RHINESTONE GYPSY

A DECADENT DOSE OF FANTASY FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

2012-02-14T11:28:00.000-06:00

I have been spending many of these gloomy winter days reading the Grimm Fairy Tales-stories collected by Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm in the late 1800's that served up life as a generation of central Europeans knew it-capricious and often cruel. The two brothers were determined to preserve German folktales and became accidental entertainers. I am loving the dark side of many of these beloved fairy tales.

I've also begun re-watching many of my old favorite faery tale movies: Alice in Wonderland, Sleepy Hollow, Lady In the Water, Edward Sissorhands, Never Ending Story, Labyrinth, and Legend to name a few. I have become so enamored that my Spirit Art Dolls are now evolving in dark Faeries!

If you are in the mood tonight for a truly enchanting Faery movie I highly recommend 'Legend'- Ridley Scott's delightful fairy tale. This cult classic features a young Tom Cruise as Jack, a forest boy fighting to save the land and the woman he loves from Tim Curry’s evil Lord of Darkness. Hailed for its visual beauty, the movie was a fantastical adventure through a faery world both light and innocent down to the dark and terrifying depths of nightmare. With goblins and elves, a brave hero fighting a dark Lord, a beautiful princess and–of course–unicorns, this truly is the stuff legends.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

ON TURNING SIXTY

2011-12-20T07:32:00.002-06:00

Today is my birthday. I am turning 60 years old. I have been dreading this birthday...but, my best friends tell me I don't look or act 60. And, anyway, there is a certain status that comes with being 60, they say.

Lots of things have happened in my life-happy things, very sad things, very important things. When I reflect on my life I am thankful for all that I have experienced, and in truth I wouldn't change much. The good thing about getting older is that you gain perspective on all those experiences-both good and bad. How and why I got from point A to point B has become clearer and clearer.

I have also had much good fortune in my life. I married my high school sweetheart and have four amazing children. I have many wonderful friends. And, I have been blessed to work at something I love.

Fear might be my only regret. In my 60 years on this planet I have learned that there is great value in being fearless. When I was younger I think I protected myself from situations and people because I was afraid to put myself out there. Now I have a sense of fearlessness and freedom I didn't have when I was younger.

I have had some wonderful birthday celebrations already, beginning in early December with a huge party in Chicago with all my Gannon siblings, continuing with dinners and lunches out with my family and friends, and culminating today with a special surprise from Kristin who took the day off from work to spend ALL DAY with her 'very old' Mom. With any luck this special treatment will continue throughout the month (:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2011-12-14T14:25:00.002-06:00

My gift for you in this blessed holiday season is this just-released poem by Irish poet and mystic, John O'Donahue. May it lift you up and carry you through to the glistening New Year.

"Swanlight

If it could say itself January
Might brighten its syllables on the frost
Of these first New Year days whose cold is blue.

Meanwhile in this corner of its silence
A weak winter sun lowers down behind
The moor that rises away from the lake.

Beyond reach of light, the shadowed water
Succumbs to this darkening of spirit
That would deny the bog today’s twilight.

All of a sudden something else breaks through
To appear at the far end of the lake
In two diagrams of white, uneven light.

I have never seen white so absolute
And alone, glistening in awkward form
Dreaming across the water a bright path.

As it stirs and changes I see what it is:
Two swans have found the mirror in the lake
Where a V of horizon lets light through

To make them light-source and light-shape in one.
Now they swim and fade through windows of reed
And disrobe the lake of apparition.

I look and look into their vanishing
See nothing. Departing that perfect ground
I knew I had been hungry for a blessing."

MOLLY'S ENGAGED

2011-11-10T16:02:00.001-06:00

Our youngest daughter, Molly, and her boyfriend, Lukas, are engaged! They are estatically happy....and it is infectious. We are all thrilled about their engagement and upcoming wedding.

So, we are in 'wedding planning' mode here. Our conversations now are all about wedding ceremonies, venue locations, guest lists, 'Save The Date' cards, engagement photographs, etc. etc. etc.

How different wedding planning is now then it was thirty-seven years ago when Tom and I got married. We choose a date in October (3 months after we got engaged) that didn't compete with an opening hunting season (seriously), went and talked to the priest we wanted to marry us to make sure he was available that day, booked the church, and began our preparations. We asked a friend who owned a restaurant if he would do a pig roast in the park near our home for our reception. I made our wedding invitations and sent them; bought an ivory colored dress from my favorite department store. We wrote our vows. When our wedding day came, we were ready. It was a very simple affair: a big picnic shared with family and friends under a canopy of crimson and gold colored trees. A magical day.

Molly's wedding will be much different then mine. She (and I) will work on her wedding for almost a year. There will be details upon details upon details to work out.

And, I know that Molly and Lukas' wedding day will also be incredibly magical. It couldn't help but be anything else......but, it makes me laugh to think how different our journeys will have been to get to the same place. (:

THE DARK MAGIC OF ALL HALLOWS EVE

2011-10-13T15:22:00.001-05:00

Samhain, All Hallos Eve, Halloween, Dia de los Muertos (which falls on October 31st) is deep Autumn. Crispy-cold evenings with leaves blowing underfoot and the smell of woodsmoke. Long dark nights with clouds scattering overhead. Chilly mornings that lift damp fingers to a veiled sun.

Samhain is a time of change-for letting go of the old and making way for the new. For many who practice earth-based traditions, it is the turning point of the year, the dark half of the wheel, a time to reach through the veil and communicate with the otherworld.

It is a time for going within to the darkness, into our shadows, and meeting ourselves and those who have gone before....remembering that death is just a phase of our journey.

To celebrate this magical season, we carve jack-o-lanterns and make pumpkin bread from our garden pumpkins. We decorate our home with dried leaves, apples, pumpkins, Indian Corn, masks, and witches (lots of witches)! We burn spicy-scented candles and take time for reflection in their flickering light.

In honor of Samhain/Halloween, Kristin and I have created this dark and magical Gypsy Doll:

Come with me All Hallow's night
We'll frighten everyone in sight
Such pranks for once, are justified
And fun and frolic amplified. -19th Century Halloween postcard

'The Vampire' is made of salvaged, recycled, tattered fabrics, textiles, laces, ribbons, jewels, beads, buttons, shells, crystals, furs, feathers, twigs and stones. His face is hand formed, hand painted polymer clay.

* He is approximately 14” L

* He is an original, one-of-a-kind, dated and signed.

MABON APPROACHES

2011-09-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

As a child I understood the season changes through the portends of nature....the black and orange fuzz of a wooly bear caterpillar foretold the nearness of Halloween, and legend had it that the thickness of her coat foretold how cold the upcoming winter would be. Apple picking meant the end of summer and the beginning of crisp, sweet Autumn. To this day, Fall remains my favorite season. And, I now also know this season-shifting time as 'Mabon', or The Autumn Equinox.

'Mea'n Fo mhair' (which is what the Druids called Mabon), honors the Green Man, God of the Forest. Offerings of libations to the trees in the way of cidars, wines, herbs and fertilizers are appropriate at this time.

At Mabon the light and dark once again sit facing each other with equal sway. The coolness of the darkness has come to soothe our sun-drenched brows, but we have not yet descended into the dark half of the year. Here in Wisconsin, we are nearing our first frost, but, the days are still balmy and pleasant; yet on the wind I can smell Autumn.

There is something quite alive about Autumn, even though it marks the first 'deaths' as the tilt of the earth takes the northern hemisphere away from the sun. The summer dogs days have passed and it is time to snuggle in, in preparation for winter's coming chill.

In honor of Autumn and the coming harvest season, we have created 'Mabon'.

"Under the harvest moon,
When the soft silver
Drips shimmering
Over the garden nights,
Death, the gray mocker,
Comes and whispers to you
As a beautiful friend
Who remembers."
- Carl Sandburg, Under the Harvest Moon

'Mabon' is made of salvaged, recycled, tattered fabrics, textiles, laces, ribbons, jewels, beads, buttons, furs, feathers, twigs and stones. Her face is hand formed, hand painted polymer clay.

* She is approximately 14” L

* She is an original, one-of-a-kind, dated and signed.

FABULOUS FLEA MARKET FINDS

2011-08-14T13:17:00.001-05:00

Kristin and I loaded up my little volkswagon beetle with Spirit Dolls this week and hit the road on a selling trip. We headed toward Northern Wisconsin's tourist destinations-stopping at little out of the way galleries. We had an amazingly profitable trip! Not only did we sell our Spirit Dolls, but we met some funky shop owners (now new friends); AND along the way we found a quaint antique shop where we bargained for a gigunda box of twisted-up junk jewelry-which we got for a pittance! All it took to uncover our vast treasure was some time and patience for de-tangling.

It was an all around grand adventure.

ITSY BITSY TEENIE WEENIE YELLOW POLKA DOT BIKINI

2011-07-10T19:36:00.028-05:00

The color of buttercups and lemons...my choice of a color theme for summer is YELLOW. Yellow is a vivacious color : energizing in the kitchen and warm in the bedroom-especially when it is drenched in morning sunlight. Yellow is a sophisticated color when paired with white, and dynamic when finished with black edges.

Whether it be amber, butter, mustard, ochre, or saffron, for me, yellow always evokes a sense of pure joy and memories of long, lazy, sunny summer days.

A HEALING POEM FOR SCARLETTE

2011-07-05T15:09:00.006-05:00

My friend Scarlette lost her husband a few days ago (and her son just months ago). My heart aches with her suffering, for I remember well how it feels to be in that lonely place of sorrow and loss. When my brother died a little over a year ago, I found some comfort from this poem by John O'Donohue about death. He had an unusual view of promise and rebirth upon one's passing. I am hoping that John's words will likewise bring Scarlette a tiny bit of peace in the terrible days ahead.

On the death of the Beloved

by John O'Donohue
(1956 - 2008)

Original LanguageEnglish

Though we need to weep your loss,
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,
Where no storm or might or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn
Brightening over our lives
Awakening beneath the dark
A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice
Found for us
A new music
That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze
Quickened in the joy of its being;
You placed smiles like flowers
On the altar of the heart.
Your mind always sparkled
With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,
Your spirit was live, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer
From the old distance of our names;
Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,
As close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,
We know our soul's gaze is upon your face,
Smiling back at us from within everything
To which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory,
Where we would grow lonely without you.
You would want us to find you in presence,
Beside us when beauty brightens,
When kindness glows
And music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth,
Darkest winter has turned to spring;
May this dark grief flower with hope
In every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us:

To enter each day with a generous heart.
To serve the call of courage and love
Until we see your beautiful face again
In that land where there is no more separation,
Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,
And where we will never lose you again.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

2011-06-29T16:04:00.006-05:00

We are packing up the car getting ready to make our annual July 4th trip to our lake cabin. We will celebrate the long weekend as we always do: sipping steaming coffee on the pier in the early mornings, taking long, leisurely boat rides in the afternoons (and/or playing in the frigid water)...and, as we dance around the campfire every evening, twirling our sparklers and singing 'God Bless America', we will think about our servicemen and women who have made such extraordinary sacrifices so that we might have blissful weekends such as this.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

THE MAIDEN

2011-06-13T19:54:00.002-05:00

In honor of the upcoming Summer Solstice/Midsummer Celebration, Kristin and I have created 'The Maiden'-a beautiful Goddess who celebrates auspicious beginnings, birth, growth, hope and joy.

