A Fanciful Twist

And then it was January....

Hello there my dear friends <3

I hope you had lovely holidays.

Mine were a busy whirlwind, I literally just spun in the flurry and quickness of it all.

Travels and guests and travels and guests.

I thought I'd do a little holiday wrap up, an homage to the sparkle of Christmas of sorts.

And a clink clink to a new year.

I decided that the only way for me to truly love my Christmas tree was to fill it with only things I love, each and every thing. Not like, fillers here and just a couple things I love there, but to consciously only choose one and each thing I love to place on the tree.

I had a white tree that was then flocked, and in the end it made me very happy, as I can tend to be a reluctant Christmas tree lover in my own home.  So, I guess I now have found my peace with it all.  

It's just like collecting treasures, only collect what you love, as they say.

But the sparkle, that's my favorite part.

I keep up fairy lights (as most of you do too) year round, because of that lovely sparkly glow. But the holidays just seem that more magical.  Love the bokeh of that image above.

So, my tree was happy (for me) in the end and added a lovely measure of light and color that I shall miss.

The living trees will stay up until it is time to plant them.

I have two 3 footers and two 4.5 footers.

I have a tree growing at the country house that I planted 18 years ago, when it was just 2 feet tall, and it is now over 20 feet tall.

Well, I just let out a sigh.

A good sigh.

All the wonderful little things in life...

Growing trees, holidays, people we love.

Lovely meals and laughs, and a bit of drama of course too.

New year's table in colorful hues...

And me giggling non stop after drinking some champagne.

It was like I had taken laughing gas, I couldn't stop, it was bizarre :-)

Gumballs for all, fortune cookies everywhere.

It was a lovely time, followed up by snow and pretty mountains.

A real treat in our desert lands.

We do get a real, albeit short, winter here because of the higher elevation.

From December to February.

I do have a little holiday blues just because I loved the excitement of the season. But I'm not crying in a corner at all, because I have so many fun things that I want to do next.

Sprucing up my décor...

Working on some paintings, and new sculptures on my work bench.

These things make me so happy.

It is sunny today and I am in my country house office.

I've been sending out very Valentiney orders, I looove decorating for Valentine's, do you?

And, I'm planning my garden seeds and happenings at both houses for the quickly approaching spring.

Should I grow another vegetable garden in the land of endless gophers?

I'm just not sure.

It would undoubtedly have to be all above ground.

These are the things on my mind these days my friends.

How are you out there?

I miss us, here, in bloglette land.

Social media is easy and quick and you get to connect with people more easily.

Which I love.

But there is a sense of something I can't describe.

Maybe because it all happens so fast, and there is so much to see and the whole place is so saturated with beauty that you spin in a sort of lalaland that sucks you in, and you've seen so much but still are left wanting and you don't know if you are coming or going? How is that possible? I do not know, haha! Am I wrong? Do you get what I'm saying?

I enjoy it enormously, but there is something I can't put my finger on...

What could it be?

I think my blog is home.

And home may be a place to be again.

Could that be it?

Sometimes you gotta go see everything so that you can come back and enjoy home again.

Create an appreciation within yourself, or something like that I suppose.

Anywho…

I best be off.

 

Love love love, from me!

xoxoxo

 

Happy New Year!

Magic and wishes and stars forever to you!

(insert a bowing curtsy)

 

Wait until you see the pics I'm taking right now for my next post...

If you love dollhouses, I'll see you soon <3

 

 

ps:  I love when she turns into a flower about a minute in...

                          

♥ Magical Halloween Wishes ♥

 How can it be, that our favorite day of pumpkin holiday magic has arrived so soon?

Golden leaves and candy corn flickering flames...

Warmest glow of candlelight...

Sweet ole owls all in a row.

(for good luck of course)

Magical flickers of wax and wick...

Fairylights do just the trick…

And sparkles, of course!

For what is a trick and a treat without sparkles?

