A Fanciful Twist

Gypsy (Zinnia) Summer

Zinnia...

What a lovely thing it would be to be called by such a name.

Living where the trees allow waves of dappled sunlight to sneak in through fresh leaves.

Wooden wagon, tucked in where the desert meets the forest.

Hottest days of summer, lounging in the tree covered bath tub.

Fairy wings fluttering.

They love the zinnias you see.

Crowns of yellow petals right in the center.

Rusty paint and peeling wood.

Just a few of the things that make up your heart.

Rosemary scented air, so hot you can taste it in the warm breeze.

Petal tea pot.

The perfect vase.

And so many shades of blue, you're inspired to dance in a sea foam dream.

Where fairy tales are free for the taking...

Beckoning you to jump in.

It whispers...

Come here, come play.

Let your self out, be free.

Be endless in the swirls of monsoon storms, clouds crashing and cool rain quenching the earth.

Be in the moment.

These summer gypsy moments.

Of crimson petals, herbs, healing plants.

Could it be belladonna?

A white winged dove?

Put the needle on that record, as it crackles and turns.

Dove, a name so familiar as I've been called by someone for 17 years.

No matter that the winged version flock here to have endless babies, nest after nest full.

Right in the gypsy garden.

Where dreams gather and explode in lightning storms on the mountain.

Streaks of black sky with lavender and peach clouds billowing in flight.

Rapidly headed north, clouds filled with lightning bolts and claps of song.

This is right where we will be.

There may be shifts and shuffles.

People enter, people go, people return.

But one things stays the same on this lane of birds...

The dreamers, believers, fairy tale wanderers - never leave for very long.

Called back to the earth, to this place where time stands still.

Where change does not matter once you go through the overgrown arbor into the garden.

Where you can be true to you forever and ever and ever and ever.

Where life is looked upon as one long event, filled with all manner of happenings.

But never one cut and dry shift of good-bye or hello.

No not ever.

Not in this place of love and goodness.

You are free to morph your dreams into reality here, all you have to do is plunge.

But how, how do you plunge you ask?

How do you plunge back in when life has knocked you down, slapped you around, wrinkled your pink shiny cheeks and frowned your brow?

Since it's impossible to forget all we have been through, you just push it to the side and say, I'll talk to you later because right now I'm going to this wonderful place...

And then you jump....!

Put on your headphones.

Turn up the sound in your home.

And take some baby steps.

But first...

DANCE!

Because that is how it always begins in this land of dreamers and believers.

Smell the air.

Think of the you that is inside.

Full of fire and hope.

Remember that person?

Life is filled with choices.

What do you choose?

I choose to not worry about dumb things for today, I choose to feel the hot summer air on my skin, eat lots of popsicles, cut flowers, dream about what sort of thing I'd like to do next in life.

Walk through the woods.

Twirl in the rain.

All the things that lead me back to me.

To you.

To here.

To now.

To living.

Laughing.

Loving.

And always dreaming.

That's where all the possibilities live, don't they?

 

xoxoxo

 

 

 

Ridiculous Fancy Things, Oh My!

How did I know you were fellow ridiculous fancy things lovers?

Somehow I knew it deep in my heart.

I just knew you'd understand.

Ever since I can remember I have loved fancy things.

And by fancy I mean sparkly, intricate, sweet, floral, jeweled, dreamy, etc.

Many times old, many times discovered in glass cases.

My godmother wore rings on all her fingers and it was almost more than my 10 year old heart could handle.

The first time I went into an antique store I almost fainted.

All my senses burst open, it was everything to my attic, fairytale, fancy things loving heart.

The scent of old books, the sparkle of antique crystals...

And so, I've spent the last 25 years collecting all manner of things, including (but not limited to) fancy ones.

It just makes me happy, plain and simple.

The hunt is extra fun.

But more than that...

It's my inspiration for what I love, making art.

