If "adornment" seems wasteful and vain to you, do you carry this to it's conclusion..

[ThelmaLou]

in other areas of your life?

 

An honest question for those who believe it is a waste of time and money to put effort into your personal appearance:

 

Does this mindset apply to other areas of your life? Are the concepts of adornment, embellishment, and "garnish" bothersome to you in matters other than your personal appearance?

 

Do you take any delight in *more* than just a clean, tidy home? Do you love a beautiful bouquet of flowers because of the vibrance it adds to the atmosphere? Do your family or guests appreciate the added warmth of a scented candle? Do you and your family/guests enjoy the sight of pretty things hanging on the wall? I'm not talking about expense or time. Just a couple of simple, well placed decorations.

 

I'm sure your kids enjoy a read-aloud by itself. But isn't there something nice about a read-aloud plus "animal crackers and cocoa to drink"?

 

Do you appreciate art and music given the fact that they're not utilitarian? They're not necessary to survival, so wouldn't that be considered wasteful....even vain?

 

Do you appreciate the beauty in a cultivated garden? Is pretty landscaping or a small bed of flowers for decoration a waste?

 

Do your children like to spend time decorating the fronts of their school notebooks? Do donuts with sprinkles taste better than the others?

 

Is food utilitarian for you? Do you like to make it look nice on the table? Eating the same few things all the time would get the job done. But don't you appreciate variety in taste and texture?

 

Do you wrap Christmas presents in pretty paper? Do you add decorations to your tree? Do you appreciate pretty Christmas lights?

 

Vanity is wrong. But vanity is a heart issue, not a makeup and time issue. It's about motivation and intent, not about whether you wear makeup or not. If your goal is to impress or present yourself as something you're not, that's a problem. But if adornment is not a vice in these other areas....if carrying on with life in a way that includes more than just being purely utilitarian isn't wrong, why is it wrong to adorn your own body if it's not wrong in these other areas?

 

I'm so thankful for the little "extras" in life. There are certain things we must do to survive as a race. Like eat and procreate. Amazing that God made both of these things so pleasant for us. And I for one get so much pleasure out of so many things that are more than just basic subsistence. Adornment, embellishment, garnish...call it what you want. But if these are valid concepts for things other than our own bodies, why not for our bodies as well...as long as we tame the vanity inherent in our own hearts?

 

That vanity, by the way, can still be active with no makeup and frumpy clothes. The attitude of superiority, or of pride in how "above it all" we are is just as dangerous. The arrogance and satisfaction in knowing, for example, how everyone sees how smart our kids are, how well we manage our time, how thrify we are, how we don't waste our time on frivolous pursuits, how we're not wrapped up in a Hollywood mindset...the list goes on and on. Really. Vanity is not about makeup alone. It's a heart attitude that can and is present with or without the help of external aids.

 

As far as time well spent, I'm guessing that those who look down upon anyone who chooses to spend 10 minutes a day applying makeup have eliminated all waste from their lives and the lives of their children. Like television. Or time spent on the internet writing about the vices of wasting time applying makeup.

 

I honestly have zero problem with someone for whom makeup is just not that important. But when disdain enters in and you assume to know the heart and intent of someone who does wear makeup, there's a problem.

 

I, for one, am not a good decorator. It take more time than I'm willing to spend, especially because it doesn't come naturally. But I enjoy the few well placed items I have in my home. I do like fresh flowers on a a rare occasion and a nice candle burning.

 

I do wear makeup and I do make some effort on my appearance. I also like art and music, festive Christmas trees, and paprika for garnish on my deviled eggs. Beauty and reasonable efforts to enhance appearances should not be despised any more than a pretty flower box outside a front window.

[Peela]

I love beauty- inner beauty, outer beauty, personal beauty, beauty in others :)

I like your questioning as a logical follow through but I am pretty sure it will degenerate :)

:bigear:

[ThelmaLou]

Yes, you're probably right, Peela. I can't remember the last time I joined the fray on a thread like this. This one just struck a chord with me.

[mommaduck]

I love beauty- inner beauty, outer beauty, personal beauty, beauty in others :)

I like your questioning as a logical follow through but I am pretty sure it will degenerate :)

:bigear:

 

:iagree:

[stripe]

I think beauty is a wonderful thing. It should not be restricted to makeup! Let's beautify all areas of our lives and bodies, including our tongues. :grouphug: I believe God intended for the world to be beautiful and wants us to enjoy beautiful things. This has nothing to do with showing off or wasting time. Those are other matters. Beauty brings joy. And frankly, my life could use more beauty and joy, not less.

[ThelmaLou]

So I'm somewhere in the middle. I like things to be functional over fancy, but I find that some simple little things can be pleasing/beautiful.

