A Fanciful Twist

Heart Nook...

Life in chapters.  Life in song.  Life in ups and life in downs, life in smiles and all arounds.  Hearts in tears and then overflowing with joy.  Goodbyes, hellos and sometimes many unknowns...

 

Paths might change when you aren't paying attention and swoop you in another direction.  Sometimes, paths stay the same for a long time.  Sometimes you yearn for change, sometimes you don't...

That's life.  Twists and turns.  Chapters end and chapters begin.  When my mind is full and bursting and seeping thoughts from the seams - I go to the hidden heart nook... 

 

It doesn't matter if my thoughts are merely fluttering, or if I have something actually going on.  I yearn to sew - to mend, literally and figuratively...

      

When one of the doors to my studio is open, it hides and protects this little nook, sometimes causing me to forget it is even there.   

 

But that's the thing about places and people that you might find comforting.  The heart nook is always there, even if you temporarily forget.  It waits for you with open arms...

 

It puts ribbons in your hair, it lines your skirt with delicate trim, it gives you little metal covers to protect your fingers. 

 

It gifts magic wands to help you mend.  Tiny wands.  Some with pearls at the ends, some with an eye.

Somehow, it always lends the perfect thing...

 

It seems the heart nook knows just what you need, even before you do...

    

If you are lucky, the heart nook keeper might even make an appearance...

      

Warmly guiding you.  Prescribing just the perfect stitching or button...

      

In the shuffle of human nature, accompanied by the human trait to interpret the world through our own eyes, we sometimes forget about others.  We make assumptions (which can be dangerous).  We can be selfish. 

We don't realize, perhaps the heart nook keeper needs a hand today.  A bead, an eye.  I scurry to assist her.  And as I do, it helps me.

      

I went to the nook in search of mending myself.

 

But let my own issues go to help her, and while I wasn't looking they fluttered away, and I felt so much better...

 

Like I said, twists and turns and roundabouts.  Circling the carousel and over the ferris wheel.  Chapters end and chapters begin.  And sometimes, if we just let go, who knows what candyland awaits us at the next bend in the road...

   

My little universe has been filled with all sorts of curious twist and turns as of late.  Chapters left unwritten have been written and closed in the matter of days. 

I packed my car full last night, with the last of my old job.  My favorite song unexpectedly played on my radio in an acoustic version that I have loved.  It comforted me.

I shed a tear for those I will miss in that family like office.  And for an era in my life gone, but filled with beautiful memories. 

That old path is what made this world of art full time possible for me.  I started to close that chapter of my old career almost 2 years ago, but never fully did.  It came time to officially do so this week.  So, that chapter ends with a smile, as I close the book I clasp it to my chest, then lovingly put it on my shelf... 

I feel a calm, knowing I have this place, where you meet me from time to time, and oh, how I appreciate you...

And now, on to totally full time art adventures!!!

♥, V

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One Enchanted Evening...

One enchanted evening, a group of folks gathered together for a wee soiree of the American Independence day variety.  This little gathering has been taking place for 20+ years, at the home of Mister's long time beloved friend.  I have had the pleasure of attending for the last 10 years...

 

Groups of lovely people stop by with treats and tales.  Guitars are played, and song are sung, while everyone munches an gathers round for the clock to strike 9 p.m.  That is when lawn chairs fill a hidden little street where this house sits, right under the city's famous "A" mountain.  The place where all the 4th of July magic happens in the sky. 

 

Did I mention, Miss D (my visitor who came over, and I made a flower banner with, last week), is married to Mister's friend and together they own this perfectly situated 4th of July home?  They have been married for 6 years (or so?), and lucky for me, we get along beautifully and are kindred as can be!

 

So, as I was saying, year after year, at 8:59 p.m. we all scurry into the street, to await the magical sky explosions!!

        

There were two more rows of giggling happy people behind me.  Children carrying on, and lots of oooo's and aaaa's being practiced.

And so, the fireworks commence with perfection...

      

Truly an incredible view...

   

What colors and shapes!

        

Orbs of flaming prisms...

