Gwen Moss

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

wishing you joy and peace on Christmas

Thank you for blessing me with your company.

Merry Christmas dear readers!

Leslie

Monday, December 16, 2013

the gift of simplicity…

Here we are. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle and list making and crowded stores and long lines and this is where I say to myself each year….

Whew. Come on Leslie, take a deep breath. And don’t do it. Don’t lose touch with what it’s all about.

You know. The reason for the Season.

But it’s really hard, isn’t it? We have to make a conscious effort to not get swept up in all the frenzied buying and great sales and the urgent pace of it all. And whoa, those expectations!

So when I read this interesting detail about happiness I thought I’d share it with you because I know you’re trying to slow down and stay grounded in the meaning of Christmas too.

I know… more research on happiness? Do we really need to be reminded of what we already know deep down?

Well I know I do, so here it is.

According to a study on happiness and wealth, spending our money on life experiences rather than on material possessions is what ultimately makes us happy. In other words, purchases that result in being with others and experiencing a social connection is what we should be focused on.

It’s the gift of simplicity.

And the gift of simplicity is one that focuses on The Experience. The gift of our time. The act of being together and creating a special memory. Which means that instead of buying another expensive, silver knick-knack for that someone who has everything, try buying movie or theater tickets for you to take them along. Buy a gift certificate at a cozy coffee shop that includes a trip to a bookstore with you. Or maybe a golf lesson for Grandpa and your son to experience together.

Are you getting the idea?

Instead of buying a ‘thing,’ try spending your money on doing something fun together with your person in mind….

Because in the end here’s the truth. Material possessions no matter how luxurious and desirable they are, depreciate over time. They lose their value as the days go by and the heady excitement of getting it, is soon replaced by wanting the next ‘special’ thing.

But our experiences are just the opposite. As we go through life our past experiences actually become larger in our minds. They transform into precious memories and unlike material possessions, our memories become more valuable to us as we grow older.

Have you noticed this?

Have you observed how an old memory becomes more meaningful to you over time? And how those once simple experiences are now filled with poignant details that leave you smiling years later?

Do you recognize the soft, tender feelings you experience when you reflect back to a special moment in your life, which usually involves another person?

When a feeling of warm, reminiscent love washes over you?

Well that’s It.

In the end

those are the ultimate gifts that matter.

And they have very little to do with a great sale price.

today I’m wishing you the gift of simplicity,

…of slowing down

…and cherishing the small moments

with the people in your life.

via

If you liked this topic, you can read more about the myths of true happiness here.

Leslie

I’m linking this post up with these friends:

http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/2013/12/open-house-blog-party_18.html?

http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/2013/12/be-inspired-features-and-link-party-99.html

Technorati Tags: happiness,research on happiness and wealth,Christmas gift giving,what really matters,myths of happiness

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Merry & Bright.. holiday tour 2013….

Hello there! I’m so glad you stopped by for a little Christmas visit.

And I hope you’ve been enjoying all the fabulous holiday homes tours going on right now. I’m joining Jennifer Rizzo’s Holiday Home Tour HERE …

And I thought I’d pop over and join The Nester’s 2013 Christmas Tour of Homes too.

In the meantime if this is your first visit here let me introduce myself.. My name is Leslie- aka Gwen Moss- and now that the boys are away in college I live with Mr. Moss and our spoiled fur baby Stella, who likes to greet visitors by jumping up at the front door and leaving lots of little scratches on our wall.

Although truthfully, that’s a perfect example of how we’ve always lived in this home. Don’t be fooled by these perfect looking pictures, we’re pretty casual here. This is the house we’ve raised our boys, Patrick and Michael, along with three dogs and one beloved bird—and over the years this house has been filled to the brim with growing kids, big holiday parties, weekly family nights, and some very funny stories. And because I view my home as my personal art canvas, I’ve always got unfinished projects going on too. Which is code for saying our home has its share of messes and imperfections around.

This past August we officially became empty nesters when Michael went down to Southern California. And soon after, Life presented us with even more changes. One thing led to another and as of last weekend, our family home is officially listed for sale.

Yep, we’re moving to Huntington Beach, California.
But that’s a whole other story.

In the meantime I’m taking lots of photos these days because all of a sudden it seems important to capture the way our home looks for the holidays, all dressed up and so full of happy memories.

I’ve always loved decorating for the holidays and I hope you enjoy seeing my little touches.

The living room……

My latest chalk art project…alongside a few mice, fresh holly and my red toile stockings. Is there anything prettier than red and white toile?

I’m drawn to old, quirky looking Santas ….

Even though I love the whole white tree look, I never seem to have one. Our tree is always decked out in lots of vibrant red and my favorite ornaments are the ones made by the boys when they were in grade school.

Across from the living room is my office with the white floors that I painted. I love the look although I admit, white floors are not for perfectionists, they show every single dog hair.

I found four vintage ornaments—delicate, sparkly Santa boots—buried inside faded tissue paper at an antique store. I like to hang them from my favorite mirror.

Do you remember making paper chains as a child? I made this chain using sepia colored music sheets that came out of an old Chopin piano book, courtesy of the thrift store.