 

Love this concept. It's right where I am. I don't fuss at all over my home or my personal appearance. But I do enjoy some basic makeup, grooming and a few decorative touches from time to time.

[8circles]

I'm not sure if I qualify... I think oftentimes "adornment" seems wasteful and vain but not always. I do appreciate beauty, all kinds. I like to have things around me that are pleasing but many times I choose not to because I don't find it to be practical. I strive to be practical in all things. I'm not saying others should do the same, its just how I am.

[Jenny in Florida]

An honest question for those who believe it is a waste of time and money to put effort into your personal appearance:

 

If we're talking about me, you've misunderstood. I did not say it is a waste to put ANY time, money or effort into my appearance. I said that, for me, it would be a waste of my time to put in MORE time, money or effort than I already do.

 

I spend roughly 20 minutes per day showering and washing my hair, shaving my legs, brushing my teeth, brushing and clipping back my hair and dressing in (usually here in Florida) clean shorts and a polo shirt. Before I leave the house for errands or to take kids places, I make sure my hair is presentable and put on shoes. If my shirt is stained or otherwise unacceptable, I change into another, nearly identical shirt before I head out the door.

 

Once every few weeks, I trim my hair and use a box of inexpensive (cruelty free) dye.

 

That is the extent of my "primping," and it's enough for me and for my life. To devote more time or energy or resources to my outward appearance would be, as far as I am concerned, a waste.

 

As far as time well spent, I'm guessing that those who look down upon anyone who chooses to spend 10 minutes a day applying makeup have eliminated all waste from their lives and the lives of their children.

 

Nope, but it's a matter of prioritizing where I want to waste that time. I'd rather have those 10 extra minutes to read a book or talk to my kids or play with my dog. Or, in fact, watch some television relaxing on the couch with said kids and dog.

 

I do, by the way, love music and theatre. And we spend a lot of time and money and energy on those things. To me, having resources available for that is much more important than painting my own face.

[Renee in NC]

This is where dh and I balance each other.

 

I don't care about any adornment. I appreciate art for its cultural knowledge value, but not as simply beauty. I am much more utilitarian about life. I like neutral colored, unadorned walls. I do like coordinated colors, but more for symmetry than beauty.

 

Dh is the opposite - he tends to beautiful flower beds, adds spices to foods (beyond salt/pepper), and likes knickknacks and scented candles.

 

I started taking more care with my appearance (jewelry, makeup, etc.) as an outpouring of my love for him because he appreciates it. We have landscaping, knick knacks, etc. because he loves them. I try not to get upset when he spends money on things like flowers for me - I see an unnecessary expense, but that is how he shows me his love.

 

Life is not as black and white and polarizing as internet message boards make it seem.;)

[ThelmaLou]

If we're talking about me, you've misunderstood.QUOTE]

 

I can honestly say I wasn't talking about anyone in particular. I'm not great at remembering who said what. I just skimmed a page or two of the thread about women keeping up their appearances and felt a need to ask this question. I completely agree with the decision to prioritize one form of beauty over another, or one form of "wasted time" over another. I think we all do this. I'm this way with my house. It's clean and simple, but not very decorated at all.

 

My main reaction is to the sentiment (it seemed to me shared by several) that folks not only find it a personal waste of time, but judge effort at physical adornment to be a waste of time for others as well. The seemed to be an inherent disdain for those who choose personal physical adornment in several of the responses.

[mommaduck]

If we're talking about me, you've misunderstood.

 

I can honestly say I wasn't talking about anyone in particular. I'm not great at remembering who said what. I just skimmed a page or two of the thread about women keeping up their appearances and felt a need to ask this question. I completely agree with the decision to prioritize one form of beauty over another, or one form of "wasted time" over another. I think we all do this. I'm this way with my house. It's clean and simple, but not very decorated at all.

 

My main reaction is to the sentiment (it seemed to me shared by several) that folks not only find it a personal waste of time, but judge effort at physical adornment to be a waste of time for others as well. The seemed to be an inherent disdain for those who choose personal physical adornment in several of the responses.

 

No, in the OP people were being judged as not taking care of themselves if they didn't do xyz. Some people were giving *their personal* reasoning on why they didn't bother with xyz (at least not on a regular basis) or why people they know don't. It's their personal priority list. Yes, some women PREFER to spend 10min putting on makeup before doing anything. Others PREFER to watch a tv show with their kids before doing the next thing.

[Hoggirl]

Thanks for sharing.

[Jenny in Florida]

The seemed to be an inherent disdain for those who choose personal physical adornment in several of the responses.

 

I wouldn't say my feeling is "disdain" as much as it is bewilderment.