  

    

WOW, here comes a big one!

 

   

   

I took over 300 firework photos, and they were all so fun, I couldn't choooooose!

      

I made caramelized melt in your mouth, better than a boyfriend rice krispy treats, to munch during the fireworks.  I noticed right before the fireworks, people were munching them like mad.  So, I pulled Mister Lovee aside and asked, "why didn't you put those rice krispy treats out on a plate for everyone to enjoy?"  And he whispers back, with serious eyes, like an undercover spy, "When I opened the bag, they were immediately discovered and I was bombarded.  But I stole you half of one."  We both roared with laughter.

 

After the fireworks, we all went inside, where the was much more music.  Many more people, and oooooodles of children gathered.  Precious funny children.  Miss D was showing a bunch of my postcards without me realizing.  Then little kids were coming up to me, asking me questions about my art.  I never met a more curious group of youngsters.  One little tiny gal, even sat (the only time she was silent all evening) and looked at each card.  Oh, melt my wee heart...

    

Every year, I get the famous question, "Vanessa, are you bringing your deviled eggs?"  I love being asked that question.  Isn't it so fulfilling when groups of people are waiting with bated breath for your special deviled eggs?  I know, I am easy to please, but, oh it tickles me so!

I walked in the door when we first arrived and Adam, our friend asks, "did you bring them?"  I made two trays (40) - I wanted to make one more tray, but Mister Lovee thought that was a bit over the top...

I love this table shot at the end of the night.  So all American 4th of July.  Chips, pickles, hot dog condiments abound, and empty deviled egg trays.  Yay :)

 

Next time, I will make more deviled eggs ;)  I'll share my secrets one day, for making them, if anyone wants to know?  I didn't even get one photo op ;) of those bad boys...

Would you like to hear a funny 4th of July story before I go? 

So, the band are sitting with their guitars playing requests, and a young boy asks Mister Lovee, do you know "Enter Sandman?"  And, oh this is too cute - Mister Lovee says of course, and starts singing and playing, "Mister Sandman, bring me a dream..."  Not knowing his request is off by about 40 years. 

Oh, I couldn't speak I was giggling so hard.  It was a precious moment.  And the look on the boy's face, priceless.  Luckily one of the band mates knew the correct song because he has a young son who loves Metallica.  Haha!

I best be off to enjoy my absconded bit of rice krispy love... (actually, I did that yesterday morning)

 

For now, I have ooddles of things to get my little art job day going, so I must run... 

 

♥,V

ps:  I have seen so many movies, I don't even think I can catch up with my recommendation list.  I did see a very moving documentary a couple of weeks ago, The Loss of Nameless Things, that has stuck with me in the midst of 50 other films.

Lost in Austen was cute. The Fox and the Child was lovely.  Might I confess, I really enjoy documentaries more than anything else most of the time.  I super enjoyed Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton...  Yes, there is still a smidge of the fashion loving gal I used to be,  living in me.  I used to make funky clothes in school.  I even made a pair of shoes.  My sister had a huge fashion show of her clothing line about 6 years ago, and I featured my jewelry.  Those were crazy fun days...

pss:  Did you have a delightful weekend?  I can't wait to hear what you munched and did ;)

Okay, I am veering so, I best be off, See you soooon ;)

Lovely Little Random Tid-bits...

Lovely little things surround us everyday.  Perhaps they are important things, yet easily slip our minds?

      

With that, here are a few discombobulated tid-bits on my mind...

As you know, there is this lovely Mad Hatter, Mister Romantic Super Manny that inhabits our little nook in Wonderland (of course he can be rotten too, but that is not the point here ;). 

I wanted to tell you two lovely things regarding this gentleman...

      

I forgot to tell you, eeeps!  He made the print sale in my shop during the party possible.  He gifted me a roll of my special canvas with the intentions that I could extend a fun sale during the Mad Tea Party. 

I am beyond delighted that I got the opportunity to print so many canvas sheets. It is so easy for me to forget how lovely the prints look.  So, it was a true reinvigorating art love gift to be able to print many out and enjoy them as I packaged.

 

Everyone was carefully packaged and lovingly sent off to their new homes this week... 

But, before I veer, the second thing I wanted to tell you about curly head is, he is the reason an army of bun buns turned up on my doorstep for the party :)

 

I don't know where he found them, but he came home with many many rabbits, who were set at my doorstep, with a note about the bunny army and where they came from (invented of course), written by the madman himself...

 

I thought that was super sweet and fun.

Speaking of flowers?  When he brings me flowers, or I cut flowers from my garden, I feel that that is the mere beginning of enjoying them. 

      

I just love dry flowers.  In the early nineties I had an enormous collection of dried roses.  Then one day, I tossed them all out.

      

Yet, I find myself loving dried flowers ever more, all over again...  I love how the colors darken, and how the dried flowers start to look like paper art.

 

I am completely enamored with the whole process, from plump living flower, to cut flower, to dried specimen of beauty...

 

I also love that dried flowers sometimes hold tender memories.  Especially the flowers we press in books.  Do you do that?  I always try to press tiny flowers in my diaries or books.  I have been keeping a diary off and on since I was in 2nd grade.  And, there are several beloved pressed flowers in my diaries.

      

My adult diary was in a drawer here in the country, and although I have not written in it much this year, I had a vague recollection of a certain dried flower in it.  So that started a search...

Then I found it...

 

Slowly I opened the little hotel napkin that held a tender flower...

  

I swooned at the fact that I still had it.  I completely believe in making memories of times in my mind.  But sometimes, if I have a tender reminder, I can almost relive the moment...

As I flipped through my diary (which I rarely flip through, so that when I do, I find swoon worthy moments hidden inside) I found pictures that tickled my soul.

 

I realized how much things have changed in ten years.  The photo above, taken in Jerome, reminded me that 10 years ago, I carried a film camera.  Film.  Oh, how I miss film.  I spent many years in the dark room underground at the University of Arizona 13 years ago or so.  Developing my own negatives and my own photographs...  I think film is calling my name again...

I found a photo with the swing Mister Lovee put up for me on our second date all those years ago.  I painted it that same weekend.  How we enjoyed (and still do) swinging slowly and eating popsicles on that swing...

 

So, you see, lots of random tid-bits indeed.  My mind floats from thing to thing, so fast I can't keep up with it sometimes ;)

I have a friend who thinks diaries are terrible things to keep.  But, I guess I don't worry because I don't have any huge outrageous secrets, do I?    ;)

 I love my diaries.  I love the memories stuffed inside of them...

 

Annnyhow - as for vertigo.  I feel so much better, thank you ever so much for your kind words regarding my ailment.  To answer a frequent question, I think I wrote about this sometime ago, but the reason I have a discombobulated inner ear (left) is from a very scary horse fall w/concussion I had at 17.  I can't believe I survived that fall.  So, vertigo is okay as opposed to anything else I could have suffered (plus, I only get it once or twice a year)...  The vertigo spells I get are incredibly intense, but I see a doctor for it, and I am all better for now.  Yay!

And I am telling you, there is magic in the garden tub for helping me feel better.  Besides the fact that it is dreamy, I think there is something more to this...

 

The shape of my old ball and claw tub cradles my neck and head so wonderfully.  I wish homes still had such tubs.  They are truly therapeutic in their shape, me thinks...

Between the tub, and a manny, how can you not get better?  ;)

He makes me plates of fruit and fruit juices...

 

        

We are such enablers ;)  If I am not babying him, he is babying me.  SO silly.  But I will say one thing, I prefer my fruit on a plate and not in a juice.  How do you take your fruit? 

 

Speaking of fruit - I think I should bake a pie for tomorrow...

I hope you have a magical and delightful, but most of all, SAFE Independence day!!!  

Happy 4th of July!

      

See you super soooooon!!!

♥,V 

ps:  Do you enjoy the lovely Sade?  I found a box full of old cd's and all of hers were in there.  I just love her all over again.  This video is so pretty, but I really love all the older tunes, like this...