How about a giveaway...

Dear readers…

I have decided it is time…..actually, way past time, for a giveaway.

I am deep in the throws of crafting. I can't seem to get enough…nor enough time.
There is soooo very much out there! So many clever blogs…so many creative gals…

So Much FUN!

My daughter-in-law (daughter-in-love seems to describe her much better;)  has offered to help me
establish my first ever Etsy shoppe…tomorrow. YaY!
Kinda nervous…

I can't tell you exactly what will be offered there …most likely a hodge podge of
sweet "Christie-fied" things….according to the "craft of the day/week"

Now on to the giveaway details…

My dear friend Sharon saw the photos of some of my first silk ribbon embroidery projects and
mentioned what a great idea it would be if I offered one for a blog giveaway. Well, she is just
the sweetest most clever gal, hailing from Alabama, and she never has a bad idea…they're all
great!

Now, I put a lot of thought into this…HA! Actually it hit me as I began a little project this morning.

After a dream of a trip to New England at the beginning of October, which included a tour of Tasha
Tudor's cottage and gardens…I haven't been able to shake the "Tasha Affect" (Effect/Affect..hmmm
my sister is much better at these things:)

As I began to stitch those pretty pink roses (referred to as Dog Roses in the tutorial) I was
immediately reminded of the sweet pink book cover…A is for Annabelle.  Then I thought of
Tasha's secret garden…imagining it filled with her beloved forget-me-nots.

*****Have you seen them in the video Take Joy? My goodness they're beautiful****

My mind was racing, then…

While at the Rookery, I did a bit of shopping…how could I not! And I acquired a bundle of
the fabric from A Child's Garden of Verses.  The Green Gingham matched the silk leaves on
the piece, and I cut a square to serve as the backing.

I will post photos here as soon as my technological support returns from the store….

He is truly a computer/technology genius:)
Here we go…

Roses and Forget-me-Nots

Tiny vintage buttons...

DMC floss embroidered "wreath"

Signed and dated by Yours Truly…

I love these hanging on pretty cabinet knobs or even on a Christmas tree…

(Year Round Sweetness)

All you need to do to enter the drawing for the giveaway, is to leave me a friendly comment, introduce yourself, if you'd like, for I really have no idea who stops by for a visit, if they don't leave a nice little note.

I must confess my posts are often few and far between.
Lots of life going on in this tiny little cottage.
I'm sure you all can relate.
You can find my presence, more consistently, on Facebook, as it is
quick and easy to upload photos and comment via my smart phone.

If you are new here, feel free to peruse the archives and get to know me a bit better.

Now it's your turn…..

(Only one comment per person will be added to the drawing)

Blessings, Friends!

Christie Jones Ray

Eliza...The Mouse at Grammy's House

To those of you who don't know the story of the little mouse named Eliza, I am sharing this video filmed by my sweet daughter in law Jenny Dew Blankenship.  Here, I read the book Eliza, the first in the series of tales of one beloved toy mouse.
Tasha Tudor was the inspiration behind this journey to write and illustrate children's books. This first book tells the true tale of how Eliza came to be.

There is another video, as well, that you might enjoy..."Eliza will not be Afraid" (You might see it pop up when the first video ends.)

My eleven books are available on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and many other online bookstores....or you may ask your local bookstore to order:)





My Youtube channel is Rose Water Cottage Press, and we will continue to add films of me reading the books and will also include a tutorial on how to make your very own mouse! Stay tuned, dear friends.

Happy Birthday to our beloved Tasha Tudor,

And as always,

Blessings

Once upon a time...

Every good story begins with the phrase  "Once upon a time...."
And even though the story's beginning may seem fairly bleak, there is always a happily ever after in story-telling land.
That just so happens to be where I reside... and suffer with a most persistent case of Storybookitis! They say this condition can linger for years and years and years!  I certainly hope so!

I believe all of you friends out there might be a little curious how this whole "mouse" story came to be. As I began to search my memory...of my childhood and on into adulthood...the things that stood out became the pieces that would fit together, laying the foundation for the tale of Eliza ...the Mouse at Grammy's House.  (I only regret there are no photos to share of the early days.)

Once upon a time....

...I was in 5th grade, in the 4th classroom that year. I had been moved from the 1st classroom to the 2nd classroom, most likely because of my reading level.  I always struggled with reading comprehension. My family then made a move to Georgia, from Florida, in the middle of winter. I was enrolled in the school, there, and spent two months in that 3rd classroom.  When we bought a home, in another school district, I entered the 4th classroom,  3rd school. (Are you still with me?)  It was hard being a Christie, then. Ten years old, skinny, long hair, fairly shy, and very naive.  It was 1972, and I had turned ten in the fall of 1971.

When I was at home, I was happy as a bird...flitting from one adventure to another, always creating a wonderland wherever I landed. Treehouses and the creek and the woods were the best places to play... building tiny log houses from sticks, with fresh green moss as carpeting... climbing trees to the top, until they swayed just a bit in the breeze... tucking away in a treehouse after crossing the creek and filling a canteen with water....dressing our puppy in doll clothes and wagging her around as my baby... days were never long enough.

School was another story, entirely.  I dreaded every single day, and I couldn't wait for the bell to ring, signaling its end.  I did not fit in with the other girls, especially the ones who were developing at a much faster rate.  The boys were using words and terms I had never heard before. My ears were burning and I didn't even know what those things meant! They just sounded bad...I knew that much!

A certain boy became my nemesis straight away...Mike Whitlock. I have remembered his name all these years.  The memories of that school year were not happy ones.  This boy..in the 4th classroom of the 3rd school... made sure, every single day, to spread the word that he was going to beat me up after school.  Of course, he never did, but I remained sick to my stomach..every.single.day.

One day, on the playground  (we were now in 6th grade...me and this Mike Whitlock fella) he approached me with something in his hand.  He said, "I found this and it made me think of you."  Oh...I was speechless!  He was actually being thoughtful!  He opened his hand, and there was a lapel pin...a tiny golden mouse with a tiny green eye. I was already grinning, so completely taken by his kindness, looking at the sweet little thing in my hand, when he exclaimed, "It reminded me of you because you squeak like a mouse when you talk, 'Squeaky!' That's what we'll call you...'Squeaky'...like a mouse!"

If he had punched me right in the stomach, I could not have felt worse.  I walked away, clutching that
tiny pin in my hand..."Squeaky" ringing in my ears.

Fast Forward....20 years or so...

It is 1994, and I have just received my B.S. degree (at 32 years of age).  I walk into a classroom full of 5th graders...as their teacher....determined to be the champion of those who feel awkward, shy, timid, naive.

I stood in front of the sea of faces and held up that lapel pin...that tiny golden mouse with the green eye.  It had remained hidden away in a jewelry box, all those twenty years, until now, on this first day of school...this first day that I was a teacher of children in the 5th grade..

I shared my story.  I shared my heart.  I offered the little pin as a badge of courage, to any student having a difficult day, to any student feeling sick with anxiety, to any student feeling picked on.
Every day, it seemed, a forlorn little face would show itself at my desk.  Sometimes a tear or two ...
They needed the mouse.... Quietly, my desk drawer was opened, and gingerly the pin was placed in their hand (more often than not, they'd allow me the honor of attaching the pin to their collar)  They wore it proudly...with renewed confidence... and returned the shiny creature at the end of the school day.

I don't recall when the mouse disappeared...but suddenly it was gone.  Maybe it had traveled home on a little dress or a shirt or a sweater ... Maybe it went through the laundry and was lost... Maybe it went missing on the playground...  I will never know.

Fast Forward...another 20 years..

I receive a mouse making kit and guide from a dear sister-in-law....
You know that story, don't you?

Fast Forward...Spring 2014 ...20 years has passed since I began teaching, with a tiny mouse pin in my hand..40 years has passed since I received the tiny mouse...

and I have shared the mouse pin story with a dear dear friend....who happens to have been the mother of one of my students in that first class of mine, in 1994.

I arrive at her home, with my clothes and pillow and books and Eliza Mouse....prepared to spend the weekend back and forth from her home to a barnsale in a neighboring town.

She has been to a thrift/yard sale.  She has found a tiny lapel pin.  It isn't golden, even though she has searched diligently for one matching the description, but it is a darling thing.  It is a silvery mouse, with tiny glasses upon her nose, and she sparkles.  She is for me, my friend says, as we hug, and I squeal...not so much like a little squeaky mouse..but as a grown up, who is full of joy!

I wear glasses upon my nose, and I've grown to embrace the sparkly inside of me...You know...that bubbly smiling happiness that rises to the top and spills out all over friends and family and strangers (who are just new friends in waiting:)
I'm not quite ready to embrace the silvery hairs, but there will be plenty of time for that!

