Sparkly Happy Wishes!

Sparkly Happy Wishes for a wonderful New Year! Thank you over the moon for all the Somerset Studio love! Your support means so very much to me!! I have all kinds of ideas up my sleeve for us!  One having to do with a new friend that my mom has bestowed unto my little creature clan.  I have decided that this new creature will be a constant reminder to wish and dream to my hearts content.  A reminder to throw my wishes into the night sky (believing they will come true), and to encourage you to do the same...

      

So, I have an idea.  Why don't we round up as many wishes as we can, wishes for loved ones, wishes for ourselves, wishes for the earth, wishes for change, wishes for love, wishes for kindness :)  Leave any wishes you desire in comments.  I will then take those wishes, and, well, the rest is a surprise that I will share with you picture by picture.  We are going to send them soaring... (feel free to leave your wishes in code if they are too personal)

Also, there is grand news in this wee humble palace.  There is a new king!  Yes a new king!!!  His name is yet a mystery.  Did he share it with you?  Please tell me if he did.  If you guess his long fairytale-like name, I will send you a parcel that will tickle you pink!!!  Here he is, after a long voyage to us...  King Rabbit is what we are calling him for now...  (he is in love with Xenia Schmidt it seemes :)  She created that amazing little piece on the dark wood to the far right- with the clock piece in her hair)

      

In other news.  I did bring home some fun treasures from my visit to my family over the holidays.  I brought home treasures that were not even intended to be gifted.  You see, I have made a grand discovery.  While everyone in my family pokes fun at my grandfather's treasure hunting (junk as they call it),  I find it scrumptiously fascinating!!!  And, because my fascination exudes in an overboil of squeals, my grandfather gifted me 3 fantastic treasures. 

The first, a Scale.  Not just an ordinary scale, a scale from one of the Arizona mines.  And, wait, it is for weighing, none other than, you got it, jewels and glitter!!!  Oh, thank you Grandpa!  That earned him one huge hug and a squeal!

      

The conversation that earned me the scale went like this.  I look down, see it by the giant brick fireplace. 

      

I then exclaim, "WHAT IS THAT!"  "WHAT IS THAT!"  Grandpa (Pedro)  goes, "why it is a scale from the mines, you like that?"  I go "Yes Yes YES!"  he says, "it's yours, take it, Oh, and you know, I have to tell you about this typewriter..."

You promptly see my brain registering, typewriter?  Now, I must confess, I do have a fabulous old Underwood typewriter, but it is nothing like this Underwood.  My greed must have gotten the best of me.  And, when my grandfather disappeared to go up to his warehouse treasure trove of goodies (not junk) and came back with it, I was more than touched. You see, it was the typwriter he used to use to type invoices and such on, back in the day, in his business.  It is now set up in my new office.  And, the wash basin Mr. Lovee brought me a few weeks ago, serves as a perfect desk :)

       

Blog posts will resume from here in 2008.  :)

Can you handle one more trash treasure?  Well, my grandmother says as I am leaving.  "Your grandpa found this birdcage, and he is going to throw it away if noone takes it."  Can you hear the record scratching and me looking dumbfounded.  Whipping around to look at her, ponytail flailing in the air, "Did you say, b-b-birdcage??????"  Mind you, noone else in the entire family even realizes that I am having the greatest treasure moments in life.  Noone even budges or cares.  They all look at me like I am insane and resume their Christmas gift exchanges and noshing.

So, here it is.  A wood, hand-made birdcage. All for me, from someone else's trash.  You see, I never ask for gifts.  I never care. All I want is someone over the age of 75 to tell me I can choose anything I want from their junk pile!!!  Oh ya!!

      

Of course, the creatures wanted a picnic in it right away. Convincing me by telling me how they had never ever had a picnic in a birdcage...

      

It has occured to me that I didn't share how the holidays went down in my world.  It was so much fun.  I am convinced my mother is a fairy.  I even asked her, "Mom are you hiding something from me, are you a fairy?"  She laughed.  She did not say no though.  So, That leaves the idea wide open.  There are more fairies in her and dad's house than I can count.  She put up her enormous village, she baked until she could bake no more... She put up 3 trees.  One huge red, one gorgeous brown and olivine, the third, her magic fairy tree (my favorite)... She made us the finest dinner...  Mom you are a Queen!  A Magical Fairy Queen!!

