Are you so busy getting to the future that the present moment is merely a means of getting there?
I know it certainly has been for me.
Recent times have been all about looking forward because, quite frankly, it’s tricky to plan a wedding without counting the space between Here and There and connecting the dots in the meantime.
Physically, I’m in November 2011 but mentally I’m hovering somewhere around March 2012, which is when I’ll be styling my hen’s party, getting engagement photo’s taken, attending my final dress fittings in Melbourne and confirming the last little details for our Big Day.
Embracing the moment I am not.
The thing with living in a space that hasn’t unfolded yet is that your feet are never firmly planted in the now. Excitement for the good times that lie ahead means the good times that are happening right now, whilst appreciated, often get pushed to the side. They aren’t given their moment in the spotlight because the bigger stuff is constantly jostling for attention.
That’s what the Making Me Happy posts are all about – acknowledging and celebrating the beauty that surrounds us constantly, week by week. Holding a magnifying glass up to the little things AND the big things. While certain elements of our lives are out of our control, we can decide how we spend our energy, the way we treat others, what we choose to be thankful for and whether we see life as a struggle or full of opportunities to learn and evolve.
Today: look around not ahead, even just for a little while. Wherever you are, it’s a beautiful day.
My cup overfloweth with love this week for:
1. Evernote
New obsession! I might be a little late to the Evernote party, but god am I making the most of the free drinks and canapés now that I’m here!
Are you a chronic note-taker? Do you use the Note app on your iPhone all the time, or scrawl illegible reminders on PostIt notes? What about saving web links in random Word docs that you’ll file under “Inspiration” and completely forget about?
You need Evernote. Need. Can I utter the words ‘life’ and ‘changing’ in the same sentence?
In a nutshell, Evernote does this:
And, well, it’s amazing. So far I’ve created folders called WEDDING, BLOG POST IDEAS and MOTIVATION and I love that when I add something in from my work computer, I can then open the app on my phone or on my iPad at night and all my notes sync so I’m completely up to date. Super dooper handy, especially because you can attach images as well to trigger your memory.
Sold? Get on it, lovers! And no, I’m not doing their PR (totally should be though!)
2. Dream Catchers
I’ve always loved dreamcatchers so I bought this one for my dear friend to hang above her little girl’s cot. She’ll be gracing the world with her presence in under three weeks and with the beautiful parents she’s chosen, I’m sure all her dreams are going to be worth catching.
3. Productivity
* For once I wasn’t stuck in here.
Saturday was one of the most productive days I’ve had in the last few weeks and man it felt good! I love getting stuff done ahead of time and feeling super organised. Best feeling!
If you haven’t gathered, I thrive on being busy but I can’t stand disorder and chaos. It’s definitely a fine line. Having lots on and using my time wisely to stay on top of it all is awesome but chasing my tail and trying to rush/ squeeze things in where they don’t fit ain’t so cool at all.
I felt a bit off balance after being away in Melbourne the week before last so it was so nice on Saturday to go to pilates, clean the house, (roughly) pull together four blog posts, do a bunch of wedding stuff including the inspiration for our invites and wedding website, go shopping and have dinner with a group of friends.
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I drank coffee….
4. Summer Fruits
Big, juicy mangoes? Check! Rockmelon that’s bursting with flavour? Check! Blueberries jammed with anti-oxidants and lots of other goodness? Check! I love fruit, and these three are right up there as my all-time favourites.
Hello summer, I’m ready for you.
5. Pixlr-O-Matic
I have to thank my lovely friend Jas for sharing this with me – it’s like Instagram for your computer!
The effects on the dream catcher photo above are from running it through Pixlr-o-matic and the appeal for me is that it’s perfect for those times you’re feeling lazy and can’t be bothered playing around in Photoshop or Lightroom. Sweet!
6. Motivation… and Energetic People!
Firstly, loving the poster above – I definitely plan on rocking this day like there’s no tomorrow!
Secondly, how awesome are energetic, bubbly people? (The correct answer is FREAKIN’ AWESOME).
I vibe off other peoples moods in a major way and always feel more ‘me’ when I’m around motivated, vibrant people who grab life with two hands. The trainer of the new exercise group I’m going to is that kind of person – she loves life and is mad for fitness. Watching her in action is crazy motivating.
Reminder for the week: if you vibe off other people’s energy, there’s a fair chance they vibe off yours. What’s your frequency? Crank it right up, baby!
7. Stationery
I got my new 2012 Kikki K diary the other day – isn’t she cute?
I love the clean designs of Kikki K products and this diary is the perfect size to pop in my handbag. See my newbie and this year’s diary hanging out below.
8. Pewter, Gold and Brass Op Shop Delights!
Are you sick of these yet? Just let me know and I’ll stop posting my op shop treasures… but if not I’ll keep them coming!
Look at this awesome haul from last week – I’ll be using these for my hen’s party next year. Boho amazingness.
Even more be grateful for:
+ Feeling unbelievably happy + crazy storms – we had a big one on Sunday and had a short blackout while I was in the shower, which was fun! + serendipity + the kindest of words + hugs ‘n’ tickles + sore muscles (means it’s working, right?) + being pushed at training + 1/11/11 + holiday dreaming + rad new tights from Lorna Jane + great chats with my boss + my beautiful family + my Dad telling me he’s “filling the house up with jars” (cute) + crossing one thing off my Nine in Nine list + thinking of what stationery I’ll buy to write my handwritten letters on.