 

Well, much of the time, I don't even notice, honestly. The outward physical stuff just isn't terribly imporant to me. I'm one of those people who tends not to notice when friends have lost or gained weight, for example, unless the change is fairly pronounced.

 

If I notice at all, it's likely that it's because the "adornment" is dramatic enough to call attention to itself. And, in that case, yes, I do find myself wondering about that person's life.

[Amy in NH]

Although I appreciate beauty, it's not in the budget. We don't buy flowers or scented candles, and we don't have the money for bark-mulch to make a garden bed look nice. If ever we get donuts, my kids like sprinkles because they think they're candy. I appreciate art and music, and we indulge in what we already have or make our own, and only attend a museum if it is free or very discounted and not too far from home because of the price of gas. IF there are Christmas presents to wrap, it's probably done in pretty paper obtained for $.25 at the end of year clearance sale from last year. But I've also handed out Christmas presents straight from the boxes/bags they came in and everyone was still happy.

 

Yes, the little things make life nicer, but they aren't necessary.

 

When time and money are scarce, it all comes down to wants vs. needs.

[ma23peas]

Just as much as you hate those with disdain, I have a distaste for those who get so defensive when their position is not embraced...I try never to disdain others for their beliefs..but I also would not put a long list of arguments to try to get others to 'understand' my position..we all have one....it's the endless back and forth when people start getting quicker to a point and it comes off being rude.

 

The original question was a bit looking down on those who do not take 15 minutes to 'improve' themselves ...that was how it was interpreted...that could be considered disdainful by some. I just look at it as different viewpoints...you gave your long list, here is mine-I'm a purposeful person, I have dogs for companionship, I have horses for a ministry, I have cats to keep the barn mice away, I have a pool for physical fitness (swimming laps daily), I have a vacuum for sucking up the dog hair and barn mud, I have a shower to wash off the dirt from training the horses, I have books on my shelves to educate my children, I have a painting on the wall to inspire our faith or remind us of a family vacation, I have a Prius to save 10k a year in gas with as many miles as we travel, I have flowers throughout my garden to remind me of each of God's precious creations....and that brings me back to the adornment...God thinks we are beautiful the way we were made..just like a flower, we each have our unique qualities, I just prefer not to cover that up or distort it with makeup...

[8circles]

Just as much as you hate those with disdain, I have a distaste for those who get so defensive when their position is not embraced...I try never to disdain others for their beliefs..but I also would not put a long list of arguments to try to get others to 'understand' my position..we all have one....it's the endless back and forth when people start getting quicker to a point and it comes off being rude.

 

The original question was a bit looking down on those who do not take 15 minutes to 'improve' themselves ...that was how it was interpreted...that could be considered disdainful by some. I just look at it as different viewpoints...you gave your long list, here is mine-I'm a purposeful person, I have dogs for companionship, I have horses for a ministry, I have cats to keep the barn mice away, I have a pool for physical fitness (swimming laps daily), I have a vacuum for sucking up the dog hair and barn mud, I have a shower to wash off the dirt from training the horses, I have books on my shelves to educate my children, I have a painting on the wall to inspire our faith or remind us of a family vacation, I have a Prius to save 10k a year in gas with as many miles as we travel, I have flowers throughout my garden to remind me of each of God's precious creations....and that brings me back to the adornment...God thinks we are beautiful the way we were made..just like a flower, we each have our unique qualities, I just prefer not to cover that up or distort it with makeup...

 

I appreciate this post. Thank you.

[Wheres Toto]

For some people stylish hair, make-up and clothes is not equal to beauty. I've seen people dressed to the 9's, with their hair perfect and make-up on and they look artificial. Think heavy caked-on foundation, thick spiky mascara, bright red lipstic, heavy blue eyeshadow, bright pink spots of blush. Definitely not my idea of beauty. It's overdone especially for the grocery store or the playground.

 

I'm not judging someone who likes to wear make-up and dress nice. I just don't appreciate being judged for not wanting to do that. Some prefer a more natural look - that's their idea of beauty, some just have other priorities and its not on their personal radar. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't appreciate art, or music, or flowers, or anything else.

 

Someone can be neat, clean, wearing well fitting clothes without necessarily being stylish. Why can't that be enough?

[CarenM]

We live out in the country in West TX. We have a beautiful sunset every night. Nothing else is really beautiful around here besides the inner self of just about everyone I meet. People here just don't care about outer beauty, flowers etc ( cause we can't grow them here, lol)

 

We have acreage. Acreage in the desert. We have mesquite trees, dead cactus, rattle snakes, lots of dirt thanks to our drought.

 

We have chickens. Farmland.

 

What do I consider beautiful? Certainly not well manicured lawns, fancy houses etc.

