Slow living is not about moving through life at a snail’s pace.

It isn’t about giving up your responsibilities, living in the countryside, or creating a perfectly peaceful home where nothing ever goes wrong.

Slow living is about becoming more intentional with the way you spend your time, your attention, and your energy.

It is about noticing the life you are already living—and making room to actually experience it.

What Does Slow Living Mean?

In a world that constantly encourages us to hurry, accomplish, buy, improve, and move on to the next thing, slow living offers a different approach.

Instead of asking:

“How much can I get done today?”

you might begin asking:

“What matters most to me today?”

That small change can make a surprising difference.

Slow living encourages us to pause before automatically filling our calendars, homes, and minds with more.

It invites us to choose what feels meaningful rather than simply what feels urgent.

Slow Living Doesn’t Mean Doing Nothing

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about slow living.

You can have a busy life and still practice slow living.

You may have work, family responsibilities, appointments, errands, housework, and a long list of things that need your attention.

Slow living doesn’t necessarily remove those things.

Instead, it encourages you to move through them with greater awareness.

Making breakfast can become an opportunity to enjoy the quiet of the morning.

Folding laundry can become a simple, repetitive task rather than something you rush through while thinking about everything else.

Working in your garden can become time to notice the sunshine, the birds, and the feel of the soil.

Even an ordinary cup of tea can become a little pause in the day.

Slow Living Is About Paying Attention

Perhaps the simplest way to describe slow living is this:

Pay attention to your life while you’re living it.

Notice the morning light coming through the window.

Listen when someone is telling you a story.

Enjoy the meal you prepared instead of eating while distracted.

Take a walk without feeling that you need to turn it into exercise.

Spend an afternoon making something simply because you enjoy creating.

These moments may seem insignificant.

But a life is made up of insignificant moments.

And when we begin paying attention to them, ordinary days can start to feel much richer.

Creating a Slower Home

Your home can become an important part of practicing slow living.

It doesn’t have to look like a magazine photograph.

A slower home is less about decorating style and more about how the space makes you feel.

You might remove things that create visual clutter.

Keep the objects you love where you can enjoy them.

Create a comfortable chair for reading or resting.

Keep your favorite creative supplies within reach.

Let natural light into the rooms whenever possible.

Create a small corner where you can sit quietly with a cup of coffee or tea.

Your home doesn’t have to be perfect to be peaceful.

Sometimes creating calm simply means making your home feel more like you.

Slow Living and Creativity

Creativity fits naturally into a slower way of life.

You don’t have to create something impressive.

You don’t even have to finish what you start.

Paint.

Draw.

Arrange flowers.

Repurpose something old.

Work on a craft project.

Write in a journal.

Experiment with watercolor.

Make something with your hands.

The purpose isn’t necessarily the finished project.

Sometimes the real gift is the time spent creating.

There is something wonderfully calming about stepping away from the pressure to produce and simply allowing yourself to play.

Slow Living Means Making Room for What Matters

One of the most valuable parts of slow living is learning to recognize what deserves your attention. For me it’s our puppies & Mike.

Maybe it is spending time with family.

Maybe it is creativity.

Maybe it is your home.

Maybe it is taking care of yourself.

Maybe it is sitting outside for a few quiet minutes.

Maybe it is finally making time for something you’ve always enjoyed.

When you know what matters to you, it becomes easier to say no to things that don’t.

You don’t have to say yes to every invitation, every project, every trend, or every opportunity.

Sometimes “not today” is a perfectly good answer.

Start Small

You don’t have to completely change your life to begin living more slowly.

Start with one small moment.

Drink your morning coffee without looking at your phone.

Take ten minutes to sit outside.

Put away one small area of clutter.

Prepare a meal without rushing.

Spend fifteen minutes on a creative project.

Write down three things you noticed today.

Turn off the television and listen to music.

Go for a short walk and leave your phone behind.

Small pauses can become habits.

And habits can gradually change the way a day feels.

A Slower Life Can Still Be a Full Life

Slow living isn’t about having fewer experiences.

It is about experiencing more of the life you already have.

It is noticing the people you love.

Enjoying your home.

Making things with your hands.

