December Welcoming

My dear friends,

I'm pouring some tea, what kind is your favourite? I tried some jasmine petal loose leaf last week and it was awful. It was so bitter. Have you ever tried Jasmine petal tea before?

Yesterday, I discovered my dear chicken May {Plymouth Rock} had escaped from the back garden. She gave me such a fright. We had a rough storm a fortnight ago and some of our wood fencings were knocked down.

I was busy repairing fencing all day. I then came in and wrote for a few hours and then painted our Christmas/ Yuletide holiday card. Do you like it? It seems a bit sad that so many families do not seem to distribute holiday cards at the present. Do you send holiday cards? I believe one of the reasons for this is because of expense. The world is ever so fast paced and we have such an abundance of social media. I believe people just assume you can just type in someone's name and find out what shenanigans they've been currently about.

Christmas cards have been a tradition of mine since I was a newly married woman. I remember my first set was from a thrift store that was collected when I began my trousseau at 14.  They were vintage ones that someone had most likely stuffed in an attic.

I bought them and calligraphed my name on them. I have always enjoyed sending them out. Christmas Cards began back in the 1800s and they used to have the children decorate papers and write little messages inside. Queen Victoria had her children make some and hand deliver them to folks. I find that so endearing. In my next few posts, I'm going to share with you some more of the traditions that I had when my children were young. I have decided to keep the traditions steadfast even though I don't have little ones afoot.

I wanted to paint a little different style this year and I am beginning to add more details to my paintings, which at times can prove to be a bit difficult. I chose to create a Celtic border and use some gold leafing. I was preparing my art paper, looked down only to notice the border on the Arches paper cover had this similar border. I hid the little animals inside the border and I couldn't love it more.

I am obviously a self-taught artist, and I am often reminded that is a fondest approach to my art. Beatrix Potter once said in her diary, that she looked forward to being alone with her drawing so that she wasn't influenced by a teacher. Her creativity would have been worn off if she had a teacher. I believe it's most important to approach my art in likemindedness. 

I was conversing with my dear BG {Beloved Gardener} this morning, informing him of the demise of our rose garden wattle fence. I had to disembowel it, as the chicken ladies utterly destroyed it. If you look closely at this full image of Tasha's wattle fence you can see hers was too falling apart. 

Courtesy of Pinterest
I never noticed before that Tasha Tudor had one very similar to mine and the same height too. 

I was so saddened it had to go. The chicken ladies loved to perch upon it. I must remake a new one come spring time. Jeffrey said he had some massive red rose bushes that he's been meaning to bring home to me. I imposingly said, " oh, Might those be a wonderful Christmas gift to add to my rose garden." To which he implied, I shall bring them home today, plant them this weekend, nurture them and you should have blooms by Christmas. Now that is to be a sensational view. I have always wanted English hedges and a rose garden. 

 I gathered some pinecones and some oranges from the garden and then made some styled fruits with whole cloves for our little table in the kitchen. I also air dried oranges to create a fruit garland.

I painted a few paintings. This one is "Departure" Its for sale in my Etsy shop for $20.

"Even Mermaids Have Tea At High Noon." For sale in my Etsy shop $20.

It doesn't seem quite the season, but Florida has such delightful weather all year round that I planted a few heirloom tomatoes last week.

A little decoration at the cottage for Christmas. 

 A lovely little storybook would be a delightful stocking stuffer for gift giving. I have even sent off several that are giving them for baby and birthday gifts. Links for Amazon and my Etsy shop are in my sidebar.

Ardently Mothering

My dear friends,

Good Morning and Salutations. I am happily hot~handed writing to you on this cold crisp dewy damp day from Florida. I have been desperate for the cold, and I awoke this morning to receive a gift from the weather gods. I'm still bundled up, having tea and some scrambled eggs with cheese for breakfast. It's a delight to have fresh eggs from my chicken ladies.

The Art Of A Festive Gathering

 

New Website Bubbling Up Soon!