What is one to say about June,
The time of perfect young summer,
The fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months,
And with as yet no sign to remind one
That its fresh young beauty will ever fade.
~Gertrude Jekyll

* 'The Maiden' is made of salvaged, recycled, tattered fabrics, textiles, laces, ribbons, jewels, beads, buttons, furs, feathers, twigs and stones. Her face is hand formed, hand painted polymer clay.

* She is approximately 8” L (excluding fringe)

* She is an original, one-of-a-kind, dated and signed.

SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONS

2011-06-07T14:13:00.009-05:00

I've been thinking about the Summer Solstice-which marks the longest day of the year (also known as 'Midsummer')-and how we might celebrate this year. The ancient Celts and Slavs celebrated the first day of summer with dancing and bonfires to honor the Sun King. The Druids celebrated the day as the 'wedding of Heaven and Earth' resulting in our modern day beliefs of a 'lucky' wedding in June. The most notable celebration, though, might just be in England at magical Stonehenge-where it is said that thousands gather to welcome the sunrise on the morning of June 20th.

It is believed that on Midsummer's Eve elves and faeries abound in great numbers; so it is said to be a good time to perform magic rituals of all kinds-especially healing and love magic.

Pagans often wove garlands for their heads made of protective flowers and herbs, among them 'chase devil' or St. John's Wort, which today is the herb most often associated with Midsummer celebrations.

I think that I will gather the family together and head to our cabin on the lake and celebrate Midsummer/Father's Day/Kristin's birthday taking leisurely boat rides, floating in the cool, soothing water, watching our glorious northern sunsets. In lieu of the garlands, we could wear our crazy cabin hats and dance and sing around the pit fire. It will be a splendid way to welcome summer.

MAY DAY MAGIC

2011-05-01T12:06:00.003-05:00

Like Candlemas, Lammas, and Halloween, May Day is one of the corner days which fall between solar festivals of the year (the equinoxes and soltices). The ancient Celts called this holiday Beltane and began celebrating at sunset on April 30th. It marked the beginning of summer, time to move with the flocks up to greener pastures.

Like Halloween, this is a night where witches, faeries, and ghosts wander freely. The veil between the worlds is thin. Many ancient tales tell of faerie sightings on May 1st.

When my children were young, we celebrated May Day by making fresh flower bouquets from the blooming wild flowers and herbs in my garden and whatever we could scrounge up in the woods. Often the lilac bushes were in bloom and we added springs of those succulent purple posies as well. We made one for each of our relatives and our favorite neighbors....20 pots or more we tied up in shimmering ribbons.

Then, following May Day ritual lore, we would deliver the flowers to the doorsteps of our family and friends, ring their bell, and run away giggling-thrilled with our secret gift.

The kids are all grown up and gone from home now...and we haven't celebrated May Day in many years. But, those sweet, magical memories fill me up and make me smile every May1st.

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

2011-03-24T13:16:00.004-05:00

I have written several past posts about how much I adore the book, 'The Secret'...in which author, Rhonda Byrne writes about how to create your own life's destiny by using the simple universal law of ATTRACTION: what you think about, what you dream about, what you talk about, is what comes back to you. Like a magnet. If you think about how unhappy and unhealthy you are....that is exactly what you will keep creating for yourself. Likewise, if you think about how incredibly lucky you are in all areas of your life....THAT is what you will create for yourself.

Yesterday while I was searching for an art book I wanted at my favorite bookstore, a little yellow misplaced book sitting all alone on the shelf called out to me. I picked it up and realized that Rhonda had written another book I hadn't seen before, entitled, 'The Power'. I decided (as Oprah says) that the universe was giving me a little nudge. So, I bought the book and read it last night.

'The Power' contains the essence of everything that Rhonda has learned since 'The Secret' was released in 2006. In her words, 'you will come to understand that all it takes to change your relationships, money, health, happiness, career, life.....is LOVE'.

'The Power' says that whatever you want to be in your life, whatever you want to do in your life, whatever you want to have in your life...the creation process is the same: GIVE LOVE TO RECEIVE LOVE. The force of love will work through the visible and invisible forces of nature to bring what you desire to you. It will use circumstances, events, and people to give what you love to you.

Serendipitously, this morning I was leafing through my worn copy of 'Anam Cara', the celtic poetry book written by Irish poet/philosopher, John O' Donahue (I just LOVE him) looking for a poem about spring. But, the passage that got my attention was this one:

"If you send out goodness from yourself, or if you share that which is happy or good within you, it will all come back to you multiplied ten thousand times. In the kingdom of love there is no competition; there is no possessiveness or control. The more love you give away, the more love you will have."

Well. I got the message. And, I now am doing my best to spread it.
Much LOVE to you all. xo

FOR THE LOVE OF GREEN

2011-03-21T21:16:00.006-05:00

It is the official first day of spring, so I decided I had better choose my theme color of the season. Since my very proud Irish family's favorite holiday has just passed, you may have guessed that I am going with GREEN.

Of course, green must surely be everyone's favorite color right now. After our long, drab winter, it feels good to see the beginning shoots of green life again.

I love to use different shades of green to paint furniture. And, I am quite partial to green rugs. (The carpet throughout our home is sea green). Green is the color of nature, so it is my way of bringing the outdoors in.

Green is such a positive, energy giving color. Whether it be celadon, chartreuse, clover, fern, kelly, lime, moss, olive, pine or teal....they are all a breath of fresh air.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

2011-03-09T15:05:00.043-06:00

I found this beautiful poem on Griselda's blog (http://www.awesomepaintings.blogspot.com) this morning. I loved it so much I decided to reprint it here. After researching it a bit, I found that it has often been credited to Maya Angelou, but, in reality was written by Pamela Redmond Satran.

" A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE enough money within her control to move out  and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE  a youth she’s content to leave behind….
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to  retelling it in her old age….
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE  one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE  eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored…
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a feeling of control over her destiny.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNO W  how to fall in love without losing herself.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW  how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW that she can’t change the length of her calves,  the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW that her childhood may not have been perfect…but its over…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW  how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW  whom she can trust,  whom she can’t  and why she shouldn’t take it personally…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW where to go… be it to her best friend’s kitchen table… or a charming inn in the woods… when her soul needs soothing…
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW  what she can and can’t accomplish in a day… a month…and a year…"

A VALENTINE BLESSING

2011-02-12T13:28:00.006-06:00

Anam Cara* Valentine Blessing

May the light of your soul guide you.
May the light of your soul bless the work you do with the secret love and warmth in your heart.
May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.
May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light, and renewal to those who work with you and to those who see and receive your work.
May your work never weary you.
May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration, and excitement.
May you be present in what you do.
May you never become lost in the bland absences.
May the day never burden.
May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities, and promises.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered, and protected.
May your soul calm, console, and renew you.

- John O'Donohue

DREAMING OF SPRING

2011-02-08T16:00:00.002-06:00

"Midwinter spring is its own season

Sempiternal though sodden towards sundown,

Suspended in time, between pole and tropic.

Whem the short day is brightest, with frost and fire,

The brief sun flames the ice, on pond and ditches,

In windless cold that is the heart's heat,

Reflecting in a watery mirror

A glare that is blindness in the early afternoon.

And glow more intense than blaze of branch, or brazier,

Stirs the dumb spirit: no wind, but pentecostal fire

In the dark time of the year. Between melting and freezing

The soul's sap quivers. There is no earth smell

Or smell of living thing. This is the spring time

But not in time's covenant. Now the hedgerow

Is blanched for an hour with transitory blossom

Of snow, a bloom more sudden

Than that of summer, neither budding nor fading,

Not in the scheme of generation.

Where is the summer, the unimaginable

Zero summer?"

-T.S. Eliot

YEAR OF THE RABBIT

2011-02-01T13:47:00.009-06:00

Tom and I spent the weekend in Las Vegas. Everywhere we went there were fabulously elaborate decorations of dragons and lanterns in celebration of the Chinese New Year (which falls on February 3rd this year) Oh, and rabbits! 2011 is the 'Year of the Rabbit'. I was so intrigued, when I got home last night I decided to do a little research to see what the Chinese New Year is all about.

It seems that the Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-year cycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

THE COLOR OF WINTER

2011-01-12T16:42:00.014-06:00

I like to choose one or two colors to focus my work around each season. In winter's past, I have decorated my home and centered my holiday creations on: icy blues, traditional reds and greens, one year just shades of reds. Several winter's ago I choose a deep, dark, vibrant purple. This winter, I decided to work with a lovely winter white, or, more aptly, 'Champagne White'-an antique-y white with just a hint of pink. It's the color of the faintest layer in the morning haze, puffy winter clouds full of moisture, glistening snowflakes as they fall to the ground. Champagne White is a creamy, soft, sumptuous color. It is soothing and comforting. Clean and fresh.

Now that the holidays are over, I am tempted to jump right into a new spring color, but, here in the midwest we have another couple months of winter left. Sigh. So, for a tidgy bit longer, I will continue to make some dolls decked out in champagne white. I will leave the ivory pillows on my couch. I will wear my beautiful vintage white wool coat. I will revel in the shimmering, magical white-ness of the world around me.

RESOLUTION REVOLUTION

2010-12-31T07:45:00.003-06:00

My friend Babs posted this video by Amanda Gore on her Facebook page the other day. It got me to thinking....what if the only resolution we made this year was to open our hearts, let go of past grievances, forgive, love. What a bunch of healthy, happy people we would be. I am not saying it will be easy. There are people in my life I don't really want to forgive, and things I don't want to forget. But, I do know from all that I have read, and all that I have experienced, that holding on to grudges, anger, and hurt harms your body. Harms your heart. I believe it is worth the effort to try. So, here's to making 2011 all about forgiveness and LOVE. Zoot. Zoot. Zoot. Happy New Year!