It just opens my heart up to go out hunting for treasure and it inspires my creative side in ways I can't describe.  It's almost cathartic for me. Just go out and look around, enjoying the moment.

When I was 11 my parents let me paint my walls and my furniture in my room.

I started DIYing and upcycling in the late 80's as a kookie kid looking to express the feelings deep in my soul.

This explosive feeling to make something, to let my feelings explode out of me like fireworks.

I started painting on large scale canvases at that early age.

I called it painting my feelings.

And it took me places I couldn't have dreamed of.

Portals through paint and music in the background, bliss.

But it all began with first painting and altering my surroundings.

It was the first step in my creative journey.

Boy did I paint everything up in my bedroom.

And it is always a doorway for me.

I still find myself hunting down furniture and painting it.

Like the furniture in the backdrop of the photo below.

The hunt was incredible for that cabinet and the decision to paint it pink was inevitable.

My sister drove with me to the middle of nowhere, for an old cabinet with its original fancy key!

And of course, a whole table and chairs painted teal and gold was no small project.

(and reupholstering the seats)

Now you know why I've been so busy, and I still have a roster of projects I'm working on.

But it's all part of my creative expression and the end result is only one that can make you happy.

It's being true to you.

Even if your truth is pink and teal.

With fairy lights thrown in for good measure of course.

What's a tea room without a little Marie Antoinette peeking out.

I've always said, I'm going hunting for fancy things whenever I head out to antique.

But it wasn't until I saw Beauty and the Beast that I said, I NEED all the ridiculous fancy things.

I was being funny of course, but now I always say that.

I need ridiculous fancy things :-)

It's part joke and part truth I'd say.

The joy in the hunt is finding something you see as priceless, and it ends up being 7 dollars.

Sometimes 2.

I'm obsessed with little porcelain birds and of course pretty tea cups, actually all pretty things tea related, as you may already know.

Sometimes you pay up for something really special that you know you will never find again.

And other times you get deals deals deals.

It's the colors and shapes that really inspire me.

And so I magpie it up, smash it all together in a cabinet, and everyday I am inspired when I peer through the glass.

It's like this fancy lamp...

To some it might be simply ridiculous.

To others it might be ridiculously good.

Or even ridiculously fancifully fabulous!

To someone it was a thrift store donation.

To another person pricing it, it was worth 48 dollars.

With lamps half price on the day I came around.

To me it was the most incredible find everrrrrrr.

Mainly because I love frilly things.

Silly things.

Pastel things.

Gold things.

Porcelain things.

Fairytale things.

And lambs?! Oh yes.

Flowers.

Floral clothing.

Flowers in their hair??!!!

Sold sold sold.

Ridiculous fancy things.

You inspire me so!

 

Now I own the domain ridiculousfancythings dot com.

What ever shall I do with it?

Time will tell.

 

The inspiration these collected abandoned treasures bring me is everything.

I find treasure hunting utterly relaxing.

Fulfilling.

I once tried to be zen and gave all my stuff away.

That was around 1998.

A youngster in college but I had some gooood treasures I tell ya.

I still regret it, but I also say c'est la vie at the same time.

(mostly miss my original art work I donated)

Such is life.

(and boy have I made up for that zen purge, haha!)

I admire people who can be stuffless.

But I like my stuff so I'll keep it.

And I respect those that don't want any fancy things.

Because what is life without a variety of tastes and likes?

We're all different and that is beautiful.

If someday I have to go live in the woods with nothing (my mind thinks these things might happen you see), I suppose I'd collect acorns and dried seeds and fruit pits to make jewelry with. And treasure covered in fancy moss??!!  Oh my, yes!

So it seems, I'm not partial just to over the top fancy things you can only buy in the store.

I'm  open to nature's ridiculous fancy things too.

Hello trumpet flower trees, hello giant dahlias, hello wisteria, hello - well you catch my drift.

Speaking of drift, even some drift wood is fancy if you ask me.

I brought a piece back shaped as a heart from the ocean last summer.