 

Beautiful to me.....my neighbors, my family, this God forsaken desert and the harshness that comes with it. People are real. Sunsets are beautiful, rain - when we get it is beautiful, we have no traffic - ever .....that's a beautiful thing. Our peaceful, country life is beautiful. My family filling my house is beautiful, my chickens laying eggs are beautiful.

 

I guess it's in what you personally consider beautiful.

[justamouse]

I'm with you, ThelmaLou.

 

I used to be totally utilitarian, and maybe there is a season some women go through like that-when you have littleones underfoot and it's all you can do to not crush cheerios on the floor all day. But I loved beauty for beauty's sake. And people made me feel bad for it.

 

Now, I'm not one for hair (meaning I don't style it every day. Clippies are my best friends) and makeup to me is a bit of mascara perhaps to church. But I take care with myself and my clothes. Not so much when the kids were small because I was getting stained and yarked on, but I like looking at least put together. And you can do that in sweats or a suit. I started when I could only shop at goodwill. I picked roadside daisy's and Queen Ann's Lace with the kids on walks. We picked bittersweet in the fall. I couldn't afford much, but with looking at things differently, I started to try to add beauty into our lives. Strangely enough Anna Comstock's Nature Studies got me thinking about it all.

 

I struggled with how beautiful art was-what was the purpose? Was it all sacrificed on the altar of post modern deconstruction?

 

Here's a short blogpost I did on it;

 

“The greatest art helps lift our neighbors to God, even our neighbors who have not been born yet. It is not a passing thrill, but an inspiration for the ages.” G. K Chesterson

 

 

I'm struggling with beauty. The why of it.

 

In this wave of minimalist reduction, sparsity being the new piety, decluttering, and the religion of non consumption, I am in this space of needing lush beauty. To be enveloped in it.

 

It gets pretty tiring, swimming upstream.

 

So, I've been praying about it. Why beauty? What does it offer us? Isn't it a waste? It's just aesthetics, after all. Aren't I just buying into consumerism? What is beauty's lasting value?

 

And then I stumbled upon this.

 

The Contemplation of Beauty by Cardinal Ratzinger.

 

So it is that Christian art today is caught between two fires (as perhaps it always has been): It must oppose the cult of the ugly, which says that everything beautiful is a deception and only the representation of what is crude, low and vulgar is the truth, the true illumination of knowledge. Or it has to counter the deceptive beauty that makes the human being seem diminished instead of making him great, and for this reason is false.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2011 by justamouse

[Wabi Sabi]

I'm pretty plain and practical in all areas for the most part.

 

I don't find all adornment "wrong" or distasteful, but excessive primping and excessive concerns about appearance does turn me off in general.

 

Other people's flower gardens may be pretty, but I personally have no interest in maintaining pretty landscaping. I'd rather put my gardening efforts into vegetables that we can use. I have no use at all for annual flowers- why spend that money on plants that are going to die at the end of the season? At the very least if I *have* to fuss with non-edible gardening it had better be perennials that I don't have to plant every single year.

 

I prefer plain yeast donuts, no sprinkles. :tongue_smilie:

 

We put up a Christmas tree and some other decorations at the holidays, but they're 100% for the kids' sake. If it was just me I wouldn't bother at all.

 

Presents are wrapped in discount paper usually purchased at 80% off the year before. Just paper and if I'm feeling extra frilly I'll stick on a bow also bought on clearance. Frankly, the kids aren't interested in the wrappings. They just rip it right off anyhow, LOL.

 

We do eat a variety of foods, but I absolutely prefer simple meals that really let the taste of the food shine through. I'm not at all a fan of sauces, heavy seasonings, or fussiness in general. If I'm eating a good steak I want to taste the meat, not the spice rub or marinade! Lovely brandywine tomatoes from the garden are perfect as-is, they don't need anything else to flavor them. There are also few things as wonderful as a perfectly ripe peach or pear, IMO.

 

For me it's not really about vanity per se, and more about just preferring to keep things simple. Fussy hair and make-up on a daily basis doesn't fit that scheme for me. Different priorities, that's all.

[Just Robyn]

I do believe in living a simple, minimalist, utilitarian life. Any extra time and money should be used for a good cause - whatever cause is important to you.

 

Art and music are not purely aesthetic.

 

A lack of adornment does not have to be ugly.

 

I am far, far from the point I wish to be at in living the life I believe in. I don't believe anyone can approximate perfection in this area, but that won't stop me from trying.;)

[regentrude]

Beauty is wonderful. I love Arts and music and nature. But I prefer simple over fancy.

I do not wear make up. I dress neatly, dress up for the theatre, dress professional for work - but do not follow fashion. Spending money on haircuts - bare minimum. Spending money on nails seems wasteful to me.