Taking pleasure in simple routines.

Leaving room for rest.

Letting some things remain unfinished.

And remembering that you don’t have to hurry through every season of your life.

Perhaps slow living isn’t really about slowing down.

Perhaps it’s about stopping long enough to notice where you are.

And sometimes, that is where the beauty is.

Discover the simple joy of slowing down, noticing the little things, and creating a life that feels more meaningful.

Life can feel busy even when we haven’t gone anywhere.


There are dishes to wash, laundry to fold, errands to run, and a never-ending list of things we think we should be doing. Sometimes, we move through our days so quickly that we forget to notice the small moments that make life beautiful.


What if you could begin noticing those moments again?


A slow living tracking journal is a simple way to bring more awareness, gratitude, and intention into your everyday life. It isn’t about keeping up with another demanding routine. Instead, it’s a gentle invitation to pause and appreciate the life you are already living.


Whether you’re enjoying a quiet cup of coffee, working on a creative project, or simply sitting in your favorite chair, a slow living journal can help you recognize the peace found in ordinary moments.

What Is a Slow Living Tracking Journal?

A slow living tracking journal is a notebook or printable journal where you record small, meaningful moments throughout your day.

Unlike a traditional planner that focuses on appointments, deadlines, and tasks, a slow living journal focuses on how you spend your time and how those moments make you feel.

You might write about:

• A peaceful morning at home.
• Time spent outdoors.
• A creative project you enjoyed.
• Something you are grateful for.
• A moment when you chose rest instead of rushing.
• A simple pleasure that brought you happiness.

The purpose isn’t to record everything you do. It’s to become more aware of the things that bring calm and meaning into your life.

Why Keep a Slow Living Journal?

1. It Helps You Notice the Little Things

So much of life’s beauty is found in small moments.

The warmth of sunshine coming through a window. The smell of fresh coffee. A favorite song playing in the background. The satisfaction of making something with your own hands.

When you begin tracking these moments, you may discover that your days contain more joy than you realized.

A journal gives you a place to pause and say, “This moment mattered.”

2. It Encourages You to Slow Down

Writing in a journal doesn’t have to take much time.

Even five minutes in the morning or evening can encourage you to step away from the rush of daily life.

Instead of asking, “What do I need to get done today?” you might also ask:

“What would make today feel peaceful?”

This small change in thinking can help you approach your day with more intention.

3. It Helps You Recognize What Brings You Calm

Everyone finds peace in different ways.

For some, it’s gardening. For others, it’s reading, painting, organizing a cozy room, or spending time with a beloved pet.

A slow living tracking journal can help you notice patterns in the activities that leave you feeling content.

Perhaps you discover that:

• A quiet morning makes your entire day feel better.
• Time spent creating helps you relax.
• Too many errands leave you feeling overwhelmed.
• An uncluttered room makes it easier to rest.
• Spending time outdoors brings you back to yourself.

These observations can help you make more room for the things that matter.

4. It Celebrates Progress Without Pressure

Slow living isn’t about becoming a different person overnight.

It’s about making small, meaningful changes that fit your life.

Some days you may cook a homemade meal, spend time outdoors, or enjoy a creative project.

Other days, slow living might mean taking a nap, simplifying dinner, or letting the house be a little less tidy.

Your journal can remind you that rest is valuable, too.

You don’t have to accomplish something every day to have a meaningful day.

How to Start Your Slow Living Tracking Journal

You don’t need a fancy notebook or an elaborate system.

A simple journal, a pen, and a few quiet minutes are enough.

Step 1: Choose a Journal You Enjoy

Pick something that makes you want to sit down and write or create. The handmade journal above has twelve pages with pockets to hold cards. I use it to track family birthdays and place handmade watercolor colors in the pockets to send. Everyone loves to get snail mail that’s not a bill.

It could be:

• A beautiful hardcover notebook.
• A simple spiral notebook.
• A handmade journal.
• A printable slow living journal.
• A notebook you’ve already tucked away in a drawer.

Choose something that feels inviting rather than something that makes you feel obligated.

A pretty journal can be a small reminder that your everyday life deserves attention.