So now, tell me...

What's your favorite ridiculous fancy thing?

Inquiring minds want to know?

 

xoxoxo

 

 See you soooon!

 

Love, V

 

 

 

ps:  

I watched Under the Tuscan Sun in the background (one of my faves) whilst working on this blog post.

Gosh, what a mood lifter.

Watch it again, so fun & uplifting <3

Beautiful soundtrack too.

 

 

Flutter Days...

These crazy days of June.

Where birthdays pile up and cake and birthday gifts go on for over a week.

Candles and singing and good times, oh my!

I've been in a flutter of many birthdays of those I love + Father's day.

It's super hot and real flowers are on summer vacation for a little while.

Monsoons begin to swirl and tease.

A day of rain comes and goes and we wait, whilst begging for more.

In the meantime I collect fakies.

Paper flowers, silk flowers, any flowers I can get really.

Since it's too hot for many real ones in the garden right at this moment.

 I acquired this beautiful old antique urn recently.

It's huuuuuge and rust and chippy.

But mostly I love it because it was in the south, probably at an old mansion, rusting away in the garden for endless years.  Then a local dealer snapped it up and brought it here and sold it to me.

It's giant in person and has so many tales and secrets whispering about it.

And now it's getting a new lease on life.

I guess these are the things that beckon us lovers of all things old.

The stories of times forgotten.

The where's of where it could have been and how it got to you.

Like my little lady here, I madly love her.

She's a perfect character of A Fanciful Twist, wouldn't you say?

I've had her under a bell jar for about 6 months.

I do feel a bit guilty about it.

I'm sure she'd love to dance around the house at 1 a.m. when all the other little characters come to life.

Maybe I'll leave the cloche off tonight.

I hope she won't be missing a golden shoe tomorrow though :-)

I'm having a marvelous time decorating at the villa.

I adore decorating, don't you?

I love the hunt for treasures and I love placing them about.

It's such a personal creative process and really fills me with joy and inspiration.

I was an interior designer for a firm and then on my own for a few years when I was in my 20's but that was not fun at all.  No siree. You didn't have much creative freedom when dealing with people's specific tastes. And although it was nice to help them in a way, it was not freeing like decorating your own home is.

I've been painting up little bits of nonsense to tuck in here and there.

My little faces that come to visit me fill my heart.

They're like, hey I want to come out and play.

And I say, wait maybe not today, and they say YES TODAYYY!!!

And so, that's how that often goes.

Oh and by the way...

Speaking of decorating inspiration, look at the detail on this settee I picked up at an antique market.

Curly golden ribbon?

Why, yes please.

Never mind the golden chippy paint.

Swoon!

I bought it sight unseen (in person), but the antiques market owner sent me some photos and I said, of course I need that :-)

When I picked up the lass in the blue ruffles below last year, the lady opening the glass case to take her out for me asked me why?  Why do you want this????

I think the question is, why oh why would I not?

Haha!

I promise I will lift the bell jar tonight so she can run about and dance.

I can not tell you how often people hassle me when I'm out shopping.

They ask me if I'm reselling in a very accusatory way.

Or, why I would need so many fancy things?

I realize they are probably not treasure hunters, or in a place where they'd rather purge.

But I always wonder why you would ask a person buying from you why they want to buy?

I think they should be thanking me, don't you?

Am I wrong?  Am I missing something here?

Hahaha!

Oh but there it this lovely man Jim, he teases me a little, but he helps me carry all my loot to the checkout counter at this one estate shop.  And sometimes he even walks me to my car.  I tell him how I'm sad I can't work out at the local gym because I am one street away from being in the gym membership area.  And he tells me how he lives there and he could have a guest but he's not allowed to let said guess run wild. So then we both realize, it just won't work and it's too complicated, but we laugh and chat on, and he tells me about his fun lifestyle of volunteering at the antique store, working out/hiking and how he plays gin rummy on Friday nights.  He just warms the heck out of my heart, I can't even tell you. I always wave eagerly at the shop when I see hi,, Hiiiii JIM!!!  And he says, Hiii Vanessaaaaa! And he always does it with an impish grin like saying he know's I'm about to go wild with the treasures and he thinks it's funny and a bit insane, but mostly he's glad the items are not going to his house :-)

Isn't it those little connections in everyday life that add a bounce to your step?

