Living A Beautiful Life

" Living A Beautiful Life

& Living Beautifully Together"

by Alexandra Stoddard

Sometimes in the midst of all the craziness of tea parties, weddings, and events I need to remember to slow down. Two of the books that help me do that are my favorites by Alexandra Stoddard. I first read Living A Beautiful Life in 1992 after Eric and I got married. It was important to add elegance, order, beauty and joy to our every day life.

She quotes Rainer Maria Rilke in his Letters to a Young Poet:

So rescue yourself from these general themes and write about what your everyday life offers you; describe your sorrows and desires, the thoughts that pass through your mind and your belief in some kind of beauty - describe all these with heartfelt, silent, humble sincerity and, when you express yourself, use the Things around you, the images from your dreams, and the objects that you remember. If your everyday life seems poor, don't blame it; blame yourself; admit to yourself that you are not enough of a poet to call forth its riches; because for the creator there is not poverty and no poor, indifferent place.


It reminds me once again to enjoy the daily rituals that enrich the whole of our lives.