A Fanciful Twist

A Midnight Book...?

I have this little secret belief...

That perhaps whatever you are doing when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st...

Is what you will be doing more of in the new year.

So, I have my little stacks of favorite books ready.

I might fall asleep, but in case I stay awake, I will make certain to at the very least read a page.

I feel that reading has invaluable benefits to us, mind, body and soul.

It calms the mind, and is nourishment for the brain.

It helps us be mindful and calm.

And it takes us on wonderful adventures.

I think I always need more of that, how about yourself?

I just adore old books.

Tattered pages, antique imagery.

Add a fire and lovely hot drink and I am in heaven,

Cinnamon + edible stars and sparkles make everything better.

I love to keep some of my favorite holiday books in this big old suitcase covered in antique and vintage ephemera.

So, I guess without even realizing it I have made my New Year's resolution.

Read more books!

And perhaps I should even say, read a certain amount of books.

So, I will say 5 whole books.

I know it sounds like not that many, but how many books have you read this year?

I have read bits and parts, but am ashamed to say, no book beginning to end in this whole year.

The year we were going to read more :-)

I wonder what book I should begin with?

Any suggestions?

Would you like to join in this new hopeful plan with me?

Books, the key to expanding our imaginations.

I find when I read a similar thing happens that occurs when I am creating.

My mind starts exploding with ideas.

I never allow myself the luxury to just read.

And I think it's important to learn to calm oneself enough to be able to enjoy a really good book.

Some of my best memories have been finishing a good book that ended so amazingly that I either sobbed, or gasped over and over and had to run outside and walk and walk, just thinking about it all and marveling about it.

I need more of that in my life, how about you?

Okay, so it's settled.

Book reading here we go!

I'll let you know what I start with tonight.

Lots of LOVE, and a Happy New year my dear friends!!!

Thanks for being here.

I know you are here even if you just peek in, I can see folks popping in.

I can't see who you are, but I can see folks stopping by.

I know leaving comments is not a popular thing to do anymore, but I like to know you are just there.

So, hi to you and wishing you all the magic, wishes and stars I can conjure up for you!

 

<3 <3 <3

 

 

ps: I wanted to do a proper post to celebrate this... but it was 14 years ago this week that I started my blog here.

Can you believe it?

I am so so happy that I did <3

 

 

Christmas Snippets

Christmas magic still fills the air...

As it is only the 5th day in the 12 days of Christmas.

I always feel that, the certain kind of cozy twinkle light ambience that surrounds us on the days right after Christmas truly has to do with the fact that a baby was cozily sleeping in the manger, only a few days old.

I've deeply embraced the importance of the 12 days of Christmas.

Of really appreciating the true meaning of Christmas.

Not just decorating trees in October and taking them down on the 26th.

But really respecting the true meaning of why we do it at all.

Which I suppose you can do with our without your tree up :-)

But that's just me, no judgment.

I respect what everyone wants to do, but for me, it's just become incredibly important to respect the true meaning.

I put my antique manger up on the 25th and I will share some photos in a couple days.

This is my little bunnies and spools tree below.

I intended to be here sooner, but with the passing of Miley things just changed.

Your heart needs time <3

I tucked snippets of Christmas into a bunch of little nooks and crannies of my house.

No real theme really, just things I love.

Carousels, whimsical creatures, candied fruit, stars, sparkles, candles <3

Enjoying festive plates and fancy cutlery is always fun during the holidays.

My sister made me the most darling sugar village last year.

Some pieces started to come apart 11 months later, they almost made it.

But others are still standing so I tucked them in here and there.

The weather is extremely wintery as I am typing this post.

Perfect for keeping the magic of the season alive.

I tucked some little treasures in my built in bookcase shelves.

Santas too, I just love collecting Santas, do you?

I'm a true lover of dolls and little knick knacks and things.

When my sister comes over she looks in my little tin boxes, and always comments at the menagerie of little things I tuck in here and there.

I'm so glad I turned my fancy glass cabinet into a Christmas cabinet, because things will just go back in there, so I don't have to be sad to put them away.

