A Fanciful Twist

Tales of Everyday Magic...

Could it be that a day like laundry day could set off twinkling stars of inspiration?

A basket of delights, tattered frocks for the line....

Zinnias along the way, and a tiny circus suitcase filled with all manner trinketry.

Antique china dolls that have voyaged on ships through time, fast forward to today's citrus grove.

Loved times and years before by a girl, and now again by another girl.

A few tattered roses in the summer's heat and some clothespins do juxtapose.

And so we follow the stone garden stairs...

Guided by stars...

Fueled merely by one thing, and one thing alone...

Can you guess what that might be?

Through the secret garden gate...

Come with me and I shall tell you what could fuel such an adventure.

What could turn an extra ordinary day into and extraordinary day?

And where might one find such kind of magic?

I shall tell you if you have not guessed it yet.

It is the certain kind of magic that can only come from one place...

And that is from within.

Within you, within me.

The magic is inside you.

It can not be given from anyone to you.

It can not be purchased or manufactured.

You can search for it under this or inside of that.

But it's already there, right in your heart and mind.

In your imagination.

The magic is within you.

There is no simpler way to put it.

I have gone on many journeys, I have searched all over for such answers.

And time and time again, it is proven to me that the magic is always and forever, within you.

Perhaps sometimes it takes a little nap.

It gets shoved in the wardrobe for a later date.

Or perhaps, it's at the bottom of the laundry basket.

Just sitting there.

Waiting for you.

Ever so patiently.

It is there, burning bright.

It might seem from time to time that certain events or happenings, maybe even people, ignite it for you.

They might add a spark, but you are the only one who can ignite it.

That powerful inner flame.

And so, because of that no one can ever take it away from you.

It's there, waiting for you any time.

Even on laundry day.

Under the citrus trees...

Through the dappled sunlight...

In the smile of your dog.

In the breeze of the pinkest petals.

It may be everywhere...

But it always emanates from within.

It's only the kind of magic you can conjure so purely.

It is unique and wonderful...

Just like you.

My dear pumpkin loving, garden dreaming, star wishing, curious collector of wishes and hopes.

Forever young in your soul.

Hopeful for today and tomorrow.

Cloud gazer.

Pie baker.

Flower lover.

Sensitive, introspective.

Wonderful.

You.

Keeper of all manner of magic.

Your magic.

Forever and ever.

 

Let's not ever forget it.

Pinky promise?

 

xoxoxo

 

Love, V

 

PS:

I have been listening to one of my favorites, The Secret Life of Daydreams by Jean-Yves Thibaudet, whilst writing this.

 

 

 

Sparkle and Paint Days

There's some kind of wonderful that trickles in with the seasonal shift of summer to autumn.

You begin to see everyone fluttering around, excited for what is to come.

The garden needs you less, you get some reprieve from the heat (especially this summer in Arizona with record heat and little rain). You feel less exhausted from the hot air and more inspired by the crisp tinge of autumn that's wafting about.

Each season has its own beauty, but that special magic when summer hands its duties off to autumn is utterly inspiring, isn't it?

For me, I've been staying up super late creating, listening to music, working in my dollhouses.

My imagination takes me to far away places - to sparkly bright colored circuses - to a place of pure imagination.

I'm always thankful for that place I discovered as an 11 year old - my own escape.

And so I fling paint around and listen to music into the wee hours of the night.

It's interesting how in summer I am ready for bed quite early and in autumn I am awake late - you would think it would be the other way around but I suppose the hot days and garden tending of two gardens really zaps a person.

I do love early mornings too though.

Late nights and early mornings - those quiet times when creativity swirls all around.

I've set up a space for my creating in the guest house here, but my main studio is still at the country house.

I go back and forth to both places nearly everyday as they are close by.

It's a lovely dance that I have found a rhythm with and am enjoying.

I pulled the carpet out two years ago in this guest house and left the floor bare concrete. I did not want to worry about the spilling of endless amounts of paint, because we all know, it's fun to fling paint with wild abandon. There's a little courtyard garden outside the guest house and I've been planting climbing roses and vines. I can't wait to see how they grow up next spring.