I spend ten minutes getting ready in the morning - shower, wash hair, get dressed for work. I find my time too valuable to spend it on fancy hair or makeup.

 

In my house, I prefer natural beauty in an uncluttered home with clean lines and space between the furniture. The few knickknacks I have have memories tied to them. I do not "decorate". I believe less is more. I do not like scented candles and prefer to have the window open and smell fresh air.

I do wrap presents (and I reuse the paper from year to year) - because a wrapped present is more of a surprise.

 

I value function and detest adornment that interferes with functionality. Real beauty comes from a form that follows the function.

[Jenny in Florida]

I just look at it as different viewpoints...you gave your long list, here is mine-I'm a purposeful person, I have dogs for companionship, I have horses for a ministry, I have cats to keep the barn mice away, I have a pool for physical fitness (swimming laps daily), I have a vacuum for sucking up the dog hair and barn mud, I have a shower to wash off the dirt from training the horses, I have books on my shelves to educate my children, I have a painting on the wall to inspire our faith or remind us of a family vacation, I have a Prius to save 10k a year in gas with as many miles as we travel, I have flowers throughout my garden to remind me of each of God's precious creations....and that brings me back to the adornment...God thinks we are beautiful the way we were made..just like a flower, we each have our unique qualities, I just prefer not to cover that up or distort it with makeup...

 

That is really beautiful, right there.

[Heather in Neverland]

Excellent post.

[Merry]

I was watching an interview with a famous pianist and conductor the other day, I can't remember his name, he said that he is fascinated by music because there is a structure in it. There's more to music than just beauty or emotion or whatever. That there is a structure that we can access only by playing or listening to it. He didn't go beyond that statement but that made me wonder about the other things such as art and poetry. I wonder if those things that seem to be merely luxuries or embellishments might actually have an utilitarian value to them that are necessary if we are to survive as human beings? So these little frilly or "unnecessary" touches like makeup, spices, flowers, etc. can be important in themselves? Not as important as food, clothes, shelter, of course but still necessary?

[DawnM]

Honestly, I am not a detailed person. I am a global picture person.

 

I look fine most of the time. I do shower daily and have foundation and lipstick in my purse (otherwise I forget to put it on), but I will forget jewelry 90% of the time. I just do.

 

I was like this when I worked full time too. I would get half way to work and realize I had no earrings on. I started trying to keep a set in my bag or in the car so that I could remember.

 

Thankfully, I have never needed much make up. I have good skin. So, if I forget every now and then it isn't the end of the world.

 

I do notice beauty in other areas, but I am not always good about the details. So, for example, when we were decorating, I found a woman who loved to decorate and her DH lost his job so she was selling all her stuff, I bought her living room, pictures on the wall and everything, and put it in my living room. I added some personal touches and a few of my own things, but it was an easy decorating method! :lol:

 

I prefer function over beauty, but I think I find beauty in functionality and practicality! :D

 

FWIW: My dish set is white Corelle. I never understood spending tons of $$ on a set of pretty dishes that get all chipped up and they don't even make that set anymore anyway so you can't replace items. I have KIDS.....I need function.....I can dress it up with placemats! That right there sums up my lifestyle.

 

Dawn

[jamajo]

 

I started taking more care with my appearance (jewelry, makeup, etc.) as an outpouring of my love for him because he appreciates it. We have landscaping, knick knacks, etc. because he loves them. I try not to get upset when he spends money on things like flowers for me - I see an unnecessary expense, but that is how he shows me his love.

 

;)

 

:iagree: I've adapted to my husband's likes in many ways as I believe that I should be pleasing to him. He values physical fitness and not over indulging in food. I am the complete opposite - dessert at every dinner and buffet as the choice for dinner outs:tongue_smilie: OK I'm exaggerating a little.

It's funny I'm the "biggest" woman on his side of the family but the smallest on my side. But the result is I put a lot of effort and thought into my eating habits and whether or not I'm exercising.

 

I think its frivolous to invest in lingerie but he says I never have to ask to spend $$ if I'm buying these things:lol: So even though I may consider it wasteful its an investment in my relationship.

 

OP makes some great analogies and I love this thread as it really gets you to thinking about the condition of your heart in your motivation toward or away from any action.

[LittleIzumi]

I appreciate it's beauty, but I still don't have the time to devote to it, same as make-up/hair. I have other things that I prefer to use my time for. I appreciate a lovely home (even if I don't have time to clean mine usually), I appreciate art/music/writing (although I have no time to do it myself), I love Christmas & the trappings (although we are lucky if we get the tree up more than a week before Christmas and are wrapping the night before), etc. I think spending a copious amount of time on any of these things at the price of neglecting family & other important things is wasteful. I think that spending some time on them if you have the time to spare is wonderful. I wish I could sometimes, lol! :)

[AuntPol]

My house is not decorated -no money for that and I barely have time to keep it clean. I'd wouldn't mind it being more decorated (In a comfortable but not showy way) but it's not a priority in our limited budget.

