My Old~Fashioned Victorian Sourdough Starter and Bread Recipe {Receipt}

 My dear friends, 

I hope you are well. I have tea in hand and some pumpkin tea snaps. It never fails that when fall sets in, and the air is brisk in the evenings, I can not get enough of anything pumpkin flavoured. The only thing that I am not mainly in favour of is a pumpkin candle. Halloween is my most favourite holiday. What is your most favoured jubilee? I begin holiday music in October. If I am making festivity gifts, I will inevitably put on A Happy Victorian Christmas or Enya holiday, to encourage my frame of mind.

8 Delightful Ways To Live A Victorian Lifestyle

New Website Coming Very Soon!

My dear friends, 

Did you have a splendid weekend? It was a nice one for the gardener and me. We played in the yard and made it a little game to see if we could finish before the rainstorm set in.

As I've been working through my new blog/website, I have been finetuning it, quite a bit. It's been such a delight to work with colours and fonts. I finally found a theme that has an eCommerce store, which will be ever so beneficial for my goods, services and my bespoken original paintings.

The Art Of Thievery

My dear friends, 

I have been a bit under the weather, but I must write. Oliver and I wanted to say Rabbit Rabbit even though we are a day late!

Pleasantries At Staffordshire Cottage

My dear friends,

Pour some tea and let's have a go. I discovered some new teas at Publix {my local grocery store} and it is one of the best teas for taste. They are bags and I was a tiny hesitant, but I was not disappointed, in fact, I am delighted. I even gave my mother the tip. 

I wanted to share a little occurrence that transpired this weekend. I truly want my blog to be a place you might swim to, be a bit entertaining, and educational as well. Nevertheless, That is my hope. {smile}

I took more photos of the chickens to use for my storybook "The Tale Of Henny~Penny Goody Two~Shoes"

My blog is an online diary, as you know so I thought it a lovely sentiment to share what I spent my time doing over the weekend.

I am only going to share a bit about an unpleasantry, but enough to hopefully inspire if you were to experience it for yourself at some later time.

Someone stole my identity, by taking my chequebook out of my garbage bin. It had my old account and previous married name on it.

Lovely Adventures At Staffordshire Cottage

My dear friends,

I spent the day writing away on fairytales that I am very excited to bring to your darling children very soon. I had the most enjoyment watching Olivier pounce about the cottage. He really enjoys being out in the garden with the chickens. He stays well close to the back door of the cottage. The chickens were especially quiet today. I wonder if the beautiful weather instinctually calmed them to nestle in the trees. They have their particular spots under the fern brush. They have created sand pits where they spend most hours of the day. The weekend ahead is predicted to be quite chilly, which I am looking forward to.  I couldn't be happier. My dear neighbour Joe and his wife have a roaring fire going and I can smell the umbers drifting over into our direction.

Cottage Intentions And More Victorian Author Readings

My dear friends,

Pour some tea, my dearies. Oliver is joining us this morning. Isn't he darling how he seems to camouflage himself? I had removed the unattractive table that was in the kitchen when I moved in, and since I am making due, I decided to use one of my sewing machines as a tiny table for now. I am thinking of painting every other tile black, to perhaps add a Victorian appeal. I posted a photo below. What do you think?

The Artful Way Of Allowing Abundance Into Your Life

My dear friends,

Let us have some tea. We will need an extra strong cup this morning. {smile}

I am completely transparent when I speak about my voyage, and that's financially included. I shared a video last week {here} about my latest evaluation of what has been plaguing my mind with special pointers about my abundance.

How often do we hear about women and their entrepreneurial voyage but not truly understand that many women have been whirling for sometimes decades before they become popular or famous?

The Art Of A Homemaker

courtesy of Pinterest

My Dear Friends,

I wrote this on my facebook page at one time and thought it was a delightful entry. I wanted to share it with you since leaving social media. 

"It's amazing how lovely common things become if one only knows how to look at them."~Louisa May Alcott

I slowly slip out of my cosy sheets, walk through the softly lit cottage and put the kettle on. I quietly set about my morning routine but firstly, putting on my baby pink robe. I say a silent prayer of appreciation thanking the sweet god's there was a time it was all just a dream; a thought in my mind.