Here is where the story has a happily ever after...

I want to thank you, Mike Whitlock...wherever you are....for gifting me with that tiny golden mouse with the green eye.  You played a significant role in who I am today.  I am thankful that I can look back on that incident and choose to illuminate the good that was in you...instead of retaining what I thought was all bad....the part of you that decided to give... instead of throw aside.

In that awkward stage of life, you had not yet acquired the skills to know how to be a friend to me...a skinny awkward naive little girl from another state..another school...another accent...
Through that experience I became aware of how to encourage the awkward boys in my first class of 5th graders, how to understand their difficulty expressing feelings and relay that to the traumatized little girls, who had no idea how to express their feelings ..and relay that back to the traumatized little boys....to realize there is no getting around being 10 years old.  It's just hard, whether you're a skinny long-legged little girl or a boy with rosey cheeks and a terribly stubborn cowlick.

I realized that my story came to be very similar to the little mouse I created and named Eliza..I can tell you're not so surprised;)

I thought you friends needed to know the story behind the story...behind the story...

My passion has grown, through these last few years of writing and illustrating storybooks.  My hope continues... to ease the awkwardness, the unfairness, the anguish that comes with childhood, and to encourage joy, discovery, creating, imaginative play... These little ones of ours can't get too much!

Now, go outside and play...or twirl through the kitchen...or eat a freezer pop...open up a new box of crayons and color...
...and most of all, illuminate the good in the "Mike Whitlocks" of the world.



*****************************************************


My little Mac Book is up and running now, and as soon as I can figure out how to upload photos without great difficulty,  I will catch up on my posting, for I do have photos of the new sparkly pin:)
Thank you my dear friend, Bonnie Cecil, for searching and finding such a treasure. I love you!

Please find me on Facebook (Christie Jones Ray), Instagram (morning_gloree), Pinterest,
YouTube (channel: Rose Water Cottage Press) videos of me reading my books, with more to come...including a mouse-making tutorial.

Look for my latest book, Eliza Visits Martha's Vineyard,  released Spring 2014.  Contact me if you'd like a personalized autographed copy at:

christieray07@yahoo.com

Blessings

Making Chai in a Happy Cottage Kitchen

I love our happy kitchen.

 Even when it's cold or dreary or rainy or dismal outside...

it is happy in here....

I am happy that we finally have our dream kitchen..

..that we modeled after the charming display we saw a few years ago in

 Penzey Spices, Winter Park, Florida..

I'm especially happy when I see this happy Santa looking back at me....

Thank you dear Susan Branch for creating a new Christmas dishtowel...

...and for a pretty Christmas Recipe book to remind us that our kitchen truly is the heart of the home...

...especially in the midst of this season.... 

And a huge thank you to fellow girlfriend, Janie, for the snowflake garland! 

Phia and I love the pretty shimmery flakes:)

So when I saw what Alicia Paulson had whipped up in her kitchen

at www.rosylittlethings.com

and decided it would be just the right thing to whip up for those on my Christmas list,

I commenced planning and ordering.

(and thanked her for the perfectly perfect idea;)

Once everything arrived, via express mail,  (for time was of the essence) I was quite excited.

Penzey spices ...mini-weck jars ....disposable paper tea bags....

recipe printed...

check...check...check....and....check

cute little stickers on the spice jars...

intoxicating fragrance..

(I'm now in love with fresh Cardamom pods)

chop...

Heaven!

Everything into a pan and into the oven for 5 minutes...

and when your entire Happy Kitchen is filled with the fragrance of cloves,  cinnamon sticks, and the blending of the remaining spices...

...be prepared..

for when you open the door of your oven...

You will want your home to always smell just like this.

Allow the spices to cool and then distribute evenly on a cutting board.

Using your rolling pin...crunch carefully over the spices, in order to release even more fragrance..

as if it can possibly get any better.

In a bowl, mix the spices with PG Tips loose tea.

(I went for the big bag, as this tea is fabulous with the mix, but equally as delicious by itself)

After filling all my little mini-weck jars, there was just enough left over to fix a batch for taste-testing....

I brewed the Chai tea mix, according to instructions...steep ....add milk...

and used my Emma Bridgewater tea pot and mug...and a cute little strainer....

(I didn't use the fillable tea bags or infusers for this batch)

I'm just going to tell you right now...have honey handy...

it is THE perfect sweetener...trust me...

I also loved having a good reason to use my special honey spoon....

a treasure, crafted by Julie Whitmore. 

 (Google her...she creates the MOSt darling pottery)

...and since I mentioned Julie...I have to show you the first spoon I purchased from her...

Really! ...is there anything sweeter than a bunny bun sniffing hollyhocks?

I just don't know that there is!

Okay...back to the preparing... 

I guess I could have copied a set of instructions for everyone, 

but you know me... 

....It had to be cute...pretty...pleasing to the eye...

The little jars were tucked into gift bags, along with enough fillable teabags, and the Instruction card.

I had so much fun with this gift preparation. 

I am sure it's because it was a combination of baking and crafting.

...my two favorite things... 

...especially because I was in my happy cottage kitchen...

The Heart of our Home

*******

Hoping your Christmas was wonderful ...

and 

that you were blessed with the comforting fragrances of home

Blessings for a Happy New Year

New Pajamas and a Tea Party

No matter how young or how old we are...we girls love a new set of pajamas...

...a pretty new nightgown...

...a new pair of slippers...

They just feel so good. Especially when it's cold outside, and there's no where she has to be.

So when one receives all 3...well, let's just say...

a girl might not ever come out of them!

Sophia's new jammies and bunny boots (as she calls her new slippers) arrived in the mail...

...and she was pretty excited.  They are very good for hopping.

Commence hopping.

On this chilly morning
we had enjoyed reading through some tales,
and I had begun my knitting time (a new Tasha Tudor inspired Cottage Shawl, for me) with the softest new yarn, Frog Tree's Alpaca Sport ....(acquired at my favorite place to knit, crochet, receive needed instruction..The Joy of Knitting shop, here in Franklin)

Sophia was wearing her pretty new gown.

Scout popped out from between the table and Grammy's Rocker ...wondering what Phia was up to, for she's ALWAYS up to SOMETHING interesting...

she looked awfully busy...

she was 'tidying up'...
 as they say on Peppa Pig...her most favorite show.
*****

Grammy is teaching her that she must tidy up one mess before beginning another...

...and there is always, always another mess on the way...

*****

This lovely new mess requires a basket filled with tea party goodies...

....and a sweet old cloth that is just the right size for impromptu tea party picnics..

...requiring several goes at getting it to lay, just so...

Now onto the guest list. 

There's Winnie bear and Grammy rabbit...

They love each other.
She leans on him, because he never ever falls over.

Then there is Really Old Bear
(not to be confused with Old Bear, who is the star of Jane Hissey's books)

He is a lighter shade of mohair...a very, very old shade...

Looking over Really Old Bear and the tea tray...
..Phia takes inventory.

Hmmmmmm what else do I need...

tea pot...check...a tea cup...

yes..

two tea cups...check...

Now to feed Winnie bear...

Oh...it's too hard to reach him...
must adjust the seating arrangement...

Oh, alright, Winnie bear...just come sit in my lap..

I will feed you.

Now... it is time for Really Old Bear's nap...for he is really really old...

Phia fixes and fixes until she gets his covers just right...

Really Old Bear looks so comfy... Maybe Phia will just slip right in there next to him...

Now of course, this went on for several more minutes, with several more tries,
but, alas, poor Sophia failed to achieve the same level of comfiness as Really Old Bear.
She is most comfy in her very own room,
in her very own bed..

reading books to Little Teddy.

We are very excited that Christmas is just around the corner, although it is very difficult explaining this to one little girl who, upon waking each morning, asks,
"Is it Kissmiss?"

Soon little Phia....soon.

*****
Our love for Tasha Tudor and Christmastide is reflected on our dining table....

The yellow ware bowl belonged to our beloved Tasha.  I was incredibly fortunate to find it on a website, The World of Tasha Tudor... Cellar Door Books.
It is perfect for pomanders and pinecones.
The tiny book of hers, The Bouquet, was found after quite an online search.
Sweet treasures resting alongside the Tudor family's hand-dipped beeswax candles.

Blessings, friends.

Our Cottage Kitchen

I was on the phone, this morning, with Zach from Penzey spices.  What a small small world it is...

We had visited their store in Winter Park a year and a half ago, and I loved their old-fashioned kitchen in the back..the cutest display I had ever seen in a store.  The farm sink and little Philco-type fridge became my vision for our little cottage kitchen, in much need of a makeover.

