Remember this one? – Creating a sanctuary of the mind

As an avid book lover and reader, there have been times (throughout my life) that the words-upon-words-upon-words rolled into my head and formed a giant ball of nothingness.

Actually, I kinda picture it like a ball of rubber bands.

This is when I need to unwind the mess and feast my eyes on something just-plain beautiful-to-look-at.

I know there are many glossy magazines filled with things and stuff. Gee whiz, just walk into a Barnes & Noble and stand in the magazine aisle… there’s a bazillion magazines about every conceivable subject! And some are, truly, stunning!

That’s not what I mean here.

What I’m looking for (at times like these) is the heft of a book with the beauty of a magazine. Not too big. Just lap-sized. Inside, there are photos of sudsy baths, colorful crystals or smooth stones, bowls of fresh, ripe fruit, lotions and potions. Maybe there’s a recipe for bath salts, peach cobbler or rose petal tea included.

So, okay, there may be some words… but they’re not story words. You don’t have to think about what you’re reading… you just have to look.

Note: The photos shared in this post are from two of my fave “just enjoy” books:  Victoria Bath & Beauty by Hearst Books and The Home Spa by Carol Endler Sterbenz. 

I may have mentioned this before… but I’m too tired to go searching. Did I tell you that I thought of Pinterest long before it came along? I did… and I mean twenty years before. Way back in 1996, I started a 3-ring binder for neat stuff I found here and there in magazines. I called it my Comfort Book. I worked on it for more than a decade… and then came Pinterest.

I’m kinda a prolific pinner, if you’d like to go see. My online boards are very similar to my Comfort Book.

But what I want to share is that I carried it from California to Canada and back to California again in 2003 – long story about love and loss and reconnecting with my parents, but I digress. The thing is, on the way back to Canada, my suitcase was overweight… and I had a funny feeling I knew what tipped it. I pulled out the Comfort Book and re-weighed my luggage. Darned thing weighed 25 POUNDS. For real! That’s how jammed packed it is with beautiful things. Little too hefty, if you ask me! Ha!

In case you’re wondering, it has its own little orbit. Kidding. But I had to carry the thing as carry-on. My arms! It needed wheels!

Also, in case you’re wondering… I put each page – front and back – in a page protector. I had well over two hundred pages, the last time I counted. Crazy!

Anyway, I highly recommend getting picture books on subjects that lower your blood pressure… if it’s sewing, get a book of vintage patterns or beautiful fabrics. If it’s landscaping, get a book of pools (I love these, too! Water + me = Besties). And if, like me, you love to look at beautiful interiors, sanctuaries and spas, check out the self-help books on creating a personal space just for you!

Ah, just the idea of falling into a book for an hour or two… without worry or expectations. *bliss*

Originally written and shared on this blog by me! January 16, 2018