A Fanciful Twist

Tea & Time + Petal Oil &...

The other day I shoved this basket in Mister Lovee's face while he was sleeping (he loved it, I think?).  I had been outside for hours in the cool morning, before the scorching sun found me...

I woke up desperate to use everything out of the garden, and not let one morsel go to waste.

Don't get me wrong, I sound all wired up all the time. But, I am not.  I am best early in the morning, with a natural jolt of life in me.

In my 20's I had this natural gusto to go go go.

Shots of natural adrenaline surged through me constantly.

Although, I have always thought of myself as being rather lazy in my mind.

It's hard.

It's a battle sometimes.

My friends never believe me, but I promise, it's true.

It's perplexing...

Because, in one side of my mind I want to sit and relax.

But, in the other side, I want to do soo many things.

I try to sit, and then get inspired and have to run off.

I also don't want life to pass me by.

I have a laundry list of things I want to accomplish in a day.

And so, to be honest.

I push myself.

It's not easy all the time.

Sometimes it is, sometimes it simply isn't.

Do you have the same issue at all?

Maybe it's natural, and we all feel that way?

I want to do a million things outside, take pretty pictures to share with you, write blog posts (which take me forever for some reason), clean my house, paint, play in clay, cuddle with fur, play my piano...

Sometimes I have a major battle in my head.

Vanessa, you haaaave to do this.

You must.

You won't regret it, you will be so happy! I tell myself.

Mister Lovee says, you get sooooo much done in one day.

And I think to myself, it was so not easy.

I spend almost all day on my feet.

I even paint standing.

I can't sit and move my arms at the same time it seems, haha!

Can you?

Like, can you sit and blow dry your hair at the same time?

It's impossible!

I have to say though, getting things done -

Totally worth it.

There is the one important factor...

Of course.

Which is...

I revel in breaks...

I love tea time or snack time, lunch time, apple munching time (I eat lots of organic apples), or a water break.

L O V E it.

Taking time out...

Looking through my cabinet for the perfect cup for the day...

Getting cozy and then...

A break.

I am working on some rose tea next.

Drying petals, etc.

Since rose season is almost over (for me), I have to take time to collect the roses I will dry.

I love dried roses around the house.

They really mean so much at the end of summer, in fall and in winter.

I love having them.

So, I collect the ones I will dry...

I do a couple of things as I cut each rose.  I make sure I go down a couple of leaves and cut at an angle, to prune as I go.

Then, I trim off all of the thorns as I cut each rose out of the bush.

And then, the final test.

I hold the rose upside down and shake.

You can tell by sight if your rose petals are too spent to dry the whole flower.

But I like to double check.

If any petals fall off, I don't keep that one because that means that the rose is pretty spent, and as the rose dries it will lose all of its petals anyway - which aren't very fragrant anymore either.

Once you find your keepers...

Take them to a table or flat surface and separate them in to bundles.  Then just tie them up with twine or string.

Not that you don't already know how to do that :)

I tie my bundles up real tight, because the roses will shrink out of the string as they dry.

Then I hang them up, and smile.

Drying roses and herbs in the house smells soooo goood.

You will always find flowers and herbs hanging from here and there in my house.

Mister Lovee was walking around, wondering why the rose scent was so intense yesterday...

I said, look up...

Ohhhhh, he says :)

Smells sooo goood.

I am so excited for those of you that have not hit rose season yet.

I sort of wish mine was just beginning.

Hopefully I will get another wave at the end of May.

I am so glad we are sharing so many ideas on rose and herb things.

I am smitten with the topic and having so much fun trying home concoctions.

By the way....

Before I forget, here is an update on the rose oil...

So, what I did is that, I began by putting a full kettle of water on the stove.

As that boiled, I got together a glass jar, olive oil, a big heat resistant bowl, the most fragrant roses I could find in the garden, and some lavender.

I picked some lavender because the olive oil I had smelled very strong, and I was out of light flavored olive oil.

Before I go on, let me say, you can use jojoba oil as well.

Mister Lovee has curly long hair, and has made his own hair oil since, well always really.

