A Fanciful Twist

Sunflower Days

Oh Sunflower days of September...

With crisp morning air and hot afternoon...

A familiar breeze filled with memories.

Of days gone by and new memories to be collected.

The buzzing of the bees, eating ripe tomatoes under the lemon tree...

My sweet sweet boy still here.

Drooping sunflower necks, secretly looking down at the pumpkins.

Sweet brown bread and tea in the shade.

With the lingering night air being soaked up by the hot sun rays.

Giant swallowtail butterflies...

Join me for tea and a chat.

The incredible magic of nature swirls all around.

A garden planted during the most stressful time has imparted the deepest kind of peace within my soul.

I searched for it madly in soil and seeds and then one day, it hugged me deep within.

And it told me, it's okay.

Even if it's not, it still is.

And somehow, I understood that and it comforted me beyond measure.

I've collected pumpkins, dreamed of grander trees and roses to come...

Marveled at stems...

Watched yellow belly finches feast on zinnias and sunflowers.

Danced in the rain as my little stream flowed again.

Hugged dogs madly.

And watched every flying creature sip water from my little birdbath.

And now sunflower season is coming to a close soon...

I will collect seeds and dreams, alike.

I sit, sipping my orange vanilla tea.

Thinking about all these things...

When all of a sudden, right behind Matty...

A hummingbird appears.

He knows she is there, but he is older and wiser and doesn't mind a birdling dancing about.

Sipping the nectar from wild verbena flowers.

The same verbena I took a cutting of from the river 20 years ago.

The same verbena that thrives in my gardens still.

Who knew it would be feeding the bees and hummingbirds all these years later.

It's the beautiful things such as these that bring me the greatest joy.

Just when I think my heart is full as can be...

There is natural bokeh coming through the trees.

Golden hour sun, shining through leaves like twinkle light orbs.

Only, nature's version.

Perfect for a sunflower song.

Hello September.

How did you get here so fast?

A new season will be upon us soon dear friends.

I am already shifting things around my house.

Filling oodles of delightful autumn orders in my shop.

I love sending folks parcels of joy.

Home never felt so good.

Matty and Miles are happy to get to play outside more in the evening breeze.

I can see the roses coming back to life, as autumn is always like a new spring around my neck of the woods.

The desert is green from a little much needed rain.

I'm chewing bubble gum that mom my sent me in the mail as I type.

I can't wait to collect garden findings for autumn decor.

How does September find you?

I'd love to know.

 

Be well, be safe <3

 

Lots of love, 

 

Vanessa

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tea Set, Tea Party, Giveaway!

Extra fun things are happening in my tea room.

My friend Jennifer Hayslip and I decided to put together a wonderful giveaway including an entire 11 piece tea set, your choice of blue or aqua. A Laduree tea book, Nina's Paris tea, sugar cube prongs and the sugar cubes too!

Pop in to my Instagram account to join in.

Click here to enter.

Her and I both have this tea set and love it, so we decided what better gift than to give one away?

Add a little fun to an everyday.

The tea set is actually 15 pieces including the tea cup saucers.

The Laduree book is incredible and the tea smells unreal!

A fun little pick me up, right?

What could be more fun that having a tea party delivered right to your door?

I have the set in aqua and Jennifer has it in blue so we decided to let the winner pick their choice of color.

Tea time is such a wonderful daily joy.

Or coffee time if you prefer, as it can be used for either really.

Plop!

Plunk!

Splash!

Now that's how you make a perfect cup of tea.

I think the splashing makes it even better.

I hope you pop on over and enter.

We'd love to have you <3

Happy tea times to you!

And I'll leave you with one question.

What is your favorite tea flavor?

If you were to curl up with a book and a cup of tea right now...

Which ones would they be?

 

Make sure to pop on over to IG if you want to join in.

Enter here.

 

I'll see you all very soon with tales to tell.

 

Love, Vanessa

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Of Zinnia Summer & Queen Red Lime

I'm not certain that summer would feel like summer without zinnias.

Resilient in the sun, layers of sturdy petals...

Gifting endless blossoms as long as you prune.

Same for basil and other annuals.

They believe their only purpose is to produce seeds.

So, as long as you keep pruning and not letting them go to seed they will keep gifting.

But if you do not prune they will go to seed and the plant's life purpose will be complete.

So, prune prune prune.

The remarkable thing is that all my zinnias self seeded this year.

In late autumn I leave a few zinnias there to just dry and drop onto the garden floor.

And I was lucky enough that the birds did not gobble the seeds.

And so last year's Queen Red Lime zinnias have returned.

Along with other giant volunteer zinnias here and there, including in the pumpkin patch.

I'm certain that zinnia seeds were in the little tree's planter that I transplanted out back -

Because when I planted pumpkin seeds and watered these giant raspberry zinnias grew with huge curly leaves.

Absolutely remarkable.

