Simplify, Simplify

It's hard to believe that it's been over a month since I last blogged. To be honest, it was becoming a burden to me. I am somewhat of a technophobe, so blogging is a constant struggle between sharing my thoughts and fighting with the technological demons that pop up to discourage me. So I took a break to try to figure out where I wanted to go with all of this.

And as I reflected, I realized that my lack of motivation isn't really a result of the technology issues. The real problem is that my blog doesn't have a focus. I have been blogging about things that interest me, but there doesn't seem to be a common thread that binds my posts together.

So moving forward I am going to move in a different direction. For years, my true passion has been reading about and finding ways to simplify. I truly believe that my true purpose is to share my conviction that our world is in too big of a hurry, and we're missing out on the meaningful things in life.

I was at Barnes and Noble this afternoon and this book caught my eye:

So I splurged and bought it for myself. I've always had an interest in and respect for the Amish, and who could resist the lovely apron on the cover! The subtitle reads One woman's quest for a slower, simpler, more sustainable life. That describes me, and what I believe will be the heart of my blog going forward.

I have discovered my focus and purpose. You will no doubt see some changes as my blog is reborn after seven short months. I hope you'll check back and share in this journey I'm on. Together, in the words of Laura Ingalls Wilder, maybe we can rediscover the sweet, simple things of life.

Finding the Balance

One of my priorities in recent years has been to simplify my life, and it seems I've been successful in some areas, but not so much in others. There are so many good things to say yes to. Spending time with family and friends, church activities, keeping up my home and yard, creative projects, blogging--you get the picture. All worthwhile and important things, but once again I've taken on too much it seems, and I'm having a hard time keeping up with it all. I know I'm not alone in this. I'm sure you've experienced that overwhelmed feeling that comes when things are out of balance.

A good example of this is the fact that it's been over a week since my last blog post! I had good intentions, but not enough time or energy. I think I need to take some pressure off myself and be content to blog when I can. It's been great fun so far, and I don't want it to become just another pressure. I hope you won't give up on me!

I did make progress on a fun project that I want to share with you. I bought some cute Halloween fabric when I was in Rossville, and decided to make an apron out of it this weekend.

I made the pockets from some vintage-style fabric that I found at Joann's, and of course I couldn't resist adding ric-rac. 

You can't see it in these pictures, but on the waistband by the ties are buttons that say BOO. I thought they were a cute touch. This was a fun project that got me in the Halloween spirit. Maybe I'll put some candy in the pockets and answer the door wearing this!