He mixes rosemary oil and jojoba oil.

Not to veer, but when we were in the exciting flirty stages of getting to know each other, he and I were chatting at the end of the day (at work), when a gal came over to him being extra flirty.  She curled one of his long curls in her fingers (puke), and asked in a sultry voice what it was that he used to make his curls so succulent. Blah! ;)

What I heard him answer was...

Hobo oil.

Of course, me being loud and silly, hollers out, HOBO OIL??????!!

Thank goodness, it was jojoba oil :)

Mixed with rosemary.

I was promptly corrected.

Then I left the building and went on a date with someone else, but that is a whole other story.

Soooo....

That's the secret to "succulent" curls.  Hahahehehee!

He puts the oil in after he gets out of the shower, and he smells like a perfectly lovely salad.

OKay, back to rose oil.

Sooooo.

Whilst water boils, chop/mash up your roses, or roses and lavender in my case.  You can use a mortar and pestle, a wooden spoon and a bowl, or a knife to chop.

Whatever you choose will work.  Just mashup real good...

Before you start chopping, mashing etc, put your oil in a jar, place it in your heat safe bowl, and then fill the bowl with your boiling water. Be careful pleeeease!

Once your petals and/or herbs are ready, put them in the oil...

Leave the jar with the oil and roses/herbs in it, in the hot water, until the water cools.

Once the water has cooled...

Put on the jar lid, shake it about - and then simply set it in a sunny location for a few days.

Some folks leave it in the sun for a week.

Just keep smelling it.

I checked mine this morning, which is on top of our old truck, and despite how ugly it looks, it smells decadent!!

Once the oil gets to the desired scent, strain the plant parts out, and you are done.

Sun for a few days first though.

So, there you have it.

A whole lotta rosey hoopla.

I can not wait to hear what you do with roses.

I tried my hand at rose beads last afternoon/night.

A report to follow, I promise ;)

I think the rose lavender olive oil might be good for eating.

What do you think???

I wonder if it is safe?

I haven't the slightest clue.

Well, if I eat it and live to tell, we will know for sure I suppose, haha!

Off I go.........

 

Love, V

 

 

 

ps:  I am avidly working on Mad Tea Party plans - 5th year!!! Woo hooo!  Details soon, I hope.

pss:  Random thought because I am listening to her--- But, I just love this woman, don't you?  I loved that she wore that one swan dress once upon a time.  I never hated it, I thought it was quite fascinating myself...  What are you listening to?

Cottage Chatter...

I was always told I was an impatient kid.  I suppose I was for many reasons.  Even when I started painting at 11, I chose acrylic, since it dried quicker.  I would paint huge canvases with quick strokes like a mad woman.  Completing one right after the other.  And yes, I did go bonkers waiting for after school microwave treats.  3 minutes felt like so much longer.  And, I did go insane in classes, waiting for the hour to be up.  Doodling anywhere I could, for sanity's sake.

But then, we have today.

I save gifts for opening at the perfect moment, even if it is days later.  I put something in the microwave, and 4 hours later remember I forgot my nuked edible.

I sit silently.

Waiting.

Pondering.

Thinking.

I paint slowly.

So slowly sometimes.

Focusing on little details for months.

And then, there is the cottage...

One year after the outside was built and the inside was insulated and dry walled, I patiently await its move in ready moment.

Happily waiting, as Mister Lovee works his magic on the inside.

Taping, texturing, painting.

Building out the inside plans he drew up before the cottage was even built.

He isn't a carpenter by trade, but he makes great things.

Things like, all of my work benches in the studio and office, my bed frame in my room, and my counter/cabinet in the office kitchenette - to name a few.

He is a perfectionist.

He takes a long time, but it is always worth it.

I watch him.

Days, weeks, months - a year.

He works.

I bring him cold lemonade, water, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches (his fave), the seasons change...

There is homemade pizza, hot chocolate, pie, cake and then we are back to popsicles and cold treats...

A year of any free moment in the cottage, is where he has been.

I have taken over lots of other chores, to give him more cottage time.