Step 2: Decide When You’ll Write

Choose a time that feels natural.

Morning journaling: Reflect on how you want your day to feel.

Evening journaling: Notice the peaceful moments you experienced.

Weekly journaling: Look back at what brought you the most joy during the week.

There is no perfect time. The best time is the one that works for you.

Step 3: Start With One Small Moment

You don’t need to fill an entire page.

Begin with one thing you noticed or enjoyed.

For example:

Today I sat by the window with my coffee. The morning was quiet, and I enjoyed watching the sunlight move across the room.

That’s enough.

Over time, these small entries become a collection of meaningful moments.

What to Track in Your Slow Living Tracking Journal

Your journal can be as simple or creative as you like. I created the journal above using wood, notebook clip rings found at a thrift store. I used hog rings to hold the wood pieces into a book.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

Peaceful Moments

What moment today felt calm?

Maybe it was sitting on the porch, listening to music, or enjoying a quiet afternoon.

Journal prompt: What brought a little peace into my day?

Simple Pleasures

Slow living encourages us to appreciate ordinary joys.

Journal prompt: What simple pleasure did I enjoy today?

Examples might include:

• A warm cup of tea.
• Fresh flowers on the table.
• A favorite book.
• A delicious homemade meal.
• A walk around the yard.

Creative Time

Creativity is a wonderful way to slow down and reconnect with yourself.

You might enjoy painting, crafting, decorating, sewing, or trying something new.

Journal prompt: What did I make, create, or enjoy with my hands today?

Remember, creativity doesn’t have to produce something beautiful. The joy can be found in the process.

Creative Journal

Using a journal to actually practice your favorite art medium.

Spend a few minutes being creative in your journal. Above is one of my favorite little art journals. The pages handle watercolor, pencil or charcoal.

Time Outdoors

Even a few minutes outside can help you pause and notice the world around you.

Journal prompt: What did I notice outdoors today?

You might write about the weather, birds, trees, flowers, or the changing seasons.

Gratitude

Gratitude doesn’t need to be complicated.

Journal prompt: What am I thankful for today?

Try noticing something specific rather than writing the same general answer each day.

For example:

I’m thankful for the way the afternoon light made my living room feel warm and welcoming.

Rest and Self-Care

Rest is an important part of slow living.

Journal prompt: How did I make room for rest today?

This might be taking a break, reading, enjoying a quiet morning, or choosing not to do one more chore.

A Simple Daily Slow Living Journal Page

Here is a simple format you can use in a notebook or turn into a printable.

My Slow Living Journal

Date: ______________________

Today I want to feel:

One peaceful moment:

Something simple I enjoyed:

Time spent creating or enjoying a hobby:

Something I noticed outdoors:

One thing I’m grateful for:

A kind thought for myself:

You can fill out every section or choose just one.

The goal is to make journaling feel comforting, not like another chore.

Try a Weekly Slow Living Reflection

At the end of each week, take a few minutes to look back at your journal.

Ask yourself:

1. What moments brought me the most peace?
2. What simple pleasures did I enjoy?
3. Did I make time for creativity?
4. What activities left me feeling refreshed?
5. Is there something I would like to make more room for next week?

You may notice that the things you enjoyed most were not expensive or complicated.

Perhaps it was an afternoon spent at home, a favorite meal, or a little time working on a craft.

These discoveries can help you create a life that feels more intentional and less rushed.

Slow Living Tracking Ideas for Each Season

Try creating a handmade tracking journal. You can create a journal for each season.

I made the journal above using wood, a ring binder found in a thrift store, and hog rings to attach the front and back wood pieces. This journal has pictures of past projects. A fun easy way to track my favorite creative outlets.

One of the lovely things about slow living is that it changes with the seasons.

Spring

• Notice new flowers growing.
• Spend time in the garden.
• Open the windows on a pleasant day.
• Enjoy a fresh, simple meal.

Summer

• Sit outside in the evening.
• Enjoy fresh fruit.
• Watch the sunset.
• Spend time near water or in the shade.

Autumn

• Notice the changing leaves.
• Make a cozy corner at home.
• Bake something comforting.
• Enjoy a quiet afternoon with a book.

