rituals and resolutions

2013 is here. It comes bearing gifts of new beginnings, second chances, and fresh starts.  Once again the possibilities seem endless and we make proclamations of all the goals we plan to achieve before the year is over.  Success stories of amazing new career moves, admirable lifestyle changes, and incredible weight loss, all create both inspiration and pressure. 

Creatures of habit that we are, it is clear we need a little extra help and determination to see our goals through.  After the holidays, we often update our status to a seemingly sad, “Back to reality.” But shouldn’t the New Year’s resolutions we just made bring us springing and leaping into a new alternate reality?

We often feel like we are stuck in our realities and rituals.  And the older we get, the harder it seems to break free from the moulds we’ve created ourselves. Inspired by Tata's post, I tried to ease into the new year slowly but surely. And this is what I came up with for myself.

This year is the Year of Faith, and with faith follows gratitude.  I hope to start the year, not with another list of resolutions, but with just one.  I want to be grateful; grateful for last year’s trials and triumphs, and for each day this year that I am yet to be given. 

Maybe, in the process, as we practice gratitude, respect for the blessings in our lives will grow effortlessly.  Maybe we’ll be kinder to ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually and, consequently, all those other concerns on our list will fall into place on their own.

2012 had its ups and downs.  Here are few of the "ups" to be grateful for:  a 10th, 21st, 40th, & 60th birthday, a 15th wedding anniversary, simple trips to the park, family reunions, magnificent celebrations, and exciting adventures.

2012

Thank you, Tata, for our long walks & talks, and the gift of friendship tied up in a pretty grosgrain ribbon bow. ;)

http://thegrosgrainribbon.blogspot.com/

Love, 

anna

the grosgrain ribbon

We’re tickled pink! A lot of you have asked us who we are, and why we share a blog. We realize this can only mean that people are actually reading our posts! So here’s a big thank you from the bottom of our humbled hearts. And without further ado, allow us to share the story behind the grosgrain ribbon.

We are two friends from college who reconnected a few years ago as we bonded over long walks, Martha Stewart Weddings projects, and a shared penchant for noticing—and falling in love with—the little details.

Together we are now filing away and making real all the tidbits we’ve talked and daydreamed about. From bridal ideas to party details, to practical yet whimsical solutions and soul-stirring a-ha! moments, we’ve worked the spectrum. This blog is our attempt to chronicle life in all its everyday glory. (This way, we won’t have to strain our memories in our old age!) Because when you get right down to it, we all have stories to tell. This online journal will give you a glimpse into ours. Perhaps they will even seem a whole lot like yours.

Life is filled with ups, downs, and in-betweens. May our cherished relationships and good times remind us of how blessed we are. And when the slumps do come, may we find comfort in knowing that things always look so much better and brighter when we can share the journey with a friend.

Here’s to gifts from the universe and tying up loose ends!

Love,

tata & anna

today is our birthday :)

Happy Birthday to us! After all our long walks and our equally long talks, we're finally doing this. Join us as we celebrate our quest for the creative and meaningful, our delight in the little things, and our thank-God-you-see-the-world-the-same-way-I-do friendship, all tied up in a pretty little bow. 

Here's to good times and birthday wishes coming true!

tata & anna