Sunsets and Stilettos

When I first was introduced to Pinterest I saw it as a huge waste of time. Why spend hours pinning pretend things that may or may not happen like mansions, engagement rings and nurseries? Over time I’ve begun to see how Pinterest can be used productively, and it is ever so slowly, changing my life, and my blog! 

I have been spending a ton of time really creating a Pinterest account that feels like the best of me. I created boards of things that calm me, inspire me and just make me happy in general. Over time my boards started taking shape and now when I visit my page it’s like an electronic exhale. 

After I got my account to where I wanted it to be, I started to look closely at the things I was pinning. What pins felt the best to me? By looking at these, I am starting to see the adjustments I need to make for myself to continue finding a deeper sense of peace and calm. I liken it to the ideas in the book The Life-Changing Art of Tidying Up where if an item doesn’t bring you joy, you throw it away. In the case of Pinterest, it’s about populating your life with the pins that bring you joy.

I was able to find a distinct color scheme I am drawn to in home decor, to narrow down specific items and pastimes that calm me, and find the places and spaces that I am most drawn to as well. 

My key findings were:
-neutral color schemes with a rustic feel
-coffee and warm beverages
-reading
-cozy spaces with knit blankets and subtle pinks

It goes without saying if what we are pinning is mansions or five carat diamonds that we may have a while to wait before we can make some changes. But by stepping back, we can analyze our pins to find changes we can make, right away, in our own lives.

I’m rounding up some steps below on how you can begin your journey of de-cluttering your life using Pinterest. 

• set up the boards your love first and move them to the top of your page
• move functional boards to the bottom or make them secret (or if you’re really gutsy, delete them)
• think of keywords for things you love (beach, Paris, flowers, the color pink) Search each one and pin what feels right to you, not just what you like. Create additional boards accordingly. *Note: this may take time. Give yourself a month or even longer to pin and to see if a pattern forms.
• Once your boards are somewhat filled, start to look for attainable patterns.

Over time, you can find ways to incorporate these patterns into your every day life. Look for colors, styles, decor, interests, and then figure out how you can work these into your life. So far I’ve added more grey to our living room and added candles everywhere. I’ve also started researching essential oils to bring extra coziness to our space. I will be writing more about the changes I’ve made in some upcoming posts too.  

Give yourself some time with it and let me know how it goes! Stayed tuned for more updates!