      

My gift of a Morning Glori Vine creation to my brother, worked out beautifully.  Brothers are tough ya know? 

      

I gave my dad a vase that I made.  Kind of girly, but he liked it.  He got other dad stuff too.  And my mom got all kinds of jewelry pieces from me and more.  Oh and my sis loved her magic Jelly treats!  It was a good time. 

My grandmother cooked on her wood burning stove as always. (mom's parents)

      

And you were sure to find beans in a cast iron pan, and tamales, gracing the stove.  Warm Mexican breads toasted inside, buttered and melty...  Dad making sure the fire stayed warm in the stove...

      

My grandparents giant brick fireplace roared.  Mom made a fancy Christmas eve dinner.  And, Santa did in fact visit us while we slept.  All of the leaves fell off of my parents trees.  They floated so beautifully in the pool.  My sis and I attempted to rake some up.  WE did not do a good job.  We ended up playing and hanging from trees instead.  There is too much to tell, as I am sure your holidays are packed with tales of insanity or simple peace.  Plates full.  Below is a menagerie of photos of Christmas 2008.  I took a total of 1200 photos.  It was impossible to choose...

Oh, my crafty Aunt Denise made me the most amazing birthday cake that was waiting for me at my parents!  She made a mock cake.  She used a styrofoam ring and glued chocolates to the outside, then filled the center with chocolates! Very wonderful and crafty!  I am sooo glad I took a photo...

        

So there you have it!  It is over, even New Year's bashes are over.  Wow, it is all so surreal and strange, this time of year.

Don't forget to add your wishes for that super fun secret of soaring I have planned...  And help me name the King Rabbit.  I have officially bored you blue so I am outta here for now.

Next blog post brings a huge shop update!  A few days away ;)  See you soooooon!!!

ps: I forgot to tell you about the girls staying late at grandma's huddled near the wood burning stove around a big rectangular table.  Chatting.  4th cousins I did not even know, appearing with ghost stories that made me get goosebumps.  And other true crrrreeeepy mysteries about our town.  Oh, I will tell you more soon...

Comments

[Jo-Anne Coletti]

Your blog is utterly enchanting! The perfect read to enhance a peaceful slumber...
Sweet Dreams and wishing you a Sparkling New Year!
Jo-Anne

[melissa @ the inspired room]

v--

I'm so confused. I just got started with my Google reader, had you all plugged in and NO ANNOUNCEMENT that you posted. Huh? Some good that will do me! Maybe it just hasn't caught up with you yet. You sneaky girl.

Wishes? Oh, let me see. My hubby wants a new job! Yes, that is a big wish! I will send that one up for sure!

Your holiday sounds wonderful, as it should be! So glad you are back and I cannot wait for a new year to be inspired. The fun we will have! Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!

xoxoxoxoxxoxo
--m

[Cherie]

I love coming to read your words before I go to bed...it reminds me of being a child and my mother telling me stories filled with fairies and magic...I shall have sweet dreams tonight!! And I'm loving all your trashy treasures...I would so have been all over those myself!!

Wishes? I don't have much I want to wish for anymore...I wish to see each morning and know that I am still part of this world. So I will wish for that...a wish to see the start of each new day.

As for King Rabbit...hmmm...he reminds me of an old friend I had...Sir Twitchandnibble....

Lovely way to start my new year VV...a trip to fantasy land!!!

[michele]

I so love visiting your site.
All of my wishes are for a joyous and sparkling life for all!
The Rabbit King! Sir Phineas Alabaster Hareoldson.

[somepinkflowers]

what a wonderful family you have!

man,
that wooden bird cage is the *best*
thing!

:-)

it is like it was made for your stuff,

or
mine...
hummmmmmmmm.....

well,
i hope you get a lot of use out of it,
as long as it is yours

and not mine,

and all...

[stephanie]

You and your magical world! Treasures indeed...I wish for this year to be filled with even more magic than this one was.

and that we all can EMBRACE the magic...

love to you on this new year Ms Fanciful!