Winter

• Light a candle.
• Make a warm drink.
• Work on a handmade project.
• Enjoy a slower morning indoors.

Your journal becomes a lovely record of the seasons and the small joys that come with them.

Make Your Journal a Creative Experience

Since slow living and creativity go hand in hand, why not make your journal a little more personal?

You could add:

• Watercolor backgrounds.
• Pressed flowers.
• Simple doodles.
• Decorative paper.
• Handwritten quotes.
• Photos of peaceful moments.
• Small sketches of things you enjoy.

There are no rules about how your journal should look.

It can be simple and minimal, or filled with color and creativity.

The important thing is that it feels like your journal.

A Gentle Reminder About Slow Living

Slow living is not about having a perfectly organized home, a peaceful schedule, or a beautiful morning every day. Real life includes busy days, unexpected problems, and moments when we simply don’t feel like doing anything.

That’s okay.

You don’t have to slow down every moment. You can begin with one peaceful cup of coffee. One creative project. One afternoon without rushing. One small moment of gratitude.

Over time, these moments can help you notice the beauty in the life you already have.

Final Thoughts

A slow living tracking journal is more than a place to write down what you did each day. Above is my Bullet Journal that has evolved into a place to write quick thoughts and feelings.

It’s a place to notice. To appreciate. To reconnect with the simple pleasures that often get lost in the busyness of life.

As we get older, we may find that the things we once thought were important have changed. A peaceful home, time with loved ones, creativity, and a little space to breathe can become more meaningful than a busy schedule.

Your journal can help you honor those things.

So find a notebook, pick up your favorite pen, and begin with one small moment.

What peaceful moment will you notice today?

I think we’ve lost something in the way we decorate our homes.

We can walk into a store today and buy an entire room of furniture in an afternoon. We can order almost anything we want and have it delivered to our front door. But there’s something different about a home that takes years to become a home. A home that is collected slowly has a story.

And sometimes, those stories are worth far more than anything we could buy new.

The dresser I waited 52 years to see again

My grandparents moved from their family farm in Osage County to Ponca City in 1972. That was the last time I was inside their simple, four-room farmhouse. To me, that little farmhouse was magical.

I remember it not because it was fancy—it certainly wasn’t—but because it was my grandparents’ home. It was filled with familiar things, family memories, and the feeling of being somewhere I belonged.

Twenty-three years later, my uncle told me he was bringing something to me. His wife, my wonderful Aunt Peggy, had passed away a few months earlier. When he opened the back of his truck, I saw something I hadn’t seen in 52 years. I recognized it instantly.

It was the dresser that had been in Peggy’s bedroom in that simple four-room farmhouse. Today, that dresser is one of my favorite treasures. Not because it is valuable. Because I remember it.

Every time I see it, I’m reminded of my grandparents, that farmhouse, and a part of my childhood that I thought was long gone.

That’s what slow decorating means to me.

A home doesn’t have to be filled all at once

We have many treasures in our home that we’ve collected over the years. Some aren’t worth much money. But they are worth something much more important to us—the memories attached to them.

Mike and I, well actually I enjoy going to yard sales to find treasures to love. Mike goes with me to help carry treasures. Yes, I’m that lucky! The table above was a yard sale find even without a top! I made the top using MDF and created the apron under the table edge.

We still have the little cart coffee table that my grandson and I built and painted many years ago. It isn’t perfect. That’s part of what I love about it. It carries the memory of making something together.

Some things are worth keeping

When we sold our home in Payson, Arizona, the buyers wanted our bed, so we included it with the house. We loved that bed so much that when we moved here, we bought the exact same one. It made me realize that sometimes we don’t need something new. Sometimes we simply need something that feels like us.
Mike and I also bought a little drop-leaf table in 1998. That’s where we still eat our meals together. And I’ve painted that little table four or five different colors over the years. It has changed with us. But we’ve never needed to replace it.
That’s another thing I love about decorating slowly. You don’t have to constantly start over. You can change something, paint something, move something to another room—or simply let it remain exactly as it is.

I don’t want to live in a showroom

Our home didn’t come together in one decorating shopping trip. It evolved. The dresser arrived 52 years later.

