“For me, elegance is not to pass unnoticed but to get to the very soul of what one is.”
Christian Lacroix (French Fashion Designer; May 16th, 1951)
“…less is more.”
Robert Browning (English Poet and Playwright; May 7th, 1812 to December 12th, 1889)
“Elegance is the art of restraint.”
“What sets an elegant woman apart from the crowd is her quiet self-assurance, she knows that she is what’s worth focusing on…”
“The only real elegance is in the mind; if you’ve got that, the rest really comes from it.”
Diana Vreeland (American Fashion Editor and Columnist; September 9, 1923 to August 22nd, 1989)
“I am returning from my native journey feeling more of my authentic power and with that the elegance of my roots. I am the elegant woman…sexy, hot, fun chic!”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 106-107 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
Mary Ann Evans (known as: George Eliot) (English Novelist, Poet, Journalist, Translator; November 22nd, 1819 ~ December 22nd, 1880)
“By paying attention to the subtle signals the woman within is constantly trying to send us, we can learn how to reflect our own best image, even if our pocketbooks don’t match our exquisite taste.”
“Simplicity is a fashion statement every woman today can make no matter what her personal style has been in the past. That’s because true simplicity nevers disappoints. Once you learn that less is more, then enough becomes plenty, and your entire outlook on life–including fashion–is transformed.”
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-27-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“If I was to remove the inauthentic things in my wardrobe, I might only be left with a handful of items. I need to work on this.” (Heather Houston 3-27-22)
“Today can be the day…any day can be the day of choosing to be the woman you were meant to be. I will take some time discovering my inner style and make small additions to dress and live into myself.” (Heather Houston 3-27-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 93-95 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“‘I pray you…your play needs no excuse. Never excuse.”
William Shakespeare (English Playwright, Poet and Actor; April 1564 ~ April 23rd, 1616)
“I have to constantly remind myself that I don’t need an excuse anymore to make toys a part of my life. If I am to continue to grow as a human being and as an artist, it’s imperative for me to respect the power of play”
“Playing is hard for most women I know. Creating your own toy box symbolically suggests the importance of fun if you’re to function at full throttle.”
“Play is the exultation of the possible.”
Mark Buber (Austrian Jewish and Israeli Philosopher; February 8th, 1878 ~ June 13th, 1965)
“Play is needed by adults and children alike. Some assume to play is childish. However, adults need play just as much as children. We are just older and often society has shamed us into not playing. This is why you see so many adults in sports leagues, practicing hobbies and getting silly. Play is normal, so carry on!” (Heather Houston 3-6-22)
“Play has become my life…I live in one continuously, delicious, never-ending best date ever with my beloved!”❤️
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 73-74 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“Soaking in an aromatherapy-infused bath in the outdoors is the ultimate luxury and path to Providence.” (Heather Houston 3-4-22)
“I find when I prepare my blog writings ahead so that in the moment I can be with my thoughts and creatively write is the best for me. The week can get away from me quickly. Today I was unwell and had probably my 3rd migraine ever and this one had the whole halo and colors to boot. I ended my day at noon, travelled home, changed into comfortable clothes and napped on the couch for several hours. I followed this up with a lazy watching of ‘The Lion In Winter’. The most important thing is I listened…listened to what my body and the Universe was screaming at me.”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 71-72 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson FRS (English Poet; August 6th, 1809 ~ October 6th, 1892)
“Reverence is that altered state of consciousness when you feel awe and wonder because you know you are in the presence of Spirit. Reverence enwraps you in perfect peace because there is no past or future, only the present moment, and you are one with Heaven and earth. There is no distinction between body and soul. Meditation can sometimes spiritually induce this special moment of Wholeness, as does creating something beautiful, whether it’s a meal, a painting, or a flower bed. Concentrating on one task at a time with care and attentiveness can invoke reverence as well.”
“…gratitude is the gateway to experiencing more reverence in our daily lives.”
“If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you’ that would be enough.”
Eckhart von Hochheim OP (known as: Meister Eckhart or Eckhart) (German Catholic Theologian, Philosopher and Mystic; UNKNOWN)
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-26-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“My daily gratitude gives me access to reverence. I also have begun to focus on one task at a time versus multi-tasking. In doing so, I have noticed my productivity and effectiveness has improved greatly.” (Heather Houston 2-26-22)
“BEing present is the juice! Reverence comes with being enraptured with the what so of the now. Not an intention, but to be actually in reverence of the moment you are experiencing. Whether it is running back to the car to pick up my saved shopping bags or whether I am watching a sunset…both have reverential experiences in each one. The access to the rapture of every instance or occasion is the magic of LIVING.” (Heather Houston 2-26-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 60-61 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Matthew Arnold (English Poet and Cultural Critic; December 24th, 1822 ~ April 15th, 1888)
“Like the inner explorer who seekd adventure and the unknown, the authentic archaeologist knows how to unearth remnants of memory buried deeply in the fertile doil of the subconscious mind…The reason we want to awaken the archaeologist is to excavate the real you.”
