My Quotidian Pursuits At The Cottage

Hello lovely friends,

These past few weeks have been full of all sorts of particulars. Let us have tea, shall we? I'm sipping some green tea {I am forever in need of an eensy bit of natural caffeine} with buttered biscuits {nothing fancy, the utmost simple Bisquick recipe} and the remaining bit of my strawberry preserves from last summer. 

I have managed to capture some delicate photographs as I've been really trying to create a much more lovely portfolio of imagery. I think I am well on my way to having never taken any professional photography classes. What do you think? 

I spent several days cleaning and deciding on a few lovely pieces of furniture for the cottage. I love the refinement of the Victorian Ornate era, but I also love the simplistic primitive humility of a little plain cottage.

I spent one whole day cleaning out the kitchen cupboards, drawers, pantry and guest room. I made 3 trips to the donation center. I must say I feel so refreshed and the energy is full and bustling through the cottage as if there's anticipation of wonderment to ensue. 

I rehung several of my iron skillets, revived a few that were rusted. I also found a new one that I picked up at the thrift store. It's the perfect size for a few scrambled eggs for breakfast mornings.

My BG and I spent time at the fresh market. I am always admiring their displays. It has such a quaint ambiance about it. I believe its the dim lighting that creates a moodiness effect.  

I found some yummy Walker butter shortbread cookies for my tea. I am sorely addicted to those cookie biscuits. I can't help myself from eating the package in its entirety. 

I have gardened and walked this little row of pebbled rocks so many times and yet I came upon these three hearts and I was so tickled to know that I was being blessed by the universe with my most favorite of signs.

More playing with my camera, lighting, and angles. I have not a clue what I'm doing but this is my place of creating and figuring it out as I go along. I hope you'll be patient with me as I find my way.

The gardener and I have been sleeping on a certain side of the bed. I have an injury in my right arm and my BG wanted to switch sides to see if he fared better too. Do you have a certain side of the bed you sleep on?

This week I stripped the bed and started fresh. I donated all the old comforters and sheet sets to the thrift store and picked up a new set at TJ Maxx with a high thread count. We now have one sheet set and I have always gone with white, for white is very versatile. I can bleach them and hang them on the clothesline. There is nothing more refreshing than the faint smell of fresh sun-dried linens.

Some brie cheese tossed in the oven with a touch of garlic and olive oil. I also toasted some sourdough bread in the oven with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. This to me is a meal in itself.

I spent some time on the internet looking for a china teapot to match some thrift store plates that I picked up for a few dollars. I am seeking a bone china teapot, and truly want it to match. I love the softness of the pink in this plate. Soft pink is also one of my brand colors, so I love using it for flat lays and styling.

courtesy of pinterest

I kept Jayne Eyre the movie playing in the background for almost a solid two weeks. When I am working I play the soundtrack at nausea. What type of music do you enjoy?

courtesy of pinterest

Blue is another of my brand colors so I like playing with teacups as they are one of my favorite things to collect. I think I shall eventually gather my bearings on a signature style that is all my own. I did some cookie baking this week. Lemon poppy seed cookies, they are not my favorite, but its variety I seek. I won't be making these again for quite a long time.

When organizing and purging, I take everything out and then sort through. I ask myself these three questions as I hold the items: Do I love it truly? Does it hold a negative memory or energy for me? Is it useful?

The Gardener and I went driving and he helped me seek places to scout out for photo shoots for my blog.

courtesy of getty

I wrote a quite eloquent author proposal for the Mercedes Benz dealership. I am shooting the photos for it this weekend, if the weather permits.

Florida weather has a peculiar way of teaching its residents a sense of adapting to the fickleness. Just when we are getting comfortable, the temperatures rise or we get rain showers with an inconsistency. The mugginess is definetly something to get used to.

I hung some photos of precarious gentleman folk in the hall, and painted up a few silhouettes of the gardener and i.

I made the gardener his tea. I love to try all sorts of different kinds. loose leaf tea is my favorite. We have a darling Teavana tea room in the mall about ten miles away from the cottage. I love to go there, smell and taste the samples of the day.

Yard sales and estate sales will never elude the gardener and I, even if we never buy a thing it's still so much fun to window shop.

