Quarantine Lifestyle — Linda Chittock Studio

One of the first things I noticed about the quarantine time is how it has brought our communities, states & country closer together. Food donations are up, people are returning to church, companies large & small are making adjustments to provide masks & medical supplies. People have found ways to support local businesses through online purchases or through pick up and delivery services. And we are all appreciating and thanking all of our first responders in the care they continue to provide.

But when I think of our home, and our Lifestyle, what have I learned and appreciated? The first thing noticed was it forced Mr C and I to slow down and breath. And I must say, I truly liked it as our calendar became empty. It has given us more time together, rather in the kitchen cooking, wine tastings, or reading by the fire. Sharing ideas on current projects became a common thing. Lets design a barn for Terra Granum, lets draw out the vegetable garden and what about the next family vacation? Or ideas & conversations for our latest hopes & dreams came about while working on my shoe boxes of photos that reminded us of how fast time seems to be going by before us. Also editing and reorganizing kitchen cabinets are in the works. Another task I never seemed to have time for which we both are looking forward to the results.

I do want to share with you some of the tools, materials & businesses that have been so helpful with my tasks. For the older years, I used the simple and durable binders that are still available today such as this navy one from Pioneer Photo Albums that is easy to find on Amazon with 50 sheets = 100 pages that will hold lots of good memories. For a little more stylish and sophisticated photo album I am truly excited to be working with Arcoalbum from Etsy. They provide personalized embossing with suede coverings in beautiful colors to select from. You also have the option of protective pages for your album.

In planning for the kitchen cabinets I wanted a more lovely & efficient way to store dried herbs from the garden and the staples of seasonings, olive oil and vinegars. Also I need all new containers for my basics for baking, such as sugar & flour. I do prefer glass containers over plastic. Then for labeling I found the Paper and Pear Store on Etsy. Oh my gosh, I love the simple & crisp font design of their labels. I am sure their business will continue to grow.

All in all, the quarantine time has taught us the importance of learning as much as possible about this pandemic. How to stay safe, help others when feasible, and be patient as we slowly move forward. I will try to hold on to slowing down a bit. Being more organized & staying on top of our family photos. Yet the hardest part is knowing that some families have lost loved ones. I have missed having our team together at the studio. I have truly missed seeing our family & friends. I miss their voices, laughter, smiles & hugs. As we all know, this too will pass and I hope & feel we will all remember what’s most important in our homes and lifestyle.