I just peek in and enjoy them year round.

But for now, it is still Christmas at my house.

And Santa can now put his feet up and enjoy his hot chocolate.

I think Santa likes to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas too, since he's ever so busy during the holidays :-)

I'm listening to Davie Bowie sing As the World Falls Down from the movie Labyrinth right now -

It makes me want to put on my slippers and robe and just sit in front of my dollhouse and move things around.

I truly think adulthood is when you get to live out your best childhood adventures.

You don't have to ask anyone if you can buy a china doll, and you can be as messy as you want creating and crafting.

You get to do whatever you want!

How fun is that?

I am really enjoying today, the twinkle lights are on and I am in no rush for anything.

I want to savor each morsel of my days, they go by fast enough.

(although I have been enjoying doing a lot of dusting and organizing)

I hope you are cozy in your neck of the woods and that you are having a lovely holiday season.

I think I have fixed my computer woes, and if I'm lucky it just was an over zealous virus protector.

It has been making my blogging and photo editing life impossible.

I tried so many things, moving files to external hard drives etc., until I just decided to test that.

It was making programs impossible to use.

But I may have handled it, yippeeee, and if that is that case I can now come here more often.

I think these days are a perfect time to cozy up with a book and just forget everything going on outside for a while.

Lots of love my friends!

 

Thank you for your messages in my last post.

It has been a heartbreaking thing, but I'm doing ok.

I almost washed away in an ocean of tears like Alice.

But I'm okay today

<3 <3 <3

 

See you sooooon <3

Stay cozy and warm until next time.

 

 

 

A Little Christmas Magic

The Christmas goose has made a bed of ribbons and sparkles to lay her fancy eggs in.

I had decided that this year I would have a really natural Christmas.

Just greens and garden findings.

But then...

Something came over me and all that went out the window.

I dragged my little old tree out of the wine cellar.

A tree I bought for nothing and flocked myself about 12-15 years ago.

The shape is so traditional, and in my heart I really was feeling a pull toward and old fashioned Christmas.

A little whimsical, a little Victorian.

A lot sparkly.

With carousel horses, and too many ornaments for one tree.

I found Miss Goose several years ago hidden in an antique store.

She was absolutely filthy and the owner told me she had dug her out of the attic of a 97 year old man.

I felt compelled to take her home and clean her up.

So, this year she decided she wanted to be right in the center of Christmas.

I thought she deserved it after being cooped up in an attic for who knows how many long years?

We set out together to fill the tree with a bazillion ornaments, antique tinsel icicles, bead garland and more.

The tree is about 5.5 feet tall and full, really subsantial looking in person.

And, even though she's not that tall, I thought she'd be adorable sitting on an old little table.

I'm so happy to be using my old little Christmas tree.

I topped her with my dupioni silk ribbon that I have dragged around for years for my decor.

The room is twinkling and joyful.

I'm so glad I just let the Christmas spirit take me where it wanted to go.

I feel like a child in an old fashioned shop.

I am still working on other areas that I will make sure to share.

I must take some better photos of Miss Goose's ribbon nest and sparkly eggs.

I've been upcycling a lot of my pieces, which I love doing so much.

The little trees on my mantel were in red glitter bases and I mixed pinks and golds and simply reglittered them.

I used different shades of pink candles, soft and bright which I thought was fun.

And I made a tree skirt from fabrics I had.

I'm just using all sorts of things that I already had on hand.

Digging through my studio for this and that.

My favorite lace ribbon I keep hidden in my sewing nook at the country house is on the carousel horse.

And, I did cut evergreens to put around his neck, so I did use them in the end :-)

I'm not sure if I will add anything to the corner trees on the mantel.

For now I'm just enjoying everything as such.

It's a little bit of a Christmas wonderland to me.

I hope you enjoyed peeking in.

My computer needs to be replaced as it is very difficult to even write a blog post these days with it.

Perfect in time for Santa.

But I really want to share tid-bits through the season.

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

Are you pulling out all your oldies but goodies for your holiday decor?

Vintage tinsel is one of my favorite things ever.

