...no bigger than thumbelina

~ As I reflect back on this past year, I am amazed and in awe of my Heavenly Father's love and grace.
and yes, I  know,  that everyone has times that they feel that their wings are against the wind, but honestly ~  I sometimes feel no bigger than thumbelina! Small...and just trying to find my way in this wind storm!
But, as I stare down the last little personal bits, of this most challenging year, it is with a renewed spirit that I go on, ~ willingly leaving behind the broken, hurtful pieces and gingerly gathering up whatever is left
~ ready to step into this fresh new year,  this brand new decade, ... inspired to take these wings ~ and fly!

and My New Year's wish for all of you, is an inspired spirit that's full of love and grace!

...after christmas delight!

...the thing about the day after christmas is...the beautiful mess! Happy presents strewn everywhere, stray silk ribbon and bows, glittered tissue, a gnome sugar cookie with just his hat bitten off, the smell of all the yummy things from the candle-lite christmas dinner the night before and the look of sheer joy and contentment on the faces of my dear loved ones, even if it is only for a day ....aaahhhh yes.....after christmas delight!!

...merry christmas wishes for you!

may you day be filled with love, laughter and joy...

Merriest Christmas to you dear ones!

...simplified

...of course I had the best intentions to be diligent and decorate lovely for this holiday,

but this year, everything seems to be off ~  (probably just me!)  But there have been so many other things to fill my days that I just didn't get around to pulling down all those beautiful, once a year pretties...sigh...

I've been randomly putting things on my mantel throughout the month,

and as I was quietly enjoying my coffee at 4:00 am this morning,

I  gazed beyond our christmas tree and looked at my mantel.

hhhmmmm I thought as I snapped a few pictures before the birds were even up!!!!

This isn't how I saw you decorated...but for this christmas, I will love the white tulips in a vintage ball jar and adore the lace covered glass jars with candles in them ~ taking note in my mind that sometimes simplicity can be as beautiful as all the fluff!  xo

...let's eat cake!

...it's almost here!  ~ but there is still time...

Time to bake an extra cookie or two for a lonely neighbor, time to throw a few dollars in the little red bucket, and time to adore Him on bended knee!

Then, when what gets done is done...let's eat cake and look forward to a fresh new year!

xo

...wonderland

                                ...I adore all things "wonderland"! 
I  learned early on that life is what you make it, and yes, it does throw some curveball lemons! But as this most Joyeux Noel day is nippin' at our heels, and all the hustle and bustling that goes along with it, I just remind myself to take a moment to ~ Breathe in the yumminess around me , with my nose, ears, eyes and heart ~ Share what I have, it's amazing what your small hands can do! (jewel's song - my hands is most eloquet!)  ~ and  ...Believe in the magic ~ for life can truely be wonderous!   xo

...oh my lovely, beautiful one ~

... oh my lovely, beautiful one ~
there is so much I want to tell you of life, this sometimes hard, nitty gritty life ~
things to help you be the best women you can be, things of spirit that are never taught in school books, but only thru hard knocks and broken hearts that I so desperately want to keep you protected from...
You are no longer a girl, but you are not yet a woman.
and when I look at you, I am humbled with your youthful innocence and the purity of your heart...
you are a gift from my heavenly father above, put into my care to guide, to love and adore, and to give you wings to fly ~
... and I know that day is coming but my motherly  instinct is to build a tower to the sky and lock you away... away from all you will weather as a women,
... but oh so necessary to be a mother, a wife ~ daughter ~ sister and friend ~
so for the moment  my lovely, beautiful one,  I will simply look at you and appreciate the exquisite girl you are now and tell you I love you with all that I am!

...the starting of a brand new day

...fresh snowfall from the night before ~

it's the starting of a brand new day!

A new day to hug and squeeze those around you,

...to breath inspiration into a forgotton project,

... to empathize with a lonely soul in line with you at the market,

...to be still and reflect upon what this season truely means to you...

dance sugarplum fairy ~....DANCE!

One of my favorite commercials at the moment is Radio Shacks, were a dude is dressed as a sugarplum fairy and is dangling from a string! He says, dance, sugarplum fairy...dance! (I know, it's  my dry english humour!)
But ~
Sometimes, don't you just feel like that in life? You know, where everyone pretty much just thinks your the one to do it all?! And no matter how fast you "dance" there's just never enough time to get it all done!
 So dear friends, there are two weeks left until Christmas,  ~... DANCE!!!

snow queen - a beautiful little something

... the snow is softly falling
The air is still within the silence of my room
 I hear your voice softly calling...
 ~ If I could only have you near to breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love on this winter night and to be once again with with you...