That make you happy to go out in the world?

I just love all those friendly connections I make out there.

Makes my day.

But now it's time to get all those treasures squared away.

Hung up.

Organized here and there.

Tucked into shelves.

So that I can start to share it with you.

My fellow treasure hunters.

I know some of you are.

Seekers of all the ridiculous fancy things.

Oh yessss!

That's the club I'd like to have.

That would be the name of it too.

Ridiculous Fancy Things.

(I reserve copyright on that one ;-)

Maybe we should start one?

Hmmm, my gears are turning!

:-)

 

In other news, I've been working on a sweet treats post but guess what?

Those edited photos are in my proper computer in my country house office and I am currently writing my first blog post ever from the villa.  I got a lap top, finallllly.

So now I can try to be more present in my life here in the blogosphere.

I've decided that one of my top 5 best forms of mindfulness is blogging.

It helps me sit down, look at my photos, be present in my own little tales.

And chat nonsensically about little tid-bits in life with you.

So, there you have it.

First lap top post in 12 years.

Fancy that?

 

How are you out there in your neck of the wooooods?

I hope June is treating you a-ok so far.

 

Well I guess I better run for now.

Time to swim and enjoy the desert air.

 

 

But I'll see you soon!

 

Love, 

 

Vanesssa

 

 

Christmas Magic ♥

Hello my lovely friends!

It's been all a flutter around these parts, oh me oh my!

And here we are, in the depths of Christmas Magic.

Baking and gift collecting a plenty.

The weather shifted a bit to cool and clouds.

The sky was unreal this evening.

It was pink and golden and lavender with pink clouds.

Like a fairytale dream.

We've had rain and I've even worn my fluffy faux fur, too fun!

We had still been in summer up to about 2 weeks ago.

Crazy place.

But now...

The moody weather sent me off with my bits and bobs into my country house gardens...

In search of some kind of enchantment.

I did find a slice of it and came in to share and wish you the most loveliest of holiday seasons.

Perfect time for carols on tattered piano keys.

Tiny piano treasure, I'm so in love.

Found it buried in an antique store a month ago, it's just so special.

It has tales it wants to whisper to me.

I beckon it, come on, please tell.

Time for red ribbons and wreath making in the garden.

As many of you know (from IG) I've been missing because of an Italian villa that found its way into my life.

It happens to be just handful of minutes down the road from the country house.

I will enjoy both places and swirl with the flutter of life happenings that have ventured my way.

For now I am swimming in what feels like a full ball gown, in a sea of Christmas tidings.

How bout yourself?

Sooooo much going on.

But I am reminding myself to not get into a dizzying tornado of holiday madness, and to just enjoy the season.

My dear friend of many years came over and did my hair.

Then we made baklava, my yearly thing.

I made her a huge tray to take home.

We ate sushi and salads and talked about life.

There were laughs and tears and memories and hopes and dreams.

Friends are so good.

We should always keep looking forward to goodness.

Hoping for wonderful things.

Believing that something wonderful is just about to happen.

And, it will.

Just wait and see.

Maybe it's happening now?

 

So many beyond warm Christmas wishes to you and yours!!

 

Lots of love, 

Vanessa

 

 

 

 

 

I'm reading Little Women again, a little every night.

Oh how I love those girls.

I will hold onto the March girl in me forever more.

No matter what.

How about you?

xoxo

 

 

 

ps:  For some reason my photos are downgraded when I upload them into my Typepad account. If you click on them you can see the original clear image.  Not sure what that's about <3