HOW TO LET PEOPLE KNOW YOU LOVE THEM by Amanda...

DOLLS of SPIRIT EMPOWERING WOMEN of EARTH

2010-12-01T11:32:00.022-06:00

Kristin and I are making something new: ENCHANTED ART DOLLS! Each is a one-of-a-kind, collectible, made from our stash of scavenged textile scraps, furs, jewels, charms, buttons, beads, feathers, twigs and stones. Kristin sculpts their faces from polymer clay, then paints them with acrylic paints.

Our affinity for the ancient Celts, Faeries, and Gypsies-all who practiced living in harmony with nature- inspired the creation of our fanciful new dolls. They are a glamorously eccentric mesh of colorful Gypsy, eco-Hippie, and mythical Faerie/Goddess.

I am giving our dolls a test run this weekend at the fabulous Holiday WEARABLE ART SHOW in Wisconsin Rapids. The show this year will be held on Friday (9am-6pm) and Saturday (9am-2pm) at The Golden Eagle Log Home Model, 4421 Plover Road (Hwy. 54 East), Wisconsin Rapids.

A THANKSGIVING STORY

2010-11-19T08:54:00.005-06:00

I was young when I cooked my first turkey dinner-newly married and just a couple months into my first teaching job. I had a class of seven severely mentally and physically handicapped, non-ambulatory, teenaged boys who had lived their entire lives at the institution where I was working. I knew that they had not had a real home cooked meal in years (if ever), so I decided I would cook my first Thanksgiving meal for my boys.

I spent the entire Wednesday before Thanksgiving in the center’s kitchen cooking and baking. I had hauled in all my own pots, pans, utensils, foods, and spices with me that morning. Since I was on the clock and couldn’t leave, I had to carry on when I discovered I had forgotten several key ingredients. “Does a pumpkin pie really need eggs”? I asked myself. "So the stuffing doesn't have any sage....no big deal".

And, when I went to wash the turkey, I discovered the neck in its cavity. I did not know what it was, and I did not want to touch it (like I said, I was young) so, I shoved it back into the turkey. I found out later that I had also cooked the bag of giblets inside the turkey!

To make a long story short, most of the meal was not very good. But, my boys LOVED it. They gobbled it all down with gusto, grinning all the while.

I was embarrassed a little bit, but, honestly, not that much. I think I realized even then that preparing food with love for people you care about means more then how good it tastes. Oh, taste is important, too, don't get me wrong, but, I believe those who say when you cook with love, it permeates the food.

Since that Thanksgiving dinner 37 years ago, I have learned to cook, and, Thanksgiving dinner has become my favorite meal to prepare. Maybe a huge part of that is because my children come home to share the feast. Love fills the house.

WINTER LOOMS

2010-11-17T13:16:00.005-06:00

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns".- George Eliot

I do love the change of seasons in Wisconsin. Well, mostly. I love the spring, summer and fall...winter, not so much. This dreary morning as I took a walk, I saw the signs of winter's approach all around: the birds are gone, flown away to the warm south; the squirrels are scurrying around hoarding nuts; the branches of trees and bushes are bare and lonely. Every living thing is preparing for the dormant season ahead when the earth rests and readies itself for another rebirth in spring. This is our circular journey of life. Still.... I hope winter holds off just a little longer.

OOOHHH ORANGE!

2010-10-12T14:18:00.004-05:00

I have always been drawn to the color ORANGE. Orange reflects many of my favorite things: The 1960's era, Autumn, October, sunsets, the first dress I ever made myself (crushed velvet-Homecoming, 1968.), the flowers in my wedding, the shag carpet in our little cabin, my son's hair, my new fall jacket.

Orange is warm and vivid. It has the ability to lift spirits. It's nostalgic. Positive.

Bittersweet. Persimmon. Tangerine. Pumpkin. Coral. Rust. Amber. Gamboge.
I just can't resist the many faces of orange!

ECCENTRIC ECLECTIC GYPSY GLAMOUR

2010-10-03T11:51:00.004-05:00

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you know that my fashion guru is Simon Doonan. From his book, "Eccentric Glamour", I learned that I have been sporting 'Gypsy Fashion' for quite some time, although I didn't know that there was an official name for wearing recycled vintage clothing. I just knew I liked the shabby chic look and the idea of being eco-savvy.

According to Simon, Gypsy Style is very much in vogue right now. Because the style is so compatible with the Green Movement, it makes perfect sense to me.

And, Gypsy Style is incredibly romantic. Just imagine yourself living in a tent or a....log cabin. Imagine how uninhibited and free you feel, swirling around the campfire in a flounced cheesecloth skirt and vintage Victorian bloomers you found at the flea market. What could be more dreamy?

If sustainability and fair trade, freedom and comfort, are important to you, you may want to adopt Gypsy Glamour as your look as well. But, do be mindful: just because a garment is made of organic cotton does not mean it has allure and sizzle. Remember, you still want to be glamorous in your green wear. My advice: look for off the shoulder Carmen blouses, embroidered taffeta skirts, Victorian piano shawls, oversized silk scarves, men's hats, knee high suede boots and espadrilles. Mix and match. You will be hot and hip. (Not to mention you will feel good about helping to save our planet).

Likewise, decorating your tent, cabin, apartment, or house in Gypsy Style is similarly romantic and eclectic. And, oh, so easy. Hang some Indian saris on your walls. Add a couple of vintage saddles around the room. Dangle some dream catchers and sling a hammock or two across the living room. Place unusual trinkets from your travels here and there. Voila! Gorgeous, and virtually no maintenance.

What's not to like about Gypsy Style?!

THE ENCHANTED FOREST

2010-09-27T08:09:00.005-05:00

Tom and I took a jaunt to the cabin this past weekend and discovered that autumn has officially arrived in Wisconsin's north woods! Everywhere deep scarlet, bright persimmon, and golden saffron surrounded us..and pungent pine, sugar maple and sweet fern filled the air. There is nothing quite as heady.

PONDERING NATURE'S MAGIC

2010-09-06T19:06:00.006-05:00

I slipped outside to the pier at dusk and watched the blazing orange ball of a sun slip beneath the horizon. I listened to the wind whisper in the trees, and the waves lapping at the shoreline. Out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed a twinkling in the woods....and I wondered: was it merely moonlight dancing off the lone birch tree, or could it have been a shooting star? Perhaps it was the tree faeries having one last summer romp?

I made a wish and am certain it will come true, for where else can you be so sure of life's dreams then at the cabin in the woods?

LAZY, HAZY, CRAZY DAYS OF SUMMER

2010-08-27T19:38:00.005-05:00

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability".

Labor Day is approaching, and our carefree summer days are coming to an end. Personally, I plan to eek out every last ounce of 'doing nothing' before Autumn officially arrives. I will take a few more beach walks, finish a few more summer books, grill a few more weenies, toast a few more marshmellows, and take a few more hammock naps....oh, how I will miss these lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.

RECYCLED PENDLETON BLANKET BAG

2010-08-19T11:30:00.006-05:00

I have been making these sensual tote and messenger bags from recycled vintage Pendleton blankets and animal furs. Very lumberjack-campy.

This one is made from a recycled, thick, sumptuously soft, black, wool Pendleton blanket, a salvaged vintage red and black plaid wool hunting jacket, and a piece of a gorgeous rabbit skin.

The handle is a vintage Brighton black patent leather belt. The lovely button is hand crafted from a slab of wood.

Gorgeous and durable.

***
Click on the title of this post and it will take you to this kitschy Bag in my etsy store.

RUPERT THE FOX

2010-08-04T13:25:00.009-05:00

While we were at the cabin this past weekend we had an unlikely visitor. A wily FOX came trotting down our driveway. He came within 10 feet of our front door and plunked himself down. He hardly flinched as Tom took him out some pieces of left over steak from our dinner. He ate them up and waited for more. So, Tom then took him out some chicken. We watched in fascination as he buried that in the nearby woods. He held his post near our front door for a couple hours, not at all skittish, as we came and went. As darkness fell, he fell asleep there in his 'spot'.

He brought to mind the passage about the fox from one of my favorite books, 'The Little Prince':

"It was then that the fox appeared.

"Good morning," said the fox.

"Good morning," the little prince responded politely, although when he turned around he saw nothing.

"I am right here," the voice said, "under the apple tree."

"Who are you?" asked the little prince, and added, "You are very pretty to look at."

"I am a fox," the fox said.

"Come and play with me," proposed the little prince. "I am so unhappy."

"I cannot play with you," the fox said. "I am not tamed."

"Ah! Please excuse me," said the little prince.

But, after some thought, he added:

"What does that mean--'tame'?"

"You do not live here," said the fox. "What is it that you are looking for?"

"I am looking for men," said the little prince. "What does that mean--'tame'?"

"Men," said the fox. "They have guns, and they hunt. It is very disturbing. They also raise chickens. These are their only interests. Are you looking for chickens?"

"No," said the little prince. "I am looking for friends. What does that mean--'tame'?"

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. It means to establish ties."

"'To establish ties'?"

"Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . ."

Molly named our 'tamed' fox Rupert. We will watch for him next trip up.

THE FOURTH MEANS FAMILY FUN

2010-07-01T18:29:00.009-05:00

For me, the 'Fourth of July' is:

* Family Reunions

* Our little cabin on Presque Isle Lake

* Roasting hot dogs over a blazing campfire

* Frigid lake water

* Too many people for one tiny bathroom

* Slow sunset boat rides around the lake

* Pesky misquitos

* Sore Sunburns
* Sunbathing on the pier
* Trashy novels

* Eating too many s'mores

* Bull Frog Heaven

* Tom's AWESOME (and a bit too long) fireworks display

* Rainbow sparklers

* Serenade of the loons

* Big Mabel

* Fish fry at Birch Lake

* Back Woods Brew

PARADISE. (:

A BIT OF LOVE FOR TOM ON FATHER'S DAY

2010-06-20T21:18:00.005-05:00

Tom taught me the importance of family. Coming himself from a large, close-knit brood, his desire to have his own strong family bond was always a top priority. It was, and is, one of the things I admire most about him.

When each of our four children was born, we took a lock of their hair and buried it beneath a tree in our backyard (an old Native American custom) so that even as each sprouted wings and flew far away; we knew the roots held their spirit firmly in place so that they could always find their way back home.

It was, of course, a metaphor for how we raised them: we wanted them to learn to 'make their own way in the world', while at the same time keeping family and home something sacred.

Our children are all grown now, and we don't see them as frequently as we once did, but, Tom and I often marvel at how each one still holds our family bond fiercely close at heart.