[saraH]

I love all of your pictures!
I wish that 2008 will be full of good health.
I wish that everyone will be overrun with more creativity than EVER before!

[TurquoiseCRO aka Cinda Rae Oliverio]

Wishes for more LOVE and that rabbit looks like NUTCRACKERWITTYWITWHITEYWILLIEWISHESWABBIT!!! Phew! He is cute!!! and who doesn't LOVE a BIRDCAGE??? I have 3 as I LOOK around the room!!! tee hee O! There is that enchanting Grandma OVEN again tempting me to bake some beans of my own!!! That new creature, is he a Cody Foster creation??? I LOVE it!!!Sweet Dreams!!! zzzzZZZZZZ

[TurquoiseCRO aka Cinda Rae Oliverio]

WABBIT! Comments cut it off!!

[Dave]

WHEE :) I will think up a list of wishes and post them tomorrow... what a wonderful idea.

I think the rabbit should be something like "Charles Edward Bennington", or "Edgar James Barton", something that sounds like it could come from Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre.

I have to admit to having typewriter envy. I'm on an ongoing search for a gorgeous old typewriter, and I have yet to find it. I'm glad that you have this one, as I know it will feel loved. You could name it something like William or Bernard (pronounced the British way) or Mumford :)

I'll be back with wishes soon :)

[Betty @ She's Sew Pretty]

It is just like magic to come here and peek at your world. Wishes...I have many, some small, some large. Oh to be so creative and overflowing with imagination!
As for the rabbit. Abuelo Pedrocito? Pasquale? El Rey de los magicos conejitos?!
Happy New Year Vanessa!

[the pesky bombolino]

It makes me really happy to see you had a lovely Christmas- and the treasures are to die for- I can't believe your grandpa would even contemplate throwing that beautiful bird cage out!
Wishes... I have so many but they are very difficult to articulate... my main focus this year for our family is our wedding, so I wish for a smooth-running, happy day!
As for the rabbit, I like 'King Rabbit'- my imagination doesn't stretch to the kind of names I know you'd appreciate!

[Paris Parfait]

Hola Preciosa! So glad your Christmas and New Year's celebrations were filled with such a bounty of delights! What magnificent treasures from your grandfather! I would have been swooning over them too. As for Lancelot Lapin, I'm sure he has a plethora of secret names, one for every country he's visited during his extensive world travels. As for the wishes, two very important things for the new year: good health and a more peaceful world. We all need both! Of course it wouldn't hurt to have some love, light and magic thrown into the mix. Love to you, dear Vanessa. I can't wait to see your latest creations! xoxox

[Delphine]

Happy new year, "Bonne année"!

[Martha]

What a fun post! The Rabbit was trying to tell me his name, but he whispered it, so I may not have it right...I think he said his name was Edward Paisley Moonshadow Tulane. (Did you ever read the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane?)

:o)

[Marjorie]

Oh My!! This post is like very rich, dark chocolate torte!! :) I have 'so' much to say, I just know I shan't be able to remember it all as I type!! ; )

First...I just have to say that I,too, have never ever had a picnic in a birdcage....but now that you mention it, I think I shall very soon! :)

With that out of the way, I can say my wishes:
I wish to have a garden covered old house like Tasha Tudor far away from the busy world where I can wander about in 1850's gowns and feed chickens and tip toe barefoot through the bluebells!!

I wish that everyone would start wearing hats again....and bonnets....and carry parasols and....(yes....such a silly wish)! ;)

I wish for snow.

But as much as I wish....I am still ever so happy with my current lot in life....it's hard not to feel thankful already! :)

And Wherever did you meet that darling Mr. Rabbit!?? He is whispering to me that his name is Captain Mortimer Sassafras Fuzzywiggins the III (he comes from a long line of seafaring hares) and hopes one day to settle in a darling sea side cottage with much thatch and the melancholy sound of the channel markers ding donging away in the foggy distance! :)

Well, then.....I 'think' I said everything....but I'm sure I've forgotten something! ;)

Happy 2008, Sweet Vanessa!

[Bronwyn]

Er...happy belated birthday, VV? :-)

King Rabbit's name: Alphonsus III.