I pull the lace curtains and make my way through the cow path to tend the chickens and then sweet Oliver the rabbit. The ladies are now laying small eggs. Though they are small, they are full of taste. May, {our sweet Plymouth Rock} bows down for a back scratch and then they follow suit going about their day. 

I am not in a rush, I plan my household management for the day. I then feel how the inspiration flows to me guiding me gently to paint pretty pictures.

A bit of reading, some spiritual encouragement and now the steaming cup of tea is in my hand. It keeps me warm and cosy with its thick honey. I breathe deeply and bask in the early hour. Soon the cottage will become alive. I am ready for it. I will carefully fix the bed, prepare breakfast, which is my favourite meal of all, fluff the cushions and start the wash. 

My mornings are never stressed, the home is peaceful and beautifully blessed. 

I am living the art of slow. I am a homemaker. 

The Art Of Allowing, Downton Abbey And Delightful News

Hello dear friends,

Put the kettle on and let's have some tea. My choice this morning is English black tea.

I refer to you as my dear friends, do you know why? I do it for two reasons. The first is that those of you that swim to my blog, are true indeed like my dear friends in reality. I know we are spread out among this great expansive world, but we can each come together through writing. Isn't that the truest nature of friendship? I like that in the old-fashioned days, women would wait each day for a post from their friends. The butler would serve the letters on a silver tray, such as in Downton Abbey. I believe writing brings women together. Another reason for calling you dear friends is because I try to emulate Beatrix Potter.  I absolutely adore that she called persons dear to her "dear friends." I feel a kindred connection to her in many ways.



  I am going to give a break down of the movie when it hits theatres in 2019, so that shall be delightful indeed.

Courtesy of UK archives. Jemima Puddleduck outside of Hilltop.

Courtesy of UK archives. Hilltop in England where Beatrix Potter lived.

Do you have someone that you feel a kindred nature towards? I'd love to hear who yours is.

I wanted to tell you the great news! I heard from the City of Carmel yesterday and they are reviewing my proposal for the Flander's Mansion curatorship. I was so tickled, that I could not keep it from you. It will be months from now until I hear anything else about it. No matter the outcome, I am so happy regardless. I have learned that in the manifesting of anything in life, it's the joy along the journey that helps us in facilitating our dreams and desires. I believe too often we as humans have become so comfortable with believing that in life in order to be happy we must first have the "thing" and then we will be happy. It's the believing and then seeing, instead of the other way around.

Flanders Mansion in Spring.

Flanders Mansion in the evening.

I know my dream of living in Carmel will come true at the perfect appointed time. And whether that is living at Flanders Mansion or another little cottage in the city, I feel confident. I believe so strongly in the Law of Attraction. I think it's oftentimes unfortunate when people go for years and not allow a dream to come true in their life, that they mistakenly believe that they aren't worthy of their desire. This isn't true at all. The only reason someone doesn't manifest their desire is that after they first launch an idea/desire they go to work contradicting it. I know before I began practising the Law of Attraction, I was notorious at doing this. It's because I didn't understand how universal laws worked. I would become tied up in believing that I wasn't worthy of the things I desired. I think that is common among many people especially if having grown up in a religious home, such as I. It can become quite confusing after being raised with contradicting beliefs. I grew up Pentecostal Church of God until I was 17 and then I converted to a Mormon. When I left my marriage in 2015 i stopped practising religionall together.

To be a tad confident about feeling special in life is a very good thing indeed. I do hope you feel as prized a person too, meaning you too shall have all of your dreams come true if you so believe. To believe before we have tangibly seen the proof is a true testament to faith as Christian/religious folks call it.

I spent yesterday rearranging furniture and packing up some things that I feel I've outgrown, such as some pictures on the walls, some old craft items and modern clothing. Remember I spoke to you about clearing out and disembowelling things such as clothes that you don't like wearing or haven't worn in sometime? I was holding onto some shoes that I thought I may wear again, but I averaged the time out and I haven't worn them for over four years. I am therefore donating them to charity. Do you begin feeling that way towards the end of each year as well? I think I am constantly releasing things. I learned to easily release things as I would move so much in my past that to keep every little item would have been quite burdensome.

I found these Victorian granny boots at an antique shop. Even though they were a bit tough getting on, they fit perfectly which is quite rare.

