A Fanciful Twist

Welcome Home Little Theodore Laurence ♥

Yes, it's true, we have our very own Teddy!

Theodore Laurence, Guardian of Fanciful, Arizona.

Can you believe it?

I almost can't, someone please pinch me!

For the last week I have disappeared into the new baby nights and getting to know my sweet little Teddy!

He has come home to the country house, where we are all hunkered down, raising a young pup.

He was so little, and has begun to grow fast, in only one week.

I'm trying to absorb every last second because puppy time goes by so very quickly.

He's incredibly playful, cuddly, and can be super rambunctious too.

As you may know, he is named after a beloved character in Little Women.

Theodore Laurence, known in the novel as Teddy and Laurie.

Truth be told, I had a couple different names I had settled on, and only one he answered to - and boy did he answer to it.

And so, Teddy he is!

(He was originally going to be Wolfie, and sometimes I call him Theo, but he only answers to Teddy)

He hops and scampers to you upon calling out his name.

He's a pure delight really.

Long cold nights are forgotten at first sight of his darling little face, whose eyes say mommy pick me up!

He loves to bite and chew, so he has buckets of toys.

Of course, socks are his favorite.

To see a new furry face skipping down the country house garden paths is...

Enough to make my heart explode entirely.

He's so beautiful, and everything you can imagine, and more.

We spend 24 hours a day with him, and work in shifts.

In the early morning I track him over my giant winter coat by watching his shadow behind me.

Although, now he's starting to run in front of me, and faster than me, haha!

His favorite spot is in the verbena patch in the front garden, where Miles is buried.

Once again it is full of toys, the way Miles used to keep it.

We sit and play in the sunshine all day and think of Miles often.

When Miles first died, I thought, there is no way I am getting another puppy.

But as the year went on, and Matty and I found our rhythm, it always felt as though something was missing.

My heart was just so broken, and it slowly started whispering to me that it was time.

I did research for a few months, I joined rescue groups, I scoured sites and joined local adoption resources.

We needed a young pup because Matty would not accept an older dog.

We tried that, and it was not a good situation.

We waited and searched.

I knew if it was meant to be, it would all happen as it should, so I did not force the journey.

Then one day I made a serendipitous connection with a gal named Crystal.

I had no idea she lived just down the road from me, is a stellar dog mom, and had pups.

It just happened to be that she had pups right then, and true to my life, the number 11 was everywhere.

His birthday (my birthday) and a bunch of other things had 11's, and so I pursued the connection.

11's have always appeared in my life, so they make me pay attention when they turn up.

Crystal and I connected online a bunch, and then chatted for over 2 hours, and I knew it was just right.

She has a very serious adoption process, and I can appreciate that.

And so, in a chance meeting, in some magical way, Teddy came to be my next fur baby.

And here we are, playing in Miles' verbena.

All tired.

But crazy haaaappy!

A trio of adults to raise a couple pups.

How is Matty taking this you ask?

I thought he would play with Teddy right away, as he did with Miles.

But since he's an elder, his is more observing.

At first, he was totally uninterested, but as the days go by, he seems to be taking more of an interest.

I just hope and hope that Matty decides to play with him one day soon, because Teddy is dying to play with Matty.

It's been so chilly, this is the view from my old vegetable garden here in the country.

We walk around and around garden paths, with the snow dusted mountains watching over us.

And this is what taking photos of Teddy is like.

He's a tiny little guy, sooooo cute!

Which is well worth it to capture these invaluable memories.

Snapshots in time, that are changing too quickly as he grows.

You never know how life will twist and turn.

It feels like such a different journey, 11 years since having our last puppy.

We are at the country house, as it's a great place for a pup to grow and learn his surroundings and parents.

It's our homebase, and always will be.

I am taking this time, in between Teddy's naps, to deep clean and go through 20+ years of stuff and purge.

It feels so good.

I've been washing curtains, recycling endless stuff in my original office and cooking up some fun meals.

I am trying to just live in the moment and push away my busy brain that says I need to do this and this and this and that.

Right now, I need to only do this.

To be with people I love, and two dogs I adore.

Be in the sunshine and light, paint at night whilst puppy sleeps, sip tea in the cold.

Revolve my days around a puppy, who will outgrow puppyhood so fast.

Thank goodness I grabbed my parka and my warmest scarf though, because the nights have been so cold up here closer to the mountain tops.

Training a puppy little by little, being loving and patient, that's what it's all about.

Matty is snoring at my feet as I type, while Teddy is being chased around the garden paths by Mister Lovee.

I'm cooking for everyone, baking birthday cake for Irishman, making ginger and garlic soups to keep everyone healthy, etc.