When I am tending garden I notice little garden findings that I know I simply must have.

Like twisted roots and stems.

To me summer is zinnias and basil.

The epitome of the season.

The bees and hummingbirds looooove zinnias.

Unfortunately, the yellow belly finches do as well, and so they eat leaves and rip off petals all day.

Ah well, it's okay for the cute little birds.

In the basket below you see oodles of Queen limes and beneath that are the giant cherry zinnia volunteers I just spoke about from my pumpkin patch.

You can see how huge they are comparatively.

I just love Queen Red Limes.

They are peachy and pinky with neon green centers.

Sometimes the lower petals turn lime green too, hence the name.

Since they self seeded they turned up extra early and now are towering, chock full of flowers.

Every gardeners dream I'm sure...

To have gobs of self seeded flowers.

I don't think I have been without zinnias in the garden for over a decade.

They last forever out in the heat, it's just amazing really.

So many colors and shape.

There are California giants, lilliputs, cactus style - just to name a few.

But I have to say that these Queen Red Limes really remind me of why I thought that the bottoms of pine cones looked exactly like zinnias.

Do you recall that tutorial here?

I've never have hundreds of thousands of people love something I did as much as the pine cone zinnias.

I can't believe how popular that was.

Every time I go onto Pinterest I see my pinecone zinnias over and over.

Once I was in an antique shop and a whole booth was dedicated to pinecone zinnias, and they had a little print out on the wall that showed my blog post.

I was floored!

I guess we all love a zinnia that will never perish.

But for now we have the zinnias of summer bobbing in the hot breeze.

I adore collecting all manner of specimens.

I love the rose hip.

Just the texture and colors of things you can find is magical.

Pruning zinnias all day long, to allow for the fresh ones to have space and keep blooming,

I'm not quite certain how it is August 1st already.

Really truly the time is just flying by.

Pumpkins, zinnias, basil.

The Queen Limes are extra vintagey, aren't they?

I sit under the citrus trees and marvel at all the growing things.

The moon is big and bright tonight.

I eat basil and tomatoes right in the garden.

I pick my zinnias in my little basket and run inside when it gets too hot.

I will collect my seeds for next year from the older zinnias that have developed some seeds.

The life of a gardener, always plotting and planning with hope for the next season.

I prune my roses a little in late August for the spring like wave of flowers that turn up in all their glory in October and November.

I have a bunch of fall vegetable seeds planted.

I got stung by a fire ant the other day, which I never had been.

I get little ant bites every day, but never a fire ant.

It was worse than my 3 or 4 scorpion stings by far.

It hurt for about 9 - 10 hours relentlessly, then let up.

I was screaming and jumping around - the pain was absolutely shocking.

And I have a pretty good tolerance for pain and discomfort.

Luckily I had no allergic reaction and it was just another gardening experience for the books.

It got me twice on a toe :-)

But all is well now, and I'm still wearing open toe shoes in the garden.

I know, bravery for sure.

The moon has a golden haze all around it through my window, so beautiful.

I look forward to the monsoon rains that turn up in August.

It is so very green out in the gardens, all manner of little tree volunteers I've been nurturing are now taller than me.

Amazing what summer brings.

For some reason several roses nearly died in the little corridor going to my studio, so I dug them up, added rooting hormone and put them in pots for now and they all had new leaves and shoots this morning after about a month and a half.

I think there must have been bugs or something there, or perhaps not enough sunlight due to the expanded canopy of the Chilean mesquite tree.

They were doing great and from one day to the next started to shrivel, which really makes me think it was a bug.

I had never seen rose bushes do that but I am delighted that they are coming back.

The chattering of a mad gardener, I tell ya.

I hope you are doing well in your neck of the woods.

We are just fine here, staying busy.

There are baby doves in the garden and I love watching mom and dad take such good care of them.

It has been outrageously hot, the dogs just run out and come right back in.

I fear they've had such a lux summer sleeping on cold floors that they've become a bit heat snobby.

But, that's okay.

Dogs are to be spoiled, that's my motto anyways.

Well, I best be off.

Early gardening ahead of me <3

 

Are you a zinnia lover?

I wonder if anyone has ever been named Zinnia, wouldn't that be just wonderful?

 

Love, Vanessa

 

 

ps:  I used to share music with you that I listen to whilst writing each blog post, so I shall attempt to remember to do that in the ps section.

I tried to get here days ago, but blog writing can take a while with the photo editing and then my programs kept crashing, so happy to have finally made it here <3

 

I listened to ones of my favorite songs by Janapriyan Levine (Suspended) while writing this post.

I love taking baths, meditating, stretching, writing and relaxing to this song all the time.

 

 

pps:

Up in the left hand sidebar (third item down) is a new section called "Spotlight Posts."

Every so often the posts will change, but it's a section with other posts that you might enjoy in between my regular postings <3

Just a fun little addition.