I promise to be back soon with even more pics.

But for now gingerbread is calling my name.

 

See you soon.

Lots of love!

 

Vanessa

 

 

 

Christmas Cabinet of Curiosities

It's time to crack open the Christmas cabinet...

Or maybe I already have :-)

My poor colorful glass collection has slowly become overrun by holiday baubles.

I love seeing them here throughout the year.

So, now I get to shop in my own cabinet of curiosities...

Picking out this and that for my lil' tree.

It's gotten quite chilly which adds to the Christmas vibe for certain.

So, I invite all my little creatures and friends to jump out of the glass...

And into the season!

I did plan to go simple this year, honestly.

(insert impish grin)

I thought, I'll just take some greens from the garden and some dried flowers and berries.

(ya right, I know that's what you're saying right now)

But then I'm not sure what happened.

And now, it's bauble crazy over here.

Although, I do love how the Christmas spirit just overtakes a person and before you know it -

Whamo, there are elves hanging from the chandeliers and an every 5 minute star confetti machine going full blast.

POOF!

All over your house.

Carol of the Bells is on repeat, oranges have baked on low for hours.

Hot chocolate is bubbling, the dogs are snoring, the fireplace is warming.

I've already watched about 10,000 bake off challenges in the background and picked up some tips along the way.

Mini mince meat pies are a go, and all the custard pies and Thanksgiving fixings have disappeared as though it never happened.

Can someone please hold me back from buying a lifetime supply box of Christmas cookie cutters from Ebay?

Oh wait, toooooo late.

Too late friends, just too plum late.

But wait, did someone say plum?

Plum pudding perhaps?

:-)

I have vintage gold tinsel garland coming out of my ears, so I can't hear you anyways.

But this is precisely how I get myself into these pickles guys and gals.

My mind veers and I come up with brilliant ideas I must do.

Alas, the older mind also forgets these incredible ideas and doesn't recall why 7,000 bags of powdered sugar arrived.

(And then just stare at it from my window while it's in quarantine for days ;)

Just kidding, don't panic, I did not order 7,000 bags of powdered sugar.

(he he)

But it feels like it sometimes, haha!

I'm like, what was I going to do with this again?

Luckily then I remember, but some day I won't.

(ok, so maybe sometimes I don't, but then I'm sorta crafty so I invent other uses)

Especially if I'm sampling the nog.

(which I never do in truth, only because it doesn't agree with me, but I would if it did)

I'm kookie from fighting with my computer for 5 hours to get here.

So, without further adieu I say, let's get this bauble party started!

Although, I know you already have.

I'm not sure if you read the paper but -

Some people actually lost their marbles completely and put up their trees before Halloween.

Can you even imagine that?

GASP!

(Btw, the paper means the news printed on big sheets for reading, if some youngsters don't know what "the paper" is)

Done gone and lost their minds I tell ya.

Before Halloween, no joke!

Teeheeeee.

Maybe I did partake in those shenanigans, but maybe I didn't.

Okay, I really didn't.

But I easily could have, it's a slippery slope I tell ya.

The holidays have been extra important this crazy year, so I'm all for whatever the heck everyone wants to do.

As long as it's good, and light-hearted.

And Christmas trees most certainly are.

I mean, what an amazing thing, that is just a norm now.

Hey, I have this bright idea, let's cut down a tree....

Put it in the house!

Then, let's cover it with lights!

And then spend like, nine hundred at seventy three dollars on all sorts of wacky things to hang on it.

YESSSS, the whole world is in!

I mean, how brilliant is that?

That practically the whole world is into something like that.

(or at least half of the world, or 3/4th's of the world)

It's just too good really, in my humble opinion.

Anyways.

That's all I got to say about that.

I'm leaving now....

Byyyyyeeee!

Toodles for now.

See you tomorrow.

No seriously -

See you tomorrow!

Are you shooketh?

:-)    :-)    :-)

xoxoxo

 

 

 

 

ps: I really am making myself laugh with my nonsense, you should know this.

My sister says no one laughs at my jokes like I do.

Ha!