My current wish is for a new stove.

[Pam Aries]

WHoaaa...ho! You glittery gal! I can always count on you for a smile1 What an amazing post today! I savored each and every moment! I can feel the warmth! You are such a sparkly sprite! Kisses and hugs!

[Janet]

I wish for more wonderful, beautiful creations from you! I can't get enough. And maybe a new career for my hubby, while you're at it.

Your grandpa must be the most fascinating person in the world! Those are great treasures he gave you. And I love that wood-burning stove. I always think they seem so much more homey and welcoming than the ones we all use today.

And because I'm so late getting here, huge congratulations on the magazine spread! I'm getting out today so will look for it. You are the best!!!!

[Randi]

Congratulations on your article in Somerset Studio! I just saw it yesterday and it's fabulous! I love your pictures and descriptions of your holiday fun! The King's name? I was told it's High King Frumious Newton Pennywhistle. My wishes include health and happiness for everyone this year.

[Randi]

Congratulations on your article in Somerset Studio! I just saw it yesterday and it's fabulous! I love your pictures and descriptions of your holiday fun! The King's name? I was told it's High King Frumious Newton Pennywhistle. My wishes include health and happiness for everyone this year.

[phyllis]

Good morning ponytail-swishing treasure finder! This surely is the post of all posts with so much action packed in I can hardly decide what to comment on! Should I comment on the conejo de madera? Or the comida campestre del birdcage? Oh, both?!!! Okay! I love it all :)
My wish will be...that peace on earth will come because of blog relationships around the world!

[phyllis]

Good morning ponytail-swishing treasure finder! This surely is the post of all posts with so much action packed in I can hardly decide what to comment on! Should I comment on the conejo de madera? Or the comida campestre del birdcage? Oh, both?!!! Okay! I love it all :)
My wish will be...that peace on earth will come because of blog relationships around the world!

[Randi]

Congratulations on your article in Somerset Studio! I just saw it yesterday and it's fabulous! I love your pictures and descriptions of your holiday fun! The King's name? I was told it's High King Frumious Newton Pennywhistle. My wishes include health and happiness for everyone this year.

[Randi]

Good Night...sorry about the triple post! I kept getting error messages and didn't think it posted!!! Sorry, sorry.

[Les]

Hi dear Vanessa! Happy new year!! And many congratulations on your article in Somerset Studio! I'm going to take a look after posting this comment, sounds amazing!

Wishes... hmm let me think about that. I have to many wishes to write down here! Of course I have the the most well known wishes of wellness and happiness to everyone! My greatest wish is that every ones greatest wish will come out this year!
(This makes me remember about when I was younger and I had to make a wish if I blew out all the candles on my birthday cake, and I always wished world peace and happiness, and after that I wished something little for myself and that always made me feel bad and egocentric somehow...) So to keep tradition... I have one wish for myself, I feel already ashamed... but that I will be offered a job at the movies... I really hope that.....

And those gifts are so amazing. I love it that you love them so much even though your family think its trash. I think those are very magical objects and it's great your grandfather loves to collect little treasure like that! Really great! That birdcage is amazing!

As for the name for the rabbit... hmmm ... You already picked a name? I think he is not King yet, he is too cute and too adventurous to be a king. He is more like a little prince, le petit prince. So I call him Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, after the creator of le petit price because I think he's magnificent.

Well dear Vanessa, hope you will have a beautiful year with lots and lots of happiness and inspiration!!
xxxx Les

[flyinamber]

Dear Vanessa!
I wish you all the best in 2008:health,peace,happiness,inspiration,creativity and love,love,love...!!!!
Love your birdcage and your grandmother's wood burning stove..I'm crazy about old things and I love lofts and cellars-there is always to find beautiful things..what's a trash for someone,can be maybe a treasure for me..

[flyinamber]

Dear Vanessa!
I wish you all the best in 2008:health,peace,happiness,inspiration,creativity and love,love,love...!!!!
Love your birdcage and your grandmother's wood burning stove..I'm crazy about old things and I love lofts and cellars-there is always to find beautiful things..what's a trash for someone,can be maybe a treasure for me..

