What Does Bohemian Mean?

Well you have heard about my love for Pinterest.  I have noticed alot of the style I like on Pinterest has the word bohemian in the description.  Now some of this bohemian style is a little too out there for me.  What does this word mean?  I know Bohemia is a place in Europe.  When you are teaching a child to read you teach them to look at the pictures for clues as to what the book is about.  I found myself falling back on this kindergarten skill to figure out the meaning of bohemian style.  The pictures told me bohemian is flowing, light weight, eclectic, some solids, some colorful patterns.  I looked up the definition online and found this....

"a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices".....ok.....still not completely clear on what constitutes bohemian untillllll.......I ran across a definition using the word "hippie".  Not that I understand!  I am a hippie at heart from the 70s.  So why didn't the definition just say "politically correct word in 2012 for hippie"......that is what it is.....right?  I had the hip hugger pants that looked like an American flag complete with the wide black belt, choker beaded necklace (where my love for beads began) and long hair to my waist parted down the middle.

So I find myself in my fifties giving myself permission to be who I was all along, hippie or bohemian,  I really don't care what you call it.  The years that I have tried to transform to what was " the expected" cookie cutter did not work for me.  How freeing it is.... not trying so hard to be who or what everyone else wants or expects.  Just being who He created me to be.

I loved the shops in Kansas City, Mo. that were called back in the hippie day "head shops".  I loved to look at the jewelry that was handmade.  I am very grateful to my new friends I have met in the blogger world that have inspired me to discover my creative side and not be afraid of it.  This weekend I have been working on the friendship bracelets mentioned and pictured in the post below.....fun to bring something old back in a new and more grown up version! 

Hope you all have a great week.

Cindi