It's Christmas time!

I am NOT a Christmas fanatic. I do not run around all year scooping up next year's presents, and decorations. I don't really look forward to the snow and cold. I do not shiver in anticipation for the first time I'll hear a Christmas song. I especially hate how commercial the holiday is (many years working retail will do that to a lady).

I do, however, love the lights, and most of all the comfort of Christmas. I woke up on December 1st snuggled up in my flannel sheets, a fresh dusting of snow covering my backyard, and I just felt cheerful. I felt like putting up my tree and decorating my house, and singing Christmas songs.

So I did.

I combed my parent's backyard (which is all wooded) for some short pine and fir saplings and dug out a few of the decorations my Mother-in-law has gifted me and put together what I think is a pretty delightful little display.

My centerpiece on the dining room table is my

favorite part. It greets everyone who walks in, and it is simple and festive. I'm searching for either a candlestick to go in the silver holder, or a different item to put there. The candle is called Autumn Harvest, I picked it up from Target, and it's a warm mix of apples, leaves, and pumpkin.

 I have a few favorite ornaments. This one is a glass ornament filled with milkweed seeds, or "wishes" as I call them. I found this at a local craft fair last year and had to have it. It makes me think of being hopeful and having a year full of wishes. I love imagining that if I had to, I could pull one out and make a wish on it, if I ever needed a little help.

One of my projects while I was away

Though I was taking a break from blogging, I was not bored or lazy! I said in an earlier post that I was studying for my personal training certification, and while I was doing that I fulfilled my need to be creative by working on a design project for a high school classmate of mine, Whitney, and her business Farm to Reception. Farm to Reception got it's start when Whitney and her husband, Matt, were planning their own wedding. Their vision included beautiful farm tables that they had a hard time actually finding for rent in New England. So they built their own and now rent out these lovely pieces of furniture to couples looking to add a rustic and elegant feel to their own New England wedding.
Whitney was looking for some help with designing a coupon that she could hand out at a wedding expo she was attending. She was looking to have coupons printed on plantable coasters (which are the coolest things I have ever seen!). I offered to help, thinking I could use a challenging creative project, and she took me up on it!

I mocked up a few different ideas and sent them to her, and after a very brief back-and-forth we narrowed it down to one design, and I had a short list of tweaks to make to it.
After a couple weeks (and tweaks), I landed on the finished design! It was really simple, and lovely.
Whitney was so thoughtful in sending me a finished product; I can't tell you how incredible it is to hold a physical version of something I created in Photoshop!


It really is a dainty little thing to hold, and I love the feel of the wildflower seeds in the paper.
Whitney had the brilliant idea of including instructions for planting the coaster on the back of it.
It made for a nice easy way to include all of her contact information without crowding the front of the coaster, and leaving a completely empty space on the back.




Whitney sent a gorgeous thank you card along with the coaster.

If you live in New England and you're looking for beautiful, hand-made farm tables, please visit Farm to Reception. Whitney and Matt have also begun their foray into renting accessories as well, including centerpieces, table runners, and dishes. They're a beautiful addition to an elegant and rustic wedding.

Taking a break

One of the forgotten pieces of the success puzzle is taking rest when you need it. Its important not only in the physical sense, but also for your mental state.
When you're working out regularly, your body needs a break from all of the stress to heal itself, build muscle and repair the damage that exercise causes. The same can be said for when you're working hard mentally. A streak of inspiration, a stressful week at work, or even getting sick can wear you out, sometimes so much that it forces you to take a break when it might be inconvenient.

So taking a break when you have fewer projects to complete, or you're not bursting with new ideas for your blog, or you're noticing you're more tired during your workouts can be beneficial in keeping your motivation in the long-term. There are ups and down, ebbs and flows, in all of life and it's important to relax into them; let them lead the way, and take the break when life tells you to.

How long do you take a break for, and how do you restart once you've gotten that burst of inspiration and motivation? It's not suggested that you break for too long, in most cases a few days is plenty. Breaking for too long from a regular schedule can be detrimental to your long-term goals. A shorter break also makes it much easier to restart; when you have only been off-schedule for a few days it doesn't feel like much of a challenge to begin your routine again, and you bear less of a risk of losing your momentum and progress.

Don't wait for your body or mind to break down on you; take a break before you need it! Regular rest will lengthen your drive and focus. Schedule in rest days every month if you must, just make sure you take the time to unwind and regroup!