 

I have no pictures on the wall -haven't ever gotten around to it. I have no framed photos excepts ones that were given to me. All the others are stuffed in a chest that I will get around to someday. I don't have curtains up either!!!!

 

I don't get into fancy wrap. I won the wrap or not wrap Santa presents because I am not wrapping any more than I have too. I do a horrid job at wrapping anyway. I usually have wrinkled paper from it being stored in the closet and crushed. I mostly reuse bags that I got a gift in I never do bows. I rarely do cards.

 

I like flowers but don't buy them. Honestly, I get more joy of looking at my kitten lying on the chinchilla cage. I have tons of candles that I got as gifts but rarely use (ditto bath stuff). Honestly, I just never think about them so they usually only get lit if I come across it that day.

 

My yard is not landscaped, no flowers. It's all I can do to keep it mowed and fuss at my husband if he starts to junk it up. I don't enjoy gardening or yard work at all so the least I have to do to get buy is what I'm after.

 

I eat to eat. I don't go out of my way to make it look pretty. I hate going to fru fru restaurants that have pretty food (that usually tastes bland and never enough!). Cookie exchanges kill me as I like tasty cookies but I'm not going to spend hours making that pretty cookie and all those nice ways of presenting them.

 

My daughter decorates her notebook. The rest of us don't. I prefer to do my journal in a composition book as opposed to a pretty journal.

 

I write letters on whatever stationary I have. I don't have special pens.

 

We don't do those fancy crafts and projects at the homeschool presentations. We do some projects but just not the fancy kind that always seem to me to me more about impressing the other parents than teaching the kids something. I projects are more of the "make a big huge mess" type.

 

I don't listen to music very often. I don't like background noises.

 

I don't hate people who do unless they are the type that look down on me because I don't. I appreciate beauty. I really do. It's just that I appreciate a lot of other things too and prefer to spend my limited time/money on the other things.

[Onceuponatime]

I love beauty- inner beauty, outer beauty, personal beauty, beauty in others :)

 

 

I agree, but I also think beauty is in the eye of the beholder.;)

 

I don't like other people to tell me what I should think is beautiful. I fill my life with the kind of beauty I enjoy.

[FiveOaksAcademy]

Vanity is wrong. But vanity is a heart issue, not a makeup and time issue. It's about motivation and intent, not about whether you wear makeup or not. If your goal is to impress or present yourself as something you're not, that's a problem. But if adornment is not a vice in these other areas....if carrying on with life in a way that includes more than just being purely utilitarian isn't wrong, why is it wrong to adorn your own body if it's not wrong in these other areas?

 

I'm so thankful for the little "extras" in life. There are certain things we must do to survive as a race. Like eat and procreate. Amazing that God made both of these things so pleasant for us. And I for one get so much pleasure out of so many things that are more than just basic subsistence. Adornment, embellishment, garnish...call it what you want. But if these are valid concepts for things other than our own bodies, why not for our bodies as well...as long as we tame the vanity inherent in our own hearts?

 

That vanity, by the way, can still be active with no makeup and frumpy clothes. The attitude of superiority, or of pride in how "above it all" we are is just as dangerous. The arrogance and satisfaction in knowing, for example, how everyone sees how smart our kids are, how well we manage our time, how thrify we are, how we don't waste our time on frivolous pursuits, how we're not wrapped up in a Hollywood mindset...the list goes on and on. Really. Vanity is not about makeup alone. It's a heart attitude that can and is present with or without the help of external aids.

 

As far as time well spent, I'm guessing that those who look down upon anyone who chooses to spend 10 minutes a day applying makeup have eliminated all waste from their lives and the lives of their children. Like television. Or time spent on the internet writing about the vices of wasting time applying makeup. :lol::lol::lol: Great point!!

 

I honestly have zero problem with someone for whom makeup is just not that important. But when disdain enters in and you assume to know the heart and intent of someone who does wear makeup, there's a problem.

 

I, for one, am not a good decorator. It take more time than I'm willing to spend, especially because it doesn't come naturally. But I enjoy the few well placed items I have in my home. I do like fresh flowers on a a rare occasion and a nice candle burning.

 

I do wear makeup and I do make some effort on my appearance. I also like art and music, festive Christmas trees, and paprika for garnish on my deviled eggs. Beauty and reasonable efforts to enhance appearances should not be despised any more than a pretty flower box outside a front window.