Our Brandywine tomatoes have finally stopped dropping, but I can say we had the best bounty we've ever had. They were so wonderful. I had sliced tomatoes and cucumbers every day with my black eyed peas and johnny cake cornbread. The most perfect southern meal to be had surely.

This was an image, as well as the one below I found on Pinterest and its a great inspirational piece for a painting I'd like to paint this week. Do you keep secret pinterest boards?

I ripped apart a bunch more fencing and I plan to patch the pieces together and create a makeshift desk so that I can have a surface to sew on.

I'm purely desperate to get my hands back to smocking, embroidery, and sewing some beautiful summer dresses. I found a wonderfully soft weaved Pima cotton, and I'll be making a shirt out of it with ruffled sleeves, pearl buttons, and a peter pan collar. 

Heres my pile of original victorian clothes that I've collected over the past few years that need to be mended. I have such a pile, I think I may be forced to find new uses for them, as they seem to find themselves in the mending pile more so than I am able to wear them. They are in constant need of being tended to. 

Heres another cabinet {below} that holds medicines, vitamins and essential oils. I aged labels from the office supply store and then used my quill pen to calligraphy on the bottles. 

Here's a TTT {Treasure Trove Tip} when I had to start all over from scratch and I no longer had a supply of old bottles, I made sure that whenever we bought new spices, I'd always buy glass. I then would age the lids with paint to make them appear like they were rusted, and soak the labels off. The metal file drawers were one of the few things that my ex-husband mailed down to me so I stamped some labels with rubber stamps for the bottles. The oils and gummy vitamins are always being used up so I keep them in the same bottles and just hide those in the metal drawers.

 I spent many hours working on my book author proposal so that I can afford to pay for my 13 city book tour. I think it's going to be so much fun, that I can hardly wait. 

How have you been spending your spring thus far? Ihope your'e having a lovely time. 

If you havent signed up for my newletter "The Current" I'd love it if you did. I'm working on a giveaway for signing up, but I havent thought of anything spectacular yet. Do you have any ideas? I'd love to hear from you. 

How To Dress Like Tasha Tudor {Victorian Style}

 My dear friends,

I am having some earl grey tea and buttercream cookies. The cookies are Danish, which I happen to fancy, as I have Dutch descent.

How To Keep A Cottage Bunny & {Sir Oliver Twisty Topsy's Tale}

Upon learning that I have a cottage bunny, I've had several folks ask about how to care for one, as well as, Oliver's story. I'll attempt to tell my story of Oliver as well as give some great information on how to have a bunny as a house pet.

Since my early twenties, I have always desired to have a house bunny. It all began when I had my children, and I would endlessly read them stories of Beatrix Potter and watch all the videos of the tales of Peter Rabbit.

I've had a deep fascination with Beatrix Potter since my youth and had always desired to have a bunny in the house such as her.

Needless to say, without going into the beastly details of why I never got my dream of having a house bunny, I had it written upon the pages of my little Beatrix Potter journal from 1993 and that when I acquired my rabbit, I would give him the name of Oliver. I had wanted to name one of my sons Oliver, but that notion was vetoed with each birth. So I just said to myself, I'll call my pet rabbit Oliver when I acquire him one day.

Bath time...

When I met my dearest Beloved Gardener, and we began talking, we shared our likes and dislikes of life and of all the particulars we've dreamt of. I was madly in love with Jeffrey from the first moment I began communicating with him, and it has yet to wane.

When we started dating, my birthday was fast approaching, and he asked me what I'd like for my birthday. I told him as I've been on a transformational journey {tale} for the last few years, I was eager to make as many of my dreams come true. Now that I was in control of my life, I wanted to embrace all I'd ever wanted without being bridled. I requested to have a house bunny, yes a rabbit living in the cottage with the gardener and I hop-hopping about.

He said, okay... If you seek the bunny out and find the one you want I'll acquire it for you. Now, I would be remiss if I didn't explain to you what that did for my soul.

You see, I have continuously over the years been told as if I were a child what is and is not permitted for me to do. Whether it was my parents, religious figures, ex-husband, extended family, etcetera. You name it... people have always desired to tell me what I should and should not do according to their desires.

I was now with a person that was respectful of me, wanting to give me my greatest desires in life even if it seems minuscule to buy me a pet rabbit.

