(Statue of Ramón del Valle-Inclán (1866–1936) by Francisco Toledo Sánchez (1928–2004) in 1972. Installed at the Paseo de Recoletos in Madrid. Via Wikipedia)
Now that the champagne has worn off, and you’ve put those resolutions into print, I hope to hear that you also resolved to be a little more elegant this year.
I’ll start you off on the right foot by recommending that you… Well let’s start here.
What floats your boat? What gets you really jazzed up? What is it in which you are most interested? What are you passionate about?
Here’s a resolution that, I think, will be a joy to keep.
This year, resolve to cultivate… you.
Resolve to learn even more about that casual hobby or interest. Like art? Commit to going to the museum once a week, or once a month. But commit to going. Love music? Take piano lessons, attend a concert or live show, put everything aside and actively listen to a disc for a full hour once a week. Are you a “foodie?” Watch the shows, read the books, and try a new recipe once a month. Or take a class in wine tasting or cooking fish or making chocolate. Got wanderlust? Learn a bit of the language and book your ticket for later this year. Like to look good? Learn about how clothing is made and what goes into making the best clothing — that knowledge will take you far on a limited budget.
The elegant person is involved, interested and informed.
Into what will you sink your teeth this year?
GREAT notion! I, for one, am taking sailing lessons…
ML
mlanesepic.blogspot.com
I am going to be learning German! I hope to be able to carry on at least a simple conversation. Also, I’ve resolved to become more involved in community volunteerism. I’ve worked with several arts-related organizations, but want to know that I’m helping to give back to more immediate needs (Meals-On-Wheels, Education, etc)
Read…every New Year’s Day I count the books I read the previous year as a point of somewhat idle curiosity. 2008 was a big step backwards from years past. I’m not entirely sure of the reason except that I chose a few books unwisely then took a long time to finish them before moving on. This year if it’s not inspiring it’s going back on the shelf.
Bookbinding. I’ve always wanted to learn how. I found a class at a local Community College for this summer.
i was just discussing this very subject,
it is rare to find ( in my world ) people that actually have hobbies.
people here are shoppers, diners, ………..? boring…….
i have made a great effort at painting . practice, practice, practice.
they are not bad, my daughter took a couple of them to her town-house in coconut grove, florida.
normally she doesn’t want anything of mine , but let’s face it i am cooler than she cares to admit.
xx like that post !
Great post! You have summed up elegance perfectly!
Curious… You probably know -after all, clothing is an important issue in this blog – that, each year, spanish actors commemorate the Wold Teather Day putting a white scarf around the neck of this statue.
(By the way, I have read some of the books of Valle Inclán. I particulary enjoyed “Sonata de primavera”)