[risa]

hello miss jolly vanessa!
feliz ano!
i love your feature in the magazine!
you rock!
and i adore your treasures. one of my favorite old treasures is a heavy ass ax that my great grandfather used to chop of fish in his fish store. but i keep thinking it's not a very safe thing to having lying around, especially when there are children around.
my wish is that everyone in my family find happiness in 2008.
:)

[kay ellen hammar]

Congratulations on the article! Such a wonderful thing to have your work seen by the magazine world!
I'm sure your little friends will need to throw you a big bash and you need to wear a crown for the day:)
Love the photo's!
Can't wait to stop by again.
Happy New Year,
kayellen.typepad.com

[kay ellen hammar]

Congratulations on the article! Such a wonderful thing to have your work seen by the magazine world!
I'm sure your little friends will need to throw you a big bash and you need to wear a crown for the day:)
Love the photo's!
Can't wait to stop by again.
Happy New Year,
kayellen.typepad.com

[kay ellen hammar]

Congratulations on the article! Such a wonderful thing to have your work seen by the magazine world!
I'm sure your little friends will need to throw you a big bash and you need to wear a crown for the day:)
Love the photo's!
Can't wait to stop by again.
Happy New Year,
kayellen.typepad.com

[risa]

hello miss jolly vanessa!
feliz ano!
i love your feature in the magazine!
you rock!
and i adore your treasures. one of my favorite old treasures is a heavy ass ax that my great grandfather used to chop of fish in his fish store. but i keep thinking it's not a very safe thing to having lying around, especially when there are children around.
my wish is that everyone in my family find happiness in 2008.
:)

[risa]

hello miss jolly vanessa!
feliz ano!
i love your feature in the magazine!
you rock!
and i adore your treasures. one of my favorite old treasures is a heavy ass ax that my great grandfather used to chop of fish in his fish store. but i keep thinking it's not a very safe thing to having lying around, especially when there are children around.
my wish is that everyone in my family find happiness in 2008.
:)

[Dees]

Happy New Year dearest!
May all your wishes come true!
hugs Dees
PS my new year resolution is not a pretty one,I am cutting back on my purchases YUCK!

[Dees]

Happy New Year dearest!
May all your wishes come true!
hugs Dees
PS my new year resolution is not a pretty one,I am cutting back on my purchases YUCK!

[Polly]

Oh my! Take me next year, ok?! And congratulations about Somerset! You know how I love those paper dress girls. Blessings...Polly

[risa]

hello miss jolly vanessa!
feliz ano!
i love your feature in the magazine!
you rock!
and i adore your treasures. one of my favorite old treasures is a heavy ass ax that my great grandfather used to chop of fish in his fish store. but i keep thinking it's not a very safe thing to having lying around, especially when there are children around.
my wish is that everyone in my family find happiness in 2008.
:)

[Donna O.]

I had to call my office to tell them I will be late coming in. Why? I needed time to read your current post! HA! AND I'm figuring out a disguise to fool your grandpa into thinking he has ANOTHER granddaughter!!
Fun as always here.
XO-D.
PS- My wish is for my friend Betsy to smile at her girls again. Thanks V.

[Lisa M.S. Oceandreamer]

Darling girl...this post was ripe with magic and excitement and a feast for the eyes. I was swooning and awing over the treasures for your Grandfather...trust me, I would have squealed too....OH that birdcage!!!!!!! Your Mom does seem like a Fairy Queen, the splendor of sights and smells in her home must have been purely divine! I love the whimsical twin beds with the crown-topped canopy too!
Ah now for King Rabbit.....Monsieur Le Roi Lapin I believe divulged his long, but so regal name to me as: Count-Palatine Kingrabbit the Sonorous of Waterless St Mildred. (Sonorous meaning a rich and full sound so he must have a lovely voice).
I could comment on and on.....Happy New Year my wonderful friend. although I am glad to see that year end there were good things among it as well......one highlight is YOU!
Sending love, joy, peace and magic to you
XOXOXO
Oh and my wish is for all human beings to have more joyous and peaceful hearts - so full that greed, hatred, conflict is all but a bad memory.