I'm in charge of nights with Teddy, and after I take him out for his 5 a.m. potty, in the cold darkness we cuddle up in my bed and play. He attacks my hair, we play tug of war for an hour, and then he snuggles up close to me and falls asleep.

Then I carefully place him in his bed crate, and fenced in bedroom of his own, and catch some z's myself.

Funny how your heart knows how to expand again, so that everyone can fit in there just perfectly.

Baby, Miles, Matty and Teddy <3

And so, we begin again, another chance at this crazy kind of puppy love.

Hope to see you again soon!

♥

Love, Vanessa

 

 

 

Winter's Cozy Nooks

Chilly days bring many cozy nooks.

They're not planned, but sort of evolve on their own.

The only thing the prints and patterns in my home have in common, is that I like them.

Over the years, I have learned, that nothing lives with me unless I love it.

So, you will see a mish-mosh of such things jumbled together in my home.

Mixed with all sorts of whimsical bits and bobs.

I'm certain that, any of the people who visit my back yard and look in, are sure little children live here.

Such as pool equipment fixers or outdoor window washers.

It always makes me giggle to myself when I see them looking at the dollhouses through the windows.

I do not mind at all, as Matty minds more than enough for both of us, as he goes bonkers barking at them.

Once, in around 2018, a grocery delivery man came in and said, I see you are getting ready for an estate sale.

I laughed so hard and didn't say yes or no.

Umm no, I thought to myself, but I guess my decor is just estate sale chic by nature?

Is there anything chic about that, haha?!

Not that I care, because truthfully, the joy of growing older is how little you care about what anyone thinks.

Now that, that is one of the most phenomenal gifts of aging.

You spend your whole life caring about pointless nonsense.

Then one day you wake up exhausted from it all and say, I don't really care.

And you are set freeeeeee!

You know you have changed when you laugh about things, instead of getting upset about them.

It's so good.

It sure makes for greater enjoyment of living.

And it makes for much nicer tea parties between me and my pink dollhouse.

As we cozy up in the winter afternoon, under quilts and things.

I notice, as I move between rooms, that the nooks are sort of strewn about.

If that even makes sense?

A tussled nook here, and a tussled nook there.

Sometimes I have to go around searching for a certain book.

But only I would ever know where to find anything.

So, I find what I want, and then cozy up for an hour before I get back to my to-do list.

I will never ever tire of Anne of Green Gables.

Anne is etched into my heart so deeply.

From the first moment I discovered her in 2nd grade, she has been the dearest to me.

I know some folks did not fancy the Anne with an E series, but I loved it.

I just kept an open mind and didn't try to compare it to 80's Anne.

I loved experiencing her again, and I loved Marilla and Mathew.

Are you an Anne girl?

I suppose that is why I love tiny houses.

The Anne girl inside me stays 11 years old forever.

I love this old note divider organizer thingamabob below.

I recently realized, after many years, that if you tip it to the side, the image is of Marie Antoinette lounging on a settee.

Who knew?

Any who, as day turns into evening, I will definitely be here in my messy little library nook.

In 2020 I did a ton of projects, including painting the wall of built-in bookshelves in my bedroom white.

As a result, I have taken many books from here to there, so I'm often (as I said before), chasing books around.

It's very chilly here right now, which I should embrace because I'm always hot in summer.

But today I was so cold, I just wanted to cuddle in front of the fire with Matty.

I crawl into his big soft bed with him, it's sublime!

I'm sort of like Goldilocks, I suppose I want it just right.

Summer's not hotter than 85'F would be incredible!

Alas, that is just a dream.

But we did have some crazy amount of rain this year.

Which is what helped to push all the early spring seeds from 2021 into the ground.

I have planted no seeds this year because there are tons of self-seeders growing, and I've spotted my beloved poppies as well.

I look forward to seeing what grows this year.

But for now, I am content to just live in the moment of winter.

Cozy nooks and all.

 

Love, Vanessa

 

See ya soon ;-)

 

 

 

Of New Year Petals & Golden Light

I awoke to rain splashing on my window, and cold snowcapped mountains.

Huge fluffy clouds filled the sky.

I was busy most of the day, and decided to relax at the fire when afternoon rolled around.

Just as I almost kicked off my shoes, something beckoned me outside.

The sun was calling my name, the days of rain had stopped.

The last sliver of golden hour illuminated the garden on a frigid afternoon.

There would be a freeze at night, and so I decided to cut some winter roses.

I stood there in the cold air, drinking in the stunning last light, on this first day of a new year.

 

I decided then and there, to go grab my camera and share it with you.

I spent a huge part of 2021 just wrapping myself in white light, in my mind.

So, this seemed like a reminder to continue doing that in the new year.

I ran up to the secret garden, and there was that light again.

Bursting through the lemon tree.

The first day of a new year in my wintery garden, the light shining through leaves, making me feel safe with its wonderful familiarity.