So Tim searched and found a 1940's farm sink...

...and Phia can't get enough "washing bishes" time...

We acquired a 1950's Philco, but after some time, we realized it was just too small and found a company that makes reproduction refrigerators..Big Chill... in Buttercup Yellow..

...the exact shade of our 1930's Chambers gas stove...

So..back to Zach... I just had to tell him how much I had loved the shop in Winter Park, Florida, wishing we had a shop here in Nashville.  I told him about the little kitchen display that had been the inspiration for our kitchen.  It just so happens...he is related to the founder of Penzey's and lives in the home of the grandmother, whose kitchen farm sink was the inspiration for the store's displays in all 70 locations.
Yes...it was a moment..
It had made his day...
and it had made mine.
I told him he could visit my blog and see pictures, and gave him the address.
Well, after quite a search, I could not find the photos. Also...I didn't want him to have trouble finding them. My goodness, if I couldn't ...he didn't stand a chance.
So, my new friend Zach...welcome to this Grammy's house. A hug to Granny, for me...and a hug to you for making my morning with your cheerful voice and for helping me with such fervor.

Our kitchen is now the perfect setting for all of the sweet things I find on Susan Branch's website... as it is painted in the sweet shade of blue she used for years, Summer Shower....

Blessings friends ....especially Zach, Granny, and the Penzey family

Don't let the Grinch in on Friday the 13th

Nope...not going to let him steal our Christmas Spirit...even if it does happen to be Friday the 13th...

For Sophia's birthday, her daddy gifted her with How the Grinch Stole Christmas...

which had been his momma's favorite book..

then, his favorite book...

and he was hoping it would become Phia's favorite.

It is.  Did we have any doubt?

She loves it.

He came the other day, after our tree had arrived, and Tim had left for work, and I had been at Starbucks...

fascinated by this gingerbread house replica of their store on the corner of Main Street

here in Franklin...

The Oreo cafe tables on the stack of peppermints ...the photographs in the windows..the NOEL sign, just like the one atop the store...it was all just too delicious for words.

I came home with ribbon for the outdoor wreaths, whipped up some bows, decorated the tree...

sat for a minute, to take it all in...

I love these little Kathe Wolfhardt ornaments I acquired on a trip to Rothenburg, Germany many moons ago

and I love this little girl, who is mesmerized by the lights, the ornaments, 

the magic...

...and I love that she lives here with us in this magical little cottage...

and that she loves to hear stories of Santa coming down the chimney to leave her presents under the tree...

and how she loves looking up the picture of baby Jesus in her Children's Bible.

I love, that on this terribly cold morning, sitting in front of the fire...

learning to crochet the Sunshine Day Afghan...

by Alicia Paulson...

in all these scrumptiously soft shades...

(for one never knows when another grandbaby might arrive on the scene)

..that Sophia is enjoying her favorite show... Peppa Pig ...

...sounding more and more British with every episode..

grabbing her tiny lunchbox as a suitcase and declaring she's going "on holiday"

as soon as Father Christmas arrives.

This hopeless anglophile of a Grammy couldn't be happier.

The Grinch will not dampen this beautifully cold, sunshine-y Friday, the 13th...

oh, no no No NO!

Blessings .....

We have a dusting...

We headed to bed last night with hopes that the weather report was right.

Maybe there will be snow on the ground...

Yes...

It was just a dusting..like powdered sugar sprinkled over the lawn..

...but it was a welcome sight.

It meant husband could stay home from school...

It meant he could fix his world famous..(our world:) Vegetable Beef Stew

and fill the cottage with the fragrance of love...

and...

It meant he could go in search of a live Christmas tree.

Meanwhile...

the bunnies and Phia Dolly are snug in their bed...

...and when hubby returns home, he'll get a fire going...

..and we'll all be as snug as bugs in a rug.

Happy Snow Day.

...and then she was 3...

It doesn't seem possible...How can she be turning 3...already...

This is a sentiment shared by all parents, grandparents, friends, and family members as they anticipate approaching birthdays.

It was just the other day...we were all at the hospital waiting to greet this little princess.

I had made scones and prepared a lovely picnic basket. It held pretty pink forks, pink toile napkins, a thermos of hot tea, jam and freshly whipped creme for the vanilla scones.
I wore my pink coat and painted my nails a complimentary shade...

We would celebrate the birth of a princess...our very own princess...

December 8, 2010...she made her entrance.
Sophia Abigail Ray...perfect in every way.

Last December...at her 2nd birthday....

We had no idea she would soon be coming to live with us.

This darling little doll would shake up our world on January 29, 2013..

Blessing us...

Challenging us...

Snatching us up out of our simple routine...

Making us better human beings...

All that, from one little girl.

And yesterday...she was 3...How did that happen...where did the time go....
It marches on...

Saturday...
What do I gift her with? What does she need that she doesn't have?
What does she want that she doesn't  need...something frivolous...and tiny...that will fit her 3 year old little hands....
That's it! Something she doesn't need but would love.

I pull out the Make-a-Lilly wooden doll pieces I had recently ordered from Natalie Jo at Piccalilli Patchwork, and began painting, sewing, stitching french knots, ...

A  Phia Dolly.. She was our little Phia Doll... so here's one for her...

With tiny french knots and lazy daisy petals and flower...

..and a pretty little lace lining to peek from under the re-purposed fabric dress (made from a very loved set of pajamas gifted me, from our Tia ...grandson Xavier's mommy)...

I added the tiny heart...as I always loved those old raggedy ann dolls with the red heart on their chest...as this little dolly was from my heart...

It is finished..

I hand her the Phia dolly....she draws her up to her lips...and gently kisses the round little face.

I melt.

Sunday...
We prepare for the party, the celebration of an eventful year. I choose her Laura Ashley dress, in the palest pink, because it compliments her peaches and cream complexion and bright blue eyes. The soft pink angora sweater, ivory tights, and pink ballet slippers complete the ensemble.
She resembles a creme puff...
and we are on our way... with Phia Dolly in one hand and Old Bear in the other...blankie to the side...

A big Happy Birthday Phia smile...

We arrive at Nana and Gran's (Husband Tim's parents) and there is her daddy. She adores him and he adores her.  They work on which fingers to hold up...

"I'm 3"

Auntie Tia has arrived bearing gifts...a birthday crown,  fit for a princess...and a big pink basket filled with treasures.  

Oh, it is just so hard to wait...must take a peek...

and  wearing a crown can get awfully tiring...must take a break...

Auntie Tia scoops her up and loves on her....   Phia and Tia...

Do you see now why Sophia loves hats?  I mean...really really loves hats...of all kinds....?
Her Auntie Tia loves them...
and Tia's momma, Nancy (Sophia's grandmother, who resides in heaven) loved them....
Sophia will know these things.  One day.

Make a wish, our darling Phia doll...

I tuck her into bed. We lie there in silence as she sips on her milk...and then she whispers,
"Atsa bess ... birfday... efver."
And I melt...again.

She enters her deep sleep, and a little giggle slips out, as she dreams.
I am a puddle...

I slip out of her bedroom and quietly close the door.
Husband greets me in the hall...me with tears in my eyes..
"Did you hang that there?"
I answer "Phia asked for tape earlier and said something about hanging her poster..."
Hmmmm....we ponder...she has grown up just a bit more, today...

This morning....

It is gray outside ....

Phia is enjoying her birthday presents ....

...so I build a fire, as it is chilly in the high-ceilinged living room..

And I make my way to the kitchen to prepare our breakfast...

...adding a bit of butter...

...and dishing out a portion for Phia...

I re-enter the living room, and with the Roger Williams Christmas CD playing and the fire crackling,
I find Sophia in repose ...and all is well..

She later enters the room with a basket of Goldilocks story blocks...and it occurs to me...I gifted my Matthew with these, on HIS very special birthday.... It doesn't seem possible...wasn't he just 3?..

.....and I know...time marches on...

******************

I have completed 2 more felt ornaments (thank you Alicia Paulson for your adorable ornament kits)...

...and continue work on #4.... the Gingerbread Girl...

And so go the days at Rose Water Cottage, as we prepare for the celebration of the most wonderful birthday of all...a Prince ....our very own Prince ...of Peace.

May you feel the warmth and magic and joy of this Christmas season....

Blessings friends...

********

Eliza Visits Martha's Vineyard has now been scanned and will travel to the printers on January 15, 2014...My parents' 60th Wedding Anniversary...a perfect day, indeed.

God is so very good.