It was one thing we did right. (:

GOLD STAR HEROS

2010-05-31T09:30:00.005-05:00

Today is Memorial Day. The official beginning of summer. As we head to campgrounds and beaches and back yard bar-b-ques today, my hope is that we remember what Memorial Day is really about. This is a day set aside to honor our fallen heros. This is a day for strewing flowers upon the graves of those men and women who died defending our country and our freedoms.

In honor of Memorial Day, patriotism, our country, our flag, our freedoms, our fallen soldiers....(and Sly Stones amazing song), I have created this succulent bag entitled, "I Want To Take You Higher".

This one-of-a-kind, eco-friendly, crazy quilted tote bag is made of gorgeous VINTAGE BATIKED COTTON PRINTS in red, white and blue! I have embellished the bag with VINTAGE CARDINAL RED SILK MILLINERY POPPIES, ANTIQUE BLACK BEADED EARRING BITS, an exquisite ANTIQUE RHINESTONE FLAG PIN, HAND DYED royal blue and lime green OSTRICH FEATHERS, shimmering black TURKEY FEATHERS, an orange FEATHER HAT PIN, ANTIQUE TATTED LACES, silk ribbons, ANTIQUE trims, ANTIQUE BUTTONS, and oodles of glistening RHINESTONES!

*Fleece Lining.

*Magnetic Closure.

*The gorgeous RETRO red, white, yellow and blue GLASS BEADED FRINGE -4 " L

*The VINTAGE BLUE SILK NECKTIE strap is 42" L ( can knot it to shorten)

* Bag is 8" (L)-excluding fringe x 10" (W).

***
If you click on the title of this post, you will be taken directly to 'I Want To Take You Higher' in my etsy store.

OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO

2010-05-18T08:51:00.125-05:00

"Don't tell me the sky is the limit, For there are clearly footprints on the moon"

Austin graduated from The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse this past weekend. Britt, Chad, Kristin, and Molly all made the long trek back home for Austin's big day. Because we don't get that many opportunities to all be together anymore, this family time was special. We celebrated Austin's past accomplishments, and toasted his future. Tom and I gave ourselves a huge pat on the back as well. Having all our children graduate from college was a goal we set and planned for as each of them was born. So, Austin's graduation was one of those magical milestones that, as parents, we have looked forward to for a long time. (Then it came and was over in a flash! How I wish we could go back and do it all over again to make the moment last.)

It was a grand weekend.
And, just the beginning of a succulent, rich, rare, wild, new adventure for us all.

THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, MOM

2010-05-07T10:05:00.001-05:00

This Sunday is Mother's Day, and as I sit thinking about my Mom, I am pulling sweet memories from my heart.

Like...Mom sitting patiently (and proudly) through all those summer 'show performances' Jim, Deb, Dan and I put on in our garage; Mom cooking her special 'Wednesday Night Dinners' (chicken and handmade noodles was my favorite) she made for us on her only night off from work; Mom buying matching dresses for herself, Debbie and I; Mom driving a petulant teenage me to a city an hour away to indulge my quest for the Perfect Prom Dress; Mom driving almost two hours from her home to mine (and then right back again) to keep my 6 week old daughter overnight so that I might have an evening of rest (she actually did this often that year); Mom hauling out her old ruffled silk nighties and high heels so my daughters might play dress-up; Mom spending all day on the lake fishing with my son; Mom caring so tenderly for my terminally ill brother, and showing such strength at his recent passing.

My Mom and I have have had our disagreements over the years as I imagine most mothers and daughters do, but, even so, we have remained close. And, as I have grown older I have certainly come to realize how important my Mom has been, and is, to my life. I am thankful for each day we have together.

I love you, Mom.

HONOR OUR EARTH

2010-04-21T17:20:00.006-05:00

On this EARTH DAY I encourage you to take a moment to enjoy the riches of nature and consider what you can do to help preserve our Mother Earth. I thought it might be fun to share a passage from my book about cultivating a 'Fairy Garden' in hopes of sustaining a wee bit of wild life in your own back yard.

"I agree, as many gardeners do, with the legendary Pan: that leaving a patch of earth untilled, unplanted, and untouched will allow the magical flowers to grow as they please, and the insects, wildlife, and the fairies will claim it as their home. So many things that are out of place in the sophistication of a formal bed will thrive here to charm us with their blossoms, as well as their lore.

Shakespeare tells us of oxlips, roses, violets, woodbine, and eglantine, the lovely name for sweetbrier. Cuckooflowers, ground flax, harebells, mallow, and stitchwort are some of the lesser know wildings that also might be a part of this magical garden....

And, if you visit this sacred spot and a tiny green bug alights upon your shoulder, it just might be that diminutive elf we've talked about, come from another realm to whisper words of wisdom-a prayer for non-believers: Learn to work in harmony with our blessed planet, and it will sustain and nourish us..."
.....................................................................
*click the title of this post and it will take you to my book, "Creating Fairy Garden Fragrances", which is for sale in my etsy shop.

THE FEATHER

2010-04-14T13:58:00.012-05:00

A chorus of birdsong led me into the woods early this morning. Then, distracted by an irritating squawking between some territorial ducks and sand hill cranes, I followed the path to the pond. Prime nesting territory. I watched them for a bit, before the joyful croaking of the spring peepers drew me to another pond close by. I followed their chatter, winding through the low brambling branches sprouting fresh green buds. Oh, how I love that sweet, pungent 'green' fragrance. And, all around me colorful new life was winking: celery green, lavender, golden yellow and the palest pink.... Aprils' pastels. As I began to slowly make my way out to the road, a young bald eagle swooped near! I grabbed my camera and got ready, but, I was too late. He had gone. A little disappointed, I continued to make my way out of the woods. Then, I caught a glimpse of something just barely hanging to a branch above me, shimmering in the warm breeze. A single, regal feather that spring warrior left behind. A sweet gift.

HAPPY EASTER

2010-04-03T14:34:00.007-05:00

Our woods is filled with noisy birdsong and the juicy fragrance of fresh green buds this morning. I love this season of rebirth. The earth gets a brand new start....and so do we. Life always looks different now, doesn't it? Full of heady promise. It is a sweet feeling I'm holding next to my heart today.

HAPPY EASTER.

MY HIPPIE WEDDING DRESS

2010-02-28T16:46:00.006-06:00

More then a few of you have asked where I got the lovely old lace-covered dress on my mannequin. It was my wedding dress. 1974. True vintage. As you know, I grew up in the juicy turbulent sixties and seventies. I was totally into the 'Flower Power' scene. Peace, love, and anti-establishment. My husband and I wanted a non-traditional, simple wedding. I went to a department store and bought my dress off the rack. It cost less then $100.00. A 'Gunne Sax' dress. (If you are over the age of 50 you might recognize Jessica McClintock's fashion line popular in the early 70's). I made a hood and attached it to the dress, wore sandals on my feet, and carried a bouquet of wild flowers. Tom wore beige slacks and a clotted-cream colored shirt. Our reception was a big picnic in the park. We roasted a pig, and drank champagne. If I had to do it all over again....I'd probably do it much the same way.

A SHABBY CHIC NECKLACE

2010-02-23T16:01:00.005-06:00

I have been obsessed with making these fabric flower necklaces for a spring sale I have coming up. They are made completely of left over fabric pieces (that I have curled over fire to get the curled flower petal effect), lace, yarn, ribbon, tulle, bead, feather and button SCRAPS! Each one is unique and one-of-a-kind. Each one has a complimentary hand-dyed silk ribbon tie attached. They are inexpensive to make and so much fun to wear. I think they will be a hit.

REMEMBERING JAMES

2010-02-16T13:54:00.012-06:00

My brother, James, was a gentle man...easy going and carefree. Mostly. He did have a stubborn streak, and believe me, you didn't want to cross him if he made up his mind about something.
We were two years apart in age and as kids we were very close-in fact we were all close-Jim, Debbie, Dan and I-and often preferred to play together, just the four of us...building forts in our back yard, or putting on horse shows or circuses for the rest of the neighborhood kids.

In middle school Jim and I took private music lessons together. I played the accordian and Jim played guitar. We always thought we would start our own band. (We never did.)

But, when we got to high school, we went our separate ways. I became fully ensconced in the social scene and Jim preferred to be alone in his room playing his guitar.

After high school I went off to college. Jim graduated by the skin of his teeth and started working. He ventured into the entrepreneurial world and started a couple of businesses of his own. Eventually, he settled into learning the Glass Glazing Trade and that is what he did for the past 20 years of his life, most recently working for the University of Wisconsin glazing the windows of buildings on the Madison campus and the the new University of Wisconsin Hospital (of which he was so very proud. He relished pointing out his beautiful work to me while we were there for his treatments last year. But, I am getting ahead of myself....)

I graduated, got married, and began raising a family. Our worlds were very different in those years and as a result we didn't see a lot of one another.

From almost the beginning of his early adult life, Jim took winter vacations to warmer climes. At first he went to Florida for a week, then two. Then he ventured farther south to places like Jamaica for three weeks, and Costa Rica for four. It wasn't long before he had figured out a job-share where he worked for six months here during the spring and summer, and went to Central America to live for six months over the fall and winter. He loved hot weather. He loved the ocean. He loved to fish, and snorkel and dive. He told me recently that he always felt more at home there in his tropical paradise then he ever felt here. He said he had found the place where he belonged.

About 10 years ago, my husband, Tom and I took our family to Costa Rica over our spring break to visit Uncle Jim. We spent a week there together enjoying the magical place he so loved. We made some wonderful new memories and re-established our close bond. Our family liked Costa Rica so much, the next year Tom and I took the kids to nearby (relatively speaking) Belize over spring break. Then we convinced Jim to go there the following winter instead of Costa Rica. He did. He said he knew instantly that was where he would make his permanent winter home. We went to visit him there a couple years later. He taught Tom and my son, Austin, how to scuba dive. He took us deep sea fishing and snorkeling at his favorite haunts. We drank red wine and savored the island foods. I will forever cherish those special days we spent together.

Four years ago, my confirmed bachelor brother fell in love with a beautiful Belizean girl. He brought Daria home that spring and they had a simple wedding in our back yard.

Eighteen months after that, Jim was diagnosed with Stage IV Esophageal Cancer and the fight for his life began. For much of the past two years Jim was sick and/or incapacitated. But, he never complained. Not ever.

I spent many of those days with him. (As did my mom, who was such a source of strength to him. She literally put her life on hold to help care for Jim.) We spent time reliving childhood memories. And, we talked a lot about the future. He had such big plans.