Tree trimming, all the gardening, cleaning house, laundry, lawn mowing, raking, picking up brush with my wheel barrow, making meals, dishes...

Wait, I already did a lot of those.

Maybe when the cottage is done....

Tee hee...

:)

On his days off of work, or when he can work from home, he is covered in saw dust.

I stay patient.

I forget about the cottage.

I wait, but I don't even know I am waiting, because I have put it out of my mind.

Lovee spends hours doing little tasks that make all the difference.

Rounded edges and corners on wood, with sand paper.

Thinking, planning.

Building things on his own.

Inventing ways to do it.

Sanding corners some more.

Then, all of a sudden, we get so much closer to being done.

Time and waiting becomes closer to over.

I start to make cottage plans again.

I get real real real butterfly roller coaster waves in belly excited.

(I had kept myself from getting excited to keep sane)

I take visitors :)

I listen to the drill and the hammer and the electric saw (hate that sound, makes me nervous).

I roam around the garden.

I watch those miraculous lilies open up again below.

You know, an old boyfriend gave me a grocery store bunch of these in orange 13 years ago or so (I shared this tale before).  When they dried in the vase in the house, I plunked the dry stems into this pot outside, for no certain reason.  I intended to throw them away, but just wanted to get them out of the house at the time.

They ended up shriveling and disappearing into the pot.

I have since moved the pot to the country, and gently work fresh soil in every year, along with other seeds...

But wouldn't you know, every year since then, those lilies bloom in red in that very pot.

It always amazes me.

Can they root from store bought stems like that???

I can't get over it.

Then, the Oriental poppy seeds I planted three years ago (from the OneStopPoppyShoppe), shot up a couple stems.

I watered the little plants that wouldn't bloom, and kept them safe for 3 years.

They grew bigger and stronger this spring...

And then all of a sudden last week, blooms.

Yay!

Am I patient and I didn't even know it?

Are you patient?

Maybe we are all patient and impatient about certain things?

All I know is, I don't know how I became so calm?

Is it the whole older and wiser thing?

Or, is it a gift from the garden?

Does growing things make you a more peaceful and calm person?

I ponder these things as I collect tid-bits for dinner...

I think about cabbage patch kids everytime I look at those cabbages.

I take some to my neighbor down the road.

I sing, Cabbage Patch Kids, growing in the garden...

Cabbage Patch Kids growing in the sun.

I don't know where I got that song?

Is it the proper Cabbage Patch Kids song?

I remember going to the cabbage patch store in California - the hospital nursery store - and adopting a Cabbage Patch Kid.  I wonder where my Cabbage Patch kids are?

And my stuffed smurfs?

And my barbies and barbie doll house and cars and pool?

Wishing I had kept all of that.

(Weren't there scary Cabbage Patch Kids too?  Garbage Pail Kids?)

As I am pondering all this nonsense...

Mister Lovee calls me over....

We talk.

Me sitting in the cottage for the first time today.

He working on this and that.

My heart squeals with delightment.

I undo the forgetting about the cottage.

I tumble back in.

I wonder to myself, how did I stay so calm, waiting?

I dunno?

The time drifted by like a quick moving stream.

1 Year...

And now, I need to plan!!

I don't have any proper ideas or anything.

Do you??

What ever shall we do in there?

So much to think about.

But first, I have to inch my foot out from underneath Miles' sleeping and snoring head under my desk.  Then I will run out there and see what else Mister Lovee is up to.

I almost thought I should give him the cottage, since he's worked so hard on it.

Then I thought, nah :)

 

Love, V

 

 

ps:  I made the rose oil (per previous post).  I also put in some lavender. It is out in the sun for a few days.  I will make sure to let you know how it turns out...

 

Little Inspirations...

One of the things that I look at the most in my house, is my mood board.  I look at it a lot.  It sits on the wall, to the left of my computer screen.  This means, I look up at it incredibly often.  For two years or more, it has looked the same, except for an addition here and there.  What I like to look at, often stays the same for a really long time.  But every so often, tinges of what inspires me, change.  And so, it was time to take everything off of the mood board I shared a while back, and begin again...