A Fairy Garden in a Teacup ...a project for a mild, rainy day

When this most darling movie appeared in my mailbox one day...knowing full well it had come from one of my dearest friends and blog follower (Our Mary) ...

I was enchanted ...

in an instant.

In that instant I was transported back to my childhood, playing on a creek bank and building little log houses with sticks...

Fast forward..ummmm.... several several years.... (as I will be forever 10, those other numbers don't really matter, do they?)

Sophia is shown a Photo that my friend Debs in Wales (a dear twitter SB girlfriend) had on her pinterest board.. a fairy garden in a teacup.

I was oohing and ahhing, and Phia was deciding we should make it...Right Now!

I'm so happy she thinks like I do.  Why wait...why think we must pencil it into our schedule...why not just drop everything, right now, and go make that fairy garden...did I mention..RIGHT NOW?

...and this is how excited she is to get to be in charge of the tea cup...

She has dressed herself, after choosing what she'd like to wear to do some gardening...and you shall see that, in a bit more detail...but insists on having a gardening apron, as I have just tied the back of mine.

Off we go...

down the path to the backyard...

and there you can see...Pajama pants with her former Sunday shoes. Yes, we're girly girls.

We must find moss...

This was pretty...even though we didn't need a mossy rock..

And this Lichen covered stick was really interesting...even though we didn't need a Lichen covered stick...

So Phia looks and looks...

She gets a bit side-tracked...which can happen with us little girls set out into an inviting haven of moss and wild strawberry plants and lichen covered sticks...and old pots of the dried up spring geraniums...

'Let's pull them ALL out'...Phia thinks to herself...

But then Grammy lures her away..."Let's dig, Phia."

And she is given charge of a trowel...

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!

Commence digging...

It just feels good to dig!  Even grown up girls need to dig in the dirt sometimes. Momma always said, "You need dirt."  Oh boy, was she right...digging will relieve stress like nothing else.

Dig, little girl, dig.

We have inspected the entire yard and found a goodly patch....Phia, can you fetch the trowel (it was left at the lovely digging site)

Here, Grammy...she calls, as she makes haste towards me...

She takes the role as partner very seriously,  for she is not just helper in this stage of the project.

We leave the tea cup and saucer next to the plot of moss..

...along with the trowel...and head back to the path to fetch a handful of tiny rocks...

Just the right amount to place in the bottom of the teacup. They will help in water drainage, as there is no hole in the cup...

Now it is time to dig the patch of moss and place in the cup. ..

Pat it down, gently...

Now to find a tiny strawberry plant for our tiny container...you know about container gardening, don't you...(and by the way.. you're going to love the container we have chosen)

Teensy Tiny plant is found, carefully uprooted, and laid onto the saucer..

....and we make our way to the back porch (just as the rain decides to come again) ...

Along the way,  Phia picks up sticks and stuffs them in my apron pocket...

We will use these to fashion a clothesline, using a tiny bit of twine and itty bitty clothes pins (these are in the "itty bitty things" section of the craft store...

Now for the strawberry plant to go in the cutest little container, with a handy little shovel propped, alongside...

I told you it was cute, and I know you just love it! Thimbles can be used for so many things! Eliza, the mouse that lives here at Grammy's house,  knows all about thimbles and their many uses..

Phia takes the other tiny sticks and begins designing the tiny chair...for she has her own thoughts on what it should look like....

So with a wheelbarrow of wood...

...we set up a work station..

This old can holds food for the Bunny Bunn and sits beside the outlet...perfect for plugging in the hot glue gun. (Oh, if only there had been such a thing when I was 10 ..for the 1st time... I would have made ....oh...I would have made anything and everything!

While I glue, Phia plays behind the porch swing...(hot glue guns should be called "the thing that will burn the fire out of your finger if you touch it" gun!)

Building trains with this Brio train set has been a family tradition, beginning with my son, the first grandchild for my parents...and this was what mother wanted every year, for Christmas. As we approach this Christmas, 30 years later, I'm so glad she started this collection.

And we have a chair...thanks to that ridiculously hot glue...

It's not a masterpiece, but very little girls can't wait very long, now, can they?

And now the project is completed...

Into the house we go to compose a letter to the fairies.  Phia works diligently...

I write one as well, inviting them to hang their laundry whilst enjoying a tiny cup of tea...

and so we wait...

It is raining steadily, now, so we take a moment for Phia to enjoy some Scooby Doo fruit snacks. 

...and we watch the rain...

Do fairies fly around while its raining?

Phia ponders...

Calling all fairies...please come visit Rose Water Cottage...

We shall stay away...we promise...

just hurry...hurry please...

I will go and eat my pea buh jammy sammich ...

and I'll see if Mr. Tod wants to come down and play...I just wuv him...

Oh, poor Phia doesn't yet understand about that rascal, Mr. Tod...

It is nap time, sweet Phia...

Off to bed she goes, under the quilts, with her balloon, blankie, and Old Bear...

...and she sleeps...

Grammy ponders.

2 hours later...she wakes...

Where da fairies? ...she calls, in her sleepy voice, as she toddles through the kitchen, dining room, and into the living room...

She looks through the screen door..

Yes, they did...they did, they did!

Yay, Phia!

and she is one happy little girl...

she believed they'd come, and they did.

I read the tiny message to her...

"Sophia, the tea was so lovely..hope you like the bunting. We will bring our clothes to dry after the rain."

Happy Phia...

She decides it must come in the house, as it has turned chilly since she went to bed for nap time...

and here is the perfect spot (for fairies are able to find their way into little cottages where believers live)..

This is the season to believe...whether it's Santa or sweet little fairies ..

but my hope is that this season celebrates your belief in that tiny babe, born in a manger in the town of Bethelehem.

Blessings, my dear dear readers, friends, and family...

I am so glad you came to visit, on our rainy rainy day.

Welcome to Christmas at Rose Water Cottage

I cannot believe all that has taken place since my last post.
Where do I even begin?

Okay...so let's see....

I finished the bookmarks for sister-in-law, and her ladies' retreat was a huge success...

My book, Eliza Visits Martha's Vineyard, is off to the publisher, Vineyard Stories, on Martha's Vineyard (we should have a wonderful little hardcover book by next Spring)..

We celebrated Halloween by trick or treating with a little ballerina...

...who has a passion for playing the piano...in a hat...

My son Matthew married his Jenny under the Hunter's moon...

in October...
and words cannot describe what an incredibly beautiful event this was...

and my dear husband saw to it that I acquire the most exquisite confection for the occasion...
(a 1900's edwardian 3 piece ensemble of silk, with hand-embroidered detailing....words fail me...)

We were fortunate to have a long-time friend of our family drive our newlyweds off into the moonlit night. We love you, dear Beverly!

....and then Matthew turned 30 in November. Where did the time go?

Mom and Dad arrived home safely from Africa, after a 4 month stay, just in time for his 82nd birthday.

We adopted the sweetest little kitty girl (my birthday present) and named her Lucy Maud (of course, because we LOVE Anne of Green Gables with a passion!)

Here are a few sweet photos...(Susan's Girl Kitty is her hero:)

She has mastered every adorable pose ...We LOVE her...

This was the ride home, snuggled in my arms, after adopting her from our local Animal Shelter...

It didn't take any time at all for her to know this is HOME.
It was so wonderful to have Susan Branch and some very supportive SB girlfriends (Karen, Patricia, Debs, Rosinda, Laura, Belinda, Jane, Cathy, Georgie, Erin, and even a new GF, Jane Hissey ...author/illustrator of the Old Bear books, which Sophia ADORES) along for the journey.
I wore my "Girlfriends" bracelets with SB and Martha's Vineyard charms...

We tweeted, wildly, back and forth, until we were home with our sweetheart, safe and sound...and even into the next few days...checking in on her progress and how she and little Scout were getting on...

And here they are today...continuing to "warm up" to each other, just a bit more each day...

Whew!  Now that you're all caught up...

...fetch your cup of hot tea, hot cider, or hot coffee (assuming it is chilly/cold/raining/snowing where you live:)...

....come up the flagstone path...

Welcome...
to Christmas at Rose Water Cottage....

It's beginning to look like Christmas.  With fresh pine and cedar garland hanging along the gingerbread trim, I feel as if we live in our very own storybook cottage, nestled somewhere in a storybook wood...

Speaking of storybook cottages...and storybook woods...I read a blog post at Natalie Jo's "Piccalilli Days."  She had visited the real Grandmother's House in New Hampshire, the house that served as the illustrator's inspiration of the 1948 edition of Little Red Riding Hood. In a photo she had taken in the cottage, there was the sweetest shelf holding a display of storybooks. (I imagine they were all versions and editions of the famous story.)