It's important for me to create almost everyday. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know about the pact I made with myself when I was 19 years old or so. To live a life of creating for my own sanity and for inner peace. And so, I always find my way back to what is my greatest joy and escape.

For me, it's important to surround myself with little things that I love for inspiration.

There is no rhyme or reason, just little knick knacks that I love.

And a few reminders of my past work.

Some magazines here and there and book pages.

As you get older it's easier to lose sight of yourself.

You get so busy and your whole world doesn't revolve around you as it did when you were younger.

And oddly enough, you become less selfish, and a healthy amount of selfishness (of the good variety) is so important.

You almost forget what you need if you are not careful.

So, I make sure to create a space of me-ness and get creative.

If you are imaginative or creative, it's important to have an outlet.

An outlet for the wanderings of your mind, an outflow.

There is nothing I love more than the smooshing of colors and textures.

I especially adore when pink and orange bleed together.

And so, the wonderful shift is upon us.

Of summer to autumn.

For some of you on the other side of the globe it is the opposite.

You are going into spring.

Which is very interesting because autumn in Arizona is much like a second spring until November when it really starts to cool down.

All my roses are filling up again, after leaves crisping up in the heat despite watering.

The flowers breathe a sigh of relief and start to flourish for a couple months.

Pretty much just like me and you.

A wonderful sigh of magical relief.

Time to create - to be happy, to be free.

To continue believing.

To be true to yourself.

To create just for the sake of creating.

To put your phone down and get back to living your own best life.

My happiest place is here.

Where art supplies are (I have doubles of everything in both studios, I can't imagine needing something and it being at the other place, and vice versa).

Where I am free to be me, and do whatever the heck I want.

Where circus girls turn up at midnight.

Beckoning me into the trapeze of art.

My favorite place to be.

With a little bird and porcelain doll head rooting me on.

And all the glimmer and sparkle turning up for the party.

Everyday can be a party if you want it to be.

Even for just an hour.

Refuel your soul, find the joy of your heart.

Instead of fearing the unknown how about being excited for the future?

Life is hard I know, all sorts of things happen, and questions and fears and worries.

But for an hour (or more if you can) how about some escape?

I promise, it will change everything if you give yourself a little while to have an outflow of all your feelings and emotions.

Give yourself some "me time" to do what you love.

That will make all the difference.

<3 <3 <3

 

Happy Autumn xoxo!

See you soon.

Love, V

 

 

 

The Painted Sofa

So, once upon a time I had this grey striped sofa, or settee if you will.

It was lovely and had great potential, however...

It imparted a drab feeling in every room I put it in.

It really wanted it to be bright and bold, and it sort of felt sad that it wasn't living its best life.

And so I began dreaming of it wearing pink, and I set out to find fabric. However, our family upholsterer had a family emergency so he would be out of work for a while. I put the sofa on the back burner and just left it floating here and there with no real home.

And then, on one very random jolt of inspiration recently (as I was walking by said couch), I decided I disliked it so much that I'd just paint it (right at that very moment) and could always have it reupholstered later. I looked in my paint stash and found a gallon of white flat house paint which I poured into a bowl - and then squirted in shades of red and pink acrylic craft paint to create a candy pink color I loved.

The perfect shade for a room that had a lot of blue in it.

You see, I wasn't worried because I had done this before.

What?!

Yep, I was prepared and knew what to expect.

As you may or may not recall, I had painted a sofa with white satin house paint years ago right here.

And so, I plunged.

My blue little conservatory library was really truly begging for a little pop of pink.

I decided to leave the grey stripe fabric on the sides and just paint the front pink.

I did about 3 coats and let it dry in between each coat.

Then I smeared a little gold paint over the grey wood edges.

And just like that, a little paint transformed this wee gal.

I love looking at her as I play the piano.

She feels happy and alive now.

Just what the doctor ordered.

She sure elevated my mood too, and bonus, you can change her up with...

Different pillows.

Oh and bonus, our local furniture tester was the first one up there and totally approves.

So what does the fabric feel like you ask?

The previous sofa I painted was done with a satin to glossy paint and it feels a lot like leather. It wears perfectly, is wipeable, and has never cracked. In the case of this pink sofa, I used a flat paint which I love the look of and I do not mind the feel of, but it is definitely matte to the touch and quite firm.

The fabric on this sofa was rather wavy in the seat and still has that with the paint, so it truly does retain a fabric look.

I am quite pleased with it and now we spend so much more time in this room.

I truly believe that most décor needs a little pink somewhere in whatever shade one prefers.

From candy pink, to ballet pink, to palest pink to peachy pink and beyond.

They all can impart such a wonderful little feeling.

And so, that is the story of how a pink little sofa came to be.

As I said earlier, you can click here to see my other painted sofa for more tips and tricks.

I am really so happy with how it turned out.

I can't imagine upholstering it now, with just some paint I turned a drab piece into my new favorite piece. Now every room is fighting to have this lil' sofa live in it.

A happy candy pink sure changed the entire feeling in this room.

It just made it so much light and brighter - amazing what paint can do isn't it?

Anywho, speaking of paint, I've been painting a lot in my studio.

I may not share paintings every day, but I have closets full of artwork because it is my life blood, and I just have to fling paint around a little everyday for my sanity alone. Painting emotions is as healing as anything I tell ya. Such a great way to purge with wild abandon.

Anywho, I have some new paintings coming - and also working on a superrrrrrr fun project in my country house garden.

I don't want to get too excited until it arrives but it's paid for and has some new shoes and is ready to rock and roll!

Anywho, if you fancy a go at painting fabric, try it out on some old pieces - even an old tattered chair you might have.

So much easier than you think <3 <3 <3

Welllls, off I go for now ;-)

 

 

 

Ps: as a side note, the original fabric is a cross between linen & burlap. Here's a super upclose look for requests♡

 

Pps:  As I said in my last post, I'll try to post what I was listening to while I was typing this.

My entire life revolves around music, all sorts of music - major music lover here, you?

Today I was listening to the whole Bat For Lashes, The Haunted Man album.

I had a hard time finding the entire album to post here but you can find it on iTunes if you'd like to listen.

 

Happy Happy Love Yourself Day!

Hi there!!!

Guess what, I'm throwing you a party today!

The message is self love.

The vibe is all things sweet.

The feeling is, be good to yourself.

I loooove Valentine's day.

I adore it, it knocks my socks off.

But only because over 20 years ago I decided that Valentine's day is a me day.

I love hearts and swirls of pinks and red.

The guy at the candy store asked me if I was having a party, I said, why yes I am!

Little did he know, tee heeee!

Me me me meeeeeee!

That also means a party for you you you youuuu!

(you should have seen the sweet tooth hatter's face when I told him he could have all the candy, childhood dreams come true right there, haha!)

I love setting my parties up and photographing them, it is such a fun creative outlet.

A perfect fun thing for me to do on Valentine's day.

That's the one thing I've always loved about our yearly tea parties, it's that setting them up and taking pictures of them really immerses you in the moment.

Mindfulness is crucial in this crazy life.

Take some time for you.

We do enough self loathing.

How about some self loving?

What if you could believe that everything in your life is just as it should be?

Perfectly imperfect.

I'm just happy to be here - the journey is short enough so I intend to enjoy it.

Good-bye fretting.

Good-bye worry warting.

Hello LOVE.

The way to love your life is to love the good and the bad.

The way to love yourself is to love the good and the bad.

Acceptance.

The way to feel better is to SING!

Embrace the moment, find your joy for the day.

Happiness is contagious.

Be a lover not a hater.

Falalalalalalaaaaa!

Hope you enjoyed your party.

Now I gotta run, I have to continue with my funnnnnn!

Happy you day!

xoxoxo