Dear Beautiful Reader,

Hello and welcome to It's A Beautiful Life. My name is Brenda Leyland, and I live in Alberta, Canada. I have created this blog to explore and share inspirational thoughts about how we can make our lives more beautiful in our every day living.

We encounter ugly things all the time and some people say, well, that's the reality. But I always remember someone once saying that roses are as real as pigpens. Beauty is just as real in our lives as any ugly or sad thing. So I ask the question today, why should ugly have the upper hand? Why not focus on what is good and true and lovely as we live life in our corner of the world?

I was so happy when, years ago, I found Alexandra Stoddard's inspiring book Living a Beautiful Life. Alexandra became my inspiration. As a young woman, I wanted to live my life more beautifully, and here was someone from whom I could learn. Not only did I want to create a little 'heaven on earth' where I lived, I also wanted to inspire others to find the beauty and joy that is hidden in every crevice—yes, even inside our refrigerators, as Alexandra points out in her book. Alexandra calls her many creative ideas 'grace notes'. I recognize grace notes from piano lessons I took as a girl. They are the extra notes that embellish the harmony or melody. Yes, I want to learn how to embellish the harmony and melody of my own life.

If your heart dreams a similar dream, I would love to share the journey with you. Together, we can push through some of the ugly stuff. Together, we can leave beauty and wonder and hope in its place. Together, we can make our world a more beautiful place.

Gracefully yours,

Brenda @ It's A Beautiful Life