I showed husband the photo, he searched the internet, and it wasn't long until we had our very own, 100 year old storybook shelf for our storybook cottage...

It serves as a perfectly perfect spot for those wonderful old books and some sweet little characters...and a Merry message, by way of old alphabet blocks.

Here is our Little Red, a 1940's Nancy Ann doll, her storybook wood (unpainted trees found at Hobby Lobby, painted by yours truly) alongside the sweet old book.  Eliza has loaned her sweet picnic basket she received as a housewarming gift from cousin city mouse...

Sophia, so intrigued by the story, dressed as Little Red Riding hood (using the Tasha Tudor scarf that had recently arrived by post) and acted out the entire story, over and over and over...
Oh, my dear, what big blue eyes you have!

This book, entitled Prayer for a Child (the same author/illustrator as Little Red Riding Hood), is filled with images of Wendt and Kuhn figurines. I loved this page "Bless the lamplight, bless the fire"...

...as it reminded me of how thankful I am for the blessing of a warm fire and candlelight....

I fell in love with those little figurines...  their faces are so sweet.

Also, on Natalie Jo's blog, she mentioned Woodettes... the cutest set of toys from the 1940's...hard to find... I mean..INCREDIBLY hard to find! So when I found this set on ebay, I snagged it...

...but they were in rough shape.  Someone had their share of fun, though, painting away with the watercolors provided in the set. This is Alice in Wonderland (before the makeover:)

and this is Mary with her Little Lamb (who had apparently lost his head somewhere through the years)...

So I had my work cut out for me...but I was so excited to have a few more characters for my shelf.

And because I love the sweet faces of the Wendt and Kuhn figurines, I decided to apply the same sweet features to these two little girls. This was the result ....

I found a tea set for Alice and a little lamb for Mary. Everyone is happy.

(Thank you sweet kindred, Patty, for the teeny tiny silver candlesticks and the hand made teeny tiny beeswax candles)

Next, came Little Jack Horner...who was also quite a mess...but with a bit of paint and a lot of love, he has turned out to be such a darling boy, sitting on his tiny red stool with his yummy Christmas pie (and a big purple plum on his thumb) ....

I had so much fun painting Mary's straw hat...(I suppose you might have noticed I chose not to paint the characters as shown on the box...we sure love our Peter Rabbit colors;)

Side note....Sophia has watched the painting of these characters and has been so curious. It has been a wonderful way to teach the nursery rhymes and songs, while she falls in love with each "story come to life"... She inspects the plum and the pie and their shoes and their faces... it is all so precious!

She loves our new shelf, with all her friends, and all her favorite books...

She loves that Little Bo Peep has found her sheep...

She reaches up to the book stand to gently touch this tiny bit of forget-me-not sweetness...

The British Garden Flowers book was acquired through Natalie Jo's Etsy shop. This illustration is my most favorite....with that wisp of a blossom to the right of the roses.  The little girl reminds me of Phia, always toting a baby doll.

So, here, in our storybook cottage, nestled in an imaginary storybook wood, I hang fresh pine and cedar garland and inhale the fragrance...

and set a table with pink lustreware atop a turkey red tablecloth as Tasha Tudor, did.

The mantel...which is new to our home but formerly resided in a 1920's home in the area...has a length of crocheted lace woven throughout the garland and twinkle lights, mingling with pink lustreware teacups and a gold open-weave ribbon ... and through the antiqued mirror, you see a glimpse of the storybook shelf...

The bird's nest amongst the garland and lights, sits above Take Joy, on the old piano.  The beeswax candles, crackling as they drip, light the room as they lit Tasha's cottage, with such a soft glow....

They're lit atop the table, as well...

...alongside my most favorite Christmastide storybook, Tasha Tudor's Snow Before Christmas.

Now, Bella with Rose Stockings (handmade by Christine LaFever) would argue that The Doll's Christmas is my favorite...as it has been quite the inspiration for the doll's house extreme makeover and festivities...(more on that subject, at a later date)...

I have been the busy little elf in Santa's workshop, these days, so I am unable to show many of the projects in progress...but this is one I am happy to share...

This evening I completed a precious little felt ornament for our precious little Phia...I couldn't get over how much it looked like her...and my hope is that she'll remember this Christmas, always, as the celebration of the year she found that this is HER Home ... and Tim and I are HER Family ...and that THIS is where Love lives....

...where visions of sugar plums can dance in her head...

****************

When I look through the lace curtains of the front window,  I see a lovely log home....

...and when I look out through the screen door, with its gingerbread trim....I see pine and cedar draped around my little porch...

...and I think...
.. this is the next best thing to a storybook cottage in a storybook wood,
 and I am one happy, thankful, loved Grammy.

Blessings, friends....
...Rabbit Rabbit,  SB girlfriends...
..and may you all have a warm and peaceful Christmastide season.

Twit or Tweet...trying to keep up

Oh the times, they are a'changin'....

I have recently added yet another avenue to my "social media"...trying to keep up with trends before I am completely passed over...and I am gradually figuring it out. 

Twitter...tweet, tweeted, tweeting.... I don't know why the term "twit" isn't in there somewhere....okay..

so maybe it's pretty obvious....

As one of Susan Branch's many many girlfriends, I have found it is a fast and relatively easy way to keep up with other girlfriends...for we have so very much in common.

We all love the Harvest Moon...

...and we love our book about Autumn...

...and little Beatrix Potter people..

...and a hot cup of tea, and a Victoria magazine, 

        .....and saying "Rabbit, Rabbit" on the first day of the month...

So when I came to organize my organizer.... I looked at my address pages...

...and there was not one space for twitter, tweets, tweet addresses...

so...with a creative spirit, I decided to rework my planner, especially since there were more and more

"irons" appearing in the proverbial fire.  This is what I came up with...

From the beginning.... 

The Franklin Covey organizer I acquired several years ago...

along with the pen I purchased, to carry along. It is perfect, as it includes Blue, Black, and Red ink, along with a mechanical pencil and eraser...

 the inside...

The zipper pocket holds my iPhone when I'm out and about.

The back pockets hold stamps, stickers, envelopes, business cards...

I punched holes in one of these craft store envelopes to hold receipts from important purchases...

I created my own Front Page...it needed to be pretty...

I had images I had sketched and painted for a possible sticker book. I decided to use them now, and make a sticker book as we progress...

I made dividers from watercolor paper for every area of my life that needed organizing...

I acquired the stamps from Hobby Lobby and used a brown/sepia ink pad. I hand-painted the lettering for the section name.

I use the Franklin Covey 6 hole punch...

Moving on..

This is for the dreaming...England some day?

Eliza likes to dream, too....see her little motor car above?

I had to have one for Gardening Ideas...also for seasonal decorating ideas (you know, with a pink front door, and all;)

You might spy a familiar pink flower above...I received the darling SB card from friend Belinda, and had to have a mini watercolor lesson. Always learning and growing, and it takes practice and more practice.

Speaking of my garden, I will show you the patch of Lamb's Ear in my garden, from where I plucked a bit for Susan's gift basket. I suppose I should find a tiny lamb instead of tiny rabbits...

...and here is my Moon Flower that has finally bloomed and greeted us before closing up for the day.

I think it's quite significant, as it came the morning after the brightest, fullest Harvest Moon.  It had just been a little twig when I brought it home from Mamaw's garden, along with the Lamb's Ear. I tucked them both in my little cottage garden where they have both flourished.
She passed away the day after Mother's Day.
We loved visiting her farm in the Autumn...Grandson Xavier jumping in the piles of leaves and climbing on the tire swing.  I've been missing her...and this moon flower blossom reminded me, we are not so very far away.

This was the photo of us on the day we went gathering cedar...the inspiration for the Eliza's Tale..Here we go a'Gathering.. (see blog post November 2011)

And then there are those Christmas Card lists...

I'm working on a system including the year, with sent and recv'd columns.

(Just a note...the cute little copper page points came from www.Levenger.com ....not the link, just the address;)

Now for an Events section... With my son's wedding fast approaching, barn sales, a project for a sister-in-law who is planning a ladies retreat...this is a much needed section, in order to keep up with what/when things need to be completed...

One of the projects for the wedding is the dying of silk ribbon for some of the decorations....

a mossy green is completed...

...and lavenders and purples will be created, next.  Photographs will be attached from these ribbons and hang from the chairs/pews along the aisle. (Tattered Angels glimmer mist in Moss)

....And the project for sister-in-law...Bookmarks for a Fall Ladies Retreat for her girlfriends at Church...

And at last, a section for the Girlfriends that tweet...