Faces that I like to look at, bits and bobs that I love, begin to get added.

Tiny changes reflect my thoughts and feel.

Little pieces of this and that, inspire me to remember ideas I have.

Where I am in my mind at this time, gets tucked into my mood board.

Things such as colors and textures.

Amazing how trinkets can bring up so much.

Feelings...

Feelings that evoke feelings.

But first, I had to take most everything off of my mood board, as you can see below.

The board is actually a cork pin board, that I cut the edging off of, and screwed to my wall.

It is screwed into wooden studs in the wall, so there is no chance of it falling down, no matter what I attach to it.

So, after I took everything off except for the old papers, I started putting pieces back up.  Adding new things, dusting everything, moving things around...

I have certain little magazine clippings that I collaged years ago - that I love to look at (which I used).

I also have some catalogue pages from Anthroplogie, from what is to date, one of my fave years of their style - 2005.

Then there are pictures and medals and all sorts of things I love to look at, that get tacked up...

My colors in my heart are pink and light teal/sea foam green.

I love the birthday tag below that Jamie made, which I picked up from her shop.  Just a glance at it reminds me of a tea party, and frills and poofs and tea cups and laughs.

Exactly what a mood board should do, right?

Make you feel good and happy and inspired?

Of course, we are all inspired by vastly different things.

Which is why making your very own mood board is such a grand idea.

Do you have a mood board already?

An inspiration board?

If not, I highly recommend it.

It's a perfect spot for all the nonsense you love, that makes you feel good.

That's all.

Colors, patterns, messages, designs...

For me, the tiniest little background details, where colors meet and flights of flowers peek out, are the most special little spots.

A couple of postcards and greeting cards that I love get tacked up.

A wacky earring whose color delights me.

Some paper flowers...

(I adore the charming notecard below from Betty, sent to me years ago)

And, voila.

Done.

Fresh inspiration.

Some old friends stay, as I am not "great" at change.

But a proper little freshen up for your mood board, oh so much fun!

Over the months and years, things will change and move, and come and go...

Always following the flow of your mood, and what inspires you at the time.

I am just crazy about mood boards.

You can call them whatever you want really.

Inspiration boards.

Trinket boards.

Whatever the case, I love them.

And, I love looking at them too.

If you happen to have a board of your own that you would like to share, feel free to post a link within comments.  I would love to peek, as I am sure others would too.

I looooove looking at creature collections.

Love, V

 

 

Spinning round...

Today is a good day.

It's good, not for any particularly huge reason.

But, for lots of little reasons.

I had a week up madly finishing up deadlines for a couple of things.  And making some special orders, and shipping out giveaways, and cutting out lots of labels to send across the world.

I got everything shipped out, and then, for the first time in a long long long time, I looked forward to Friday.  Yay, Friday.

Friday, and weekends in general, held so much fun as a kid.

There were always slumber parties, pizza places after school.

Today, the weekend looks so good, after a long week.

The thing that kept me level headed this week was, breaking out of the house to smell blooms, and be and garden collect.

There is a lot of magic going on out in the garden.

Gobs of flowers from all the autumn plantings of bulbs and tubers and seeds.

I wake up extra early every day to take care of everyone.

Above you can see bachelor's buttons, coreopsis, and roses, ranunculus, and freesia and crimson clover.

Oh, and a sort of babies breath is all over the garden.

Like a fairy gift.

Oh, and poppies too, must not forget the poppies...

All these little cut flowers from right outside my door, make me feel this immense sense of, wanting to clean my house.

Wanting to paint furniture.

Wanting to polish silver, and wash linens.

They push me to want to fluff and dust and make things all pretty.

The freesia is intoxicating.

You have to be careful not to let it make you dizzy.

Spinning round...

In the above photo you can see the freesia at the bottom right.

There are so many shades of freesia growing out there.

White, pink and yellow, reds and yellows, fuchsia and yellow.

Every morning I run outside to see hundreds of poppies multiplying.

Checking on pumpkin sprout sightings, and what new flower I have never seen is going to open up, and tell me its name.