“How we remember, and what we remember, and why we remember form the most personal map of our individuality.”
Christina Baldwin (Author; April 16th, 1946 ~ )
“Whether you realize it or not, you have lived many lives, and each one has left an indelible mark on your soul. I’m not referring to reincarnation. I’m referring to the episodic way in which our lives evovle: childhood, adolescence, college years or early career, marriages, motherhood…widowhood and onward. At each stage in our lives, we have both laughter and tears. But more important for our interests, we develop personal preferences. Each life experience leaves a layer of memory like a deposit of sdiment: things we’ve loved and moments of contentment we’ve cherished that when recalled, reveal glimmers of our true selves.”
“My past is often remembered in struggles and challenges vs. joy. I think the neglect I experienced at a young age scarred me and filtered how I saw the world. It makes me sad to realize this about myself.” (Heather Houston 2-19-22)
“I no longer look to the past hoping it holds reasons to the ‘Why’. Instead, I remember the past as something that no longer exists or defines me. The ‘NOW’ is the only thing that is real. In creating my beingness in the NOW, I soak up all the available joy in my life in each moment.” (Heather Houston 2-19-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 52-53 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Thomas Stearns Eliot OM (Known as: T.S. Eliot) (Poet, Essayist, Publisher, Playwright, Literary Critic and Editor; September 26th, 1888 ~ January 4th, 1965)
“When we live our lives authentically, we discover our true place in the world for the first time.”
“It takes tenacity and daring to travel to the darkest interior of one’s self. Who knows what we might find there?”
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.”
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE FRSL (known as: J. R. R. Tolkien) (English Writer, Poet, Philologist, and Academic; January 3rd, 1892 ~ September 2nd, 1973)
“Our dragons are our fears : our day stalkers, our night sweats. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failing. Fear of starting something new and not finishing. Again. Or the real fear, the one that sends shivers up our spines: the fear of succeeding, of becoming our authentic selves and facing the changes that will inevitably bring. We ight not be happy with the way we are living now, but at least it’s daftly familiar.”
“…there is really nothing to fear from self-awareness because at the end of all our personal ecploration, we will arrive back where we started and know in our hearts that we finally belong there.”
Thomas Stearns Eliot OM (Known as: T.S. Eliot) (Poet, Essayist, Publisher, Playwright, Literary Critic and Editor; September 26th, 1888 ~ January 4th, 1965)
“Today, if you feel frightened or unsure about the future, pick up the double-edged sword of Light and Love. Always remember, it’s simple not an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons. But as in the best old tales, at the end of your exploring, you will live happily ever after.”
See the King Penguins on Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands
Before my story began…(Heather Houston 2-16-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“I drove the MINI Cooper out of the garage tis morning for the first time since I purchased it last night. Wouldn’t you know it, As I pulled out the garage a warning light came on…”Low Tire”. UGH! I got out checked all the tires and they felt just fine. I choose to drive to work and check the pressure and then reset the light. I think during the detailing a setting malfunctioned. This is new for me to not worry myself to death about something minor. YEAH ME!” (Heather Houston 2-16-22)
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“The dragons that lurk in the shadows of our lives can only be slayed with the double edge sword of love and light. Lately, I have been feeling empty in my job. It is not using my skills and I am surrounded by extremely needy people who suck the energy from people like myself. As an empath, I have to buffer myself from people who are vampires. I need to find something that fulfills my purpose and what gifts I can provide the world. Funny how when we age we must reinvent ourselves.” (Heather Houston 2-16-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 50-51 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Robert Browning (English Poet and Playwright; May 7th, 1812 ~ December 12th, 1889)
“Making the absolute best of ourselves is not an easy task. It is a pleasurable pursuit, it is the reason we were born, but it requires patience, persistence, and perseverance.”
“…someone has to trun on the switch. Asking is the way of activating spiritual electricity. When there is Light we see remarkably well. We see with clarity. And what we can see if we look deep within is that the authentic self is the Soul made visible.”
“Do not try to remake yourself into something you’re not. Just try making the best of what God made. The sacred art and craft of nurturing our souls of those we love is Simple Abundance soulcraft. Begin today by turning on the Light.”
“T.G.I.F. I love Fridays! It means I get to spend several uninterrupted days with the love of my life. For me that is heaven, peace, love and bliss. Tick tock…almost time to get myself home.” (Heather Houston 2-4-22)
“I am very aware that I have access to the Flow of the universe and have turned on the light switch. I have come to understand in the past I was only haphazardly turning this on when I was competing or needed to preform. Now I see I have access whenever I want. When I do, my husband sees me as the sexy, hot fun chic. I like that. She is here and I am SHE!” (Heather Houston 2-4-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 38-39 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
My Distilled Life 