Juli Schuster Art and Sanctuary

 

 One thing I miss about our old house is the front porch. It was the full length of the house with a swing and a wind chime at one end. That was my spot. I loved it.  I love a lot of things about this house, too, but the only covered outdoor space we have is the carport. Thank goodness it's an oversized carport because it leaves one end open. So I used what I already have and created our carporch. Layered rugs to cover more space, a garden bench, table and chairs from our old house and a swing I got for Mother's Day, the year we moved into this house.  I'm not gonna lie, it's not my beloved front porch, but as I try to pretty up the space around it I'm hoping it will become a cozy little corner for drinking a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Hopefully it inspires you to work with what you have to create a beautiful space of your own. Be Good. Do Good.  ~Juli

  Grieving for my dad and having the grief for my estranged son hit me smack in the face again has kind of sent me into a tailspin this past week. I haven't slept through the night since the day of my dad's memorial service on March 22nd, which is also the first time I've seen my son since 2021.  This post is pretty selfish on my part because I have to get it out of my head and into a space where someone might hear me. (Fair warning in case you want to swipe this page closed before reading on.)   So, if you aren't familiar (I sincerely hope you aren't) let me tell you how the grief of estrangement feels: It's waking up and thinking everything is good, then remembering you are always/still without your child and the literal, physical ache in your heart and gut takes your breath away. It's the ruminating over every word or every act you ever made towards them that may have caused this.  It's the feeling of guilt and regret causing the heat to rise up in yo...

  The last picture we have of everyone in our family together. June 2015 Recently, I started reading The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker because, to be honest, hosting stresses me out. When I taught yoga in my home, it was a bit easier—everyone was there with a shared purpose. But I still worried about anyone not feeling at home and not having the experience they expected. Family and friend gatherings are a whole other ball of wax. I find myself overthinking everything and sometimes just decide not to do it at all. I didn’t inherit the “Super Hostess” gene from my mom (who is one of the best!). The only gatherings where I truly feel at ease are with close family, but mostly my kids and grandkids. I know them, they know me, and there’s no awkward tension to navigate. With all the changes in our family over the years, I’ve become hyper-aware of the dynamics in a room. When people other than our usual brood are included in the mix, my brain immediately jumps to worst-case (and oft...

 Well, this isn't the update on my No-Buy Month that I expected to make. First of all it's not really an update, as the end of the No-Buy Month has come and gone. I had an actual update post started on February 28th, but 2 days later my dad passed away, so it was never finished. Although my dad had been sick for a long time (and he always bounced back from the many near-death experiences he's had over the past 4 years), I'm still processing the fact that he is really gone.  As far as my No-Buy Month, it was going pretty well until the day after he died and I had a little Target therapy. I told myself as I walked through the door that this was 100% emotional shopping, but I really could not have cared less. I didn't overdo it, but what I bought (a sweater, a tunic top, and a pair of pajama pants) was definitely not a necessity. I'm thinking the fact that I was completely aware of what I was doing, makes it a learning experience, which is not such a bad thing.  I ...

  Simple,cozy spaces make me SO happy. A few people have asked me "Why the name Simply Schusters?" Well, the name really does say it all. We are simply Schusters. A family with highlights and shadows, ups and downs, laughter and tears, and lots of simple, in-between moments. We've been through a lot together and I think that's what has made us realize what is really important and what isn't. We try to just live a simple life, with no agenda or the need to compete or compare ourselves to anyone. We spend our lives doing what we love to do, not what will bring in the most money, the most recognition, the most acclaim. We recognize and appreciate what is really important- loving each other, supporting each other and lifting each other up and trying to do the same for others. I started this blog to share simple ways we've brought happiness and contentment into our own lives, hoping it will inspire you to seek out your own way to be content and happy with the life ...