I’ve never wanted my home to look like a furniture showroom. A showroom can be beautiful. Everything matches. Everything is current. Everything is perfectly arranged.

But I don’t want to live in a showroom. I want to look around my home and see our life. I want to see the little table we’ve had since 1998. I want to see the coffee table my grandson and I made.

I want to see my Aunt Peggy’s dresser.

I want to see things that remind me where I’ve been and the people I’ve loved along the way. Those things may not make sense to someone walking into our home for the first time. But they make perfect sense to me.

Your decorating style can change without changing who you are

I also think it’s interesting how our homes change over the years. We go through decorating trends together. Remember oak cabinets? For years, they were everywhere. Then the paint brushes came out and suddenly everyone was painting those oak cabinets.

Styles change. Colors change. Furniture trends change.

But I don’t think our personal decorating style changes quite as much as we think it does. Instead, I think our homes slowly evolve as our lives evolve. The fireplace mantel below that I created years ago, is still very special to me.

What we needed in our homes at 35 may not be what we need at 60. And what we loved 20 years ago may still be something we love today. We simply see it differently.

This mantel has been in many different rooms in our last two homes.

Maybe that’s the lost art of decorating slowly. Instead of asking, “What should I buy to finish this room?” We might ask: “What do I already have that I love?” 

“What has a story?”

“What would I like to keep for another 20 years?”

And perhaps most importantly:

“Does this belong in my home because I love it—or because I think I’m supposed to have it?”

A beautiful home doesn’t have to be filled with expensive things. It doesn’t have to follow every decorating trend. And it certainly doesn’t have to look like a showroom.

Sometimes the most beautiful homes are the ones that have been allowed to grow slowly. A little table painted several times. A coffee table made with a grandson. A bed that was loved enough to buy twice. And a dresser that traveled through a family and somehow found its way back home 52 years later.

Those are the things that make a house feel like home.

Maybe slow decorating isn’t about taking longer to decorate.

Maybe it’s about taking the time to notice what is already meaningful to us.

• Decluttering is hard if you’re a saver like me. I tend to keep the strangest things! I still have an orange matchbox car in one of my silverware drawers! But, if I ask myself do I use it, do I need it, do I love it and the answer is yes. It stays. Otherwise, I trash it or donate it. 

Declutter for a calm home

• The first step is to declutter. Calm home and clutter do not go will together. I designed declutter cards many years ago. I use them to declutter a drawer, a closet, the kitchen, or even my craft room! But, you can make your own cards using blank paper. Simply decide if the item stays in the room, belongs somewhere else, donate, or trash it. Let’s keep it simple. 

Decorating and using what you already own

• Decorate a room easily and quickly by picking two colors. I’ve redecorated our living room using red and beige. 

Strolling your home and peeking in closets

• First I walked around each room and closet we have to gather anything red. I didn’t necessarily grab anything beige. Our living room has several beige items. Including a beige sofa. 

• Then I had fun playing and placing things around the room. This quick and simple makeover makes the room pop. 

• Have something special to you or your family in each room. Mike gave me this dipped rose many years ago. It’s perfect for a pop of red. The clay beads were made several years ago and are very heavy.

Add something handmade

• Notice I included framed watercolor art in red and beige. I picked fiercely protective animal moms for my watercolor project. 

Please notice the red and beige watercolor animals I created to add in the living room. I’m still learning watercolor. In the meantime, I enjoy the relaxing feelings while watching the water flow on the paper.

Can you guess which is my favorite red and beige animal? We have several red foxes living nearby. They are so fun to watch.

Picking a couple of favorite colors creates an easy update to any room. If you need ideas for color combinations, I suggest peeking in your closet. We pick clothes in colors we love and feel comfortable wearing. So it follows to decorate in those colors.

Make sure to follow me on Pinterest and share your quick room makeover.

Music, Cleaning and Order starts my slow living

1. Listen to music. Our TV comes on for special events only! Briefly, each morning, Mike watches the news. We both watch the OKC Thunder during basketball season and golf during special tours. Mike watches football. In the evenings, we watch a Netflix series. Otherwise, we listen to Pandora on Amazon Alexa. 