On February 15, 2010, at his home in Belize with Daria by his side, Jim lost his battle.

I will miss him terribly.

VALENTINE SUGAR COOKIES

2010-02-13T16:14:00.001-06:00

For years I have been making these scrumptous sugar cookies for Valentines Day. The only other time I make them is at Christmas because they are a bit of work! But, they are by far the very BEST SUGAR COOKIES EVER! Crisp and flavorful.

This morning I made a big batch for my Valentine.
I thought I'd share the recipe with you. Compliments of Martha Stewart. (:
Enjoy!

4 sticks of butter at room temperature
3 cups os sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 cups of all purpose flour (plus some for dusting)

Royal Icing (recipe to follow)

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt; mix on medium speed until combined. With mixer on low speed, add flour in two batches, mixing just until incorporated.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, wrap each half in plastic. Refrigerate for a couple hours (or up to one week).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one of the halves of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes. Transfer shapes to prepared sheets, placing about 2 inches apart. Chill in refrigerator or freezer until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through until cookies are golden around the edges and slightly firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Decorate with Royal Icing.

Cookies can be kept in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper for up to three days.

Royal Icing:
1 pound of powered sugar
5 tablespoons meringue powder
Liquid or gel food coloring

Combine sugar, meringue powder, and about 1/2 cup of water. Mix together in mixing bowl with paddle attachment on low speed. Beat until mixture is fluffy, about 7-8 minutes. To thin icing, add extra water, one teaspoon at a time. To add color, dip toothpick into food coloring and gradually mix into frosting until you get the desired shade.

A RARE BIRD OF FASHION

2010-01-16T10:32:00.005-06:00

Her style is irreverent, influential, and unflaggingly creative.
Iris Apfel is my fashion hero.

"A small entourage hangs on every one of 88-year-old Iris Apfel's delicious syllables as she strolls through the galleries at Peabody Essex Museum-galleries that are currently overrun with the contents of her Park Avenue closets.

Yes, this fashion trailblazer explains, those are insects floating in layers of resin and set into bracelets. That multicolored necklace is made of 1930's Bakelite chips that a salesman once used.

Designer names are dropped in rapid succession along with stories about incredible flea market finds, and close friendships that were formed over James Galano's evening wear and frantic rack digging at Loehmanns.

Iris Apfel is not a fashion designer. She is, however, a world-class shopper! She readily confesses that it is not about how much you spend, but what you dig up. She has an uncanny skill for putting together a Nina Ricci dress with a tag sale brooch, or pairing African beads with a Bill Blass jacket and making it look perfectly fabulous.

She started mixing high end with low end decades before it was the norm. 'Her creation of her image is just as artistic as any of the individual haute couture pieces from her wardrobe' says Harold Koda, curator of the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 'It's art in the sense that her materials are from this incredible collection she has amassed, and she uses them the way a painter uses paint'."
...............................................................................
This article was taken from the Boston Globe. Click on the title of this post to read the entire amazing article.

I CHOOSE ABUNDANCE

2010-01-08T14:59:00.006-06:00

My friend, Babs, likes to choose a theme for each New Year...last January as the year began, I decided to follow her lead. I choose 'Simplify' as my theme for 2009. I had been thinking about just 'renewing that theme' this year! (I really did work at simplifying my life and work, and, honestly, I did make some grand steps toward the goal, but, still I have too many irons in the fire. I am a work in progress.) In the end, though, I have choosen 'ABUNDANCE' as my theme for 2010. The dictionary defines 'abundance' as "overflowing fullness; affluence; extremely plentiful". I will work toward gaining abundance in every area of my life this year: abundant health, abundant wealth, abundant love and forgiveness, abundant adventures, abundant ideas, abundant fun and frivolity.....well, you get the idea (:

THE SEA QUEENE

2010-01-01T17:25:00.012-06:00

WELCOME 2010!!

Today I received a sweet surprise from my daughter, Kristin. Almost a year ago I found a large, exquisite, handmade glass 'mermaid' bead in an etsy shop (no, I don't remember the name of that shop...I have searched for it again and again) and had spent much time just admiring it, letting ideas simmer as to what I would do with it. Finally, early this spring, I gave the bead to my daughter Kristin and told her to make something funky with it when she had the time.

Kristin arrived a couple days ago for a short visit. She wasn't able to be here for Christmas, so we decided we needed some 'brainstorming time' together. She surprised me this morning with this decadent, shimmering necklace...featuring that marvelous mermaid bead! The creation she slaved over is even more amazing then I could have ever imagined for that bead. Full of sea creatures, charms, beads, ric rac, and fresh water pearls-it is definitely fit for the Queene of The Sea. I am so honored to have it. I can't wait to wear it somewhere special. (Perhaps I can convince my husband that we need to head somewhere tropical so I get the chance really soon?!)

MY FAMILY ALBUM CHRISTMAS VIDEO

2009-12-21T15:38:00.010-06:00

I made a YouTube Video as a Christmas gift for my family (: It was so much fun....choosing the photos, the special effects, the music! You can make one, too. http://www.onetruemedia.com. The site will walk you through the process so you can make a video, share it, and/or post it to YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s_1vgCpxHw

Merry Christmas

www.youtube.com

The Gannon Family Album

THE SEASON OF SUCCULENCE

2009-12-14T19:36:00.020-06:00

'Tis the season for giving and I’ve been thinking a lot about what I can give this season to make my life and those around me more succulent. Here is my 'gift' list:

I’m going to tell the truth faster.

I’m going to celebrate my friendships.

I’m going to be rare, eccentric, and original.

I’m going to dress to please myself.

I’m going to make more mistakes.

I’m going to make my life a web of love.
I'm going to revel in every ordinary moment.
I'm going to take more naps.
I'm going to face my fears.
I'm going to go on more adventures.
I'm going to eat more chocolate.
I'm going to live with an attitude of abundance.
I'm going to let my creative spirit flow, bubble, tumble, rush out!

THE CHAOS AND CREATIVITY OF DECEMBER

2009-12-04T16:04:00.013-06:00

We are already a week into December. Oh my. This is a busy season for me. I make and sell the majority of my wares in December. Throw the Christmas decorating, baking, family visits, parties, and my own shopping into the mix and it is a recipe for stress. On top of all that I am beginning to fret because these past couple months I haven’t been keeping up with my blog posts as I would like.

I admit that I was slow to get into this world of blogging. It was almost a year ago I began this blog, mostly as a venue to drive more traffic to my etsy store. I used it as a place I could be a bit more elaborate with product descriptions and photos.

Then, early this summer I discovered the magazine, "Artful Blogging'. I was enamored with each and every featured blog...(and have added several to my favorites ). It was Artful Blogging that inspired me to begin reading other people's blogs, as well as to include more of my personal life adventures in my own. And, the icing on the cake: it opened my eyes to how important it is to have fabulous ‘artful’ blog photographs. I realized that one very good, creative photograph is more alluring then several ‘ok’ photographs.

So…about mid-year I changed the focus of my blog in hopes that each post would be more of a mini-work-of-art in and of itself.

As I immerse myself in this month of chaos, I am trying to take moments to reflect on the past year, and what lies ahead.

And, as far as my blogging, I hope that I may incorporate even more of what I have learned this first year: that I may share more of what matters in my life, that I might bring you a bit of inspiration, or touch your life in some small way.

LET US BE THANKFUL

2009-11-23T20:35:00.002-06:00

Thankful

Week before Thanksgiving,

I limp around real strange.

Huddle in the corner,

As though I have the mange.

All the other turkeys,

Just gobble, gobble on.

I'm silent, and I act

As if my gobbler's gone. Everyone is thankful

On Thanksgiving Day.

Friday it's forgotten.

You all go on your way.

I know what thankful is

So listen when I say.

"It's great to be a turkey,

After Thanksgiving Day."

Unknown

MAD FOR PINK

2009-11-22T08:44:00.002-06:00

Pink! Pink! Pink! I am mad for the color pink these days! I love a particular shade that has more tones of blue then peach….a shade that is hot and shocking! I love it paired with deep scarlet and bright tangerine. I’ve made several gypsy bags and steampunk necklaces in that exact color combination.

I've paired some new hot pink pillows with my standard forest green especially for the holidays, I've bought yards and yards of pink ribbon to wrap my Christmas gifts, I've found a pink cloth for my dining room table, and today I ordered a fabulous shocking pink wool pea coat!

Pink makes me feel so happy!

A VAMPIRE'S NIGHT

2009-10-29T21:40:00.005-05:00

With a bit of artistic skill (and photoshop), Kristin's husband, Thom, transformed her into a saucy vampire!

HAPPY HAUNTING!

PRETTY PACKAGING

2009-10-14T21:30:00.010-05:00

I fuss over the packaging of my handbags and jewelry. I want the presentation to get almost as many "oohs and aahs" as the product. Because my bags and bijoux are created with 100% recycled, repurposed findings, it is only fitting that my packaging materials follow suit.

I begin with a recycled kraft colored box. The fanciful "sash" is made from a brown paper grocery bag that I paint with acrylic paints (the colors change with the season), let dry, then swirl with glue and glitter! (I have EVERY imaginable color of glitter!!) Once the painted bag is dry, I cut out 3 inch wide strips that will become the sassy sashes. I affix the sash around the box, tie a piece of hand dyed yarn (again, colors change with the season) over the sash, add one of my tiny MOO tags (which has a photo of one of my creations on the front side and all my important information on the back), and finally glue on a tiny flower, butterfly, or jewel.

Voila! So pretty!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US

2009-10-13T08:47:00.008-05:00

Tom and I took a short, but sweet, weekend jaunt to the GLORIOUS Colorado mountains this past weekend to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. We felt very fortunate to be able to spend the time with our daughters and their families who live there. And, in spite of the early winter storm that blew in as we arrived...we managed to have a fabulous time!
(And, yes, I managed to get some scavenging time in as well!)

ALL HALLOS EVE

2009-09-30T11:34:00.013-05:00

This LUSCIOUS bag is my newest creation of the season. It is made of sumptuous VINTAGE RAVISHING RED VELVET in shades of scarlet to burgundy, and lined in red felted wool. The center of the beautiful VINTAGE BURGUNDY MILLINERY SILK ROSE is an exquisite HAND MADE CERAMIC FAIRY/GYPSY/WITCH FACE. Embellished with HAND DYED FEATHERS, ANTIQUE JEWELRY BITS, HAND PAINTED VINTAGE LACES, VINTAGE TATTED LACES, silk ribbons, ric rac, tassels, ANTIQUE BUTTONS and oodles of rhinestones.