I began working on our little guest bathroom over the weekend. Jeffrey is disembowelling the sink this weekend. I'm going to then add a pedestal sink my dear friend gave to me when I moved in with my parents. The only thing I'll need to purchase is a faucet. I found one on Amazon for $60.00. It has a Victorian flair to it.

My mother and I went looking at old Victorian homes in my neighbourhood. I asked her to snap a photo. 

I decorated my treasure room to coordinate with The Tale of MerryMaid Scarlette Rose. Did you notice the rose colours and the cork garland?

I wanted to leave you to begin your day off on the correct foot with another quote. I do love quotes. They have always inspired me along my life's journey and I hope they too inspire you, sweet friends.

I shall write again soon.

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquelxxx

The Artistic Approach Of An Author And Illustrator {Beatrix Potter Style}

My dear friends, 

Put the kettle on and let us have a little visit. I'm having some breakfast English tea.

I have been taking many photographs around the garden of myself and the chickens so that I have a bit of a reference point if needs be while I'm writing The Tale of Henny Penny Goody Two~Shoes. In the Beatrix Potter Society letter this morning, there was a bit of controversy over some of her writings. Someone wrote that they had found in Beatrix Potter's books that she had shot a red-tailed squirrel so that she might be able to draw more accurately a squirrel for her storybook "Squirrel Nutkin." I believe it was a misinterpretation and misread. 

I know there have been several times I've read that Tasha Tudor and Beatrix Potter were known to capture little animals and keep them for some time so that they might draw them in their most fundamental nature. I suppose there is no way of complete assurance in knowing whether or not Tasha Tudor or Beatrix Potter actually did kill little animals for their artwork accuracy, but I genuinely doubt it. Capture them, indeed, but to harm them... I think not. 

There are many times that when Beatrix decided she wanted to draw little paintings for her books she actually would go back to the place and ask to borrow certain items so that she might create a perfect depiction. One such time was when she went to friends and asked to borrow the dollhouse in the story The Two Bad Mice. She never had children, I wonder if she had ever desired to have children. I have often wondered about that.

My dear friend Suzanne sent me this Tasha Tudor Garden book, and I was so touched that I cried. Suzanne is such a kind soul. She lives in New England and is close friends with Tasha's actual children. She has the group on Facebook called Take Peace. It's a group created to preserve and keep Tasha's legacy alive. I have the most fun, and it's such a delightful group of women. I think I spoke to you about it once before. I wish there was something like that for Beatrix too.

The Cosmopolitan magazine in the UK has predicted that the most popular little girls baby name in 2019 will be Beatrix. I think Beatrix is an adorable name. I shall continue to dream that my little storybook The Tale of MerryMaid Scarlette Rose will be such as Peter Rabbit, perhaps when I have left this earth. I still have so many stories to write. I should hope I'll have enough time to write them all.

I am always so inspired by my dear friend's daughter, so I was prompted to paint her with her rabbit Oliver. He's the same breed as my Oliver, A Jersey Whooly, I think.

 I made some roasted potatoes with rosemary from the garden this weekend. I can never get enough of roasted potatoes baked in the oven, can you? Vegetables are such hearty food and quite filling.

I've read this book about a dozen times already. It has quite exciting tidbits about Beatrix. I find that this book gives way to how very much she had such a witty and profound personality. I was surprised to learn of how very much she was into politics and that she wasn't always so pleased with how women were treated in comparison to men. I say well said, Beatrix. I feel quite the same. Did you know her book The Tale of Peter Rabbit was turned down from being published six times? She decided to post it herself. At that time in history, she put forth the money to have a certain quantity of books printed. I may be off, but I think she had over 550 printed. If you know the accurate number, please do tell, but I think I am correct in that number. 

This is my first son Carter. Remember in previous entries I spoke about how much I loved playing the Beatrix Potter stories on the television. His pacifier holder was Beatrix Potter themed. I made dozens of the short jumper that he's wearing, as it was the perfect clothing for a child learning to walk. I never wanted to deal with pants and a shirt separately as the shirt would always come untucked, and the pants would slide down, so this way, he was ever put together. I handed them down to my next two boys, so much good use was put to them. I had some that I monogrammed as well. Notice the sign above his head? I had made that from some sticks I found, "Rabbits Garden."I was full well into everything Beatrix, even at the age of 20.