Of course I had to get the cute little stamp of the VW convertible...had to use the few stickers I had left after Phia raided the sticker stash;) ...and I came across the adorable little chick cupcake topper that I had saved from a batch of carrot cake cupcakes (SB recipe) prepared for a cute little grandson.

Tweet Tweet....U.S. tweeters, U.K. tweeters, and Canadian tweeters are listed with their name, Twitter address and related info. 

Then I take one of those teeny tiny pink hearts from the sticker page....

...and affix to their state of residence.  I am such a visual/tactile learner, and this helps me remember where each of us lives in relation to each other. 

...even when they're in the UK...

I would love a much prettier map...but that little light bulb will go off soon, I'm sure;)

So when the full moon rose last night...The Harvest Moon... we were all gazing up into the sky, knowing it was shining down on all of us... even on our dear friend Susan Branch, who has pulled so many women together, into a wonderful circle of girlfriends, under that very moon...all around the world...and speaking of around the world...

I was also reminded that my mother and father, who are across the ocean in Sierre Leone, establishing two sewing centers in two villages for women, there, to be able to help provide for their families, are also looking up at this moon. Talking to my sister on the phone today, I was reminded that it is during a full moon that Mother feels closest to her children.  

So I look up at the moon tonight, for her, remembering her singing the sweet and simple tune when I was a little girl...."I see the moon and the moon sees me. God bless the moon and God bless me."

It is extra bright, tonight...

God bless the moon, God bless the girlfriends, God bless Sister, and God bless Mom and Dad.

Amen

Happy Mother's Day...Dorothy Jean Aly Jones

Dearest Readers,

Please indulge this "Grammy" to write a belated tribute, as a daughter.... to her mother....as we realize life spins along faster and faster these days. I want her to know what an extraordinary woman she is, having come from such a humble beginning. But isn't that the beginning of all those who do extraordinary things with their lives?


The daughter of Fred and Effie Aly, Dorothy Jean(my mother), was born in North Georgia and moved to Central Florida as a toddler.

Her daddy built the home they would live in, when Dorothy was a little girl. She recalls dropping a penny in each corner of the foundation of the house...which meant luck, good fortune, blessings, remembrance ....significance of a home being constructed with love, and very little more. The late 1930's and early '40's were difficult years, to say the least.

Dorothy was fortunate to have a loving neighbor woman across the street. Two rocking chairs...a large one for the lady and a small one for little Dorothy...were occupied on endless occasions, for the reading of books. Before she was able to read, the kind lady introduced her to the classic children's books. Heidi, the story of the little girl living in the Swiss Alps, would become one of her favorites. For her seventh birthday, the neighbor gifted her with a tiny crocheted purse....

(As a young mother and missionary to Africa, Dorothy would acquire the Joanna Spyri book in Kitwe, Zambia.)

A sweet little gift, the tiny violet teacup, purchased for 25 cents, would be a Mother's Day Gift for momma, Effie.

When Dorothy was in 5th grade, her beau...Edward Cedarholm...presented her with a lovely "handkersniff". His mother, of scandanvian descent, painted the exquisitely detailed image...

Young momma Effie, made sure to teach her children the stories of the Bible. The book 'Bible Pictures, and what they teach us' was a well-loved book of Dorothy and her little brother Neil. The book is now coverless, with only the spine remaining, but the pictures ...each one, a work of art....are as beautiful as they were at publication.

Young Dorothy would grow to be a lovely young woman, attain the nickname "Dottie" and catch the eye of a tall, blue-eyed young man from Kentucky, in 1953. In January of 1954, William H. Jones, Jr. made his way from Newfoundland (where he had been stationed for 7 months) to Kentucky, and on to Orlando, Florida, within 24 hours. He did not see his beautiful bride-to-be until the moment she walked down the aisle...her veil having been lifted, before she entered the sanctuary, by a dear, wise, friend who simply said..."so he may see your face"....

This wedding photo sits atop the veil, Dottie fashioned herself. (There is a great similarity between the wedding dress of this young bride, and the enchanting wedding dress worn by a princess bride, Kate.)

The receipt for the purchase of gold wedding bands...

Children were born to this union, but not until college and seminary had been completed. Dorothy had felt called, since childhood, to missions. Bill, had a calling to the ministry, and pastored several churches. Together, they were led to the mission field and began to prepare for the journey to Africa in 1964. Three young children sit with them for the photo which would appear on their passports. ...Lynn, age 4 1/2, Christie, age 2 1/2, and Bradley, age 1 year.

The baby gown was worn by Dottie's young sister (20 years her junior), her oldest daughter, Lynn, and her second daughter, Christie...the tiny pink beaded bracelet wrapped Christie's arm as a newborn.

Silver baby spoons have been passed down through the generations, being used by Christie's children and grandchildren.

A photo of Dottie....with two women enjoying her visit to their village...

Husband Bill, had purchased the pearl choker for Dottie, before their passage to Africa...she is wearing it in the photo above.

A letter home...

Dottie had to measure her words carefully, in all communications, even the words she used to describe seemingly routine family updates..it was a difficult time in those days of recent upheaval of their government.

This photo of Dottie, along with Christie and Bradley, shows the ladies Dottie worked with, and their children. Christie remembers the little girl in the pink gingham dress, wearing green socks with her sandals...she recollects their innocent friendship...each trying to teach the other their language...

Dottie purchased a carved ivory necklace for her mother Effie and her mother-in-law Leva Jones. This is the one passed down from Effie. The carved ivory elephant statuette and elephant hair bracelet were brought back as mementos. The black Waldybag was purchased on a stopover in London, as the family traveled home. This being the style that the Queen carried...

Even as a 4 year old, Christie loved purses, and has recollection of this wonderful purchase...the cubby shelving the purse was drawn from...

These were the 60's...the era of Jackie Kennedy....Princess Grace Kelly.....elegant role models for the young women of our country...and Dottie followed suit...

Their work in the mission field was shortened by a difficult birth of their fourth child, Stanley, and it would be necessary to travel back to the States for further medical procedures.

Once again, a photo was necessary for passports...this one, though reveals a weary mother of four, maintaining her posture and smile...such incredible strength to be 30 years of age...

The story does not stop here....fast forward to 2010....Bill and Dottie answer the call, once more, to travel to Africa.  This trip would last four months...working to rebuild an eye clinic, post-war, and helping novice pastors start churches in the villages desperate for God's word.  They left young men and women, who would continue to think fondly of them...even referring to them as Mama and Papa...and who would claim brotherhood/sisterhood to the four Jones siblings (whom they never met... in person). 

What a reunion it will be, one day, on the shores of eternity, to come face to face with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

After 57 years of marriage...Dorothy is still in love with the tall blue-eyed fellow from Kentucky...

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My mother has told me many many times...we remember the women in our family by their first names...as last names will always differ....given names will always remain....

On a favored quilt, she stitched the names of the women, forming a list from my great great grandmother down to my daughter....along with my daughter Olivia's baby bracelet and baby ring in the center of her initial "O"...

such a loving tribute....it will continue to be cherished through the years. 

I love you, Mother!

Your darling,

Christie

Martha's Vineyard cont'd

After going through my photos, I realized there was a plethora of images I could not withhold from you, my dear friends.  So I will share...

The entrance to the campground where we attended the Grand Illumination night...

This is the Methodist Church that sits not far from the "Tabernacle" ... Just look at that clear blue sky..

I came upon this cute painted sign amongst the cottages and decided I must paint one for our Rose Water Cottage...

Here is the cottage belonging to the sweet couple we met, Mike and Paula...

And here's cute Paula, with the blonde hair and the striped shirt...

...and these are her neighbors...

These are the darling doors to her cottage...that she recently persuaded her husband to hang in time for this most grand occasion...

....and more of her collection of old bottles...

and knick knacks...

And then I came across the very thing that sealed the deal and kindred status was acknowledged.
This is my bunny at home, wearing the shawl I knitted, after knitting one for Eliza and her City Mouse cousin...

"Who puts silly little shawls on silly little rabbits?"...you ask...(besides me:)...

Paula does...

I stand validated....completely validated;)

Well, we must be off...to see the rest of the darling cottages...and Tim stands in the doorway as we say our goodbyes...

I come upon a cottage I will refer to as "the Lilly Pulitzer "...Just look at the cute cushions on the rockers and settees and such...

with matching hydrangeas..

ornate lanterns...

and painted furniture, doors and gingerbread trim...

Speaking of beautiful trim...this just took my breath...

....and let me just show you more of these incredible chinese lanterns....

There were black ones...

and white ones..

Butterfly ones ...and flying saucer ones...

and pretty pink ones...

Some had so many ...you could hardly see the cottage...