My Dear Friends, Mermaid Junkies and Shoal Family, 

I titled this post as a festive gathering, because by the time I hit publish on this post  I do believe my book will be out into the Universe for all the world to read. 

I wanted to touch base, have a little visit and tell you each how much I appreciate your friendship, kindness and support with regards to my blog and my new storybook, "The Tale of MerryMaid Scarlette Rose.". 

A dinner party in celebration of Jane austen. I love this outfit and hope to replicate it at my book signings.

This is the final proof from the company that I am having create all of my formatting for my  storybook series. 

 If you ever decide to self~publish your very own books and would love a terrific company to format your books for you, I'd highly recommend Glendon at Street Light Graphics. Tell them I sent you. They are a wonderful company to work with.

I have begun scheduling my book signings with the list of tea rooms and book stores. Did I tell you that Oliver will be joining me at the signings? Isn't that a delightful idea? He seems to get all of the attention, so I figured he'd be a wonderful way to bring excitement to the children and parents. 

I am still working on it, but I figured out a nifty idea for a travel basket for Oliver. I had to put it off when my beloved took sick, but I'll have it all ready to go before my book signings. Oliver is asking that you bring him rose petals to munch on and he'll have his wooden cane that he uses in the story. {smile}

I wanted to chat a bit about the particulars of what's happened since I last posted about my dearest Gardener, for those of you that have contacted me and shown concern. Thank you so much for reaching out, it meant the world to me. 

This is a cropped illustration of a page from my storybook. The pixels look a little off but rest assured in the book they are very clear and perfect. I edit all of my photos to fit an aesthetic for my blog and social media so that's why the saturation looks the way it does in this photo.

I made some Geranium Rose Petal powder and cold cream. I'm mildly obsessed with this cold cream. It reminds me so much of the scent that my maternal grandmother used to wear. I can't get enough.

Do you like how I used old portraits and glued button eyes. I think It's an element of spooky, but on the subtle side. The little golden frame in the background is from the dollar tree. Did you know that these size frames are the exact size of lithograph photos. I buy the frames and just remove the paper art image inside and if the gold is too fake looking I will spray a light coat of brass or gold spray paint over it. these were perfect so I didn't have to touch them.  

A favorite of mine, the  double boiler. I received this as a gift from my dear Aunt Dianne on my mother's maternal side.

In between my visits back and forth to the hospital to stay with Jeffrey, I had some time to faff around the cottage and make a few things among my routine writing, cleaning and making ye Olde youtube Videos. The Victorians were very resourceful and used glass for all of their needs, and I try to do that also. I am a Mermaid after all, and the oceans are much better off If we are conservation conscious oriented. I save all my glass jars from the market. I clean them out and remove the labels, and I do age and distress the lids to look old. I made a dozen of beeswax candles, and I jokingly said on my IG stories that I only caught the stove on fire once. 

I swam down to the crystal market and found some lovely crystals to add to our collection. I also had some extra sticks from the gardens and made another wispy broom. Quite fitting for this time of year. You know how I fancy Halloween. I love Citrate crystals, do you? What is your favorite crystals?

Citrate {brown}: Assists in overcoming obstacles, increases feelings of self worth and confidence and helps build leadership skills. I think it's beautiful how so often I will go to purchase a crystal and before I go, I always set a little intention that the correct crystals will call my spirit, and that I will be drawn to them. It occurs every time. I had no idea what a citrate crystal was especially healing for , but my inner being knew. I also found a blue, and a green citrate. jeffrey got a blue citrate as well, along with a citrine on a necklace and two Jasper bracelets for healing. I thought those were delightful choices since it was his first week since out of the hospital and he's been awful weak. I have the most fun with him. It's so wonderful sharing time with those beautiful souls that inspire us to sing songs from the soul, isn't it?

 I don’t think it’s a coincidence that each day I bring my tray of crystals down from the shelf to prepare for meditation that Oliver immediately gets comfortable, lays down next to them and becomes sleepy. Animals know best where real alignment and energy stems from.

