{"id":2385,"date":"2016-02-18T00:58:13","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T00:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/17-perfectly-imperfect-things-everyone-secretly-loves\/"},"modified":"2023-04-20T18:11:42","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T18:11:42","slug":"17-perfectly-imperfect-things-everyone-secretly-loves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/blog\/17-perfectly-imperfect-things-everyone-secretly-loves\/","title":{"rendered":"17 Perfectly Imperfect Things Everyone Secretly Loves"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Grace<\/a><\/p>\n

Words: Heather Taylor
\nPhoto credit: Michela Ravasio, Bella Grace Issue 4<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Confession: sometimes I secretly wish I lived a \u201cPinterest worthy life.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the carefully curated Pinterest world, everything is color-coordinated and the lighting is always flattering. The houses are cavernous and every kitchen has a farmhouse sink with a pile of fresh-cut flowers on the table. Manicures are never chipped and lattes are drunk on a pretty marble slab. It\u2019s an idyllic place of no muss, no fuss, no awkward moments ever, but also the same kind of place I would be afraid to actually inhabit for a long period of time. I mean\u2026 What if I spilled something?<\/p>\n

For me, this kind of life will have to wait. I take great pride in the messy, silly pocket of the world I reside in and all of its surprises behind every corner. Writer Madelyn Mulvaney said it best in Bella Grace<\/span><\/a><\/em> Issue 1<\/span><\/span>, \u201cI fall in love every day in the best possible way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I constantly find myself celebrating things that might not get re-pinned on Pinterest, but that I think are pretty swell. Take a moment to re-appreciate these 17 perfectly imperfect things all over again today. You may find you secretly treasure them more than the idea of that pristine life.
\n
\n1) Misshapen fruit.<\/b><\/p>\n

AKA the strawberry that was trying out a new dance move and you caught it at the wrong time. All those wobbles and extra bumps give it so more character and if you ask me, it makes fruit taste even more sweet and delicious.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Grace<\/a><\/p>\n

(Photo credit: \u201cmy parents\u2019 hands\u201d by Angela Cartwright, Life Images <\/span><\/span><\/i>Winter 2008<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

2) Wrinkles.<\/b><\/p>\n

They tell a story of a life well-lived, laughed, and loved.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3) Marker smudges on hands.<\/b><\/p>\n

A rainbow of colors scattered on your fingers is a telltale sign of a day spent indulging your inner creative.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4) Piles of clothes draped all over a bedroom.<\/b><\/p>\n

Every day, they inch juuuuust a little bit closer to the hangers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5) Stream of consciousness writing.<\/b><\/p>\n

Here, there are no rules for grammar or spelling. There\u2019s no need to self edit either. All you have are just words that flow freely without censorship.<\/p>\n

Our writing recommendation if you don\u2019t know where to begin? <\/span>Pen a handful of thank you notes<\/b>, as inspired by <\/span>Bella Grace <\/span><\/a><\/em>Issue 2<\/span><\/a><\/span> writer <\/span>Ella Wilson<\/span><\/span> who thanked pencils, trees, and mirrors for everything they gave her each day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

6) A slightly burnt piece of toast.<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s just a little crispier that way.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

7) An unmowed lawn.<\/b><\/p>\n

To some it might look unkempt, but those long blades of grass actually contain a world full of secret adventures.<\/p>\n

\"Grace<\/a><\/p>\n

(Photo credit: Sylvia Stefanova<\/a><\/span>, Bella Grace <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/i>Issue 1<\/a><\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

8) Collections.<\/b><\/p>\n

If it inspires and enchants you, whether that may be feathers, playing cards, scraps of lace, or buttons, amass great amounts to your heart\u2019s delight.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

9) A crooked tooth.<\/b><\/p>\n

Fact: these teeth just make any smile look even <\/span>more<\/span><\/i> amazing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

10) Paw prints, everywhere.<\/b><\/p>\n

A sight for sore eyes that pups are close by, wagging their tails and ready for a walk together.<\/p>\n

\"Grace<\/a><\/p>\n

(Photo credit: \u201cSheer Laughter\u201d by Julie Lackey, Life Images <\/span><\/span><\/i>Summer 2008<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

11) Deep belly laughs.<\/b><\/p>\n

And that wonderful moment when the laughter is so contagious, you can\u2019t help but join in.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

12) Silver strands of hair, mixed in with your existing hair color.<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a party on your head and they\u2019re the new guests of honor – welcome them! As writer <\/span>Arbor Lee<\/span><\/span> shares in <\/span>Bella Grace<\/span><\/a><\/em> Issue 4<\/span><\/a><\/span>, \u201cI have found solace in accepting my place in the aging process and in recognizing that age doesn\u2019t define who I am or how I feel. … In choosing to embrace my gray, I was choosing to embrace all of me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

13) Off-key singalongs.<\/b><\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re with friends or on your own, if the lyrics resonate with you, belt it out!<\/p>\n

\"Grace<\/a><\/p>\n

(Photo credit: Alisha Fridland<\/a><\/span>, Bella Grace <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/i>Issue 5<\/a><\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

14) A stack of old books.<\/b><\/p>\n

This is the best kind of treasure, better than any chest of gold ever could be.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

15) The act of waiting.<\/b><\/p>\n

This is your time to look forward to what\u2019s to come in the day ahead and to take a second deeper glance at the beauty all around you.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

16) Scribbly penmanship.<\/b><\/p>\n

In each word etched out, there is so much of you spilled out into the world.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

17) Tangled hair.<\/b><\/p>\n

These locks are truly free from the confines of bobby pins, headbands, and clips.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favorite perfectly imperfect thing that you love? Leave a comment below and share or tweet us <\/span><\/i>@BellaGraceMag<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/span>!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Words: Heather Taylor Photo credit: Michela Ravasio, Bella Grace Issue 4   Confession: sometimes I secretly wish I lived a \u201cPinterest worthy life.\u201d In the carefully curated Pinterest world, everything is color-coordinated and the lighting is always flattering. The houses are cavernous and every kitchen has a farmhouse sink with a pile of fresh-cut flowers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,128,129,130,8],"tags":[10,11,12,13],"class_list":["post-2385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-everyday-magic","category-inspiration","category-lifes-beautiful-journey","category-musings","tag-bella-grace","tag-favorite-musings","tag-imperfections","tag-lists"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}