Inspired

Today we are going to discuss some words that end in "tion".
First word- and the main focus of my post today- is the word "Inspiration".
Webster defines inspiration as:
1. stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity

There is something about this time of year that pulsates with inspiration. 
Maybe it's that "last chance" before winter to fluff your nest with warm, inviting and pleasant objects and textures. 
Maybe it's the realization that the year is almost gone and you've done nothing new to your surroundings- that you are in a rut- and something must be done quickly in order to avoid depression.

Maybe it's because we've been bombarded with greens and blues and cool colors for the past few months- and our souls now desire a warm red, a creamy pumpkin, a rusty cinnamon, a golden yellow.... 

I have learned that there is nothing quite like visiting a beautiful home to make you shift gears and observe your own home with a critical eye. I was at such a house this weekend. My talented niece Kelli played hostess to my sisters and I Saturday evening and we soaked in inspiration at every turn. 
Woven baskets, crisp, white molding, uncluttered corners, clever artwork, pristine bathrooms and bedrooms reminiscent of famous magazine layouts. 
What is so inspirational is that I know my niece did not go out and spend a fortune to get her house to look like a Pottery Barn clone. She simply chose items with character and enduring style.

Did she have hand soap, pump soap, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, q-tips, magazines, razors, and blow-dryers crowding the bathroom?
Did she have piles of newspapers, dusty corners, a desk of old bills, a shredded dog toy, an atrocious yard sale find, and a cobweb in her living room?
Did her landscape reek of bad taste, wilted plants, dead flowers, tacky ornaments and peeling paint?
No. No. No, she did not!


Her style is minimal, sharp, modern and classic. Which, in layman's terms means she doesn't have any junk! 
Her home flows with bright sunlight and uncluttered peace, but yet it invites you to sit awhile- have a cup of coffee and chat. Curl your feet up and relax if you want ...

I did just that. Yet, all the while, I added inspiration to my brain's notebook.


When I came home and walked in the door, my house did not smell good. It did not look good. It did not feel good. I saw things I do not need, will not use, should not have.
That, my friends, is what good inspiration does.
It may not make you go out and paint a picture, sew a pillow, or build a closet. It just makes you take what you already have, tweak it a bit, and come out with something better.


I don't have the money to shop at Pier 1, recover my furniture, buy new dishes, or remodel the bathroom. But I can clear off the top of the fridge, organize the bedroom , spruce up the entryway, weed the flower bed and toss out clutter. I can easily minimize, fluff, brighten and clean the surroundings that are so familiar that I sometimes don't really see them as others do.

However, there is another important element of inspiration- An ingredient that must be present in order for inspiration to work properly. 
That, folks, brings me to my other "tion" word.
Motivation.


How in the heck am I gonna get that?