Did you know that all through my life, I was always drawn to crystals and earthly sentiments, but I was taught when I was a youth that crystals were evil and bad. I now know that even as a child I intuitively knew how much everything in my world has a spiritual nature to it.

Remember that what your heart calls you towards is always right. It doesn’t have to be right for anyone else, but you and you alone. Don’t let people convince you that God isn’t calling you forward, no matter what form it takes on. Trust your inner being, it knows! I love crystals and I know they make me feel calm and happy, so I practice with them everyday.

“You have to be in the world to understand what the spiritual is about, and you have to be spiritual in order to truly be able to accept what the world is about. So this is how you swim inward. So this is how you flow outwards. So this is how you pray.”~ Mary Oliver
I also had some spare time to hang my vision board for this year. I know it seems most dreadful that I had it made for so long, but it was stuck in the closet. It just took a simple nail to hang it under my Victorian frame. Do you find that you do that sort of thing too? I get busy doing a million projects and abandon many of them mid way through. Ask my mother and my Beloved Gardener, they will both tell you I am notorious for this type of antic.

I now embrace it and just tell myself I'm not inspired to finish it. I think it's about high~time we all cut ourselves some slack and say to ourselves that if we didn't do something, it's because we weren't feeling inspired, and that's A-Okay... We are too rough on ourselves, Ladies. let's be a bit more gentle with ourselves. Things always go much better when we don't use force and aggressiveness. Have you ever tried to push a wet noodle? Oh my... It's a travesty!{heh}

"A minute's reading often provokes a day's thinking."~W.H. Venable, 1872 I had some time , or should I say I will always make time for some reading. I found these lovely quotes from some of my Victorian literature.

"Books are those faithful mirrors that reflect to our minds the minds of sages and heroes. A good book is the precios life -blood of a master spirit treasured up on a purpose for a life beyond.."~J.F. Spaunhurst, 1896.

Writing: "Every new book must have, in the consciousness of it's author, a private history that, like mysteries of romance, would if unfolded have an interest for the reader, and by revealing the inner life of the volume show its character and tendencies." Sarah Josepha Hale, 1866.

This is my logo that I painted for my new branding and website. I must confess I have gotten my bloomers in a wad in more times than I can count while working at creating a header, oh my...Pixels are maddening {heh}. I practice the law of attraction and it still trifles me with how much I allow the little things to bog me down, such as attempting to create a new website by myself. Are you a website genie?

I took a break and walked to the park and spent some time just clearing my head. How has your life been as of late? I've missed you each and I think of you each so very often. I hope to see you around these waters very soon. If I happen to be in your area at one of my book signings, I sure hope you'll swim by and give me a hug and ocean kisses.

I will put up a list of the places and sightings when I have each event dated for certain.

Most affably yours til my next swim, raquelxxx

The Multifarious Beauties Of Life At Staffordshire Cottage

Hello, darlings,

Pour some tea and lets visit for a few minutes. I seem to be running out of the room as my collection of teacups are overflowing. That's certainly not an excuse to stop collecting; however, I do believe I will, at some point, need to purchase a lovely hutch to display them all. Most of them are inside my cabinets and so very much love peeking at them. 

A sweet painting for a dear friends mother. 

On this humid morning, I walk the path to release the chickens from their coop. They are so favourable. They storm the coop until I come to release them into the gardens for the day. They are the dandiest little weed removers. 

I caught a glimpse of the chickens out in the garden this morning and decided on a whim to step out and pull a few weeds. I then proceeded to plant more rose bushes, cleared my rose garden patch from weeds. I then raked and prepped a plot for making a little trail lined pebble walk for going to the chicken coop in the mornings. The grass is now a path of dirt and beings I walk nearly one-hundred per cent of the time in bare feet, I want a nice path to walk upon.

