Or as I refer to mine,
Memento Board
I have inspiration boards in our company office, but in my personal office and work space, is where I have my memento boards. I like to keep notes, snapshots, drawings, anything that means something to me for whatever reason nearby so I can look at it from time to time and reflect. The challenge is keeping it neat. And edited. That's becoming more and more difficult, as papers tend to be pinned atop each other till my layers on the board are too much.
This magazine image I think is from an Old Elle Decor? But I the way the sofa was constructed and the mix of colours and textures and the layering of it all, just really speaks to me. I have had this up for a few years.
To the right, I keep a small saying that I hold dear to me here as well as in the visor of my car. It is called The Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith and it is truly how I try to live my life.
1. People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered. Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
*If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
(* This was added by Mother Teresa. She is often credited with creating this poem, but she had in fact written it on the wall in her home for children in Calcutta)
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| I keep this drawing up because I just like everything it represents. A 2 dimensional illustration, much like Matisse, with a woman enjoying afternoon tea outside with a city nearby and sculptures and she looks content. Around it and on all my memo boards, I keep notes from friends and clients because when I re-read them, it makes me happy. |
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| How do I explain this? Well, a few years ago I told my husband that as I child, I had a "dummy" doll, who looked like Charlie McCarthy. He was stunned and appalled and basically a little creeped out by me. I told one of my girlfriends, because I thought it would be so funny to buy a dummy now and surprise my husband with it. I don't remember WHO I told, but a year or two ago, he got this photo in the mail, addressed to him with no return address. This makes me laugh so hard every time I look at it, I can hardly stand it. Fess up friends, which one of you sent this creepy picture? Below it, is a copy of my first fan letter I've EVER written, and it was to Elissa Cullman of Cullman & Kravis, Inc. I keep the letter because with it is the sweet response she wrote back, within 1 hour of me sending it. I was stunned, and it really impressed me and made me feel good. |
From Top left, clockwise:
I have a lock of hair from my grandfather dated 1908 when he was 3 years old. It is a perfect blond curl tied with a bow. I love it.
The lottery ticket was a "fake winning ticket" given to me by my brother two Christmas's ago. Mean, mean brother. I seriously thought I won $25,000. Everyone was in on it, but me of course.
This is one of my favourite pictures of myself with my first dog, an Akita named Bella. I remember this being taken like it was yesterday. She behaved so much like a feline. Whenever I go to the zoo and watch the lions and tigers, it reminds me exactly like her. She had all their mannerisms and personality.
The photograph of the two ladies sunbathing is a greeting card given to me by my friend Amy. She sent it for no reason. The inside reads: "girl, you keep talkin' but, you ain't sayin' nothin'." It cracks me up.
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| My only Grand-Prize, my Tri-Color Award from my Garden Club. One blue ribbon in a lifetime is enough for me. But I am proud of it, I worked real hard for it. The notes are all sentimental to me. A friend delivered homemade chicken noodle soup to my door while I was sick, another friend had flowers delivered for no reason, and my son wrote I love you on a stickie note, just because. That's what life's all about. |