We follow the warm autumn light into the Halloween house.

There is more enchantment than hauntings, I can assure you.

The adult children aged 30 or more, put on their costumes and dance with cackles galore.

The kittens are rowdy.

The mushrooms sing songs.

The geese carry the crows, always on their back.

Of course, you know this, I know.

You have just the psychic knack.

Butterflies warm their wings...

And polka dot tea cups come out in droves, clink clink!

The characters gather under the lighted candelabra...

To beckon you in for a night of delightment and tales that may make you shiver.

Hot cocoa and a cozy fire to warm you back up.

And caramel corn to give you the energy to dance all night long.

The magic is there for the taking, just reach in and grab it.

It's just waiting for you to take the leap.

Make a wish on the count of three.

Close your eyes and feel a tap on your shoulder.

Don't worry, there are no ghosts around here from Boulder.

(we're in Arizona but hey, that rhymed, tee hee!)

Although I can not speak for how the hand print in the fireplace got there.

It's been there from the day I moved in you see.

So perhaps you know the tale, and are prepared to tell me?

Either way, have no fear.

The fairies are around you, they travel far and near, to light the path on All Hallows' Eve, for only one night a year.

Tis' here, tis' here!

And if you truly believe, they just may grant your wish.

So tap the tips of your toes on the edge of your bed as you drift off to sleep...

To let them know that you'd like to meet.

In dream land, in fairytales, in places of the heart.

If you're here then I know you understand this tale I tell...

As I curtsy and thank you for being so swell!

I pinky swear to be here every Halloween so long as I live...

To share these spells.

Good spells only.

Garden witches galore.

Waiting and hoping that you share some of your own folklore.

Now run off and beware of the imps.

And don't forget, the trolls and elves live for the tricks.

So check your locks and brush your teeth.

On this one and glorious yearly Halloween!

Cackles to you, from my broom stick up high!!!

I shan't say good-bye but instead I'll say....

I shall see you up in the moonlit sky!

Happy Halloweeeeeeen my friends!!!!

 Magic, and stars and wishes to you!!

Love, V

xoxo

 

 

 

 PS:  Our dearie, The Mad Hatter, sent you a gift this year my pretties!!

He wrote a Halloween song just for youuuu!!

This is a snippet of the song, we have it on cd, I'll post the rest sooooon!

xoxo

 It's called Every Halloween!

 

All the photos in the video below are by me & taken mostly from our yearly Halloween festivities♡

 

 

Bon Voyage

I'm writing this from my phone in an airport.

About to embark on a big journey♡

(I had a hard time posting this so by now I've traveled 30+ hours, rerouted my whole travel plan due to weather & have arrived at my first destination, woohoo)

The images looked perfect when I created them but now they look a little blurry here. But that's okay because I'm just popping in really quick to say, I'm off an a journey♡

I'll post oodles of photos & daily videos in my stories on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/afancifultwist

Won't you join me for some fun?

I've been painting like crazy & am excited to smell different air & feel a cool breeze, see how that affects my art fun shenanigans♡

While I'm away dont forget to...

And try to always...

And above all, plunge into creativity.

Being creative has vast options, not just in making art but in things like cooking, decorating, music making, gardening, dreaming, writing, singing, dancing, crafting, dreaming & sooooo much more♡

Creativity is so good for your heart & soul.

Trust me.

I've learned this time & time again.

No matter how good or bad I have felt in life, a little creativity never ever hurt♡

Much looooove!

Wish me luck, my airplane is already delayed 7 hours & we have to take a different route to get where we're going. But the cool thing about getting older is that sitting around people watching seems to be much easier & entertaining than it was when I was 13.

 

Ok then, best wishes for everyday goodnesses, from me to you♡♡♡

 

Xoxo, Vanessa

 

I'll be here below if you need me😊

https://www.instagram.com/afancifultwist

 

Ps: I can not tell what any of this looks like from my phone, so I hope it's ok ;-)

 

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