To begin to grasp what Wabi-Sabi is all about, means finding treasure in the every day. Instead of focusing on moments of perfection, Wabi-Sabi quietly appreciates the fading bloom on a flower or even the rust on a garden ornament as something beautiful.  It's about finding something remarkable in the every day.   

 

My set of Celebrate Plates designed by ceramic artist Rae Dunn helped me understand this concept in my real-world by taking what would be just ordinary blueberry muffins and transforming the experience into something extraordinary. My two-year-old and I had one of those I-want-to-remember-this-forever moments on Saturday as we spent the morning baking blueberry muffins. She was at my side on her stepstool, cracking the eggs (a bit too enthusiastically) and pouring the batter into the muffin cups. 

 

As the muffins baked, I asked her what we should serve the muffins on and she immediately went to our “celebration plates”. Each one has a different, simple item on it like a balloon, kazoo, party hat and so on. As a family, we’ve used these plates for birthdays and any time we want to make something feel more special. I started out with set of six but now have one MIA and another with a very worthy chip. I’m now in search of replenishing my stash because I want to keep the magic of these plates going. 

 

As I think about all the crystal and porcelain that we received for our wedding (so many moons ago), I realize that it’s when you use something special that you appreciate an item in a new way. So, while it may be easier to always whip out the tried and true dinnerware or keep the same dull bedding on for a decade or more (I am talking about myself here!), I need to bust loose a bit more and take a walk on the Wabi-Sabi side. 

 

Not sure where and how else this applies? Look for a place where you are stuck in a rut and see what you can do add a dose of Wabi-Sabi.