Soulful Living Slow & With Flow

You have likely noticed that I’m a fan of holy language. The vocabulary on this blog often includes the terms sanctuary, soulfulness, sacred, reflections, ethereal, and serene. I suppose it is natural since daily spiritual practices guide and shape my journey. I honor soulful living slow and with flow because too much in modern life supports bodies moving fast and with reactivity. Holy language invites me to adopt an illumined and integrative lens to see and then move. There’s an expansive nature to such vision which births more meaning and wonder.

Soulful Living Slow & With Flow: Sanctuary at Home

When it comes to calm, spare, and simple interiors, most often they are designed by addressing a multitude of layers. Sophisticated simplicity typically requires thought, attention to detail, and restraint when a space is not naturally graced with glorious architecture and good bones.

When I imagine a soulful living slow flow of life, what first comes to mind is creating small moments that impact the soul. It may be a special corner outdoors for coffee, reflection, or birdwatching. A cozy nook for reading inside. It could be the simplicity of a scented candle:

If you appreciate Osmanthus, Sandalwood, and handmade ceramic vessels as lovely and calm as this one…

You’re in business with BLUEME.

What about a comfy swing spacious enough for a nap on a porch? Need a slow flowing afternoon to increase well being without a thought about increasing productivity?

So many of us are blessed with busy schedules and economic constraints. The thought of creating sanctuary at home may at first register as one more stressful or exhausting task.

Slow baby steps are the right place to begin. A single moment or two are a great start without pressure for complete overhauls. In fact, how much space do most of us really need? Ever done an audit and felt surprised to learn you don’t use 75% of the space available to you?

Encouragement to Take Soulful Living Slow Strides

I’m a stubbornly intuitive soul. While I have plenty of preferences (natural, light, unfussy, European), there are few design choices that I consider laws or parameters.

You already know of my strong preference to ignore trends. My algorithm is cluttered with marketers trying to convince me to feel perpetually dissatisfied. The goal of the system is to keep me restlessly consuming, clicking, and purchasing more of what I never needed.

There are seasons a decor refresh makes sense. Mattresses, pillows, appliances, rugs and more are replaced eventually. Yet it is gratifying when a plan for soulful living slow delivers day after day, without any pressure “to keep up.”

The creation of smaller, slowish, simple sanctuary moments perfect for you (yet maybe far from perfect) sets us up for future contentment. No need to keep reimagining.

Sanctuary Moments of Simplicity

Since I’m naturally drawn to relaxed, lightened up, European country inspired sanctuaries, this moment begins with an inexpensive white bistro dining set.

These inexpensive yet durable outdoor dining sets sell out quickly so hopefully there will be inventory! Is shopping Wayfair new to you?

You’ll find so many friendly priced outdoor dining pieces at Wayfair, it may be hard to choose.

Outdoor Peaceful Moments

Even a $40 rusty old bicycle planter (snagged at a garage sale) can be the start of a sanctuary moment. My example is a true example of “slower” since this poor girl has no tires. Rustic garden sculpture!

Something this romantically rustic may not be at home in your own garden, but the bistro set? It seems to work across a variety of settings since I found places for it at two different homes and even used it to stage two properties for sale.

The round table is 23.6″ and in my opinion, ideal in size. The chairs measure just 16.5″ when folded so it’s a breeze to store them.

If you appreciate the look, ease, and sound (sweetly crunching underfoot!) of a pea gravel courtyard or patio, you can see one in our former home RIGHT HERE.

We created another one at the Georgian where I mostly let things stay wild and unruly. There’s something magical about the fantasy of a forgotten, secret escape where bunnies, bees, butterflies, deer, foxes, and kittycats explore.

The mirror inside the fireplace is a salvaged bathroom wall mirror from our last fixer upper. I stenciled it along with the dining chair seats. Underneath 600 square feet of gravel is an ugly, uneven, buckled cement basketball court!

If modern French and laid back farmhouse vibes are calling, collect ideas HERE and HERE.

How is the Bistro Set Holding Up?

Some rust on the table, but I of course don’t mind the imperfection. We also own a top notch Fermob bistro set just like the ones in the parks of Paris.

Constructed with a sturdy steel frame and coated with a durable powder coat for rust and fade resistance, it still looks great here at the Georgian.

(Also, chair corners have antiskid foot pads to reduce floor damage.) Here it is in fluffy snow:

I can’t say the deck has stood up to extreme weather the way the bistro set has! This summer my husband has been re-doing it, and I can’t wait to repaint it!

Soulful Sanctuary Moments for a French Café Look

While jet setting to Provence for summer vacation sounds amazing, how about bringing the South of France home?

No worries if outdoor space is limited. The simple sanctuary you see here away from the courtyard was just a private, sheltered by trees, corner on the side of our home. (Notice how side yards in America get overlooked for their sanctuary potential?)

Have a friend help you view your lot with fresh eyes to identify possibilities for privacy and slow living moments. A part of what makes bistro sets swell is their smallish scale. Think little apartment balconies or wee front porches.

Dress up a look with outdoor friendly plates and gorgeous gingham napkins…

Slower Living Gardening Types

Does your paradise include puttering in the garden in linen? Need a fabulous sunscreen that makes you appear to have gorgeous even skin?

Have a need for a new pretty tote or pjs?

I own the large tote and small pouch above, and just seeing the bag on a hook in my closet is a reminder to slow.

Psst. My husband’s ficus tree has been with us more than 30 years.

