the creation of beauty is art.: ten random things that are keeping me inspired this spring.

Balance seems out of reach. Despite my best efforts, living a balanced life seems near impossible to achieve, even on a temporary basis. It seems that life is either uncertain and achingly slow or full steam ahead. At the moment, it seems that I am in a season of "full steam ahead." There are appointments, plans, requests, and a to-do list that grows longer with each moment that passes. What kind of season are you in right now? Is the pace a little slower or are you struggling to keep it all together? Whether you are overwhelmed or are finding life a little quieter, it is essential to stay inspired. To find little things that matter. To hold onto bits and pieces of happiness. That is what inspired this blog post. I have been seeking out all that is joyful and beautiful in my world. On that note, here are ten random things that have been keeping me inspired this spring.

Even when life feels too full with all of the things that "have" to be done, there are always little things that manage to add a bit of light to the day. So, here are ten examples of my more recent sources of inspiration this spring season.

Life's Fingerprints Remain. One of my closest friends, Catherine, runs the wonderful blog, Life's Fingerprints Remain, which has insightful posts about all sorts of interesting topics. More recently, there was a post called "Seasons of Colour," which highlighted the colours associated with different times of year. Her incredible writing style (and all of those gorgeous photographs) has been a real inspiration to me. I keep hoping her writing talent will rub off on me, but in the meantime, it is a delight to read what she shares. I am eagerly awaiting a new post. In the meantime, I encourage you all to check out Life's Fingerprints Remain. It is well written and meaningful.
The Sheep Detectives. My husband and I recently went to the movie theater to see the murder mystery movie, "The Sheep Detectives." It was incredible. The sheep characters were cute, funny, and relatable. I didn't expect to cry so much in a sheep detective movie, but the film had a lot of unexpected layers. It was a whodunnit with an awful lot to say. I look forward to this movie being released on DVD so I can add it to my movie collection.
Vanilla Amber Fragrance Mist. As mentioned in a previous post, the Vanilla Amber scent from Forever 21 is outstanding. This warm and cozy fragrance has been in heavy rotation for months and months...and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. It takes only a quick spritz of this scent to make life feel a little more beautiful.
Rewind by Clay Aiken. There is new music from Clay Aiken and that makes my heart very happy. His new single, "Rewind," is catchy, fun, and ultimately very relatable. The lyrics, "So play me a song from another time. It's been too long since we've felt alive," seem to capture what it feels like to long for those seemingly carefree moments of the past. This song is both nostalgic and new, offering listeners a blissful three and a half minute escape.
Flowers for No Reason. Last week, my husband came home with a bouquet of flowers for no reason at all. There are pink, purple, and white flowers in a vase on our coffee table right now! I love that the flowers add some colour to our living room, but more than that, I love how thoughtful and kind my husband is. I feel very lucky.
John Denver Book, DVDs, and Music. It should come as no surprise, but John Denver is in constant rotation this spring season. (And throughout the rest of the year.) I re-read his biography recently, have been winding down at night with various concert DVDs, and have been listening to his albums over and over again. John Denver reminds me of what matters most in the world. His music makes me feel connected, inspired, and safe. He gives me hope.
Alien Jellycat Plush. I was out with my parents last week and when we were leaving a shop, there was a display of Jellycat stuffed animals. I have a serious weakness for stuffed animals in general, but especially Jellycat ones. The designs are so whimsical and fun. It was a cute green alien, called Zyllan Alien, that came home with me. He comes in a vibrant green colour and has large eyes and bendy arms and legs. Definitely an out of this world addition!
Walt Disney World Inspired Scents and Videos. To be honest, my heart is missing Walt Disney World a lot these days. There is no vacation to the theme park on the horizon, so I am doing my best to bring some of that magic home. Even when I feel overwhelmed and stressed, the day can become a bit better with one of the theme park essential oils in my collection. Or sometimes I put on the "Living With The Land" ambiance video from the Disney Parks YouTube channel. I also like to watch a Disney YouTuber. Anything to make regular life feel Disney inspired.
Fun Thrifting Finds. There is nothing quite like thrift store shopping. After a dentist appointment recently, my husband took me out to a nearby thrift store to make the day a little more enjoyable. I found all sorts of Christmas themed books and VHS tapes, a Bridgerton book for my collection, and a couple of new to me CDs. I love walking around the thrift store, looking at everything, and searching for unexpected treasures.
Random Streaming Favourites. I love movies and television shows so much. It is fun to explore different worlds and different characters. Some of the things that I have been streaming lately include nostalgic favourites and newer releases. Examples include, "Glee Live! In Concert!," "Anastasia," "The Craft," "The Mystery of Richard Simmons," "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," and of course, "Beyond the Gates." Thank goodness for entertainment.