The Creative Life

I believe in living the creative life. Whether I am choosing books to read, blogging, decorating my home, preparing for the holidays, or just simply planning everyday activities with my family and friends, I thoroughly enjoy going the extra mile to make things special. While I am not an artist and couldn't draw a decent picture if my life depended on it, I do think of myself as being creative. I love to choose colors and textures and accents around my home to make it cozy and inviting, and you'll always be greeted with the scent of a candle burning to welcome you with fragrance. (Yankee candles are my choice --autumn wreath, a spicy apple/cinnamon flavor, is year-round in my kitchen. Check out their yummy seasonal scents here.) I enjoy scrapbooking as a hobby, as well, and love to create home decor with the some of my favorite photos. For example, here is a scrapbook page that I made for my daughter's album, and I loved it so much I decided not to store it away in an album. I framed it and it now hangs in my scrapbook office so I can enjoy her sweetness every single day. (The caption on the page reads,"You're Always in my Heart.") You can click on the photo images for greater details.



My son brought home this painting that he had done in art class, and I was tempted to place it with all his other school memorabilia. On second thought, I decided to frame it so we could all enjoy it, and it now hangs in my office for all to see.



My most recent creative project was completed right before I left for the beach last week. Every summer, a group of my friends head to the beach for a week of fun and relaxation. We each bring a gift bag of goodies, and we open our presents on the first night. Here are the beach scrapbooks I made for each person, and inside were a few photos from last year's trip. When we get our latest photos developed, they can add those photos as well.



Some of my favorite books and magazines on creative living are:
Martha Stewart Living magazine
Veranda magazine
Southern Living magazine
Creating a Beautiful Home by Alexandra Stoddard
Simple Abundance by Sara Ban Breathnach
Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard

What do you do to make life interesting and creative? Please feel free to share!