 

This whole thing resonated with me so very much!! God has really been impressing Phillipians 4:12-13 on me lately, and honestly, I sometimes don't know why!!!

 

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

 

I know it doesn't exactly go with this, but with what the Lord is teaching me, it does. At one point, we were completely broke, not a dime to spend. In some weird way, I took pride in that, like I was holier than those who had money!! I'm not proud of that now, but I look back and realize how one way or another, until the Lord helps you move past it, people can find a way to be prideful about anything!!! :lol: Having no money restricted my options. I did not have the option to spend money on nice clothes, expensive makeup, decorating my home. So I took that as a mantle, thinking myself simple, easy to please, "above" those who needed things to make them happy. We now have "plenty" according to our standard, and I have a lot of weird guilt about it and sometimes find it much more confusing than when I lived in want.

 

So I may not spend a lot on clothes or makeup, but I tell you I have spent a TON OF MONEY on books and cooking good meals for my family...someone in a third world country could very well call that wasteful!! In the end, I have to lay all of this down at the Lord's feet and ask Him to help me to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion but to be a joyful giver. There are things that God has given us to enjoy in life. We should do so with a grateful heart and ask Him to give us the heart, love, over-the-top gratefulness to share our abundance with others because of OUR HEART FOR HIM, and not as a means to feel "better than".

Edited August 12, 2011 by FiveOaksAcademy

[Old Dominion Heather]

We live out in the country in West TX. We have a beautiful sunset every night. Nothing else is really beautiful around here besides the inner self of just about everyone I meet. People here just don't care about outer beauty, flowers etc ( cause we can't grow them here, lol)

 

We have acreage. Acreage in the desert. We have mesquite trees, dead cactus, rattle snakes, lots of dirt thanks to our drought.

 

We have chickens. Farmland.

 

What do I consider beautiful? Certainly not well manicured lawns, fancy houses etc.

 

Beautiful to me.....my neighbors, my family, this God forsaken desert and the harshness that comes with it. People are real. Sunsets are beautiful, rain - when we get it is beautiful, we have no traffic - ever .....that's a beautiful thing. Our peaceful, country life is beautiful. My family filling my house is beautiful, my chickens laying eggs are beautiful.

 

I guess it's in what you personally consider beautiful.

 

Yes! This. It is a beautiful thing when I can spend 30 minutes having a watergun fight with my boys and 15 other house guests without worrying about getting my make-up messed up... since I am not wearing any. And yes, I do pity my friend, the mom who sat inside with her perfectly done make-up who said "my kids know better than to ask me to come play water guns." That is so sad.

 

Wearing make-up is not a part of who I am. I would feel like I was dressed up as someone else. Add to that my issue with multiple chemical sensitivity and it and all perfume is pretty much out of the question. I did buy a bottle of pink nail polish last year and I am gradually working my way through that on my toenails.

 

As far as the original (in this thread) questions:

 

I think you are confusing people being defensive of their minimalists choices as people being disdainful of your choice to spend more time on your appearance. It was not the "no make-up people" who started this discussion in the first place.

 

Scented candles? YUCK. Don't own any, they make me feel nauseous. I prefer to smell something real, even if that means opening the doors to let in fresh air.

 

Flower beds: I do have boxwoods and azaleas. They were planted when the house was built, I think. 1921. The azaleas might be younger than that. My dad gave me a climbing rose that is planted out front.

 

Art: we have lots of art on the walls. Dh is an artist. So we have his work, the kids' oil paintings, and several local artists. But, yes, we are quite minimalist and working toward more minimalism.

 

Music: we love it. We are eclectic. It enriches our lives. If make-up and clothes do that for someone else, that is fine, I guess. But don't try to say that they are comparable to a symphony.

 

I am perfectly (actually more) comfortable with how I look unadorned. I just am. This is not a character flaw, nor does it mean that I need to take more time for myself. It also doesn't mean that I am illogical.

 

If I decorate something, ANYTHING, it is only because I want to decorate it. And if I don't, it is because I like it better that way.

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

My Great-Grandmother used to tell stories of women from town coming out to the country church to hold "Bible" classes with farm women. The topic: Pridefulness.

 

Yes, the women who had the means to get their hair coiffed and drive to the country came on a mission to teach the poor women not to be high-and-mighty in their poverty, or to think they were better than others because of their suffering.

 

(This was during the Great Depression.)

 

Just keep preaching to the poor that their real problem is vanity and pride. But don't be surprised if we aren't thankful to hear that in 2011.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Beauty is wonderful. I love Arts and music and nature. But I prefer simple over fancy.

I do not wear make up. I dress neatly, dress up for the theatre, dress professional for work - but do not follow fashion. Spending money on haircuts - bare minimum. Spending money on nails seems wasteful to me.