2. Clean something. We live in a large home and there’s always something to clean. Our home has no carpet, so cleaning floors is a quick vacuum. Otherwise, I do a weekly clean in an area. I’ve divided the home into 8 areas and rotate each week. If you need to clean mirrors or windows, check out my window cleaning tools I use.

3. Have a place for everything. I admit, this one gives me trouble at times. I will put something down because one of the dogs needs to go out and then can’t remember where it is or what I was doing. Lol.  

Walks, Crafts and Meals

4. Take walks. We walk everyday around the edge of our property. Four times around is a mile walk. Yes, in spring and summer I will walk barefoot! Somedays, we walk our neighborhood and at times even walk to our sweet downtown with cute little shops. Once we walked to the Poncan Theatre which is an historic theatre which open in 1927. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places. There are movies shown and varies plays preformed on the stage.  

5. I have a wonderful craft room upstairs. But, I keep a wood box downstairs filled with watercolor supplies. When I want to get creative during say, football, I have everything to make mixed media cards. 

6. Plan seven days of meals. Then create a shopping list for the weekly meals. Another one that I’m not great at accomplishing! Those weeks that I do a little planning are much more relaxing. 

Sounds, Outside and Rearranging

7. Add a fan. We brought beautiful free standing fans for our den and our bedroom that oscillate. The sound of a fan is so peaceful and calming. 

8. Spend time outside your home each day. Sit on the front porch. Play dominos on a table on the back porch. (Mike and I do this almost everyday)

9. Rearrange small items around your home. It’s an easy and quick way to refresh the look of each room. I use a basket and collect little houses that I’ve made over the years, vases with real or fake flowers, and other collectables. Then redistribute them in other rooms. Then gather items from that room to display in the next room. Pillows and throws are moved around rooms too.

Keep the task slow and thoughtful as you gather and rearrange items.

Let me know what slow living activities you do around your home in comments below.

Cozy things to do in Spring

1. Make a simple floral arrangement. Gather flowers from your garden or even group a collection of greens into a small vase.
2. Slow Stitching.
3. Use old book pages for watercolor paper.
4. Turn on mood lighting.
5. Listen to your favorite tunes on Alexa. Mike and I listen to music all day, only turning on the TV in the evenings.
6. Start a journal.
7. Switch decor objects from one room to another.

Cozy things to do in Summer

1. Enjoy your morning coffee outside.
2. Pick up your phone to call a friend or relative.
3. Play your favorite board games. Mike and I play a round of dominos every morning.
4. Light a candle in your favorite fragrance. I tend to forget things so we use candle warmers with timers.
5. Crochet, knit. sew or do slow stitching.
6. Switch decor objects from one room to another.
7. Listen to your favorite music on Alexa. If you’re alone…sing along as loud as you wish.
8. Teach your pet a new trick. Above are our dogs, Emily and Otis. They seem to be doing the only trick they know, looking for something to eat on the ground. But we love them, dearly!
9. Spend time outside watching nature.

Cozy things to do in Autumn

1. Take a walk outside or down your street.
2. Clean out that cabinet or closet that’s driving you crazy, we all have at least one!
3. Write a handwritten letter to a dear friend or relative.
4. Light a candle in your favorite fragrance. I tend to forget things so we use candle warmers with timers.
5. Make a list of birth dates of everyone you cherish.
6. Meditate.
7. Read a library book.

Cozy things to do in Winter

1. Go through your junk drawer. Not to clear it out but to enjoy the junk that’s special enough to save in a drawer.
2. Flip through your favorite photo albums.
3. Make a cup of tea using a whistling tea kettle.
4. Create homemade cards for your cherish friends and family’s birthdays.
5. Clean out that cabinet or closet that’s driving you crazy, we all have at least one!
6. Write a handwritten letter to a dear friend or relative.
7. Create chunky candles using inexpensive battery candles.

Home should always be your cozy place where you can be yourself. The place where you experiment with decor, activities, and share honest open feelings.

Let me know in comments what activities you enjoy when you put the phone down. 