+ Your turn to load up on love… tell me what’s delighting your senses this week! Slow down and look around – there’s so much to be grateful for.
Images: 1. Hey Amber Rae 2. Next Web 3. Choosing Beauty
Glad you found Pixr-o-matic useful Rach! I have evernote already but really haven’t been using it much, need to start using it and being more efficient – currently my ideas are scrawled in one of many notebooks, ready to be forgotten about…
Oh yes summer fruit is the best! I bought mangoes this week – I forgot how absolutely amazing they are!
Also – totally agree with the whole live in the moment thing. It is too easy to constantly look forward to something that you have planned (and is totally natural to do so) – but it is nice to sometimes have a reminder to live in the moment and enjoy each day. Someone at uni wished the other day that we were graduated already and I was like ‘geez you just wished away 3 years of your life..’. no way – I want to enjoy my last few years at uni! :)
That motivational poster= love! Great quote by the Dalai Lama–it’s so hard to stay in the moment sometimes, but so rewarding when you can!
Hi Rach, once again you have inspired me. The introduction at the top about living in the moment is so true and really well timed. Poductivity, coming into the festive season with so much on and only 54 days until christmas and holidays, i feel like i really need to switch the focus back on at work and yes be productive! Fruits, I made a mango & avocado salad with baby spinach yesterday…. Delicious.
Oh and evernote…. ill be signing up for that one today!
Looking forward to more positivity tonight!!
T H A N K Y O U xx
Love the sentiment and it’s so true. I like to have things to look forward to as well but what makes us happy is what we do every day. A powerwalk/run on the beach gets me off to a chirpy start followed by some of those fresh fruits for breakfast. I love combining the last of the mandarins with the new rock melons:)
I am so guilty of this too – my job is primarily about dates in the future, so I find it hard to focus on the present, particularly when I have deadlines – half of my days are just trying to get where I need to go (mentally), no time to look around (physically). Not sure if it’s because I’m getting older, but it’s starting to feel very important to stop, regularly, and enjoy the simple things. Great post R!
PS. Don’t stop with the op shop treasures!
Definitely dont stop with the op-shop finds! Being an op-shopper myself it makes me look forward to finding goodies too! :) All of your posts are wonderful!
I’ve only just started using Evernote properly. It was brilliant for the trip to ProBlogger – I saved everything from boarding passes to tickets and event into in a designated notebook, so had it all at my fingertips and not a stack of print-outs! Downloading that photo desktop app. Stat.
Thanks so much ladies for your lovely comments, comments like these are what makes blogging SO worthwhile! You’re all amazing. And I’ll definitely keep sharing my op shop finds then… you have spoken :) xx
Thanks for your comment Nikki! I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to jump on the Evernote wagon, but there’s no turning back now. Great idea to use it as a travel “assistant” too. X
Another beautiful and inspiring post Rach. I need to get on the evernote bandwagon and download Pixr-o-matic now!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this blog…..this is what I am enjoying in this moment ;) I visit everyday now and always leave feeling inspired, thank you Rachel. I love the way you write… You inspire me to start my own personal blog…I have daydreamed about it for the longest time…
I’m currently loving the whole ‘connectedness’ that I’m getting latetly by using social networking! It is really making me happy this week feeling connected, not only with my own friends and family, but with other people who share similiar visions & goals. Such a great buzzy feeling. LOVE!
Myself & my friends also had an amazing catch up over the weekend. Dedicated quality time to dishing up everything that was going on in eachothers lives & one thing that we all concluded on was that we need to K.I.S.S – Keep It Sweet & Simple. I always feel most content & happy when areas of my life are not overly complicated. So making me happy this week is focusing and dealing with situations whether work or personal with this motto in mind. I’ve found that it has allowed me to be more spontaneous and out-there, because I’m not bogging myself down with the unnecessary.
And finally, now that Halloween is over I can officially begin my Christmas countdown!! YEAY!!! I love November because it’s when the preparation begins. I get to put my thinking cap on for gifts & party ideas. SO.MUCH.FUN!!
Wishing you all a lovely week. And congrats to your little bro Rach!! So cute xxx
Christina: You will LOVE Evernote, so handy! Let me know how you go… and thanks so much for your kind words xx
Marianne: What a lovely comment, thank you! Get onto that blog, I’d love to read it (send me the link once you’re ‘live’) xx
Jenn: Your comments rock my socks off! And your friends sound so beautiful, love the way you speak about them and the catch ups you all have. Totally agree on the connectedness of social media as well – nice to see you on Twitter now, hooray! xx
Have a spectacular rest-of-the-week lovelies!
Just spent all morning pouring over the Kikki-K website, choosing my 2012 stationery must-haves! I’m a Kikki-K member (and proud coveter of their products), and they have a 25% off everything promo at the moment – jackpot!!! My 2011 KK diary has served me well, now it is time to get my new 2012 one – yay! Funny how cute stationery can get me sooo excited!
Piece of writing writing is also a fun, if you be acquainted with then you can write if not
it is complicated to write.