I sat and cried for quite some time that I was, at last, going to have a rabbit all my own.

I do now understand looking back just a little over two years that we actually train people how to treat us. We are the ones that allow and accept the way people decide to respect or disrespect us. It's our work to be the influential creators that we are intuitive. To create our lives the way we so desire. And as an artist, I can say paint the life you want with each brushstroke representing a choice and decision in your life that you made all on your own. What you will soon realize is the beautiful masterpiece that you've created is the most beautiful piece of art, and it's all your own work,  your own masterpiece with all the colours you decided to use, the canvas you chose, the medium you chose. You are the one in control of your life and no one else. You have to be the one to paint the life you want.

Having a rabbit has been one of the greatest joys my heart has ever known. Rabbits do have sweet personalities, and I manifested the perfect bunny for my soul, and that was Oliver.

I live the Law of Attraction, and I believe profoundly in getting into alignment before ever getting any kind of pet. I was sure to write my intentions about the type of personality my bunny would have, and I really needed a calm bunny. I had initially wanted a Lionhead but ultimately chose a Jersey Wholly instead as I think their demeanours are a smidge more peaceful. Oliver is a Jersey Woolly Blue Tort, and he is a full-grown weight of 3 pounds.

Upon bringing Sir Oliver Twisty Topsy home, beforehand I had my father create a bunny hutch out of an old pie safe that I had for decades which sat at my parent's house being cared for.

I had done an abundance of research about how to care for a bunny, so I felt rest assured that I would be a great bunny owner. There are lots of Bunny videos on Youtube, such as how to bathe, clip nails, keep their bedding, and how to feed them.

I like to feed Oliver a healthy organic diet, and I'll tell you why. Not only because it keeps him in outstanding health, but because I'm not one to take my pets to the vet unless I'm in dire straights and can't do something on my own.

I was the same way with my dogs, and one out of the two is still living 14 years later and has never gone to the vet except for being neutered.

I wanted to create another way that you could house your bunny if you have a tribal style. The dog crate was given to me from the neighbours when they were moving, and I thought i could put it to good use. I found the keyboard stand in the storage room, and just sprayed all of it a gold spray paint. The rug is from five below.

 I will give another piece of advice that I have learned from having a rabbit. If you get their bunny cage off of the floor, it makes cleanup so much better. If not, you will have to spend so much time cleaning. The rabbits are messy little beasts, and the height solution will save you enormous headaches, trust me on this.

At night I throw a blanket over the cage. As you know, rabbits typically live in burrowed out tree trunks and holes, so they love darkly closed~in spaces.

I found a basket at the thrift store and then bought a plastic Tupperware pan (casserole size) then lined it with two grocery bags. Then lay several paper towels inside and then layer hay on top. Just for blog post purposes, I put the litter in, but I rarely use kitty litter. Also, line paper towels around and below the plastic pan, just so there are no accidents. 

If pee happens to get on the basket, take it outside, and spray it down with the hose. I spray Oliver's with bleach and lavender fabuloso that i mixed up in a spray bottle. Let it dry out in the sun. Over time the basket will begin to fall apart, but like I said earlier, I just go and buy another one for about two bucks at the Goodwill. They also love the wicker and will mostly chew it to file down their teeth. So that's two birds with one stone, in my book. {Wink, Wink}

I dry rose petals from my garden, but sometimes I'll give him fresh. He likes new, much better and especially loves the stems. Trust your animal to know what to eat, they are super smart.

My philosophy is that if I take good care of my pet, trust mother earth to provide for our animals, that bunnies are sort of like that even though we have somewhat domesticated them. They are still animals and are absolutely instinctive. A rabbit knows how to do bunny stuff, they don't need to be taught. I take Oliver outside daily to play in the garden, and he knows what weeds, flower stems or branches to chew on. He just knows. Below is a list of things of particulars that I keep on hand for Oliver.

~Timothy Hay {You can get large bags at Walmart for $6.97}

~Purified Water {You don't need all of those fancy drinking drip bottles, just a little ceramic bowl will do correctly. Again, my philosophy is that rabbits don't have decorative containers in the wild, they drink from the brooks}. I do suggest purified water though because goodness knows what can cause harm over a while if we give them water that's not filtered.

I always say, "prevention is best!"

Olivers purified water bottle. I keep it ready to go in the fridge, just in case someone needs to water and feed him, they know his special bottle.

~Some pieces of wood, cardboard boxes, driftwood, old branches, etc. {I watched Oliver's patterns to see what he liked to chew on and then found that he loves his soft wooded box with his hay in it. So I let him eat that to bits. That way, I don't have to have his teeth filed.

~Rabbits are like many animals; they pee and poop in the same spots from where they have left their scent. Another beautiful thing about a rabbit is that they are super clean. They can be box trained like a kitty cat.

~Oliver and most rabbits poop where they eat their hay. So I change Oliver's bed almost every day, sometimes every other day. Many of the sites recommend getting paper cat litter for the rabbits, but I found a few paper towels inside a plastic pan with some hay on top of the paper towels is much easier clean up for Oliver and for me. I attempted the cat litter one time, and it was a total disaster. He kicked it everywhere!

This is Oliver's bunny hutch. He can be comfortable in it as he is only 2 pounds full grown. If he were a more giant 

breed, this surely would not work.

~We grow a garden of herbs and vegetables, so I keep Oliver's diet fresh from the garden. He has his favourites, and you'll have to just give your rabbit samples of things and see what they like and dislike. Oliver's diet is mostly Organic Italian parsley, carrots, dried mangos, cilantro, romaine lettuce, black oil sunflower seeds and some dried food that i homemade from an assortment of nuts, oats and seeds.

~I keep on hand essential oils {doterra brand} Melaleuca, Frankincense, Lavender and a few others. I make my own blends, and if I need to make something special for an ailment, I just whip it up. Fingers crossed, I haven't had to do that yet, and Oliver is 3.
~If Oliver ends up making a number 2 other than his bed box, I will promptly pick up the poop and take it to his bed box. I also recommend getting some Capture and using that to remove any scents, so that he won't keep returning to go to the bathroom in that same spot.

I keep Oliver in his bunny hutch nightly. In the morning after I awake and meditate, I barricade the kitchen and parlour and take Oliver out to roam around. Most rabbits sleep during the day, so they are pretty calm and lethargic during the day. I do take him out in the mornings after the dew has dried and let him bounce around and play. He's used to the air conditioner so he can get boiling really quickly. I then bring him back inside to spend more time with me.

He mostly sleeps beneath my feet in his basket under the dining table or my art desk. I treat him as a child, so if I'm busily painting, I bring him in next to me. He's quite comfortable and will sprawl out and sleep.

Oliver has brought a great sense of joy to my life, and I feel as though a home isn't a home without a bunny rabbit.

Most Affably Yours Til My Next Swim, Raquelxxx

The Quiet Days Of Autumn

“Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields...Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness.” 

― Mary Oliver

Good Afternoon, my sweet friends, I was blessed with some lovely Victorian antiques by a dear friend of mine, so I began creating a lovely space in my art studio, which is now named "The Nursery." I named it that (a friend actually named it for me) because it's the place where all particulars are born and grown, from a darling child to my art and books, and my beloved's flowers. I thought it quite fitting. 

I noticed after taking this little photo, that I really love the purple, mauve pink like color. It's in my lamp, my little Magnolia Pearl Jacket, my linen pants, and several of my scarves. I think we are most certainly drawn to certain colors. 

 A beautiful wooden antique bread bowl from my dear friend. The cotton floral hankie is what I use as little placemats underneath our supper plates during mealtime. I find them much sweeter than placemats you'd buy in the store.

"Who Rescued Who"

" Mr. And Mrs. Betrothed"

 As many of you know I am very keen on wearing and preserving the old Victorian clothes that I don. If I have them, I most assuredly wear all of them. However, when doing this... there is bound to be particulars that are inadequate to mend or salvage. Hence, which is what occurred with this Victorian under slip from the early 1900's. I will always invigorate, so I decided to turn this one into an apron. I removed the sleeves and made them into pockets and used an old flat linen sheet for the ties. I am getting such good use out of it, not to mention... it's precious to me.

 I added some lace valances to the kitchen cottage window. Isn't lace exceptional!

 I conclusively hung my shelf from the thrift store in the kitchen, along with my old drying rack made from a gardening tree stake I found in a trash pile. It has the perfect amount of age.