~ Song for a winter's night
as sung by Sarah Mclachlan from Wintersong CD


...this is a christmas gift for my dearest, bestest friend ~ my mom! I've been working on this a little while and love the way it turned out, listening to sarah's cd is bittersweet for me. I'm so inspired by her voice and the spirit she gives her music... but this christmas ~ I won't get to hold the hands of my loved ones:(  It's a hard thing when you live far, far away, and it's been a hard year... so instead of crying about it ~ I've been busy creating magical things as my offerings. Hope she likes it... I quess in a way, I will be hugging her with this beautiful little something...

....snowed in

Wowwewowwowwow!!!!!!
When I woke up this morning to pour my 1st cup o' dark roast coffee(mmmmm, the best part of waking up - is organic coffee in your cup) anyway - I glanced out of the kitchen window and low and behold....snowfall!!!! Now you must understand that in Sparks, NV we rarely ever get snow on the valley floor, especially this much!  If you like snow, drive 1/2 hour to Tahoe and ski baby! But here, we are perfectly happy knowing it's up there, in the mountains if we want it, not outside our door! BUT~ my two kids, (16 and 13 mind you) are  loving this because ~ school is cancelled for the day! Now being originally from Ohio, we are all used to this sight, but after living here for 5 years,  we are spoiled to say the least.
SO, today we will be baking cherry tassie cookies,  sewing baby socks into stuffies ~ (funny little animals for "operation stockings", a project my daughter's school is doing for the Ronald McDonald House), drinking hot chocolate, and decorating our ~ "I'll have a blue christmas without you" tree (pics coming later) TOGETHER!!!! (loving this)
so for now, I'll leave you with happy thoughts for this fresh snowfall day!!!!

hug! hug!  

calling all fans of Jeanne d' Arc Living Magazine!!!

...yesterday in the studio, I made linen, french fairy treat sacks! They are so lovely...my inspiration came from the last issue of this year from Jeanne d'Arc Living Magazine. Oh My ~ what an absolute treat!!


I love this inspiring magazine, my vintage chandelier windchime was also inspired from those pages! You can see them in my shop at http://www.ozmaofodds.etsy.com/
BUT~ today, I found out from dear Ruth ( who is the owner from The Beautiful Life, and where I order these lovely magazines from), that they are stopping all shipments to the states, due to custumes. AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!


Are you kidding me????!!!!! Sure, get us addicted to an oh-so-lovely, simple ~ beautiful concept of home & heart and then

RRRRRRIIIIIPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!

Ruth, after contacting them, was able to maybe negotiate to keep the magazines coming....BUT... there will be a price increase to $35...oh my!
 
hhhhmmmmmm, well..... it is like nothing on our newstand at Borders, ...and the pages are oversized and like a thicker cotton paper that feels nice as you turn the pages... and the pictures are gorgeous and inspiring...and  is now being printed in English (also due to Ruth), so we can all make that tasty recipe correct!...okay~


I think I know my ?'s answer...(did i even ask one:)
anyway,
it's YES! ~ even at the price increase to $35, This magazine is that awesome!
So dear Ruth, as long as you can keep them coming, I'll do my best to push that "buy me" button at your beautiful, virtual shop!

...this, of course is just one,  inspired girls vote! Sooooo.....if anyone else is out there, now is your time to say yah or nay at Ruth's blog spot:  http://thebeautifullifeblog.blogspot.com/

will i ever get the hang of this?

ok ~ I love to wake up ever morning and wonder off to my studio and create all day, but I just can't seem to write everyday. This kinda feels like a diary - which I was so never good at when I was younger! Oh sure, I had the best intentions in a beautiful, clean new book with a tiny liitle key and lock attached - and for the first few days...dear diary had my souls content. But then I became bored! What is the purpose of this again?! If no one reads it (except my ornery brothers!) Then who cares?! I'd much rather make something pretty, which I have come to recognize that we all express what is inside just a bit different! My diary/blog isn't on paper, but what I made pretty today.
I have so many beloved blogs that I adore visiting everyday, but why would anyone want to read bout me?!
...so off I saunter to my studio to create  beautiful things ~ little pieces of my soul...
and I will try to blog more often, because I really do want to be apart of all these wonderful blog friendships I read about everyday...but  will I  ever get the hang of this?!