I just stood there listening to a mockingbird.

Then I heard the little gobbles and clucking sounds of the quail, as they inched towards the fence, preparing to jump into my trees for the cold evening.

I love that they sleep in my trees and feel safe here.

I'm so glad I went outside for the first golden hour of the year.

The morning glory arbor is sure to have had its last lingering flowers today.

With the freeze, it will now go to sleep, until maybe spring/summer - if it successfully self-seeds.

I took out all my little greenhouse planter covers, perhaps that will help the basil and tomatoes hold on.

There are so many little green globes hanging out there still.

We'll see.

You never know what delights spring will bring.

I did go ahead and take a few of the tattered winter roses.

What a treat to have roses in January.

I also picked some bougainvillea.

The magical golden hour light fluttered around, as though infused with some sort of fairy magic.

When I came back inside it was dark, so I lit some candles.

I often hang roses to dry on lamps and candelabras, then they just stay there because I love to see them hanging around so much.

And so, it is sort of a farewell party for the last winter roses.

But they will be back in a few short months.

As I was blowing out the candles, the smoke wafted around in the chilly air so mysteriously.

It made for a very interesting feeling as a beginning to a new year.

I was immediately filled with a sort of fairytale dreams moment.

Beckoned by the books in my little library, feeling very young again, and filled with wonder.

I thought, this is the perfect setting to the beginning of a tale.

Speaking of tales!

Did I ever tell you about the secret library in the first house I lived in as a child?

I lived in that house until I was 8 years old, and I feel that the library in it had a profound effect on me.

You see, my parents purchased this red brick house with white gingerbread details when I was a baby.

It was situated on the only hill in the neighborhood.

I had a white and red playhouse out back, with a swing set next to it, and big lawns, with huge fences filled with honeysuckle.

I also had a duck and a goose, and violets filled the garden beds.

We once had a cat who chose us, for a short period, which I shall tell you about another time.

But down a couple stairs in the back of the house was this large room with very tall floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

And yes, all the books as well.

Imagine purchasing a home that came with a fully stocked library?

How fascinating would that be?

What I would give to go back in time and look through all those old books.

The books had beautiful old spines and intrigued me greatly.

I remember looking through the books as a child and having a bit of fear towards some of them.

Or maybe it was the fact that I had climbed the bookshelves once and had to be rescued from the top?

But in all honesty, some of the books were downright creepy.

One of the books I looked at a lot was all black with gold details and red edged pages.

I remember very distinctly that the spine said, The Devil's Daughter.

Every time I saw it, I would get chills.

There were a lot of strange books indeed, and once I heard my mom in a scary whispering tone, telling her friend that she had found weird things in the house.

She told the woman that one book was so scary, that she threw it way up to the top shelf, and it fell behind the bookcases.

I wonder what it was about, I must ask her again.

There was a fireplace in the room, and I also overheard my mom saying that she found this huge box of a sort of antique parchment, and when she opened it, it took up the entire room, and was labeled with where to sit to find your evil hour and such.

My mom got so scared, she lit the fireplace in the summer, and burned it.

Now, I never had any bad experiences in the house, and I adored my Holly Hobby wallpaper, bedding, pillows and towels, haha!

It was a fun neighborhood filled with kids, and the Shamrock ice-cream truck man lived on our street, and he would sell us ice cream with a little wooden spoon for 5 cents.

Just the library had some fun and creepy aspects, but mostly fun.

My mom always misses that house.

The funny thing is, I grew up with so many tales - mysterious, scary, fascinating, magical.

Some I'd hear the adults telling each other, and others my grandmother told me.

Oh, the stories she would tell me my entire life, I can't even begin to tell you.

Fascinating to my child mind!

Today I spoke to her, as it is her birthday on New Year's day, and we talked about some of the fairytales she told me as a child.

I recently sent her a copy of the story she told me often as a child, which was the tale of the boys turned into swans.

She had this huge Fairytale book, of course she told them all from memory.

But I remember sitting with her in this huge cushioned floral velvet upholstered rocking chair, and paging through this big beautiful old book.

I keep the swan book (several different copies actually) around my house and think about her every time I see the books, which is daily.

I told her that today, and she loved that thought.

The point is, between all the tales she told me, and the library of curious books I grew up with...

It would only make sense that I am enamored by old books and that I am always one second away from something inspiring me to light a lamp in a dark cozy corner and read some mysterious tale.

You can't imagine the scary stories my grandma told me as well.

My knees would knock under the table, but I couldn't get enough, I'd ask for more and more.

Her well of stories is endless, and who better to hear tales from than your own grandma?

I can't ask for a better way to enter a new year.

With chats with my grandma, golden hour light, and maybe a secret or two that I want to share with you soon.