It has a decadent 5" RETRO orange/black/red/gold GLASS BEADED FRINGE.
The handle is a lovely, 46" long cream-colored ANTIQUE SILK DRAPERY CORD.
The bag is aproximately 9" x 9"-excluding fringe.
A FLAMBOYANT BAG sure to summon MAGICK.

SINGING IN THE RAIN

2009-09-22T13:16:00.013-05:00

It has been raining all day. Big, soft, sumptuous drops. We need the rain, so it is welcome. And, honestly, I love to walk in the rain. I love the muffled pattering sounds the rain makes on the thick floor of fallen leaves, I love the sweet fecund smells of the wet woodlands, and I love viewing the world through a misty lens. It is all quite heady.

WHO KILLED JOIE DE VIVRE?

2009-09-18T07:57:00.025-05:00

"Knowing who you are and dressing the part-with an air of amused recklessness-is life affirming for you and life enhancing for other people. When the eccentrically glamorous you walks down the street, whether you are a wiry greyhound or a loveable lumbering labradoodle, you will feel gorgeously empowered and you will fill your neighborhood and workplace with positive vibrations. Think of it as a civic duty of sorts."-Simon Doonan

THE WITCHES' SPELL

2009-09-13T16:48:00.048-05:00

"Hoity-toity! Hop-o'-my thumb!
Tweedledee and Tweedledum!
All hobgoblins come to me,
Over the mountains, over the sea:
Come in a hurry, come in a crowd,
Flying, chatting, shrieking loud;
I and my broomstick fidget and call---
Come, hobgoblins, we want you all!!
I have a pot of mischievous brew..."
Ruth Bedford

I love everything about Fall: warm fuzzy sweaters, crisp, sweet fallen leaves, carved pumpkins, fantastical Halloween outfits, and tart apple pies. I adore the rich autumn colors: bright bittersweet, warm forest green, deep burgundy and rockin' rust. I spent a glorious day yesterday putting away all my summer decor, and turning my home into an autumn wonderland. Garlands of glittered leaves, pumpkins of all sizes, gruesome gourds and lovely indian corn. And...WITCHES everywhere! A universal creature of which fairy tales are written, and spells are spun, the wild and wacky witches might be my favorite part of fall. I feel a special kinship with these magical wise women and have been collecting them for years. I have wooden, resin, clay, cloth and paper mache witches. They gather in the nooks and crannies of my home, where I allow them to work their magic. You can almost hear them cackle in warm spirited salutation, "Come at my summons-come to me".

GOOD-BYE SWEET SUMMER

2009-09-08T18:50:00.019-05:00

For the past five days I have done very little but soak up the sun and float in the water along with my husband and son (and Hunter, of course!) as we celebrated the end of summer at our cabin on the lake.
I feel energized and renewed and ready to get back to work.

GYPSY MUSE MARLENE DIETRICH

2009-08-23T17:33:00.019-05:00

"She remains what she has been for many years-an absolutely strange delight, whose gift lies outside her achievements as an actress, is not tied to a specific time and does not depend on the taste of the moment, not even on common sense"-
Cecil Beaton

I was browsing the internet today, searching for some inspiration from 'old Hollywood' movie stars...and happened upon Marlene Dietrich's site. She certainly was an eccentric, eclectic, seductive screen legend. A German born actress who made the bulk of her movies during World War II, entertained the troops, and constantly reinvented herself. She starred in such films as 'Lola-Lola', 'The Blue Angel', Shanghai Express' and 'Desire'. Her exotic, unconventional and glamorous style, her deep, smooth, sensuous voice all lent to her bohemian allure. Marlene Dietrich is my gypsy muse today. (:

ARTFUL BLOGGING

2009-08-20T16:27:00.015-05:00

Earlier this summer I discovered the brand new, visually inspiring magazine for bloggers, 'ARTFUL BLOGGING' by Somerset Studios. Each issue is packed full of gorgeous photographs and little vignettes about blogging artists. I was at the bookstore yesterday afternoon as they were re-stocking the shelf with the latest issue. It is simply stunning, and I found several new blog sites I adore. But, my very favorite feature was Tascha Parkinson's blog, 'Time With Tascha'. Her art and her blog is very 'Frida Kahlo-esque'-bold, bright and oh, so much fun! Browsing through her collages makes me giggle! Check out Tascha's blog at http://www.timewithtascha.blogspot.com. She also has an etsy store (you will be able to access it through her blog) where you can buy her whimsical art.

MANIFESTING YOUR DESTINY

2009-07-23T10:24:00.030-05:00

You can be anything you want to be. You can have anything you want to have. You can do anything you want to do. All you have to do is BELIEVE you can be, have, do. Right now. Today. What you think about, what you believe, you attract to you. Just like a magnet, you are attracting TO YOU what you think about all day long. This is the basic idea in the book, 'The Secret'.
I LOVE this book and it's message so much, I thought I'd share bit of it's inspiration again today.

The Secret says, 'We know that time is just an illusion. Einstein told us that. If this is the first time you have heard it, you may find it a hard concept to get your head around, because you see everything happening-one thing after the other. What quantum physicists and Einstein tell us is that everything is happening simultaneously. If you can understand that there is no time, and accept that concept, then you will see that whatever you want in the future already exists. If everything is happening at the one time, then the parallel version of you with what you want ALREADY exists! It takes no time for the Universe to manifest what you want. Any time delay you experience is due to your delay in getting to the place of believing, knowing, and feeling that you already have it. It is getting yourself on the frequency of what you want. When you are on that frequency, then what you want will appear".

Sounds easy enough, right? For me the hard part is to keep my focus on what I want to think about. Don Coyhis says, "We move forward and become that which we think about. Isn't it time we began to think about what we are thinking about?".

And, therein lies the real secret!

I find it helps me to take a walk every morning. The walking is like meditating for me. It clears my mind so I can focus on what I want my day to bring. I play out in my mind the outcome I want. Sometimes I give voice to my desires. I say them out loud, share them with the Universe. I feel like that gives my thoughts more 'substance'. Journaling and blogging also helps me focus on what I want to bring into my life. Writing the words down on paper, or on the computer screen is another way I help myself stay focused on what I want to manifest.

The Photo above is of Tuscany, Italy, (courtesy of Getty Images). I am currently working on manifesting a visit. (:

1969 FLASHBACK

2009-07-14T07:27:00.028-05:00

Ever since our 'Gannonstock' Family Reunion, I have been thinking a lot about WOODSTOCK. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that Woodstock happened 40 years ago! Where has the time gone? Am I really that old?!!

Woodstock took place the summer between my junior and senior year of high school, and the free-spirited boy I was dating begged me to go. At the time, I was not brave enough to pack up and head to upstate New York for a three day camp-out with him, so I stayed home. A decision I sorely regret. Who knew it would turn out to be THE party of the decade, history's biggest happening?!

The Woodstock Documentary came out early the next year and I was one of the first in line. For me the 'good vibrations' was just a small part of the mystique of it all. What I felt when I watched the Woodstock Phenomenon was the spirit of thousands of young people discovering the euphoric realization that THEY were what was happening in the world. "Make Love Not War" WAS a revolution.

Yes. I know it was meant to be primarily a music festival. But, Woodstock was so much more then that. It was a sumptuous feast for both eyes and ears. I watched the film and literally absorbed the heady music, the rich tattered fashions, the peace-seeking vibes. All of it had a profound affect on my life and my art. For me it was the beginning of my flower-child, free-spirit, anti-establishment period....although, if truth be told, part of me has never quite gotten over the rich, juicy, colorful spirit of Woodstock .

Maybe I don't really want to.

GANNONSTOCK 2009

2009-07-07T14:40:00.038-05:00

I have just returned from the long July 4th Weekend at our family cottage on the lake, where along with 49 other members from my husband's side of the family (plus two dogs), I gathered for our first ever Gannon Family Reunion: 'GANNONSTOCK 2009'-so named in honor of this summer's 40th anniversary celebration of Woodstock (:

We are an eclectic group of varmints as ever there was-the youngest 7 months old, the oldest 64 years young- with interests as varied and different as can be. But, for three days we came together as one. We shared stories around the campfire. We played in the water. We had a very disorganized, but, oh so much fun, boat parade around the bay (which included hobies, paddle boats, and rafts). We sang Michael Jackson songs in an off-beat harmony to honor our fallen King of Pop. We ate too many roasted hot dogs (and we drank way too many brandy slushes!) We 'ooohed and aaahed' over Tom and Rick's spectacular fireworks display as we all huddled together around a roaring pit fire.

We celebrated our many freedoms, we counted our rich blessings.

How lucky I feel to be part of such a large and loving family.

A PASSION FOR PURPLE

2009-06-19T14:52:00.014-05:00

A couple weeks ago, just about sunset, I was driving my mom home from a day in the ER (she is fine, just a scare) when I drove past this adorable PURPLE HOUSE. I pointed it out to my mom, and exclaimed how much I would love to live in a purple house! I imagine that the people who live there are quite spectacular-creative, artsy, wild, kooky, and as Simon Doonan would surely say, 'glamorously eccentric'-after all, certainly no boring person would dare to paint his or her house such a spectacular color. I'm absolutely certain this is a person or people I want to know.

I just couldn't get that gorgeous house out of my mind....so, today I went back across town and took some photos.

I'm going to make a point to take this road whenever I can just to drive by the very mood-rich, very cool, very glamorous PURPLE HOUSE.

In the meantime, I have the photos tacked to my inspiration board where I can look at them daily. (:

ROCKABILLY QUEEN

2009-06-06T19:24:00.021-05:00

This is another JUICY example of our new EXOTIC MOSAIC NECKLACES.

This EXUBERANT piece is a bit RETRO ROCKABILLY, mixed with a little RENAISSANCE OPULENCE, and a glaze of NON-CONFORMIST GYPSY over all.

It's an ECLECTIC MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE of scavenged, repurposed VINTAGE CHARMS, ANTIQUE JEWELRY BITS, WHIMSICAL BEADS, RHINESTONES and, several heavy CHAINS. Kristin has even HAND PAINTED and GLITTERED some of the charms.

It is an absolutely PHENOMENAL piece of WEARABLE-ART.
Queen-Worthy.

GO WITH FABULOUS

2009-05-27T16:42:00.027-05:00

This afternoon I grabbed my worn copy of 'Eccentric Glamour' by Simon Doonan, and took a little 'inspiration break'. I opened his book to a page where Simon was going on about packing for a cross continent move and not having the room to take all of his clothes. So, his plan was to sort them into piles and whittle them down. He had one pile for 'WORK' and one for 'FABULOUS'. His work pile consisted of dull basic items: jeans, sweaters, dungarees, flannel shirts, and T-shirts. These were schlepping clothes, Simon said. Garments that, if spattered with paint or ripped by nails, would not be lamented.