It was also a bit of a reminder as I was taking notes of duties to perform in the gardens that the Gardener and I have allowed the gardens to become wayward. Anyone that's a gardener is undoubtedly aware that gardening is never quite complete. I have a constant tallying list of deeds that need completing and have most recently abandoned the idea for getting outside to take care of them all.

My book is to release in less than a month, and I still have a running list of particulars to complete beforehand. I am also formatting the book myself, which I hadn't intended to do. However, I am learning quite a bit about surprising bewilderment as a lady entrepreneur. I am a lady of many hats. I remind myself daily that I'm attempting this voyage alone with no outside assistance and that I mustn't be strenuous on myself. There's a season for all things and genuinely insist that I am indeed suited for this asperity.

Speaking of hats, here are a few pattern designs that I'm attempting to recreate myself to wear them with my darling Victorian skirt and blouses for my tea room book signings. The middle one is my most favourite.

courtesy of Pinterest 

courtesy of Pinterest

Courtesy of Pinterest

 I've decided to use an ink feather pen to sign my storybooks while I am at my tea party book signings. I believe it'll be a delightful addition to my aesthetic.

I'm focusing on slow and steady, to not become overwhelmed. I remind myself each morning before and after meditation that all is well.

I worked on several more paintings, and I am now contemplating a few different selections of watercolour boards. I have become disillusioned with the iron will of my boards, so I'm reconsidering the use of smooth boards. I am planning a put to use a sampling of this handmade deckled paper next week, and it will be a jubilant affair I am sure of it. I am gladdened to receive it in the post. Do you appreciate deckled paper?

Courtesy of Kelsey Pike Papercraft

I found several outstanding resources for learning about photography, and I could not be more pleased. The Gardener drove me about town to practice. He's a delight. He said, "Love, let's go and try and find some rabbits to take pictures of at bunny haven. There weren't any about at bunny haven, so I took some of the lake and a few ducklings.

The ladies are each laying one egg a day. Yesterday I cracked one open while baking oatmeal raisin cookies and it was a double-yolked egg. There's nothing more approving of using my own organic eggs laid from my very own chicken darlings. I have begun adding an oatmeal cut to their hash, and it seems to have increased their egg production. 

I keep ice water out in the gardens in certain spots to keep the ladies thirst quenched. I add rosemary and melaleuca, which helps with mites, fleas and all sorts of other particulars to keep the ladies organically robust and healthy.

I have always adored the scenery in this photo. I take morning walks, and each time I pass this plot with the gazebo in the lake, I would say to myself, "how lovely." 

I required a pretty backdrop for the Mercedes Benz sponsored shoot, and I had been asking the universe to send me inspired action as to where to have the pictures taken. Why I hadn't thought to ask earlier is outside of my limits. It had not occurred to me one bit until the time was approaching for the deadline. I took my standard drive to the library to renew my books and thought, Oh my, I should ask that owner. I have forever loved that property, what a pretty scenery. 

I asked, and they happily agreed. While visiting with the lady of the house, the more she spoke, she revealed her home was the set of a television series called Second Noah which aired from 1996-1998. She has the best stories about living in a house that was also the set of a television show.

My next-door neighbours home was the set of a television show! Isn't that grand?

As my photography practice continues, I noticed the light shining through and had to snap a few photos of my easel. A pure art form. 

Have you seen the European wattle I made from crape myrtle branches?

I catalogued my seeds and made selections on what to plant soon.

A personal silhouette of myself, the chicken ladies and rabbit Oliver.

Lovely sheep that are one mile from The Outlands in Carmel, California. I am dreaming of living there someday. I have plans to meet with the council in August during my book tour to discuss further details of curatorship.

This sweet image reminded me of my darling little Jack Russell terrier that passed away short;y after I left my marriage.

I shall leave you with a half-completed painting of my little storybook The Tale Of Merrymaid Scarlette Rose. 

Have you signed up for my newsletter "The Current?"

If you feel inclined, I'd be ever so pleased. It's to the right on the side panel.

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquelxxx