It's a Classical Life

I love Saturdays at home. This week was rather busy and I got out of my regular homemaking routine. Saturday was the perfect spring day to throw open windows, wash towels and sheets and get to work on re-establishing a homemaking routine. In so many classic books that I read, Saturday mornings are devoted to chores and then the afternoon is free for leisure. I know this doesn't work for everyone, but for me, I relax so much more when I know that the chores are done and the house is in order. It was warm enough for a cotton skirt and ballet flats, so I popped on my apron and set to work. Join me as I share my homemaking Saturday with you. First step was to clear out the dirty table cloths and set the table with freshly cut daffodils and an embroidered table runner. This sweet one was a gift from my in-laws when they visited Paraguay. Paraguayan embroidery is some of the best in the world. A fresh table sets the scene for kitchen cleaning. After this, I started on my baking draw...

  It is no wonder that Audrey Hepburn has been a style icon for generations. Her timeless elegance and commitment to her style, knowing what suited her best and wearing it often, has offered inspiration to many - myself included. However, Hepburn was also a big believer in the depth of a person as a form of beauty. There are many quotes by her that travel along this theme, but this is the one that I chose to share here today. I like this quote in particular because it focuses on two aspects of ourselves that we can actually control - our kindness to others and our passion. When we are living a life that is true to who we really are, our passions become clear. Even if we are passionate about reading, or housework, or gardening - this is our passion and the joy we get from doing these things will make our faces shine. When we are doing the things that we truly love then our beauty becomes clear.  Care and kindness are sorely lacking in the world today. It is a mark of a truly be...

  In the not too distant past I was a compulsive clothes shopper. I was never bad enough to get into debt, but the amount of money that I would allocate to myself as "spending money" inevitably got spent on clothes. Little withdrawals from my savings account here and there would be made for a new dress or pair of pants. I was of the belief that by buying that next piece of clothing, my wardrobe would finally be complete. The catch was though, it never felt complete and my eye would begin to wander again. I'd shop sales and tell myself it didn't really count when it was so heavily discounted. Then, I would be inspired to de-clutter, minimise my clothing, cut-down on everything and do a big wardrobe purge. This set the stage for another shopping spree - to replace the things I'd donated of course. Watching Youtube or following my favourite "content creators" would inspire me to create new looks, hence more shopping.  Normally I don't talk so candidly h...

  As you know,  I've been reading the Stoics a bit lately, and came across this quote from Marcus Aurelius in his book, Mediations. I absolutely fell in love with it. I love the word "dwell" and how here it is use for such a positive message. Usually it is associated with negative connotations - dwell on the past, dwell on the bad things, dwell on uncertainty...and so on. But this quote reminds us to dwell on the beauty of life. It amazes me that the "mindfulness  movement" has gained such popularity in recent years when two thousand years ago (at least), it was already a movement and people were urged to take stock of their lives and enjoy the little things.  I thought long and hard about the second part of the quote - watch the stars and see yourself running with them . I came up with this thought: the stars move slowly. They do  move, but it's slow and requires a lot of patience to see them go. They move on a steady, predictable path and nothing can stop...

  How do you feel about non-fiction books? I love them. Covering a wide range of topics, in many different formats and lengths, I believe there is a non-fiction book for everyone. Generally, I prefer history or philosophy books, but can also be taken by art books, travel, spirituality, or anything really that grabs my interest! Sometimes a book will grab my interest and I'll read the whole thing, cover to cover. Other times a chapter here or an excerpt there is enough to This week I thought I would share with you the non-fiction books that are on my desk. These have all come from the library and have developed from a prior interest of mine.  The Top Five Regrets of the Dying ~ Bronnie Wa re I didn't get too far into this book before I started crying. Bronnie Ware is such a genuine, warm-hearted person and in this book she reflects on the time spent with people at the end of their lives in her role as a palliative carer. Even though she originally began with no f...

  This past week we have been sick again, with lots of time spent indoors. I started reading Samuel Smiles' Self-Help, which can be found online here  or downloaded for free on Amazon . It was my first time delving into Smiles' writings and there was a lot to take in - some of it I agreed with it, some not. This particular quote was one that caught my eye. Here at It's a Classical Life, I always encourage self-education and being a lifelong learner. We talk about how to look to the classics and those who came before us for our inspiration, in much the same way that Smiles is saying here.  I also love the way that he emphasises us being the active agents in our own well-being and well-doing and our own best helpers. Sometimes I wonder if we are becoming too reliant on others to help us or fix our problems. Smiles gives many good examples to back this point up, but I'm sure we can all imagine some for ourselves. Cath over at the Cheapskates Club often sa...