 Just in time and favour of Tasha, I made some homemade beeswax candles. I poured the wax into some mason jars and added a bit of spruce essential oil.

Over the weekend, I also made some homemade broccoli cheese soup. It was delicious. I gobbled it up, and that's saying a bit much about how superb it was because I usually do not much care for broccoli. It was a little nippy this weekend in Florida, so I thought what better time to have a bread bowl and some soup.

Oh, I wanted to update you on the little visit that Jeffrey and I went on Saturday. Remember I said we were going to go see a small cottage in the country town? We went to look at it, and there was an older gentleman pressure washing the cottage. It turns out it's a rental property and would never be up for sale. I'm still dreaming of Carmel, so my feelings weren't much hurt in the learning of the little cottage. I didn't much care for the placement of it, nor the idea that it had no surrounding woods.

Jeffrey and I did some Christmas gift shopping, and that was quite delightful. Today I am getting estimates for a new air-conditioner system. Jeffrey insists, and i right agree with him that the house value will go up when it's time to sell, beings it will have a new unit installed.

What did your weekend consist of?

Well, I shall be off for now. I shall write again soon.

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquelxxx

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.

A Victorian Message Of Good Cheer

Apple Cinnamon tea and stollen

My dear friends,

I've missed you, and it seems those words are oft-spoken from me. I have a wee bit of news to share with you.

But firstly, tea and a Victorian quote to set us right.

" How oft does an emblem-bud silently tell what language could never speak half so well!" ~Louisa Anne Twamley, Romance of Nature {1836}

Last week I sent out my very first email newsletter "The Current." I think I should continually flush out a few ways of making it become a delightful bit of tail mail or messages in a bottle from Raquel. Which Title do you prefer? I'd very much appreciate it being somewhat like snail mail. I miss not having handwritten letters from the post. I love having pen pals, do you not?

A Victorian Halloween

My dear friends,

Won't you pour some tea and let us sit a spell? I'm making some lemon verbena tea with honey and having a few cookies. The gardener is home with bronchitis and the flu; consequently, I am striving to stay hydrated. Did you know that the law of attraction is much like what Christians call faith? I remember being a little girl, and my momma would always say, " Raquel don't own that sickness, honey." I liken the Law of Attraction similarly. My mother taught me as a little girl, without her recognising that she was teaching me energetic vibration. If we think something continuously, we will ultimately create that "thing." We create our reality. I am also drenching myself in essential oils and keeping a good bill of health. The doctor musn't become sick. {wink, wink}

The Art Of Victorian Musings And Hints From Staffordshire Cottage

Might you pour some tea and let us have a little visit. I've missed you, and I have such particulars to tell you and a bit of some musing that only you might well appreciate. 

My choice of tea this morning is lavender and rose with a smidge of honey, I am pairing it with a few walker shortbread biscuits/cookies. A little further down in this entry I will share my  Victorian recipe of Walker shortbread. Last evening I finally took a moment to sit a spell and read my newest issue of Victoria magazine. I was especially pleased to see a sweet little entry about Beatrix Potter's celebratory birthday in England. What a delight! I do love Beatrix Potter as you may well know. 

As you can see here, Oliver is as gleeful about fall as I am. I do love a rabbit in photographs along with some flowers. 

As I am an artist and with my manuscript and illustrations off to the formatting company, I thought to send you a tad of Mermaid. I painted this so long ago, and it still reminds me of my beloved gardener. I imagine he looked like this as an infant boy. 

 I have an old wooden fence that separates us from the neighbours, and there is one piece of fencing that has long rotted away. I can't bear to replace it as I am rewarded with my neighbours bleeding hearts ever so daring to connect. I don't mind it one bit. Isn't the bleeding heart thus very England and holiday provoking in spirit?

 And since I have no children these days underfoot, these little ladies are my constant companions. Have I ever told you of their names? The red one with white-tipped tail feathers is named Harriet. We were told she was an Orpington, but I think she is something else. Any guesses out there, ladies? The Plymouth Rock {black &white} is named May. Her sister was called Flower, and she was killed by a racoon as a chick. The Black Australorp is Pollie, and the Rhode Island Red {to the far right} is named Henny Penny.