Oh and, I also enjoyed the snowy mountains at the country house today, made two berry crisps, watched Matty try to chase rabbits (don't worry, he never catches them), and froze in the tattered winter garden, loving every minute of it.

And now, I will cuddle Matty by the fire, drink my decaf green tea and page through the stack of garden catalogs that have arrived.

I am trying to get used to the fact that Halloween begins in July, Christmas begins on October 31st, and spring begins on January 1st.

Haha!

It does feel that way though, doesn't it?

I awoke this morning to endless garden pictures on Instagram, which of course, I would never complain about, but it did make me giggle.

I will say though, the garden gives hope.

Planning the spring garden in winter is a very fun thing to do.

That, and crocheting until you can't keep your eyes open.

My crochet projects go to bed with me at night.

Well, I have talked and talked, and now I must be off.

Happy New Year!

I hope it brings many old wonderful tales tucked in old book pages.

How I love that scent!

See you soon my friends!

Oh and, this blog began at the very end of December in 2006.

Can you imagine that?

16 years, wow.

Thanks for A Fanciful Twist, and how it found me - came to me in a daydream at a coffee shop.

And led me here, to meet with you for 16 whole years, crazy!

Thank you for being here.

 

Love, Vanessa

 

 

 

November to Dream...

Oh, beautiful November...

When the garden puts on a last show, autumnal specimina make their way to the mantel, and arbors get gobbled by summer's vines.

And finally, finally certain growing vines decide to bloom.

The butterflies are still everywhere.

The towering Sulphur cosmos, and extra November bloom of the milkweed, have been keeping the wingeds very happy.

I have had a summer (I forget it is not still summer in this land of sun), and an autumn, of saving creatures.

Sometimes they need water, sometimes they just need a rest inside somewhere safe.

(I found her just laying on her back in the garden)

This swallowtail lived in my book room for a day, before I decided to bring her back to the garden.

I thought she was not going to be okay, but then I snapped this photo, turned my face and poof!

She was gone.

Up into the cacophony of November cosmos, and the ghost of the crescent moon.

Dry flower collecting becomes more important than ever at this time of the year, because they do so well to fill the winter void.

And the paths burst with marigolds intertwined with cosmos, much like the last fireworks.

Just when you think it's over, another little explosion of color turns up.

And the pumpkins, so many pumpkins still.

Jack-o-Lanterns and Fairy Tales, also known as Musquee de Provence.

And more butterfly saving...

It's a wonder I have time for anything else at all, when I'm saving butterflies all day.

I've also become a pro at seeing a drowning butterfly out of the corner of my eye.

I run over and pull them out carefully, and set them to dry.

The garden pays me in a few extra dahlias.

The cosmos and dahlias bloom in autumn here, they get so huge and tall all summer, and then finally, when you think they might not even turn up, they do.

They always do.

And so, the autumnal shift just begins in my garden.

I am starting to clear out, and it's looking beautiful in its own tattered way.

Tattered gardens and tattered furniture, they always have my heart.

I took a couple weeks off at the beginning of November.

Off meaning, away from social media and computer.

Sometimes the internet world goes too fast for me.

Holidays overlap, and it seems to jump into the next season too quickly in this virtual land.

And so, in order to slow down and really savor my garden and the season, I unplugged.

The garden is so hot all summer, that when this beautiful weather arrives, I really just want to enjoy my little world as much as I can.

Living in the moment really means a lot to me, how about you?

I guess it means more as I get older too.

The here and now means more, and I understand how valuable it is.

The days are glorious, I have more key limes than I can keep up with.

It's been unseasonably warm so the lemons, grapefruits and oranges are coming early too.

In the evenings I've been reading the most curious little book, drawing, and water coloring.

It was Miles' birthday on the 22nd, almost a year without him (on 12/16), so I covered his grave in beautiful bougainvillea flowers and some roses.

Matty is sleeping on my foot as I type this, and I am just about to finish a little drawing I've been working on.

The moon was outrageous recently.

I woke up at 3 a.m. and went outside to marvel at it, absolutely unreal.

Golden, with a golden haze all around it.

So magical.

The arbor gets more floriferous every day, as drunk bees emerge from the blossom's depths, dazed and confused.

It's a beautiful sight to see.

I suppose I better get my pumpkin cheesecake in the oven - although I am thinking about making mini-individual sizes.

Which means I need to figure out timing on such changes.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving if I do not see you before then.

I am sorry I dropped off the planet for a couple weeks, but I had such a delightful time just being.

Of course, I adore taking photos and sharing snippets of my life.

I hope to do it more often as the winter days find us, and life slows down a little.

I've mopped all my floors with Journey playing loud, and have all the cooking supplies ready for tomorrow.

 

Lots of love, from my little nook to yours!!

~ Vanessa