I spend ten minutes getting ready in the morning - shower, wash hair, get dressed for work. I find my time too valuable to spend it on fancy hair or makeup.

 

In my house, I prefer natural beauty in an uncluttered home with clean lines and space between the furniture. The few knickknacks I have have memories tied to them. I do not "decorate". I believe less is more. I do not like scented candles and prefer to have the window open and smell fresh air.

I do wrap presents (and I reuse the paper from year to year) - because a wrapped present is more of a surprise.

 

I value function and detest adornment that interferes with functionality. Real beauty comes from a form that follows the function.

 

 

Well said! :iagree:

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

Yes! This. It is a beautiful thing when I can spend 30 minutes having a watergun fight with my boys and 15 other house guests without worrying about getting my make-up messed up... since I am not wearing any. And yes, I do pity my friend, the mom who sat inside with her perfectly done make-up who said "my kids know better than to ask me to come play water guns." That is so sad.

 

Wearing make-up is not a part of who I am. I would feel like I was dressed up as someone else. Add to that my issue with multiple chemical sensitivity and it and all perfume is pretty much out of the question. I did buy a bottle of pink nail polish last year and I am gradually working my way through that on my toenails.

 

As far as the original (in this thread) questions:

 

I think you are confusing people being defensive of their minimalists choices as people being disdainful of your choice to spend more time on your appearance. It was not the "no make-up people" who started this discussion in the first place.

 

Scented candles? YUCK. Don't own any, they make me feel nauseous. I prefer to smell something real, even if that means opening the doors to let in fresh air.

 

Flower beds: I do have boxwoods and azaleas. They were planted when the house was built, I think. 1921. The azaleas might be younger than that. My dad gave me a climbing rose that is planted out front.

 

Art: we have lots of art on the walls. Dh is an artist. So we have his work, the kids' oil paintings, and several local artists. But, yes, we are quite minimalist and working toward more minimalism.

 

Music: we love it. We are eclectic. It enriches our lives. If make-up and clothes do that for someone else, that is fine, I guess. But don't try to say that they are comparable to a symphony.

 

I am perfectly (actually more) comfortable with how I look unadorned. I just am. This is not a character flaw, nor does it mean that I need to take more time for myself. It also doesn't mean that I am illogical.

 

If I decorate something, ANYTHING, it is only because I want to decorate it. And if I don't, it is because I like it better that way.

 

Well said! We are very similar. Music, art, and beauty have a place in our lives, but all is according to our own preferences and within our own means. Isn't that normal?

[2squared]

Beauty is wonderful. I love Arts and music and nature. But I prefer simple over fancy.

I do not wear make up. I dress neatly, dress up for the theatre, dress professional for work - but do not follow fashion. Spending money on haircuts - bare minimum. Spending money on nails seems wasteful to me.

I spend ten minutes getting ready in the morning - shower, wash hair, get dressed for work. I find my time too valuable to spend it on fancy hair or makeup.

 

In my house, I prefer natural beauty in an uncluttered home with clean lines and space between the furniture. The few knickknacks I have have memories tied to them. I do not "decorate". I believe less is more. I do not like scented candles and prefer to have the window open and smell fresh air.

 

I do wrap presents (and I reuse the paper from year to year) - because a wrapped present is more of a surprise.

 

I value function and detest adornment that interferes with functionality. Real beauty comes from a form that follows the function.

 

:iagree:

 

Just as much as you hate those with disdain, I have a distaste for those who get so defensive when their position is not embraced...I try never to disdain others for their beliefs..but I also would not put a long list of arguments to try to get others to 'understand' my position..we all have one....it's the endless back and forth when people start getting quicker to a point and it comes off being rude.

 

The original question was a bit looking down on those who do not take 15 minutes to 'improve' themselves ...that was how it was interpreted...that could be considered disdainful by some. I just look at it as different viewpoints...you gave your long list, here is mine-I'm a purposeful person, I have dogs for companionship, I have horses for a ministry, I have cats to keep the barn mice away, I have a pool for physical fitness (swimming laps daily), I have a vacuum for sucking up the dog hair and barn mud, I have a shower to wash off the dirt from training the horses, I have books on my shelves to educate my children, I have a painting on the wall to inspire our faith or remind us of a family vacation, I have a Prius to save 10k a year in gas with as many miles as we travel, I have flowers throughout my garden to remind me of each of God's precious creations....and that brings me back to the adornment...God thinks we are beautiful the way we were made..just like a flower, we each have our unique qualities, I just prefer not to cover that up or distort it with makeup...

 

:iagree:

 

I am so, so pleased to know that there are others like me in this world. Sometimes I feel like an island.