Elegance

I seem to have blogging momentum these last few days. Inspiration and time rarely collide, but I have a lucky streak at the moment. Inspiration for this post came when I placed a hanky in my purse.
I love handkerchiefs (but that is something for another post). A big box of tissues might be the best thing for a day on the couch with a horrible, horrible cold, but out in public, a woman owes herself a nice handkerchief. Or in case of lots of sniffles when you have to be out, a nice package of printed tissues.






As I put the handkerchief away, I looked down on it and just smiled because it was so utterly pretty and feminine. I reliased once more how important and affordable it actually is to surround yourself with beauty and elegance. The picture on top are things I quickly grabbed from around me to illustrate the example.

I hesitate to deconstruct elegance, but just to convince everyone how easy it is to add some touches of feminine style to your daily life, allow me to talk price.
The pretty picture frame with a picture of my husband and son cost about 6 dollars on sale.
When we moved I decided to order some adress cards online. To my utter surprise it cost barely anything to have a stash of pretty adress cards delivered to our doorstep. Adding a nice, full colour design didn't cost much at all, and I have received so many compliments on these cards. Wouldn't you like it if next time someone asked your phonenumber or your adress on the go, you didn't have to dig for a pen and a scrap of paper, but you could nonchalantely hand them one of your personall calling cards? I'm a stay at home mom, and I've used these
While I was at the the staples website, I added some pretty adress labels, now they finish off my letters with a little extra touch, even if it is just a bill that needs to be payed.
Also at Staples.. (I bet you didn't really associate that store with elegance did you?) I found this nice printer paper with the flowery border. I use it to write letters on, make notes on, work on. It makes me happy. It's not as expensive as pretty stationary (though for some lovely notes, nice stationary is hard to beat), and it can serve for every day use.
The handkerchief was about 12 dollars in a specialised lace and linnen shop in Antwerp. That last is on the expensive side perhaps for a handkerchief, but I have several of simple white cotton or linnen that I embroidered myself.

Little touches just complement a life of femininity. A dash of perfume on that handkerchief perhaps? Or a flower plucked from the garden to add to a budvase on your desk.
Even amidst todlers and oatmeal crusted highchairs, it is nice to see those little touches of style here and there that give life that feminine flair.