Maybe It's Because I'm Running In Nikes Lately, But The 'Just Do It' Tagline Is Making Sense To Me. Although Sometimes I Think It's Telling Me To Go Ahead And Eat The Baguette While I'm Making Dinner, So Maybe I Need To Watch What I Apply It To In My Daily Life.

This weekend we had a little gathering at our house to put together some care packages for the homeless.  I was inspired by this video I saw on a lovely blog called Shine Your Light.

Pam from the incredible Simple Details blog gave me the idea about what to include in the packages.  Ah, that blogging community!  Truly, a bottomless pit of resources and inspiration!

It was a really fun time and considering we made 45 bags and had 12 people there it took about 7 minutes to complete the job.  Which, of course, left more time for a glass of wine and an in depth discussion about which fabric I should use to recover our kitchen chairs.  It was just nice to have family and friends (that are like family) all gathered and working together for the greater good on a Saturday afternoon.

I'm glad I took the chance to plan an event like this.  I have a habit of thinking about doing nice, thoughtful things and never actually making them a reality.  I don't know why that's the case, but I've grown tired of my good intentions withering on the vine.  This whole event was low key and really didn't take much to organize: I had to buy the goods, prep some refreshments (read: open wine and fill bowls with purchased snacks), and move the backpacks, shoes and lacrosse sticks out of our great room so our home no longer looked like a sporting goods store after Black Friday.  Easy peasy.

I think we tend to believe the things we do need to be bigger than necessary and that magnification makes them a bit daunting.  So we put it off and then we forget.  But, we shouldn't fear simplicity and smaller scales.

Confucius said it right, "Life is actually really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."

A casual evening with friends over takeout and boxed wine is way more meaningful than a sit down seven course dinner that never happens.  If we keep things simple, we're likely to do more.  And life is really about doing things, not just thinking about doing them or talking about doing them.  I want to remember SIMPLICITY in 2014.  Anyone else on board?

I'm wearing this today:

The over-the-knee boots are making me very happy.  I was scared to try them at first, but now I'm all in.  Fear not my fashion friends.

And it's Meatless Monday.  In honor of simplicity, we'll be enjoying a plain pasta with bit of garlic-infused olive oil and butter accompanied by a big, green salad.  Simple and scrumptious and sans meat.

gratitude:  new furniture arrangements, family and friends, family time finally on Sunday night, laughter

thanks and love.