continuing to sharing my life with you in 2015.