My Spacious Things: Best of 2010

My journey is about releasing things, not acquiring them; letting go, not adding on to. Having said that, I also believe that “things that make your heart sing” are not clutter. If they brighten your day, make your life easier, more fun, or feel supremely good…

not clutter.

Nor extravagance.

As we welcome a new year (and decade), I thought I’d share my favorite “Spacious Things” list; things that have brought me unending (and in some cases unexpected) pleasure this year.

My favorite spacious things of 2010 [i.e. the ones I can remember right now – in no particular order]:

1. Twinkly lights: One of the best inventions ever: mood-elevator and space clearing on a string. I have a 100-bulb strand draped in my kitchen and one framing my back porch – hooked up to a push-button extension cord that I can tap with my foot for greater ease and convenience. As soon as it starts getting dark, bling, on they go – making every day a holiday in my house!
2. My cashmere wrap from Garnet Hill: If I could take one object with me when I die, it would be this shawl. I simply adore the feeling of being enveloped in warmth and yumminess of something so super soft (…hmm, like I imagine heaven might be all the time, come to think of it).
3. Digital photo frame: Lovelovelove this gizmo that allows me to see my photos that would otherwise be lost in computer la-la land. Set to change at one hour intervals, I’ll glance at a photo montage of our recent trip to Italy for example, and I am SO THERE. Because the screen is backlit you see details in your pictures that could easily be missed otherwise. Learn more here.
4. The Art of Extreme Self-Care by Cheryl Richardson. It offers simple and powerful tips on how to take time for yourself (which translates into being more available for others). Or as I like to say: without self-care, there is no clearing; without self-care there is no spaciousness. Cheryl’s book published by Hay House is one of best I’ve read on the subject.
5. Super-efficient Bosch washing machine: We needed a new one when a major flood in our basement fried our 20-year old clunker last spring. We’ve gone from using 80 gallons of water per wash (ouch) down to about 22 gallons. Our water bill is now less than two-thirds of what it was a year ago. No joke.
6. Pesto pasta with a glass of red wine (green “chi” and purple “chi”): Pesto is like mainlining summer sunshine and Nature’s life force, especially when you make it yourself. Its flavors are enhanced even more when accompanied by a glass of the grape. And for all the gluten intolerants out there like my husband: we’ve discovered that pesto goes really well with the “organic brown rice penne pasta” available at Trader Joe’s.
7. Benjamin Moore “Georgian Green” and “Linen White”: Amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do to change the look, feel, and energy in a space! (You’d think that I of all people would know this). After nearly 17 years we finally took care of the one toleration we never got around to addressing when we moved in 1994: our bedroom. In one day “we” (royal we) replaced the tired old pinkish wallpaper with the calming effect of a sage green treatment. That, and moving stuff around temporarily, is all it took to transform an eyesore into a restful sanctuary!
8. A beautiful teapot: My mom gave me my first grown-up teapot for Christmas this year and wow! It is one of those English-made porcelain pots covered with roses that make you think cozy cottage in the Cotswolds. Even though I don’t drink tea every day, it makes my heart swell every time I see it holding a regal space on my shelf.
9. Being Home: A Book of Meditations by Gunilla Norris. This little book of contemplations is a staple at my workshops. I love the way Ms. Norris captures the essence of an ordinary moment. Those everyday activities that we do without thinking – like getting dressed in the morning, doing the dishes, taking out the trash, paying bills – become divine pleasures.
10. Any thing written by Rumi. This 13th century mystic poet offers a clear channel to the heart of what matters. Goosebump moments on a page, like these.

I’m sure I’ll come up with other things that I forgot to include in this list, but for now perhaps it will inspire you to reflect on your top ten list:

What things or experiences have helped you feel more spacious over the past year(s)?

I’d love to hear from you.

Photo: Bing Images