Creating an Enchanting Life, Inspired by Kathleen Kelly

“SometimesI wonder about my life. I lead a small life – well, valuable, but small – and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven’t been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn’t it be the other way around? I don’t really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the the void. So good night, dear void.” -Kathleen Kelly in You’ve Got Mail

If you read the name Kathleen Kelly in today’s post title and knew who I was referring to, then you already know of this enchanting lifestyle I speak of.  If not, then you have probably never seen the movie, You’ve Got Mail (in which case I highly recommend you do very soon). This is one of my favorite movies that I will watch anytime of the year, but especially during November/December. In one particular scene when Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) is talking to his father and grandfather about the small independent bookstore The Shop Around the Corner, his grandfather’s face lights up in delight as he reminisces about how he used to know the original owner Cecilia Kelly (Kathleen Kelly’s mother) and how she was simply enchanting.

The enchantment must have been handed down along with The Shop Around Corner because as we follow our heroine throughout the film one can’t help but be enchanted by Kathleen Kelly’s own charmed life. While the central focus may be that of a romance, I couldn’t help but focus on Kathleen Kelly’s lifestyle and how so many things had this lovely charm about it, especially in the small details. These lovely details can be easily incorporated into everyday life to create your own enchanted lifestyle and while they do not guarantee a romance with a handsome stranger, they can guarantee a beautiful life to wake up to each and every morning.

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-She Has A Simple Refined Style

Even though You’ve Got Mail was released 26 years ago I would still wear everything that Kathleen Kelly wore in this film. Her style was sophisticated and simple yet refined to the enchanting life that she lived. Her wardrobe had a few staples that she wore in various ways with items such as button-down shirts, sweater vests, cashmere twinsets, turtlenecks, trousers, skirts, and cardigans. Each item was timeless and could even be a wardrobe that is used for a film made today.  She had a signature style that represented her love of literature and romanticizing her life.

-She Tends To The Details of Her Life

No detail was too small for Kathleen Kelly to elevate with a touch of enchantment. Details such as having handkerchiefs with her favorite flower embroidered on them, flowers at the cash register of her bookstore, flowers in her apartment, and especially the details of all the books that surrounded her apartment were pleasantries that created an environment of enchantment everywhere she went.

-She Reads Everywhere She Goes

While cozying up at home to read is truly nice, there is something enchanting about getting lost in a book while out and about at a coffee shop or on a subway ride. Kathleen Kelly loved to read and she always made time to go out into the city that she loved and would immerse herself into a beautiful story. She knew that reading enchanting books gave one an enchanting feeling no matter where they may be.

-She Celebrates and Savors the Seasons

You’ve Got Mail starts off in autumn, goes into winter and emerges through to springtime. While in these timeframes we see Kathleen Kelly truly celebrate and savoring the seasons.  Even during the opening scene we see our enchanting lady giving a dialogue on her love of New York in fall as she stops to pick up a pumpkin for the Shop Around The Corner. We also see her decorate her store with a beautiful Christmas tree and lights mid-way through the movie and then towards the end in spring where she is out at the farmer’s markets. Delighting in seasonal living gives life a simple spark of enchantment that can be savored year-round.

-Her Apartment is Decorated For A Life of Enchantment 

Kathleen Kelly’s apartment is decorated in her signature style of enchantment, simplicity, and elegance. She has a beautiful apartment filled with the coziness of patterned textiles, flowers, books, traditional furniture and beautiful decor pieces throughout. She has curated a space that is as romantic as she is in her daily life. Every detail delights her and sets up her foundation of an enchanted lifestyle.

-She Perseveres Even When Things Don’t Turn Out The Way She Wanted

Even though some things did not turn out the way she had hoped (no spoilers here!), Kathleen Kelly perseveres by taking a normal amount of time to grieve her loss and then she starts her new plans to pivot into something else. She does not simply wallow and think of how life is so unfair, she simply accepts the loss and moves into a new direction gracefully and with hope of a better future.

-She’s A Homebody at Heart

Although we may often see Kathleen Kelly out in New York City, she is truly a homebody at heart. She loves to cook in her cozy kitchen, lounge in her comfortable bed, write at her small desk and lounge around in her elegant pajamas. Her apartment has been meticulously decorated with pleasantries throughout which creates the foundation of her enchanting life. While she does love being out in NYC on occasion, she also loves being a homebody who gets to savor the enchantment of everyday life at home.

-She Romanticizes Her Life and Has Hope For The Future

Even when life was at its hardest, Kathleen Kelly still had hope of a better future ahead. She not only romanticized her daily life in so many ways, she also romanticized her future self. She knew that even if things were not looking their best at that moment, that there was always the dream of a better future just around the corner for her. She appreciated her small, soft life and looked forward to discovering even more enchantment in the future.