...and then there were the parasols... there were small ones..

and huge ones...

We walked to the tabernacle to settle in for the community sing... and we saw the ladies and gents in their period dress... 

In the last post, I failed to include this dashing couple..

The color of the trim on this cottage,  seemed to be a recurring theme on the island..

...  the aqua blues capture the spirit of this magical retreat that is Martha's Vineyard...for it's the color of the ocean and the hydrangeas that breathe in the sea air....

Thank you for traveling along and allowing me to share our dream of a vacation with you.  

Blessings,

Christie

A Susan Branch book signing on Martha's Vineyard

Travel with Eliza and me to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, where we vacationed August 12th through August 16th....

We will be attending Susan Branch's 1st book signing of her new book 'A Fine Romance' at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard on August 15th, Julia Child's Birthday:) It also happens to be the same place she had her very first book signing for her very first book...years ago.

Eliza is ready...she has a new hydrangea ribbon Grammy attached to her Tasha Tudor cottage shawl, after the old one was just beyond repair..

{We had received our pre-ordered copy of Susan Branch's 'A Fine Romance' several days before our vacation, and Eliza and I had fallen in love with this most charmingly adorable book.}

Here is Eliza...ready for the book signing ... She even has her girlfriend's name tag pinned on her shawl...

..and now she is gently tucked away in Grammy's new little Nantucket purse...

The little stamped envelopes contain miniature books for Susan to sign...one for Eliza and one for Cousin City Mouse...

The gift basket is seat belted into the window seat on the airplane...The flight attendants were insistent,  and they even advised me, that in case of an emergency ...apply my oxygen mask...before tending to the basket. Yes, they could tell how important it was to me...it was going to the Queen of the Girlfriends.

 I included a bit of Lamb's Ear from my garden...

And a little lamb...

After a long ride from the airport in Boston, we arrive at Wood's Hole and board the freight boat...we just missed the ferry, but we don't care...we're heading to Martha's Vineyard for a dream of a vacation...

And we see our very first lighthouse... I pinch myself...

We had no more taken the photo of the lighthouse before everyone started buzzing about the speck on the horizon...which, soon, became this.... 

I had never seen anything like this...ever...incredibly surreal.

We arrived at Oak Bluffs and hailed a taxi to drive us into Historic Edgartown, to the Victorian Inn ...

Eliza loved the front bed filled with ivy..

And she was wishing she could take home the fox door knocker to the fox family of Franklin...

She loves tick tock clocks, like the black mantel clock at Grammy's House, but this was a giant tick tock clock...and she loved it!!

We met the most hospitable innkeepers and staff...who greeted us and led us up the stairs...

to our beautiful room...

With a covered porch...where we enjoyed reading, knitting, painting, napping....

....and there sits the gift basket...just a bit disheveled from the plane, car, ferry, taxi rides....  What a story it could tell! People along the way were assuming we were on our honeymoon! We finally gave in and said we'd just go with that story....so we played along;)

We freshened up a bit, and headed out to find a restaurant. We were famished!

After dinner, we walked around town, up and down the charming streets of shops and beautiful homes ...and came upon Edgartown Books... where I would be meeting with Jan Pogue of Vineyard Stories..Susan Branch's publisher... (actually, we'd be meeting in the coffee shop behind the bookstore)

We found the comfy rockers on the front porch, where I sat and waited as Tim ventured to the corner ice cream shop.

We learned that New Englanders enjoy and consume more ice-cream than anywhere else in the land....  I decided I liked this... a lot!  I would enjoy a waffle cone of deliciousness, every night, thereafter...


The next morning, we descended the stairs, out the front door, petted the gorgeous hydrangeas....

and made our way around back to the terrace, where breakfast would be served.  We chose the table next to this adorable wall hanging...

It portrays Simple Simon meeting the pie man at the fair.  I was enchanted....

The innkeeper gave us the history on this piece...it had been a part of the restaurant in Boston that would later became Howard Johnson's.

We set out, once again, to walk around town until the afternoon rains drove us back to the Inn.

We found the path leading back to the "Behind the Bookstore Coffee Shop" ...yes, that really is its name....

We found a darling Needleworks shop.  Any shop with Beatrix Potter ANYTHING in the window, catches this girl's attention.  I would find a tiny Christmas stocking to needlepoint for Phia...

The rains came, and we went back to our covered porch at the Inn for rest and knitting and reading.

Hungry, we were ready for a late lunch. We decided to venture out in the drizzling rain and walk down Water Street to the Harborview Inn and restaurant for some Clam Chowder.  Best I'd ever tasted.

This was the storybook view out the window, over the aqua painted rockers on the front porch...

alongside a family playing a riveting game of Monopoly...

How wonderful to linger in the lobby with the fire crackling in the oversized fireplace, as the rains came hard...finally easing enough for us to wobble under one umbrella, the distance back to the Inn. 

Note: Don't ever miss an opportunity to snuggle in the rain...dancing around puddles ...with your sweetheart.

We passed a hydrangea bush full of these aqua blue hydrangeas...

and I had to paint them into my diary when we got home...

This was such a cozy entrance to a restaurant we passed on our way back to the inn...

Later...a pretty pedicure...

And on to a late dinner for Lobster...I had not indulged in this delicacy in too many years to remember...about 30, I was guessing...

Wow...delicious!

Next morning ... Had to capture this amazing...incredibly famous Pagoda Tree.  It was huge...GINORMOUS! ...and across the street from our Inn...
These photos hardly capture the size.

Here is it's story, contained on a plaque at the base of the tree...

I plucked just a bit of the ivy for my travel diary/journal...

Tim and I went on to our meeting with Jan, the publisher ...and three hours later, left the coffee shop floating amongst the clouds. (More on this later:)

We walked past the Vineyard Gazette, and I couldn't imagine a more inviting office to go to work in everyday...

I just couldn't get enough of these hydrangeas...they were every..where! Every color imaginable...

I fell into a deep sleep, that afternoon...which is what eventually happens when a being has not been able to sleep for days on end due to incredible excitement...

Our plans for the evening became an event we will never ever forget.  Grand Illumination.  How to even describe...I would fail miserably.  Go to www.susanbranch.com and find her description on her blog under the link "Martha's Vineyard".

...In the meantime, I will show you the pictures of the highlights...

We travel by car service to Oak Bluffs, which is where we had arrived on the island, by ferry.

On the campground, there are 300 of the sweetest, most adorable little gingerbread cottages you have ever seen.  It is a community of dollhouses... and being the lover of all things tiny and adorable, I made friends right away with one of the couples who own a sweet little cottage.. Paula and Mike.  They invited us in...

We giggled and talked and found such a kinship... this was just sending me right over the moon!

Walking around the town, in search of dinner...we came upon the Good Ship Lollipop Candy store...

Sophia loves watching Shirley Temple sing this song ....she tap dances when we sing it to her;)

We finally came upon the Tabernacle ...where there would be a community sing at 8:00 p.m....so we found a good bench and camped out where we could witness the festivities....

The band was warming up....

Oh my!! There were couples dressed in period clothing...  This is the very couple that Susan Branch has included on her link, I would find out when we returned home...

This was the sweetest cottage, decorated with its delightful chinese lanterns..."Lavender & Lace" was the cottage's name, and the ladies sitting there on the front porch, with their tea table dotted with tea lights were as precious as they could be. They insisted on taking a photo of me on their steps...I was tickled to pieces....

Is it not adorable!!  I told Tim...we are acquiring lanterns and decorating our front porch next August in honor of Grand Illumination week...I think it just might catch on...of course, I'm always the optimist;)

At exactly 9:00 p.m., after singing and singing...and watching children play around the grounds with their light sticks...watching little families picnic on their quilts...  It is time...

The lanterns and luminaries are lit...simultaneously...all around the campground...and it is the most magical sight!

Back to Edgartown...to our Inn...and sweet illuminated dreams.

Walking around town, the next morning, we turned the corner and beheld this view...it was just so peaceful....

The afternoon could not come soon enough... The entire vacation had been planned around the first book signing to launch Susan's tour across country for the next few months.  The event would be in Vineyard Haven, where she lives.... our car service drove us there, to Bunch of Grapes Bookstore.
We arrived in time for me to get a front row seat. Tim hung around, out of the way...while I basked in the glory of meeting fellow girlfriends who were wearing their name tags, too.
Look at the sweet table Dawn prepared for us...she even invited some of our precious Beatrix Potter people to join us...see them hovering behind the cookie basket:)

Here's D'Anne and her momma, Bonnie....