I don't go a day without lighting candles of all kinds at the cottage. I find it soothing, romantic and a beautful elegance permeates the cottage when candles are all aglow.

 The Autumn and Fall months are a delight. The weather is lovely, but there is a small disparity of sorts with mosquitos. I have never enjoyed the smell of citronella even though they do eliminate the issue. I decided to make a few illuminaries for myself with essentail oils and use what I had. They turned out charming.

 Mr. Oliver Twistytop sniffing my Autumn arrangement of flowers.

 I planted my hyacinth bulbs from spring, and I am so excited to see what comes up.

My BG (Beloved Gardener) brought me home some hand me downs and none of the clothes were much to my liking, except for a darling little dress. It was a tiny size so I turned it into an apron. I am wildly obsessed with aprons! Can you tell? If any kind of fabric stays still long enough I'll surely turn it into an apron. (Heh...)

 I made an Autumn wreath from the fallen Confederate Jasmine from hurricane Irma.

 " But do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life." ~R.L. Stevenson

I was determined to be successful with my sourdough starter this go around. I was very strategic. I watched it like a momma bird and it did not disappoint. I found the recipe in a Farmer's Almanac from before the Civil War. They would use potatoes as a sourdough starter becasue it was more common for them to have potatoes than it was milk on the prairies.

 I boiled them until they were able to be strained through a seive.

I'm so happy that it turned out and it tastes yummy. I froze a loaf for my parents to take to them on my next visit. 

 What I love about gardening is the variety of fresh vegetables that are in season. We had a nice tiny crop of cucumbers, squash, and heirloom tomatoes. My brother in law had a nice crop of onions, tomatoes and I think a few of his fruit trees gave him some sweet fruit. He lives where the ground is all clay so he can harvest more things than my BG and I can. It's lovely to share one's bounty with family.

 A little floral saucer that I picked up at the thrift store. It says "You Are Loved" and I love that daily reminder from God.

 I wanted some decor in "The Nursery" so I hung some dried roses with gold Washi tape. Have you ever used Washi tape? It's the lovliest thing around.

"Seaweed Bouquets"

 I was commencing on social media that I had attempted to make some peanut butter cookies for my BG and I and that I was discovering new recipes. I am creating a new little recipe box of receipts that I love. A sweet dear friend sent me a recipe she hand wrote with her peanut butter recipe and it was a big success. It was also the sweetest kindest gesture for her to send me a book of poetry, a teacup, vintage hankie, and her recipe. I had tears well up from the love I felt in that little gift package.

The cottage has been under renovation since I moved in, and I don't see it letting up anytime soon. (heh...)

 All the shelves and hooks in the cottage reveal something fresh always. I am forever changing the vignettes from flowers to candles, to vintage decor.

 I was feeling very Jayne Eyre this day and made myself a black lace apron for a more dressy look. It's not practical at all, but it's stunning to look at while wrapped about my waist. I may wear it with my Hallow's Eve costume and play dress up.

 Oliver and I having lunch outside and snatching up cuddles.

 Bonnets are the dandiest, they are the absolute most practical adornment for keeping the sun out of one's eyes. This one is my most favorite. I feel like a youngster when I'm wearing it, because I like to put my hair in ribboned pigtails. I feel a nostalgic child-like essence and it nourishes my inner spirit to the eenth degree.

 I'm not one to drink soda very often, however when I stop by the little retro candy store, I can't help but get a creme soda. I couldn't bear to toss it and so the spontaneous thought one day was to use it as a vase for the garden. I went on a jaunt one day after hurricane Irma hit because I was desperately needing flowers for the cottage. I couldn't hardly find anything, and then I saw these little daisy looking wildflowers and they straightaway made me go to the memories of my mother. Her most favorite flower is a daisy.

"How Well Did You Fair After The Storm?"

 Some of my art. I've begun painting oodles of fall images, which most assuredly will consist of crows, raccoons and graveyards. My Etsy shop is called RaquelMargaretCarter if you would like a commisioned piece.

"Adele At Thornfield"

I hope you are well and good my sweet darling soul spirited friends. Thank you for swimming by for a visit with me. I lovely love you!

Yours til my next swim, Raquel