 They surely keep the bugs down and weeds from my rose garden. They love the rose garden.

 I was counting out my collection of oyster shells that I've been hoarding as I am planning to use them to make an excellent base for a laundry line. I need to make one that's portable, small in scale as our gardens are small and one that is appealing to admire. I should think that all things in our dwellings should be delightful and admirable to gaze upon, no?

 I do believe ladies that I have showed you once before in another post, the little bathroom I redid for $12.00. I had all of the other supplies in the garage. I will go into more depths in the newest entry, but I thought I'd share a little inspiration with you proving that we are only limited to our imagination when desiring to create beauty in our small abodes. I am beginning our 2nd bath this weekend with another many little redos. It requires my Beloved Gardener to disembowel the sink. He was very enthusiastic about how I was able to transform our small bath with such little money. I hope to do a second bath, such as justice. I will dedicate an entire post to that project in the impending future.

 I am currently switching out a few sets of our curtains in the cottage from linen to all lace. I am a lace person, and it makes the cottage feel a bit more Victorian in nature. That's the exciting thing about homes. If you desire to have your home a particular style, but it's not perhaps, built in the period you'd like, there is always a way to aesthetically change things to trick the eye.

 I have begun taking out my fall decor. Last year these leaves were sent to me from a dear friend in New England. To prep for the autumn brings me right to the edge of enjoyment.

 A beautiful Victorian image of a print I have had for many years. It speaks to me as a mermaid;  elegant and enchanting.

 A little painting I did for Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag of their son Gunner with some hummingbirds.

 A little Halloween decorating from last year. I am in hopes of tickling you with inspiration to begin thinking about such a beautiful, dreamy holiday approaching. I am frequently tempted to leave my cobwebs up all year round. {heh} Do you think anyone would pay notice?

 Are you a Halloween person? What's your favourite holiday? Do you celebrate Lammas? I began celebrating Lammas a few years ago. I have always incorporated traditions into my life, and I very much tried to create that for my children as they were young. I am still reminded by my children of how much they appreciated all the traditions I incorporated for them. They certainly make me so very happy, and it's such fun in sharing with the children all about their family heritage and genealogy. Do you have traditions? 

My little roses and herbs are getting along quite well. I have started adding potash to the roses and look how many blooms have shot out in the last week.

Another small image of the old home when I lived in Orlando. This was my formal Victorian dining room, so I didn't much care that the cobwebs were ridiculously placed. I so very much wish I had the old photos of this decorating, it was quite something, in my opinion.

I placed this image up as its another reminder of an idea for the cabinets here at Staffordshire Cottage. This is my old home, but I still quite enjoy this look of distress on the cabinets. It was a very time-consuming project but prevailed in the end because it saved me thousands of dollars when we went to purchase this home. There was an exact house right next door at the time we were looking to buy. The only difference was that the house next door was 60,000 dollars more than ours, and it was because they had replaced the kitchen cabinets before placing it on the market. I said oh, no! I'll just paint ours, and I would venture to guess ours will turn out a bit more charming. I must say I was right. The first thing that drew the lady to want our home was the kitchen. She really liked the cabinets. Our house sold in 2 days. This was over 9 years ago. Oh my! Where oh, where has the time gone?

I am still toying with whether I want to alter this look a bit. I had even thought to do the distress but actually paint the cabinets an olive green instead of beige. Below is the handle that I have picked out for the pulls.

Here's another designer tip. If you can not afford to overhaul a particular room per se, but you want to update it enough to where when you are having your morning tea and not feel dreadful in your own dwelling, remember that you can change little things and it will make a world of difference.

For instance, I am not at the leisure to altogether remove our kitchen cabinets as of yet, but I can add some techniques along with some paint, and some Victorian pieces and It will suffice for quite some time. The pulls are on the pricey end of the spectrum, but I can always remove the pulls and place them on new cabinets when the time arises.

 Another image of new lace curtains. I have been finding a mix of lace curtains at yard sales. I don't have all the windows provided for as of yet, because as we know, some things take a little time. I do know that Ikea has some relatively inexpensive lace curtains and I think I may drive over this weekend and pick some up for the sliding glass doors. I want to replace the doors for some french doors with glass knobs, but lace curtains will deter the eye for the time being.