[Lisa M.S. Oceandreamer]

I meant treasures FROM your Grandfather not FOR. (typed too fast)

[Sarah]

Sir Pomeroy Allison Bunny the 14th; King of Brighton, New Haven and Jewell; Overseer of tea parties and cake walks and treasured guest at the Lovee villa.

[The Wishing Tree]

Vanessa. what a wonderful Christmas, birthday and New Year you seem to have had!!! So lucky!!! Fancy having a grandad like that, he sounds like an absolute kindred spirit for you!

I love your grandmothers stove, the idea of your mum having so many trees (particularly the fairy tree) and basically everything you write!

Wishes for the New Year? Mmmmmmmmm
To be successful with sales when I get round to opening my Etsy shop, for all those I love to be happy and healthy and well.. (cheesy as ever) but love, peace and twinkles to everyone everywhere.

As for the Rabbit.. well.. I looked at him and he simply looked like 'Donald'. So King Donald of Loveeee-Land - Happy New Year to you too .
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Karen Beth]

Love all the photos... your world is truly magical.

In addition to peace between my brother, sister and I, I think you know my New Year's wish. :)

Love you,

Karen Beth :)

[bee]

Happy New Year to you Misstwistypops.

My wish is to make friends with Time rather than continually fighting him...he must be a nice old fella and we need to be buddies rather than continually armwrestling for extra hours.

Is King Rabbit sometimes called Rufus Dexter RowanWright? (king and keeper of those magical trees that offer protection against malevolent thingums) he signs his name R.D RowanWright and his female admirers call him Ruffy.

[Christine LeFever]

Love your new office!

I wish for a world of happy people who are all appreciated and loved and no one is mean to anyone.

Choose some good name, somehow, for I cannot possibly guess it.

Christine

[Lisa-Vet]

Hola! Vanessa, Your Mother is a Fairy Queen. Beautiful decorations, I see were u get it from. You are very blessed. Can't wait for more of your stories.

[Sharon]

I love reading your blog! It's so inspiring!

There are so many things I wish for and of course there are all of the usual ones such as good health and love for me and all of my family. But this next year my special wish for myself is to learn to read music and play a musical instrument. What that instrument is, I do not know, but hopefully it will reveal itself in due time.

[Dave]

Ooh, to build off of Marjorie's story... I bet that he (the rabbit), as a boy, lived in a small seaside town, and was deeply in love with a lovely hare-ess, who had stunning brown eyes and slender ears, and they would sit and listen to the clang of the channel markers and breathe in the salty air. However, his parents thought it would be best for him to become a sailor and go with his uncle Mortimer, who was a sea captain. Wanting to forget his young love and inescapable fate, he plunged head-first into sailing, and became the best there ever was. However, he never lost the longing in his heart for a small seaside town, a small cottage, and the melancholy clanging of the channel markers in the distance.

Ok... wishes. Let's see...

probably my primary wish is for both Trina and I to have more time to create and experiment and grow in our expression of ourselves. right up there on the same level is the wish that in all my interactions with people, they would genuinely feel respect, love and care, as much as I can consistently give being an imperfect human. I wish for plans of a coffee shop becoming more solid, and I also wish for time to be with a dear friend in Japan. I wish for people who have been cut deep to have healing (I can think of several specific examples), and I wish that Trina would feel loved and secure in our relationship more than ever, that she would feel free to be exactly who she is, and that I could encourage her to do and be exactly what she needs. Those all would make me happy beyond words.

[sadira]

My heavens...what a delightful holiday in retrospect post indeed!

I wish...well, I wish that I continue on the journey that I am on. That I still receive the help and joy and love that I have been so graciously gifted at every turn, even when I have wondered how much more I was going to have to jump, and if I could possibly do it. I also wish for more time for adventures, and the piece of mind to enjoy the moments...and I wish for everyone else's wishes to come true.

As for the rabbit...I see him announced and heralded by the trumpets (those really great long ones with the family rabbit crest on them?) as His Grace the Eminent Pumpernickel Glitterhop of the LongEars Glitterhops of Deep Water Meadows...(pumper-hop for short)

I am so excited about your new treasures as well...it would be a dream indeed to waltz into some people's homes and find the treasures you couldn't live without...I'd of course, settle for their garages as well...