Morning Routine

Some may find daily rituals mundane, but find security in them. Something about slowly sipping my coffee from the same mug, sitting in the same chair every day makes me feel stable. Sometimes I wonder if I like coffee just for routine. The sun streams through my kitchen windows in a cheery way, as if to say “good morning, time to wake up”! So, I continue to indulge in my coffee as the gears in my head begin to turn. What does today have in store for me? What will I create today? The possibilities seem infinite.

Hello, old friend!

I had a good thing going with just my coffee and thoughts to begin my day, but I knew it could still be better. I added a little something to jump start my day. There was a large, blank space on the wall where the living room and kitchen meet. It’s amazing how something so bare could manage to be so distracting. I would find myself staring off into space (the big, blank space on the wall), lost in my thoughts when I was suddenly pulled back to reality. It’s.so.bare. What can I put there? After days of pondering, I came up with a solution!

It’s no secret that my heart aches for California. I think about it, talk about it, and dream about it every chance I get. I place little reminders of it everywhere. In fact, I started doing that even before I moved. It was around Christmas last year when I found out that Mike and I would definitely be moving from California. So, what was the first thing I did? The same thing any other practical and sane person would do: I went to my local Hallmark shop and bought a Santa figurine that was decorated with beach images. Of course that was much more important than figuring out the logistics of moving!

Alright, back to my solution. I had a set of frames that I had purchased long ago sitting around, waiting for a purpose. I had visions of California dancing in my head. Put the two together and what do you get? You get beautiful DIY framed art! I googled images from the towns Mike and I lived in and printed my favorites. With Walgreens’ lightning fast photo service, I had my images within an hour! I went to work framing them (separating them by city) and had works of art in minutes!

Please excuse the extreme angle. It was the only way I could eliminate the glare. I'm no professional photographer as you can see!

My morning routine just got better. I have a pep in my step due to the thought of what awaits me at the end of the hallway. No, it’s not the coffee (well, maybe a little), it’s my gorgeous reminder of home. Now my morning thoughts include visits to home and loved ones coming to visit. The possibilities still seem infinite.