This is what my old doorknobs looked like except the glass portion was the colour of the knob below. I am a mug for the colour green, as many of you already know.

 I worked at Anthropologie for a time, and I was able to get a discount.

I have many of these for cabinet pulls which I put on all sorts of things. The bathroom vanity cabinet, the pantry closet, sleeping room closet doors, wall hooks, or I might even drill a hole right into the wall to hang picture frames with chains. It's so very Victorian!

 I am sure you are fully aware of who this is! Meet Queen Mary of Scots!

 I spoke to you previously telling you how much I absolutely love the Walkers Pure Butter shortbread. Well if you know anything about the Walker shortbread or have purchased them you may be fully aware that for a tiny box of them, it's about 5 dollars. That's not too much truthfully, but I thought I might try my hand at baking my very own. It was 3 ingredients, how tough could it possibly be, correct?

• 1 1/2 Cups Plain flour
• 1/3 Cup White sugar
• 1 1/2 Cups Butter

Walker Pure Butter Shortbread 

1. Preheat Oven To 180 Degrees C.
2. Blend All Ingredients Well. Dough Will Be Stiff.
3. Press Into A 23cmx23cm Buttered Cake Pan. Prick Top With A Fork. Mark Into 24 Squares.
4. Bake In Preheated Oven For 15-20 Minutes Until Pale Golden Brown On The Edges. While Still, Warm Cut Into Squares~Prep time 15 mins › Cooking time 15 mins › Ready in 30 minutes let me just tell you, you get a mighty amount when you make them yourself. Here's the Victorian recipe I used, doubling my batch. I freeze one batch for later and eat the other now. It's also a lovely gift to give if you've been invited to tea or you need a house gift in a pinch. Add some wrapping, ribbons and a basket; and you will be all set and ready.

I am quite the mover here at the cottage, and I am not one to continually wear my Victorian boots daily. So I wear these little inexpensive {$7.00} ballerina shoes from Walmart. They are super comfortable, and they look adorable with all of my dresses. As you can see from the picture, they start to look scuffed and not so cute, but they don't have holes in them, so guess what I do? I actually decorate them with fabrics, trims, bits, bobs, tea-dyed lace and ribbons. That way, I can get more use out of them, and even when I am doing tedious strenuous projects, I still look approachable. I tried to match the designs from my old shoes below. Notice the darling brass mermaid?

I held a little tea party for myself on July 28; Beatrix Potters birthday!

Here is another view of our sleeping room. I found these pictures of Blue Boy and Pinkie at the thrift store for 3 dollars, and I had to have them. As a young girl, I always had these figures in my sleeping room. They are such delightful memories for me. I am removing the linen curtains and replacing with lace ones as well.

My dresser. I collect little glass vanity boxes, gloves and perfume,e bottles. My collection is in the beginning stages just as my new transformational life as a gardener's wife.

The jewellery music box is my Beloved Gardeners deceased mothers. It's one of the only belongings that he has and holds so dear that was hers.

Miss Potter {From My DVD}

An image of an outfit I am beginning. I bought the pattern below from Etsy, and I am starting on it this weekend. I am going to choose a soft calico, perhaps hemp ticking in taupe. The blouse is one I purchased from Historical Emporium. I love their Victorian shirts because they are comfortable and made of all cotton. I am a mug for a Victorian cotton blouse. I chose an ecru in colour as I am a gingered haired lady and the soft ecru looks much more spritely on my skin tone than a stark white. I will pair it with my favourite of all broach types; the cameo.

Courtesy of Historical Emporium

I hope this day finds you extraordinarily well. I also am hoping that you will sign up for my newsletter "The Current."

I do not send out that many and I pinky-swear that I won't be bothersome with endless mailings. I want each of you the opportunity to be entered into my contest to win a Merrymaid Scarlette Rose doll along with a care package and a copy of my storybook "The Tale of Merrymaid Scarlette Rose". It will be a charming little gift for a baby shower or for the upcoming Christmas holiday. My release date is the second week in September. I shall keep you posted. Follow along on my social media if you would like. The links are to the right of this blog on the side panel. 

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquelxxx