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It's been all a flutter around these parts, oh me oh my!
And here we are, in the depths of Christmas Magic.
Baking and gift collecting a plenty.
The weather shifted a bit to cool and clouds.
The sky was unreal this evening.
It was pink and golden and lavender with pink clouds.
Like a fairytale dream.
We've had rain and I've even worn my fluffy faux fur, too fun!
We had still been in summer up to about 2 weeks ago.
Crazy place.
But now...
The moody weather sent me off with my bits and bobs into my country house gardens...
In search of some kind of enchantment.
I did find a slice of it and came in to share and wish you the most loveliest of holiday seasons.
Perfect time for carols on tattered piano keys.
Tiny piano treasure, I'm so in love.
Found it buried in an antique store a month ago, it's just so special.
It has tales it wants to whisper to me.
I beckon it, come on, please tell.
Time for red ribbons and wreath making in the garden.
As many of you know (from IG) I've been missing because of an Italian villa that found its way into my life.
It happens to be just handful of minutes down the road from the country house.
I will enjoy both places and swirl with the flutter of life happenings that have ventured my way.
For now I am swimming in what feels like a full ball gown, in a sea of Christmas tidings.
How bout yourself?
Sooooo much going on.
But I am reminding myself to not get into a dizzying tornado of holiday madness, and to just enjoy the season.
My dear friend of many years came over and did my hair.
Then we made baklava, my yearly thing.
I made her a huge tray to take home.
We ate sushi and salads and talked about life.
There were laughs and tears and memories and hopes and dreams.
Friends are so good.
We should always keep looking forward to goodness.
Hoping for wonderful things.
Believing that something wonderful is just about to happen.
And, it will.
Just wait and see.
Maybe it's happening now?
So many beyond warm Christmas wishes to you and yours!!
Lots of love,
Vanessa
I'm reading Little Women again, a little every night.
Oh how I love those girls.
I will hold onto the March girl in me forever more.
No matter what.
How about you?
xoxo
ps: For some reason my photos are downgraded when I upload them into my Typepad account. If you click on them you can see the original clear image. Not sure what that's about <3
It's official, we are all blooming again here in the desert.
Our wilted little souls bursting forth again with vigor.
The seasons are changing and the incredible heat that kept us locked inside for months is leaving us.
I slept with my window open last night, heaven.
Yipeeeeee!
It's been a week of great weather and just like that, the insects are coming out and the flowers are blooming again.
This morning I ran through my garden path and I had this overwhelming wonderful feeling of being alive again. This summer was just brutal and the shift in weather almost makes you want to drop to your knees and kiss the ground, I tell ya.
I know it's impossible to comprehend for people who live in cold places.
I get it, the cold makes you long for heat.
But heat so hot you can not go outside during the day is just crazy.
And so, that's probably why so many of you say you love me the best in autumn.
Because I burst forth with so much excitement.
Freeeedom!
The basil is covered in bees so I've let it flower.
No more pruning.
I think to myself, their honey must be amazing.
I'm going through the most interesting shift right now.
About 4 years ago I started this journey, this adventure.
People were coming back into my life.
My life was begging me for some attention.
Go out and play, leave your hidden nook!
Even the hatter said, get out of the nest, gooooo!
Certain people saying, please Vanessa, come out of the hills.
Let's have tea.
Let's chat.
I've given my personal life almost 3 years of gobs and gobs and gobs of attention.
Instead of being my little hermit self.
It's been amazing.
Huge and crazy things have happened, even I can't believe it.
And now, with the changing seasons, I feel another change in me.
Puzzle pieces clicking together.
Like, everything is making sense.
Why things happen as they do.
I've noticed that a lot throughout my life.
Challenges turn into lessons.
Doors open, interesting things happen.
The last 2.5 years have had soooo many unexpected happenings.
I can hardly believe it myself, curious little life.
All good stuff, mixed with so much learning - some tough, some easy.
Some magical.
But now, just like spring flowers swirling with autumn air in unison...
My two worlds are swirling.
Like paint in a can, making new colors.
I never ever ever planned for my journey to unfold in the ways it has.
But I guess life happens when you are not looking or planning.
Just minding your business and bam.
And just like that, things make sense.
Why you had this challenge or that.
And, the lessons and gifts are there for the taking, if you are open.
I for one am open to anything
How about you?
Country girl and city girl have never gotten along so well in my world.
I'm settling back into a new normal.
I needed a big break from everything.
I had not had a vacation in almost a decade.
Just hunkered down, doing my work, planting gardens for years.
Hey look at that, he's after a tiny spider.
Eeek!
It's kind of like the basil honey the bees are making.
You never thought about it, and somehow it's amazing.
It all makes sense and works perfectly together.
And when bad things happen, they make the good that much better.
And when good things happen, you are so grateful.
You even appreciate the country more when you change the scenery every now and then.
I guess it's all about finding a balance.
I think about this on my autumnal garden path this morning.
Furs running around.
All of us overjoyed and happy with the cool fresh air.
It clears the mind I suppose.
If you do too much of one thing, at some point you will need something else.
You can't eat peach cobbler every day.
Eventually you'll want cherry or blueberry.
And then one day you'll wake up and be like, I need an everything bagel now!!
Our needs can be so extreme.
So maybe, don't have the same thing every day :-)
Today, try something different.
Who knows, you might like it.
There will always be cobbler, it ain't going anywhere.
It's been ever so hot, and although I long for a tea party, I simply couldn't find the perfect time.
And plus, I couldn't feel Alice wanting to come out and play.
Normally I get a jolt of inspiration for my tea parties just like I do for my art.
I never know when it's coming, it just appears.
But it's been sooooo hot, too hot for a tea party.
And while I normally host in crazy heat, this year has been more intense temps.
Like 115'F & pure sun.
And so, I wondered if Alice would turn up for our 10th annual tea party?
Slowly, characters started to appear just after that wondering.
I roam antique stores, quietly unknowing, what will speak to me?
And then there they were.
The tea partiers themselves.
And yet, outside, still too crazy hot.
I woke up one morning recently, unable to hit the hills because for some reason the heat is really wiping me out this year. If I don't wake up early enough I have to wait until evening to do anything outside.
So, this one morning I made a cup of tea...
Walked into my cool studio and sketched on the blank canvas.
Then I mixed up paint...
Beautiful thoughts swirled.
Mister Fancy pants sang in the background.
Fresh blossoms hummed.
And in one hour, there she was on a large canvas.
Alice.
And she told me...
It's okay, have your party any time.
Be free, be you, do what makes you happy.
Art does that.
If you make art too, then you understand.
Your art tells you what to do.
Sometimes when I'm really stressed out and confused Art says to me...
Paint 3 paintings.
Then you will know.
Your answer will reveal itself.
And it really does.
You explode in so many emotions when you paint, that when you are done, you have this beautiful clarity.
Maybe not always like that, but some version close enough.
A peace lives within the wave of creativity.
Sweet Alice reminds me of so many good things.
Of a whimsical heart, in the power of believing.
Of fairytales and endless hope.
How time stands still in that creative space.
A portal to a place where everything magical lives.
Your deepest dreams and heart waves meet you for tea any day.
As for our annual tea party, I think we'll wait until it cools down.
Halloween is very near and I'm not going to have parties back to back because you all will be overwhelmed and I'll combust :-)
So, Alice and her friends say to wait until the time is right.
I've gotten so many emails and messages asking about the parties.
Alice is always there, so perhaps we'll wait until spring.
But it doesn't mean we can't wear our fanciest frocks and partake in sweets.
Why no no no.
Not with all those tiny blossoms and pretty pastels fluttering about.
We must always partake in the enchantment.
Ask ourselves, what our heart wants.
Then follow it.
On the theme of change from the last post, I was just thinking...
How hard we are on ourselves.
How we think, if we get older or take a different journey for a while, that we have lost ourselves.
I see so many friends feeling that way, as I have too in the past.
It's a natural thing for sure.
But, we are never lost. We are always there.
We only think we are lost.
I've been shown this soooo many times in my life.
The space where your joy and magic lives is ageless.
Just because you get older or grow up has no bearing on partaking in your youness.
The question is, what do you have to do to get back in if you feel you've lost your way?
If your muse feels lost, if you can't conjure up the frame of mind to create?
What do you do?
You go to your canvas.
To whatever it is that you love to do and makes you feel like you.
And even if you can't create, you take yourself to that space and you allow yourself to feel whatever feelings come to you.
If you feel sad and frustrated, you feel it.
Cry, have a fit.
Purge.
Sometimes you have to purge and release to get back to the place.
Even taking yourself there is part of the journey to getting back.
Maybe you won't paint/create that day at all.
It's okay, you still broke a barrier.
Even though you might not know it.
The other thing is to create anything if you can.
It doesn't have to be good.
That's the key.
Creating is an exercise in sanity.
It grounds you, you practice mindfulness and so many other things.
Whether it be flinging paint, crocheting, dancing, sculpting, baking, cooking.
Sometimes it's fun to be creative in a different medium, just to get the creative juices flowing.
It's your creating that keeps you ageless and sane.
And will always get you back to you...
All you have to do is plunge.
xoxo
Love, V
A wonderful song form Tori Amos' new album...
.
ps:
This is a filter free unaltered image below.
The sky did this the other night.
And then I just knew, it was time to go for it!
This hallloweeen, this is halloweeeeen!
I know it's too soon for some of you, but fellow Halloween lovers, you get it, right?
Halloween for me is a time filled with so many wonderful memories.
Making candy, dressing up.
All of our family would get involved.
It reminds me of fairs with cotton candy and kettle corn.
Sparkles and autumn crispness and laughter.
Bobbing for apples and filling bowls with candy corn.
Hello, my name is Vanessa Valencia and I am an artist living in a lovely part of Arizona. I make all kinds of art, from painting to clay sculpting. I love tending my gardens and cuddling my dogs. This blog is about art, lifestyle, gardening, cooking, crafting & every single little magical thing in between ♥