Inside is a little copper tray which would look darling with succulents or any number of terrarium lovin options. Here are finds I personally own that look even better in person than on the mood board below.

Even the shelf on the bottom of the terrarium is handy. It could live in a sunny bathroom with a basket or tray of toiletries upon the shelf.

Slower Living & Porch Sitting

For plenty of design lovers, a new house is an excuse to clear the decks and shop for new furniture and accessories.

I get more attached to my stuff than my properties! When you invest in pieces that last, there isn’t a need for reinvention. My comfy patio chairs are still going strong.

They have lived on our prior patio and porch, in a family room through the winter…

and on our front porch in fall at the Georgian.

Maybe you recognize the French stripe baskets above and below which were in my dressing room closet:

and also in our bedroom closet…

I definitely need to create a new post devoted to how a DIY custom closet project can create an everyday sanctuary moment. Creating order is such sanctuary for me. I’m not sure my husband truly believed our “before” closet could become a Zen moment. But I knew that taking the time to decide on organized systems tailored to our needs would pay off. We did this on a smaller scale in our former bedroom which offered his and hers bedroom closets. Mine was the larger one and was originally a panic room! We transformed it into the sweetest sanctuary with no trace of panic.

If these baskets happen to be in stock, snag them!

Bring on the Soulful Nooks & Cozy Corners

To carve out moments of rest in a culture clamoring for us to hustle, consume, and produce is to live in renegade fashion. Scientific research shows a lack of rest contributes to a pervading sense of loneliness. As if our phones and screens have not contributed enough! You’re not lazy; you’re a renegade divine disciple of rest.

I chose the same tree wallpaper mural installed in this guest bedroom from our former home (above) for our entryway at the Georgian. There were a thousand scenic landscape mural patterns, but this one with its peaceful mood never grew stale.

Don’t forget how simply lighting a candle can be the gateway to a moment, to an unplugged afternoon as a loyal disciple of soulful living.

No-Fuss Snacks

Regardless of what you call it (charcuterie, jarcuterie, cheese nibbling), summer afternoons are perfect for impromptu picnics without fuss.

Jarcuterie = Charcuterie in a Glass Jar

It just does not get simpler. And I’m fully aware charcuterie became a viral thing a decade ago, but is anyone going to turn their nose up at a delectable spread for grazing? It’s timeless and simple. Individual cheeseboards without a board? Oui! Layer friendly snacks, skewer a few with toothpicks, and watch the smiles appear.

Small mason jars, cute recycled glass French yogurt jars, or plain glass tumblers will do. Bet you could imagine a hundred ways to riff on this menu idea for an easy lunch.

…cater in your favorite roast chicken, salad, or croque monsieur. Keep the mood simple, slow and special.

The French certainly know their way around effortless simplicity, and we can follow their lead by never overthinking. That’s the key to an effortless look.

For my French cafe look, the Turkish beach towel keenly contrasts with all the white, a simple planter holds potted rosemary, and pastel napkins soften the understated look.

The simplicity of fragrant potted rosemary or lavender is lovely for a casual mix.

Sanctuary Cafe Moment Inside?

I styled my little bistro set in a guest bedroom too. It instantly brought a refreshingly calm European country vibe!

Maybe you can think of a kitchen corner, entry, or spare bedroom where it could be the foundation of a moment.

Is it Worth Our Time to Create These Sanctuaries?

Introducing beauty to the everyday isn’t a frivolous pursuit when you honor how beauty contributes to well-being.

Beauty frequently sparks joy, and there’s often a relationship between delight and slower soulful living where a grateful heart seeks wonder…

it is so often more than a superficial attempt to escape.

For that matter, escape somehow seems like a healthy impulse on plenty of days.

If you are already an expert on joyful living, this discussion may strike you as obvious and even a bit silly.

I personally find I need reminders. I fall into self-defeating patterns (such as bouts of illness).

Isn’t it true that joy is there hidden within the fabric of our ordinary lives, and yet we need help to see it.

Little Joys

Here’s one from a few seasons ago: A couple days back, our youngest son Facetimed so I could see how Pony Boy (we love him so much) is recovering from kidney disease and a lifesaving procedure at the hospital.

Our son had made him a comfy nest to rest in front of the screen door through which he gazed. I felt this awful pang of heartache. The sight of his lethargic state of recovery triggered memories of Snoopy (a blind rescue kitty we loved who had recently passed.) Sadness washed over me as the rain fell, and I imagined Pony longing to be outdoors.

Suddenly two ducks happily waddled right down the street through the rain puddles.

A parade of delight in real time JUST FOR PONY is how the spectacle felt. What joy! Oh what beauty entered our hearts, now fully open to the realm of angels, to the realm of a kitty who left us too soon yet continues to help us see more clearly.

Wishing You Joy With Uncertainty

Right where you are, my heart is soft, full, and with you. Just now, I’m imagining joy walking alongside you. I see joy there alongside your prognosis. Joy is quietly present as you endure this deep ache of loss.

Someone I love is struggling with post-partum depression, and I’m holding space for her since I was once her. THIS IS GOING TO PASS, MY LOVE. YOU ARE SAFE. ALL ARE SAFE. YOU WILL BE BACK SOON. YOU’LL RETURN AND I CAN HOLD THIS CERTAINTY FOR YOU EVEN AS IT FEELS DISTANT. REALMS UNSEEN ARE MOVING AND WORKING TO PROSPER YOU. UNSEEN BLESSINGS ARE COMING. THEY’RE COMING, BEAUTIFUL BELOVED CHILD OF GOD. HOLD ON.

Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

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