The fabulous group was comprised of his party clothes: punk couture, sharkskin suits, fluorescent shirts, brothel-creeper shoes, new wave neckties. These clothes were for shrieking and boozing and going to Bowie concerts. These were clothes to wear when you wanted to have FUN.

Simon writes, "Looking at the two piles, I began to see it for what it was: the fashion equivalent of having a 'special room'-the nicest in the house-that contains plastic covered couches and is only used on 'special occasions' and, as a result, hardly gets used at all.

"There was something sad about the fabulous pile. It contained many rarely worn garments that I had been overly concerned to preserve: That blue and white satin jockey jacket-it sounds hideous but it was madly au courant during the glam rock era-was now embarrassingly out of date. I had worn it twice. What a waste!"

I'm sure you've already guessed how Simon solved his packing problem. He took ONLY the FABULOUS clothes!

The moral of this story: Every day is a special day. A tear in your chiffon? So what! A food stain on that satin ruffle? Big deal! A little paint spatter on that velvet blazer merely adds to your overall patina.

I confess that at home I live in old sweats. Super drab. It's only when I go out, that I dress up, and then I love my wild print dresses, my patent leather shoes, my kitschy handbags and kooky junk jewelry. I am guessing, however, that if I took Simon's advice and ALWAYS dressed as if I were going to a party (or a Bowie concert) life WOULD be a lot more fun. And, isn't FUN the goal, after all?

MAY DAY FAERIES

2009-05-01T08:38:00.036-05:00

HAPPY MAY DAY!

I love this magical season of our earth's rebirth. I love the explosion of colors and scents. I love the lore and legend associated with flowers-especially those of FAERIES.
Did you know that MAY DAY is an excellent time for SIGHTING FAERIES?! Read on if you believe...

"According to legend, the best times to see faeries are on the winter and summer solstices, the spring and autumn equinoxes, May Day, and Halloween. And, of course, any blue moon summer night is also a favorable time for a sighting.
Lewis Carroll said that there are rules for sighting fairies: 'First is that there must be a very hot day-that we may consider settled: and you must be just a little sleepy-but not too sleepy to keep your eyes open, mind.
'Well, and you ought to feel a little-what one may call 'fairyish'- the Scotch call it 'eerie', and perhaps that's a prettier word; if you don't know what it means, I'm afraid I can hardly explain it; you must wait till you meet a Fairy, and then you'll know.
'And, the last rule is, that the crickets should not be chirping. I can't explain that: you must take it on trust for the present.
'So, if all these things happen together, you have a good chance of seeing a Fairy-or at least much better chance then if they didn't."
***
This excerpt and fairy illustration is from my book, 'Creating Fairy Garden Fragrances', Storey Publications, 1998.

SEDUCED BY SPRING

2009-04-28T11:02:00.023-05:00

I just returned from my morning walk...seduced by the sweet sounds, sights and smells of our blooming woods, I ventured into the thick of it to see what I could see. I came upon two young deer drinking from a small pond formed from our many days of rain, camouflaged perfectly in their soft brown coats, I almost missed them. There were a couple of young, sleek black geese cavorting on the same pretty puddle, a rainbow of birds singing and dancing on the breeze-including two beautiful, big hawks making lazy circles in the clear blue sky, spring peepers conversing loudly, a big, oozing owls nest high up in a tree, and, ooohhh! all the shimmering shoots poking through the warm mahogany earth. I found sweet, tiny lemon yellow woodland flowers just blooming among the crusty, rustling leaves...and, pale lime buds on every tree and bush. This is such a GLORIOUS season! Made all the better by a warm and sunny day.

AND, THE MAGICAL ROCKS

2009-04-19T13:51:00.025-05:00

I thought since I was writing about John Denver's music, it might be fun to post a photo of the girls in front of The 'Rocky Mountain High' Rock at the John Denver Sanctuary in Aspen, Colorado. My daughter's and I spent a beautiful afternoon there a few weeks ago.

The Sanctuary is a very spiritual place. If you listen closely as you wander around those big boulders...you will hear John's sweet songs. Soulful words swirling on the mountain breeze.

POEMS, PRAYERS AND PROMISES

2009-04-18T13:53:00.037-05:00

I LOVE the song 'Poems, Prayers and Promises' by John Denver. Back in 1972, while I was living in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, I went to see John in concert at Red Rocks outdoor amphitheatre. This was one of the first songs I heard him sing, and the beginning of my life-long infatuation with his unique brand of folksy-country music. At our wedding in 1974, the young singer-guitar player sang it so sweetly. Even now it brings back memories of our magical day. It seemed the perfect title for this BEGUILING little bag.

This sweet little wedding clutch is a special order. I really loved how it turned out so I thought I'd show it here. It is made from parts of a weathered- white VINTAGE WEDDING GOWN that belonged to the Mother-of-the-Groom, pieces of FRENCH-VANILLA COLORED ANTIQUE SATIN and bits of very old, ANTIQUE TATTED LINEN LACES that I dug from my stash. I found some really gorgeous faceted CRYSTAL RHINESTONES which I glued to the lace, cut some of the little flowers out of the left over lace and stitched those to the edges of the bag (instead of a beaded fringe), made a FANTASY TEXTILE ROSETTE from ANTIQUE SATINS and ORGANZA in shades of white and cream. The center of the flower is an ANTIQUE PEARL and CRYSTAL EARRING from a box of jewels that belonged to groom's grandmum. Also, peaking out from behind the rosette are two tiny PEARL HEART EARRING PIECES, also from grandmum. I added just a tidge of SNOWY-SOFT, WHITE TURKEY FEATHERS (giving a little edge to the classic look of the bag). I then added tiny wool loops under the flap and made a detachable EXQUISITE BEADED HANDLE from ANTIQUE PEARLS and CRYSTALS (again, from bits of jewels belonging to the groom's grandmother) so the bride could easily attach the handle to the bag if she so desires. I lined the bag with pieces from an antique silk pillow case, and, for the finish, took a slip of silk ribbon upon which I wrote the bride and groom's names and their wedding date and carefully stitched that to the inside of the bag.

It is a very PRETTY, POETIC little bag. A treasure lovingly sewn with bits of sentimental FAMILY HEIRLOOMS.

LANGUAGE OF THE HEART

2009-04-15T07:51:00.008-05:00

Easter Weekend has just passed. My girls, who all live far away, were not going to be home. So, my husband, Tom, and my son, Austin and I decided to head up to our rustic little cabin in the woods to celebrate the spirit of the holiday...enjoying each other and the soulful prayers Mother Nature whispers.

This prayer by Michele Linfante is one of my favorites.
It isn't necessarily an Easter prayer, but, one that speaks to me.

"Remember
That to have the eyes of an artist,
That can be enough,
The ear of a poet,
That can be enough.
The soul of a human
just pointed
in the direction of the divine,
That can be enough.
I tell you this to remind myself,
Every gesture is an act of creation.
Even empty spaces and silence
can be the wings and voices of angels."

A LOST ART

2009-04-09T07:41:00.008-05:00

This morning I opened my mailbox and found something amazing. A HAND WRITTEN LETTER! My friend MD doesn't e-mail or text. She's not on Facebook or MySpace, and she doesn't tweet. She staunchly refuses to communicate via those "impersonal" ways of communicating (she says)...so, every few months she sits down to write me a long, loving letter. In many ways, she frustrates me. I can keep up daily with all my other friends and family via a quick witty e-mail or text message. I can check to see what's new in their lives with a peak at their blog, Facebook or Twitter. With MD I sometimes have to wait a couple months to find out what's new. Oh, I know I can pick up the phone and call her if I need to talk....but, between all my social networking, blogging, and daily marketing-not to mention trying to fit in my "real work" in the gallery-I don't take the time to chat on the phone much anymore.

I have to admit, however, that I couldn't wait to tear open that envelope! Her letters are always a heady, sensual experience. I love the feel of the thick pink parchment paper between my fingers, the look of bright turquoise ink she has made "her trademark", and the faint, fresh smell of her favorite perfume upon the pages. I smile at her doodles and 'smiling', 'frowning', 'shocked', 'angry' little faces she has drawn among the written words. It's like she is right here with me, her essence there between the lines. It is a connection I have never quite felt with my usual form of internet correspondence.

Letter writing is a lost art. I remember when I used to take such delight in hunting for beautiful cards, lovely stationary, bright, bold, colorful inks with which to write letters. I would enclose bits of glitter, confetti, or tiny found objects I had scavenged. They were mini works-of-art. And...Oh, how I remember the innocent, tear-inducing letters I would receive in turn from my children. Their sentimental 'Mother's Day', 'Anniversary', 'Thanksgiving', 'Halloween' poems. Their loving 'thank-you' cards and letters...each written in their unique style, each a treasure to savour and save. A tangible gift to return to. Reread. Rejoice over. Again and again and again. Yes, I faintly remember those days. Sigh.

Thinking, dreaming, fantasizing about those letters has made me impatient go dig out my colored india inks, my ancient writing pen, my pile of pretty papers and write some letters. It has even given me a fabulous idea for the creative book Kristin and I are talking of writing. We are thinking of a "Griffin and Sabine" book of sorts, a back and forth sharing of ideas, drawings, paintings, even mini collages of our creative process when making our handbags and jewelry. MD's letter has me thinking we might use zesty colored inks and sumptuous, thick parchments. Even envelopes of confetti and found objects.

AND, besides the hand written book, I vow to take the time to write some real old-fashioned letters now and again. I think dear MD might have the right idea.

ROCKABILLY INSPIRATION

2009-04-03T09:08:00.012-05:00

The roots of ROCKABILLY (from Rock'N'Roll and Southern Hillbilly/Country) is sometimes said to have begun in the 1940's and 50's with the women who took over factory jobs during World War II, like 'Rosie The Riveter'. America relied on women in a very public way and at the height of the war, one out of three defense workers was a former full-time homemaker. While women worked outside the home during the day, at night many would get gussied up and dance the night away. Rockabilly began as that 'working woman-tart sex kitten' pairing.

