A Romantic Introduction
“The wiser effort would have been to diffuse thought and imagination through the opaque substance of today, and thus to make it a bright transparency…” — Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
When did I become an adult? I honestly can’t remember but I’m pretty sure night terrors and panic-stricken sweats were involved when I finally realized I had this affliction. As I recall, it actually happened gradually – one new bill at a time, year after year, until one day, I looked up and I was no longer occasionally “adulting." I was in the throes of full-blown maturity. I had responsibilities – a baby, a husband, and an ever-growing to-do list. Yet, I found myself adamant about buying “this old house,” planting a garden, putting flowers in my vintage bicycle basket, journaling in leather-bound notebooks, dining al fresco whenever possible (with wine, plenty of wine), and otherwise trying to infuse my life with…well, life.
“The wiser effort would have been to diffuse thought and imagination through the opaque substance of today, and thus to make it a bright transparency…”
When did I become an adult? I honestly can’t remember but I’m pretty sure night terrors and panic-stricken sweats were involved when I finally realized I had this affliction. As I recall, it actually happened gradually – one new bill at a time, year after year, until one day, I looked up and I was no longer occasionally “adulting." I was in the throes of full-blown maturity. I had responsibilities – a baby, a husband, and an ever-growing to-do list. Yet, I found myself adamant about buying “this old house,” planting a garden, putting flowers in my vintage bicycle basket, journaling in leather-bound notebooks, dining al fresco whenever possible (with wine, plenty of wine), and otherwise trying to infuse my life with…well, life.
Journal and tea by Carli Jeen
It turns out I’m not just an adult, but a romantic one. Scoff, if you will…I’m hopeless (I blame Disney but that’s another topic altogether and one that I will get to, I assure you). I’m a writer, but only if I get to use an old typewriter; an artist but only if I can paint passion on canvas; tenderly human, but only if I get to LIVE (short of running away with gypsies...c'mon, you've thought about it too). I'm on a mission to rediscover the grandeur and magic that I once knew so well, the glimpses of which remind me that heaven is just below the surface and I’ve just got to remember how to get there.
Writing for Life and Lovely Things is an opportunity for me to find and add color to existence, even when it seems rather gray. This is my outlet – a place that exists on the fringes of our rational, fast-paced reality. Here, I gush on womanhood, work, adventure, and everything in between. I explore the world with light in my eyes and a smile on my face, searching for inspiration and discovering the hidden gems. I become a student of the soul. I do so with a thoughtful voice, lovely imagery, and the most ornate language.
There is something spiritual, euphoric and intensely emotional about being alive. Let’s reclaim that something and have some fun along the way. This is for you, ladies. This is a chance for us to connect and be us – sans the scary of the gynecologist’s office (eeek) but with all the awesome of the hair salon or a good Sunday brunch and then some. Join me on my journey and perhaps you’ll be inspired to begin one of your own.
Love In All Things,
April Eileen