Charcuterie boards are all the rage on lately. You can find tons of inspiration on Pinterest. I gathered several ideas and changed them up to fit the charm of a little cabin in the woods. Plus something that the kids would find magical.

The base is a square cutting board with a large handle. So the layout was basic. Placing items in the four corners and piling towards the center.

I started with a gram cracker square held together with stiff frosting. I made my frosting using powdered suger, water and a drop or two of vanilla.

I added the frosting into a small zip lock bag. Sealed the bag the snipped a small hole in one bottom corner. This make a pastry bag that’s always been easier for me the handle.

Using a serrate knife, I cut the gram crackers instead of breaking them. Breaking them didn’t always make a straight cut. I made 4 squares and made a box. Then add two longer pieces for the roof.

Next, comes more detail, or snow! Then I cut more gram crackers to make a chimney. Lots of frosting covers the chimney and chopped almonds were placed into the frosting. Great idea for a stone chimney.

The door was simply pretzel sticks, and I added broken rolled cookies as logs.

The thatch roof is all bran type cereal.

Above the fire pit is made using red peanut patties, my favorite candy, broken into small pieces. Then I added a few logs and pretzel sticks using frosting “glue” to hold things in place. I was told the fire was yummy.

I started piling up candy and cookies to make a candy hill.

Next things got whacky! I had made blue jello several days before. I added a small amount to the plastic dish to set up in the fridge. When I was ready for the “pond” I add a little warm water to a bowl and placed the pond in to loosen the jello. It wouldn’t loosen! I tried again. Still no luck! I tried again pushing the smaller bowl of jello into the warm water. I pushed a bit too hard and the water came up over the jello!

Then I poured off the water. Dug my hands into the jello and lifted the pond from the container. The water made the jello very slippery. It almost landed on the floor! A bit more stiff frosting around the pond held it in place.

In Oklahoma, it’s a swimming hole!

The only thing that would make creating this charcuterie board more fun is if I would have created it with the help of a few kids!

But I know a few kids that will enjoy it over Thanksgiving.

This project is a Pinterest inspiration project. Pinterest is my happy, positive, and uplifting place on the internet.

Around 95% of the items in my winter cabinet display came from a thrift store! There’s a crystal bowl give as a gift and the silver dome butter dish came from a home store in Arizona. Everything else was collected from thrift stores and funky antique shops.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you visit a site from a link in this post and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Click to see my disclosure policy.

Key Elements of my Winter Luxe Aesthetic

Gather your winter luxe aesthetic items.

Look for your layer of chunky knit, cashmere or wool scarves pieces with textue.

Collect long pearls, gold chains, silver strains. 

Neutral and Earthy Tones

• Stick to a palette of cream, soft beige, and vintage whites.

• Add the pops of gold or metallic details for a luxe feel.

• Inclued touches of glass for sparkle.

• Use silver and gold candlesticks and or a chunky holder.

Add Lighting

• Gather vintage holiday lighting or soft lighting.

• Grab your favorite candles, I used battery candle with a DIY chunkiness added. 

• Add thrifted statement pieces like a brooch or a chunky gold necklace to add sparkle.

• Grab little balloon lights. These are my new favorite.

• Look for vintage glassware to hold candles, lighting, or to weigh down chunky knits in place.

Jewels

• Collect long pearls, gold chains, silver strains to drape over everything. 

• Use shorter necklaces to wrap around candlestick bases and around bowls.

• Textures in Homey Layers (if creating a matching interior vibe)

If your display is larger, think about adding thrifted wool blankets, velvet pillows, or vintage photos. My next luse aesthetic display might be the whole room!

But, I’m not into dusting, so maybe I’ll keep everything contained in the cabinet.

Thank you for reading along with my winter luxe aesthetic in the cabinet! Can you tell I love thrift store shopping?

This cabinet is one of my favorite areas to decorate. Mike and I found it in a rustic shop in Scottsdale about 20 years ago.

JEANETTE CHANEY

Jeanette is a DIY home decor designer, and believer in mindful creativity. Her inspiration is to help women find their creativity. Alzheimer’s is common in her family, mindfulness and living a calm life is paramount. Creativity grows when we gather.