As soon as the spring flowers go, I hope zinnias swim up and take over.

But for now, right before it gets very hot this weekend, the tender springerlies are still here...

The tiniest of wildflowers have come up just everywhere, pinky nail tiny...

The most magnificent creations of nature, ever so teeny tiny.

Isn't it miraculous?

Like baby nails and fingers and toes.

Miraculous and fragile, and soft, and detailed and perfect.

I love to peek into the centers of blooms...

My brain simply can not compute, the perfection of such beauties.

Nature is incredible, isn't it though?

I hope you loved these little collections of blooms I put together for you.

It would be so much easier if you could transport for 5 minutes into my garden as a winged creature.

Alas, that not being possible...

Or is it?

Either way, I enjoyed taking these photos with sharing in mind.

Now, oddly, I feel like washing my floor.

Let's hope it lasts :)

Off I go.

Happy weekend!!!

 

Love, V

 

Sparkly Morning

It was a lovely weather weekend.  Cool, rain, sun.  A proper April rain is always a gift to the desert.  Not to be expected, and therefore, making us so very very thankful.  Seeds break through the earth, hooray, and we get back into our regular pace of life.  Lovee hammers in the cottage.  The pups wrestle, and I delve into little adventures in my own private Neverland.

Monday morning tea, dusting a little.

I love that puttering around the house, moving this and that.  Dusting here and there.  Music, hot sips, enjoying the trinkets and treasures we surround ourselves with.

Taking a moment, to be in the moment.

I am sneakily enjoying my Through the Trees piece below, while it finds a home.

It safely hangs above the red chair.

Reminding of those secret places in my dreams, and not to ever let go of them.

To take time to cozy up in them, and keep them alive.

You are never to old to dream and believe.

In fact, I am finding it gets better the older you get.

Isn't that curiously grand?

No one ever told me, daydreaming would get so much better.

Believing would be palpable.

Seeing, would be clearer.

You sneakies ;)

Is the greatest hidden secret, that you actually enjoy childhood more, when you are all grown up?  I don't know?  There are some twists and turns in there that have me thinking.

Pray tell, what secrets do you know??

I know you know something.

I know it.

:)

I sit and ponder these things with Miss Rabbit, who wears a dress I'd like for myself.

She reminds me of where she was found.

An early in our relationship gift from Mister Lovee.  Found in a cottage shop, down a charming little green bend in Payson, Arizona.

She reminds me of the 11 years together that Mister and I are entering into this very month.

I never named her.

I can almost smell the shop she came from, as I think of it.

Fresh baked goods was it?

I can see all the wondrous treasures hanging from the cottage rafters.

I remember Mister Lovee picking her up and saying, she is for you.

And holding her, with me thinking, is he buying me that lovely rabbit?  Did he say, she is for you?

I sort of hid in the shop, wondering if I had heard him correctly?

My heart thumping with new love, and swooning with the thought that this man I was head over heels for, saw a rabbit girl in a charming frock, and knew she should be mine?

It wasn't just the gift, but the fact that, I realized right then that he got me.

This sort of stranger, new love, got me.

He handed her to me outside, wrapped in the lovely shop wrappings.

One more reason I fell down the rabbit hole.

:)

As the years went by, I sorta forgot about rabbit girl.

So when I rediscovered her, I was filled with so much delightment, and memories.

Oh, aren't memories the bestest???

So, with memories filling my cup, and lots of work on my plate in the studio, I get refueled in my little heart.

Painting doilies in neon pink.

Yumm.

And working on some last deadline details, and shipping pieces out.

All the while, the world goes on in its magnificence outside.

In a giant old saguaro, a momma bird feeds her little babies.

I can hear them.

I am so happy I have my camera in hand.

Snap, oh I got it!

Worm in mouth!

I am thrilled to have this photo, because in a way I can't describe, momma bird feeding her babes brings such a fulfilled calm sensible feeling.

Makes everything feel a-okay.

Wouldn't you say?

Well, time for work.

Discipline, discipline must implement the discipline.

:)

Love, V

 

ps:  My weekend was full of listening to a lot of this.  Doesn't it awaken the heart dreams? 

