Discover simple home decor ideas, style tips, and seasonal inspiration through The Curated Life…your guide to living beautifully every day.
Welcome back to The Curated Life…a calm midweek pause filled with simple ideas, seasonal inspiration, and little ways to bring beauty and ease into everyday life. As we begin a new year, my hope is that this space feels like a steady place to land…offering gentle refreshes, thoughtful details, and quiet encouragement along the way. I’m so happy you’re here.
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1.) A Winter Well Kept
I made a few simple changes to our front porch. Nothing dramatic. I kept the evergreen wreath on the door and the pine trees in the planters, but removed the Christmas ornaments from the wreath and replaced them with a blue bow and trailing ribbons. For a touch of whimsy, I added a string of three gold hearts, which gives the porch a subtle Valentine’s Day feel without being over the top. A fresh rug and doormat were the final changes, and together they made the porch feel ready to carry us through the rest of winter. Find everything I used HERE.
2.) WORDS WORTH SHARING
“Not everything improves when it is pushed. Some situations settle when given space and time. Letting things go allows clarity to replace urgency and understanding to replace control. Often, peace comes not from doing more, but from trusting enough to pause.”
~Higher Perspective
3.) Finding Steady Ground: The Small Wins
When something in life feels too big, I’ve learned that it helps to sidestep the big picture for a while. Looking too far ahead can feel overwhelming. Instead, I try to break things down and focus on small, manageable steps. Taking each week as it comes, and each day one at a time, makes everything feel more approachable. This idea is usually in the forefront of my mind, although there are seasons when I do a better job of it than others. Even when it feels like a work in progress, doing one thing, finishing it, and then moving on to the next is often enough to restore a sense of balance and forward motion.
4.) Gather + Savor
As I write this, the snow is blowing so hard I can barely see outside, which makes it the perfect day to turn on the oven. On days like this, I almost always end up baking. My family’s favorite, without question, is my chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s tried and true, and these cookies turn out just right every time. Close behind is my old fashioned oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. Hearty and chewy, they are the kind of cookies that feel right any time of day.
5.) THINGS WORTH MENTIONING
- What you might have missed: last Saturday I shared a few of my favorite muffin recipes. The first was my very moist chocolate chip muffins. For a completely different flavor, you might also enjoy my applesauce muffins.
- Coming This Weekend: for This Time of Year on Saturday, I’ll be sending a freshly trimmed and updated post for homemade sugar scrub. It’s very simple to make, and everything you need is clearly listed. On Sunday, I’ll share the digital calendars with all my email subscribers. The February designs are especially lovely. Along with the calendars, there will be a recap of everything that’s been on the blog this month, so it’s the perfect chance to sit back and catch up.
- This series has truly become the highlight of my week. I have managed to make it to 25 editions, which is quite a milestone for me. I love creating the watercolors, I love sharing my thoughts, and I hope you know how much I appreciate you being here. We really are kindred souls. So if you aren’t on my email list but would like to join us, you can sign up using the form below.
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Dear Ann: I love your Curated Life series and look forward to it so much. It inspires me and makes me happy. You have a way of lifting my mood on days I might be feeling a little blue. I really try to do most of your wonderful suggestions whether it be decorating our home, creating something new, filling our home with the enticing scents of a recipe I’m trying and your words that are filled with warmth and care. You are the real deal – a genuine, faith-filled, Godly woman. Thank you for continuing to keep in touch with all of us and keep us grounded. May God continue to bless you with many good things. <3
Ann,
So much wisdom you have. I love following you and have enjoyed your Curated Life posts. Of course all your watercolors, recipes and decorating ideas are equally rewarding. At a time of so much chaos in our world I cannot thank you enough for letting me drift away in your writings and beautiful pictures. Stay warm! We are experiencing 20-40 degree below zero this week starting tomorrow.
Thank you for another wonderful installment of your series.
I wondered if you were the one doing the watercolors. I enjoy them. I paint also. It’s a great way to decompress.
I really enjoy your posts and your view of slowing down and enjoying the season of life we are in. I am trying to do that very same thing so thank you.
Ann,
As always, I enjoyed your post. Yesterday, my daughter mentioned she had been served Chantilly Cake the day before and how delicious it was. I remembered you had shared that recipe a long time ago so I was able to pull it up from your site and send it to her. Thanks for the recipes.
I just love the winter decor for your front porch. It’s perfect for the remainder of winter. I only wish I had seen it before packing my wreath and small trees away. I will pin and save for next year!
Hi Ann, Thanks for your efforts with this newsletter. I look forward to it each week. I love your front door wreath! So simple and beautiful. Can you tell me more about how you did the bow. Also I love your watercolor drawings. You truly have a gift. I have tried watercolors but have never produced a picture as beautiful as yours any tips? Have a wonderful day Ann and thanks for all you do!
Your porch looks lovely with your Wreath ready for Valentines and both your Mats look lovely together. Ann, how do you store all your Mats? I have a Mat for each Season. I have a Metal Mat which I love at the Front Door that stays there all year. I place a Season Mat when you walk into the House and at the Grade entrance downstairs.. that is alot of Mats!! I love them all and they get stored in the Garage one on top of each other. Yikes!!
So when Im exchanging the Mats each Season it is a Heavy chore, finding which one I want and putting the other one away.
Love how you changed over your porch.When we lived up north,I did the same changing over the wreath with hearts.Always keep it simple.
Looking forward to the weekend post, Ann. Just wondering, though, how do you make the water color photos like the one of your porch? It’s lovely. You have so many that I love. I have a photo that is 47 yrs old of my husband and two young sons on a dock after fishing, dangling their toes in the water and I’d love to transform it to water color. Thanks.
I, too, love the slower, quieter, less-consumption based-ness of your content after being a follower of yours for many years. Just wanted to let you know I’m a fan and am here for it.
Good morning, Ann! I made your delicious chicken cobbler recipe for dinner last night and it was perfect comfort food for a very cold winter’s night. Thanks for sharing the recipe and for your lovely blog! Stay warm and cozy from a fellow Ohioan!
The Curated Life is like a breath of fresh air! I love that it focuses on quality rather than quantity. Also, thank you for another beautiful printable calendar.
You are an accomplished artist….your hand-drawn pictures are incredible! I especially love your drawing of your front door with wreath and matching pine tree planters! Keep drawing!!
I love your idea of leaving up the wreath on the door but changing out the ribbon. That’s on my to-do list today.
Really enjoy every post from you, and thanks for being faithful in coming up with new material each week. I’d miss you if you didn’t!!
I too love these post! They remind me to use and enjoy what I have! So much better than the weekly wish list, honestly I couldn’t think of enough things I wished for and don’t particularly like shopping! I have made many of your recipes and enjoyed them all! The words of wisdom offer tidbits for life, if not for now than later. Very nice Ann!