Happy New Year 2019 & the Magic of New Beginnings

Here we are again at the beginning a brand new year. It seems everyone I’ve spoken with is happy to leave the past year behind, for there were those in the throes of life transitions—be it a broken heart or career uncertainty, serious illnesses or loss, worries about the future and the state of the world in general. But even if not everything went according to plan this past year, the one thing that we have to hold on to—besides each other—is hope: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. Hope that this year will be better, that we will be better.

After about twelve days off from work and (over)indulging in endless feasts that began with hors d’oeuvres and perhaps a glass of rosé vermouth and tonic; elegant dinners cooked to perfection accompanied by glasses of wine or champagne; stunning amounts of chocolate, salted caramel ice cream and such for dessert … it’s back to green salads, smoothies and juices for the next month, no more carbs (farewell delicious bread and pasta), and drinks for at least as long. After all the excess, no matter how wonderful, it’s good to cleanse the palate, both literally and figuratively and begin anew.

Each year that passes is another chapter in the story of our lives, and so, at the fading of one year into the next, I am excited for a new year full of new experiences and memories yet to be made. Whatever lies ahead, it is certain that we should enjoy every single minute of this one beautiful life we have. May this next chapter be even better than the last, and may all your wishes come true this year. May you always be encompassed in hope and guided by the stars.

Wishing love and light to you and to all the people you love in this world. Happy 2019!

Winter in Spain

Dusky Pink CAMUS Coin Purse & HEMINGWAY Travel Case–new this year at Belgrave Crescent

Many are not fond of New Year’s Resolutions for the reason that they are often made only to be broken, or that they create altschmerz, the word invented for the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows to describe a weariness with the same old issues that you’ve always had—the same boring flaws and anxieties that you’ve been gnawing on for years. Some even try to avoid broken resolutions by renaming them intentions, but one would think that going this route (instead of planning to be resolute) already belies a lack of commitment. And so, aside from the usual: eat better, get back to gym and so on of January lore, here are five new resolutions that I’ve made for 2019…

Before anything else (especially my phone), this year, I will begin every morning of every day with a few pages from an actual BOOK with my coffee instead of checking emails or mindlessly scrolling through our Instagram feeds. It seems to be the best way to begin any day, for: “Reading has been shown to put our brains into a pleasurable trance-like state, similar to meditation, and it brings the same health benefits of deep relaxation and inner calm. Regular readers sleep better, have lower stress levels, higher self-esteem, and lower rates of depression than non-readers.” –The New Yorker

While have never been one for trendy Internet terms (the term self-care, for instance, is not a favourite and gravely overused) do believe the idea that focusing on the things you have will create a more POSITIVE outlook. Began keeping a gratitude journal a while back, but it was surprisingly hard to keep up, not because it was difficult to find things to be thankful for, but because it was challenging to find the time to put them into words on a regular basis. This year, will try again, for formally practising gratitude has been shown to create (or maintain) a more positive outlook, which in turn creates a positive energy that exudes to those around you and draws others toward you.

Because it is a part of our work, it can be easy to spend too much time on social media (and Instagram in particular) and this year, for many reasons, we will be taking a step back from the medium and focusing more of our attention back on creating beautiful content for thisisglamorous.com, which has always been our core. TIG began on a website platform, and has always used other forms of communication like social media to support this channel. Over the last few years, our focus has shifted a little to Instagram, but as it’s a channel that we do not have the same control over, nor is it as a rich a medium for us to really showcase the beautiful things we find, this year, we’ll be shifting the focus back and we can’t wait!

(Especially strangers on the Internet.) If you have an accommodating personality, you’ll know what it’s like feeling the need to please everyone. The author Jarod Kintz once said, “One of my main regrets in life is giving considerable thought to inconsiderate people.” It’s not possible to please everyone, nor should you want to, for “Stress, anxiety, and depression are caused when we are living to please others” writes Brazilian lyricist and novelist Paulo Coelho. It’s impossible to please everyone, and this year, we plan to prioritise our own opinions and well-being over the fleeting judgments of others. For as the saying goes, the only opinion of yourself that matters is your own.

When we lived in Scotland, our townhouse was on a quiet street in the New Town. The walls of the 150-year-old Georgian were meters thick and the nights were dark and quiet. Sleep came easily. Here, in Spain, we live in the city centre, and while beautiful and close to everything, there are city lights and city sounds and it is taking longer than anticipated to figure out how to sleep in this new setting. Plus, with our minds being so busy with digital devices all of the time, it seems nearly impossible some nights to slow down and think of nothing long enough to drift off peacefully to sleep. This year, I hope to figure out how much sleep I actually need (P & I are of differing opinions on the topic), and learn how to sleep better.