Merry Cheery Happy Holiday Wishes!!

It is officially that time of year!  Stars and sparkles, and cakes, and cookies, and egg nog, and angels, and wishes, and prayers, and thoughts, and family, and love, and pups and kitttens, and birdlings too possibly maybe, and visits, and wrapping, and carols and full bellies and and...!

And the spirit of Christmas, indeed!

I fell, quite like Alice, tumbling straight into holiday madness this week.  Hours and hours and hours of shopping at antique stores.  Choices and gifts, and lists.  Chocolates and packages, and well, the rush of Christmas insanity hit me - in a good way.  In fact, editing photos and writing to you here right now, is my one break before baking all night ensues.

I feel it.

Christmas time is upon us.

In the nuttiness of parcels and plans, I stop often, and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas...

Such a beautiful time of year...

Little trees I will plant later are tucked in everywhere this year (as I shared before).  They add to the joy of the season for me, in that, I still have something to look forward to with them, after the holidays are long gone.

They will remind me of this time in my life, as they grow...

Such a beautiful time with Mister Lovee, the boys, elves and art and painting and music, and adventure, and living life as we see fit for us.

As my Dad says, in the end, that is all that really matters.

I am making sure to savor the moments, including the hustle and bustle.

Cozy breaks included...

I wrapped my gifts in brown kraft paper (my fave) and brown vintage silk ribbon, and then I spray painted some dollar store silk flowers in matte gold and silver.  Then I tossed some large gold glitter sparkles on the petals while they were still wet.  Perfect parcel centerpieces me thinks?

A little over the top, but fun at this time of year.

I have crocheted so much this season.  In fact, I made oodles of things this summer as well, and plum forgot to share them.

I can't share now though, in case a recipient is peeking in.

I drove up to Oracle, Arizona yesterday to do some shopping at Sue and Jerry's.  It was such a pleasant escape for a couple of hours.  Just about 15 minutes away from me, with open spaces to soothe the soul...

I am still collecting pyracantha berries in the garden...

In fact, I was at my city house and the pyracantha arch I have there was so full of berries, I had to bring a little bucket full to add to my country house berries.  I just couldn't let them go to waste (even though there were about 50 buckets worth there).

Oh!

And, in furry holiday news...

I tried to so hard to get a Christmas card photo of my boys.

Alas, they had other plans, and sitting for a photo was not part of them, haha!

Miles would sit for a second, but then spot a stick that he just had to have (he is always carrying a stick, and still collects the newspaper every single morning and delivers it to his dad).  This stick is small compared to the logs he carries around these days.  Toe breakers, we call them :)

I bribed them with treats, but all that did was made them want to run and play...

Then, I got them to sit, and just as I turned around, they decided that wrestling had to happen at that very minute, and not a minute later...

Scary wrestling faces and all.

This goes on constantly.

I never would have thought that I would have ended up in a house full of wrestling crazed boys! (but I wouldn't have it any other way)

After the wrestling, I got them to sit again, but just as quickly, they had to sniff...

And then, Miles decided to smile, but Matty was not into it...

I finally got them to sit in the most perfect lovely green spot, but then, Matty decided that playing dead was much better than having his photo taken.

Which prompted Miles to pull his ears back in rebellion as well.

And so, this was as close to a Christmas card as I got, hahahehe!

I think they saw how sad I was to have no Christmas photo to share.  I mean, Grandma and Grandpa would love a photo of their grand-dogs for Christmas.  So, they stopped for a sec under the apricot tree...

Just in time for me to snap one photo of each cub...

Hoooray!

And so...

We are off to bake, and make our final holiday time preparations.  We celebrate both Hanukkah (Mister Lovee) and Christmas (me) in our home.

So with that...

I would like to say to you -

I wish you the most beautiful Holiday season, filled with warmth and kindness.  My greatest hope is that you are full of heart, and that at least one of your secret wishes comes true.  ( I have a feeling it will!)

Much Love, from our home to yours!

 

Love,

Vanessa, Mister Lovee, Matty and Miles