A Rockabilly girl is passionately proud of her background, roots, and who she is. A Rockabilly girl has attitude and supercharged style. Rockabilly was often called 'Retro Punk', 'Dixifried Vintage', 'Rebel Couture', 'Bohemian Grunge', 'Rock Star Fashion', and 'Harajuku' in Japan. The eccentric Rockabilly look today might be a big baggy coat, slacks and creeper shoes; rolled up jeans and a tied up shirt with spiked high heels, a 50's pin-up girl dress and fishnet stockings, thigh-high boots and an acrylic mini-dress, leatherette pants and a man's suit jacket... fashion pairings that are a bit inappropriate with an exaggerated sense of occasion. And, always an exuberant amount of embellishment: oodles of bangles, belts, feathers and chains. Rockabilly is the combining 'comfort with an unexpected edge'.

Although Rockabilly has faded in and out of fashion through the years..it is making a comeback today in a explosive way. Resale and thrift shops are in vogue again. Tattered Couture is the rage as everyone begins to recycle, reuse, and repurpose old clothing and accessories. And, I am thrilled to learn that my eccentric bohemian style is "IN". My thrift store jackets, leatherette pants, wild gypsy frocks, lace-up boots, and rhinestone tiaras have probably always seemed a bit odd. But, for me, fashion has always been about FUN. I am happy to keep the eccentric Rockabilly flame alive.

RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS

2009-03-23T15:11:00.004-05:00

Sometimes inspiration comes from your own back yard. Literally. It is raining here today and there is a chill in the air. The damp dreariness was making me blue and....stuck. I decided to put on my new wellies and go for a walk in the woods. I bought these funky rubber boots back in December at a shoe outlet mall and hadn't worn them yet, saving them for a rainy day.

Our home sits on some acres of woodland....full of wonderously wild flora and fauna. So, I tromped out the back door and off into the woods. I had walked for maybe 30 minutes when I found the perfect stump to rest upon, sheltered from the drops of falling rain by some big tree branches. I listened to the sounds of spring peepers already here, the calls of so many different types of birds I lost count, the shrill squawking of the sand hill cranes and the return honking from the geese as they fought over pond territory. There was the sound of squirrels scurrying past, the crunching of leaves as a young deer about 30 feet away bedded down in a cozy pile of leaves...and all around my secret little hide away were the sweet soft sounds of dripping raindrops.

I inhaled the succulent sweet smells of the fern and leaves covering the forest floor, and pungent aroma of wet pine needles. And, I let my mind wander. As I sat there, just taking in my juicy surroundings, an idea suddenly popped into my head for an new creation! I am going to begin working on my new nature-inspired, whimsical...'JUNQUE TIARAS' today.
Mother Nature is a mighty MUSE.

MY WILD IRISH ROSE

2009-03-17T10:06:00.013-05:00

One of my girlfriends asked if I would make some sort of multi-layered WHIMSICAL IRISH BROOCH for her to wear on St. Patty's Day. She wanted lots of GLAMOUR, GLITZ and SPARKLE! Using Kristin's Mosaic Necklaces as inspiration, and several old IRISH VINTAGE BUTTONS I had been saving...I came up with a FUNKY, FLAMBOYANT, ULTRAGROOVY BROOCH. Around the buttons I have added bits and pieces of sparkling ANTIQUE JEWELS-including a gorgeous LIME GREEN CHANDELIER CRYSTAL EARRING, a whimsical HAND-MADE green POLKA DOT CLAY BUTTON, several other jewelry bits, a piece of VINTAGE ACRYLIC BEADED FRINGE...and, finally, RHINESTONES and GLITTER.

CHOOSE SUCCULENCE

2009-03-11T16:27:00.004-05:00

These are trying times. Our economy is struggling, people are afraid. Every day I hear more gloom and doom on the news. My friends want to talk only about how dire things are. But, I refuse to be sucked into the negativism.

It's not that I don't have some fears and doubts, too. It's that I CHOOSE to focus on the positive. And, yes....I believe it is a choice. Now, more then ever, we MUST magnify the positive. We MUST CHOOSE SUCCULENCE!
I wonder what the state of things might be if EVERYONE choose to focus on what is good about our world? I wonder if that is what we would attract to ourselves?

In 'THE SECRET', by Rhonda Byrne, Robert Collier wrote about having FAITH. Belief that what you want in this world is yours the moment you ask. " See the things that you want as already yours. Know that they will come to you at need. Then, let them come. Don't think about your lack of them. Think of them as yours, as belonging to you, as already in your possession."

Michael Bernard Beckwith wrote, "I believe you're great, that there's something magnificent about you. Regardless of what has happened to you in your life. Regardless of how young or old you think you might be. The moment you begin to 'think properly', this something that's within you, this power within you that's greater then the world, it will begin to emerge. It will take over your life. It will feed you. It will clothe you. It will guide you, protect you, direct you, sustain your very existence. If you let it. That is what I know for sure".

We can be masters of our own Universe.
As The Secret proclaims... abundance is ours. All we need do is BELIEVE.

HOW TO HAVE MORE FUN

2009-03-03T07:33:00.004-06:00

"I like to be the right thing in the wrong place
and the wrong thing in the right place...Being
the right thing in the wrong place and the wrong
thing in the right place is worth it because something
funny always happens."
-Andy Warhol

Last night before nodding off to sleep I dug out Simon Doonan's 'Eccentric Glamour'. Simon says, "An exaggerated sense of occasion will automatically impede your ability to have fun. Conversely, a well-cultivated obliviousness to the conventions of occasion is guaranteed to up the fun quotient. When people ask me, 'What are you wearing to such and such event? I'm not sure what to wear.....' I experience a strong desire to kill them. These whiny people with their obsolete sense of appropriateness, are the antichrist. Because of their irrational and fun-destroying fear of being either overdressed or underdressed, they are attempting to create a world where, on any given occasion, all participants are uniformly attired. I deplore this idea. The impulse to surround yourself with like-minded folk in like-minded frocks signifies the end to civilization. I want every social event to be like a happening in the movie 'Midnight Cowboy', or better yet, the party scene from 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls'. Rampant individuality are my buzzwords. If every social event were to showcase a fabulous smorgasbord of humanity-duchess and drug addicts, artists and bankers-the world would be a more entertaining and therefore happier place".

He is a VERY wise man, that Simon.
***
Click on the title of this post and you will be taken directly to Simon's cheeky YouTube Video.

NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN

2009-02-08T16:40:00.016-06:00

I spent all weekend cutting out heavenly satin and organdy flower petals and experimenting with burning/curling the edges to make my own brand of layered textile rosettes. Now I am obsessed! I have a carnival of bright crazy colors: Soft ivory, pale pink, bold purple, candy-apple red, ebony black, eggplant, sweet peach, and tart lime green. I dug out my exquisite antique laces and tatted linens, my hand-dyed ribbons, and my stash of vintage jewels and rhinestone buttons, and played around making some WHIMSICAL TATTERED TEXTILE CHOKERS. I also discovered I could hand paint the laces with fabric dyes and get a subtle, swirled, 'water-color' effect. Such Fun!

HOORAY FOR GIRLFRIENDS

2009-01-28T07:36:00.004-06:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and messages of LOVE are due....so, I thought I might write about the heart felt love and gratitude I feel for my girlfriends. They are all so vital to my life.

I have two creative, whacky girlfriends that I met over 35 years ago during my freshman year of college. We have remained very close throughout the years-sharing one another's successes and trials along our varied life paths-and now find ourselves in about in the same place. Our children are gone and we are focusing more on ourselves. We've made a pact to live richer, rarer, wilder, juicier, more creative lives. We are all trying to forge new careers making art, and travel together to local art shows and fairs, making sure that each one is a grand adventure. We often arrange overnight "brainstorming sessions", which always include lots of red wine and soulful chats. My Whimsy Sisters are my mirror.

I have a girlfriend who is my muse...she keeps me inspired with her zesty bits of wise advice/questions/quotes about life! I admire her so.

I have a girlfriend I met a two decades ago... I rarely see her, but, we chat via long, intimate, exuberant e-mails. She fills me with joy!

I have a group of girlfriends from "my neighborhood". We met when our boys were young, and have remained close, now long after our children have left home...meeting to lunch and shop and gossip and laugh. They are my tonic.

I have new friends whom I have recently met through my artist community, ETSY. They support me and and challenge me. I feel so blessed to welcome them into my life.

I have a sister (who loves me in spite of all my flaws), and seven sisters-in-law. We share that messy, family blend of celebrations and challenges between us. Our relationship is lovingly rich and rare.

I have my Mom, who is my forever ally and support. She is my safe place to fall.

And, I have my three daughters. My beautiful, brilliant daughters. We listen to each others successes, failures, struggles...all with loving ears. We are brutally honest with each other. We have an amazingly close bond...sometimes I think we truly are fragments of one another. My heart overflows with love for them.

I acknowledge all my dear girlfriends with a very full heart.

VIVE LA VULGARITE!

2009-01-09T17:46:00.010-06:00

I have my friend, Babs, to thank for today's cheeky inspiration. She sent me an e-mail to tell me about a book she was reading: "Eccentric Glamour" by Simon Doonan. (Simon's the window dresser for Barney's, and an eccentric fashion guru). Babs had come upon this in the book: "You will be delighted to learn, only three roads lead to the Kingdom of Eccentric Glamour: Gypsy, Existentialist, and Socialite." Well, I immediately felt a kinship with Simon! I promptly went to his website to learn more about him and his books. And, from the bits I've read, I already adore him.

A bit more from Simon's website, speaking about his book, 'Wacky Chicks' : "Most of us know a wacky chick. She's a true nonconformist, a woman who dares to be different. On any ordinary day she might be found performing a citizen's arrest, running a concession stand at a swingers convention, or wearing a tiara on top of a cowboy hat. Even when conservatively dressed, wacky chicks give themselves away with their fire and exuberance: their outrageous personalities make them as easy to spot as a flamingo pruning among pigeons..."

AND... "Conformity is our only crime. Dressing down our only faux-pas."
Don't you just LOVE that?!!

Check out Simon's website and read all about his wacky doings:
http://www.simondoonan.net
***
Click on the title of this post and you will be taken directly to Simon's website

MAGICAL INSPIRATION

2009-01-03T18:18:00.003-06:00

"Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in the magic will never find it!'- Ronald Dahl

While I was standing in line at the grocery store checkout today, a card with the above quote literally fell off the shelf and into my cart! I took it as a message from the Universe, and couldn't wait to get home and tack it up on my inspiration board. As I begin this brand new year, and this brand new blog, it seems fitting to begin with these magical words. As I travel the country like a gypsy, collecting roadside treasures and eclectic flea market finds to use in creating my eccentric gypsy goods, or while I sit at the computer entering blogs, or while I clean the house...I promise to watch for the MAGIC.
***
Photo is of me and my gypsy daughters: Kristin, Brittany, and Molly