...and then....She's here...She's really here, in person, looking absolutely adorable...and I'm speechless...completely speechless!  What has happened to my talker...I have no words...I am just in total awe...
And then she catches my eye...we mouth words, silently back and forth..."You're Christie Ray..." "Yes...from Franklin, TN"  smiles.. and then she comes in for a hug...such a dear sweet soul! She is petite and gentle and soft spoken and everything we have known she would be....and more....
...and she knows who I am... she knows all of us girls...the ones who come to the blog of friendship, kindredship... a community of the most wonderful group of women who share their joys and sorrows and grand baby stories and cancer treatments and recoveries and deaths... and they grieve together, pray together, rejoice together... and she responds, and prays, and encourages, and sheds tears, and shares laughter... Such a gift to all of us....

Our Susan...

...and her Petey...such a little rascal....sitting alongside the mug I have, as well, and am drinking from as I type this...filled with the bookmarks made from her test paint strips...

Here, she begins her story, showing us the original journal/diary from their trip to England in 2004...the inspiration for this book...

We are all snapping pictures as fast as we can...and oohing and ahhhing....

This is why I had to make my travel journal/diary of this vacation, in the same manner...full of little photos and ephemera and leaves and tiny rose petals and painted aqua hydrangeas...it is sheer inspiration....

So as Joe is digging in one of the bags, I call to him, "Joe, you know I'll have to have a picture of you, too!" He replies, "Then I'm taking a picture of you!"  He raises up with camera in hand, and I say, "Then I'm taking a picture of you taking a picture of me!"  He is as much a character as dear Sue has described, and as fine a man as you'd ever meet. Tim and I enjoyed a conversation with him after she signed my book...

And then I realized...I hadn't gotten my picture taken with her!!  Oh, dear, nooo....  but there was a wonderful woman from the bookstore...ready and willing to take a quick pic, with the strictest instruction..."NO talking...just the photo..."  Okay...okay... and as I knelt down, I whispered, "no talking, no talking..."  She leaned in close to my face..."okay, no talking..."  and then "sisters" .... My heart just melted...for she has felt like such a kindred spirit, to me... such an inspiration on my journey as a budding author/illustrator...she's been in my corner all the way, with her encouraging words...sometimes in the wee hours of the morning when I couldn't sleep, and I was nervous about meetings with publisher people who can pick apart your dreams... she had been there...she knew....

Yes..."sisters"....

We finally pulled ourselves away...after presenting the gift basket...the teeny tiny books, which she squealed over and signed...and then squealed again when she received her very own little Eliza mouse and teeny tiny book...

And we walked down the street, and around the corner to the ice cream shoppe...You thought I was kidding about the ice cream thing....Ha! I was hooked!

There, we ran into more girlfriends...and talked and laughed and ate our ice-cream and exchanged names and promises to be Facebook friends...

Again...I realized I missed a photo op...I hadn't taken a picture of the bookstore, so back we went, also hoping they might have a restroom...

...and that's when my eyes saw the photo from her blog come to life...It was the Van... the Storybook Happy Van (as I call it:)

Completely forgot about the photo of the bookstore....found the little girl's room....more goodbyes and hugs and, "Oh I forgot to show you my charm bracelets, and here's the ones we got that say Martha's Vineyard..."  Yes my talker was up and running...but I remembered the wise words of advice from my dear friend, Mary (Gentility) "....Calm, Christie, just stay calm...."
This was just about impossible...But, Mary, I gave it my very best effort...

We found our car service waiting for us, and hopped in just swooning over the afternoon, and the gal driving offered, "I can show you where she lives..."  Oh JUST be still my HEART...

And here is her home...on a lovely street, in Vineyard Haven, where life is quiet and birds sing...and skies are blue...

Martha's Vineyard should be on everyone's "Bucket List" ....

We came home to our Rose Water Cottage...with its freshly painted pink door...

and I created a little spot for my Martha's Vineyard mementos....
The birdhouse from Bunch of Grapes bookstore and the sea glass gifted to us by our hilarious and generous car service fella, Jon...

(Belinda...I think the coke bottle is surely from Florida;)

Blessings, girlfriends...Blessings Sue and Joe and the Kitties as you make your way across this beautiful country of ours, meeting the faces that go with the names and making them feel as special as you made me,

Christie Ray from Franklin, Tennessee

A Vintage Marketplace

Just a few weeks ago, Rose Water Cottage Press was able to participate in the Swanky Plank Vintage Market Place at Rippavilla Plantation in Spring Hill, TN...on the heels of the Tinsel and Twine Vintage Marketplace at Homestead Manor, also in Spring Hill...  and it felt good to be back among the "working" since our Sophia came to live with us on a permanent basis.  We have made MUCH progress, and we have quite the little budding lady on our hands....

She carried these daisies with her everywhere, as we were all "breaking down" our booths on Saturday evening. A lovely artist had given them to her as she was packing all her things. They were in the car, carried throughout the house, placed in various and sundry vases and glasses and baskets... We might just have a future floral designer on our hands.....

I had flowers of my own, in a great old ironstone vase on my lace and linen covered table...Calla Lilies grown in my very own yard, for the very first time ....transplants from my parents home....along with some fragrant boxwood clippings.....

My booth neighbor "The Little Cowgirl" had brought me a bucket full of freshly harvested lavender....

We truly believed the intoxicating fragrance kept us in a perpetual relaxed state throughout the event.
Do you see the colorful ribbons...hand-dyed by yours truly, gracing the binding of the 2 page samples of my new coloring book in the works...Eliza's Favorite Colors. It is now almost complete.

I have also painted a sign for the upcoming barn sales and events ...so folks will know what it is, exactly, that I do. ...

I hadn't worked with acrylics in forever, but was quite delighted to get back into them.  Now, the 4' x 2' sign is draped with a dainty lace scarf, and has the bucket of lavender sitting beneath...which will provide a sweet invitation into the booth I will be sharing with my little cowgirl friend, Diann, at the Bella Rustica event at the end of August.  It will be at the Legacy Farm in Lebanon August 23-24. I am especially excited to be a part of this event, as it was the first barn sale I attended 2 years ago, not long after we moved into our little cottage, here.  It was the inspiration to get my book series up and running, from a dream..into a plan.

                        ********************************************************

I cannot close without wishing a belated happy birthday to our queen of  inspiration...

...Beatrix Potter.

Our world would not be the same if there hadn't been a Beatrix...

...inspiring us to press on... stretch ourselves...raise the bar of our own expectations...

Jeri Landers, you'd be proud that I am discovering how to paint hydrangeas in more detail....

...and Beatrix, perhaps you'd be proud of my efforts, as well...

More importantly, my hope is that our Maker is pleased with this servant and her willingness to be an instrument.  My little books have been carried across the ocean to Lunsar, Sierre Leone Africa, by my parents and a young woman intent on mission work. They have been placed in the hands of some young girls, there, and my heart can barely hold the joy I feel.... Just look at their beautiful faces...

God is so Good!

******************

Blessings, sister friends...

All is well here at Rose Water Cottage...

Grammy's House...

Where the old clock ticks away, after quite a good cleaning and repair, atop a restored mantel ...

(...during renovation, we uncovered the ancient bricks...be still my heart... dating back to the homes construction in 1908. The Summer Screen, found in New York, will be fitted, soon.)

...and the hydrangeas bloom with great fervor...

...bringing beauty to our cozy home...

Much love...

Grammy and Sophia

Daisies

I'd choose to be a daisy,

If I might be a flower;

Closing my petals softly

At twilight's quiet hour;

And walking in the morning,

When falls the early dew,

To welcome Heaven's bright sunshine,

And Heaven's bright tear-drops too.

Anonymous

Long away...

At long last.... yes, I have been long away...

but may I explain, gentle readers?

I had just submitted my book for spring...Goat's Milk and Gardening on January 29th.

(It is now available on Barnes and Noble's online site, along with my other 9 books)

On January 30th, we began a journey with our dear granddaughter, Sophia, who is now 2 years old...

She has been "enrolled" in what we affectionately refer to as "Grammy's Boarding School" in order to have the attention and love from her grandparents, as opposed to long hours at daycare.

So the adventure began, and the book writing and illustrating was put to rest....

She is our priority.

I have journaled along the way with photos, and would like to share some of the things I have learned.

It was like beginning a new school year without a curriculum, so I started with what I had...

Barney videos (the ones she brought with her)

Maileg bunnies, she eventually named Poppy, Rose, Buttercup, and Pipkin (when she fell in love with the Brambly Hedges storybook Poppy's Babies)...

...ironing Grammy's handkersniff on their sweet ironing board..

...and playing with the Brio train set my mother began collecting when she was a brand new Mema...

(Xavier also loved this set, and still asks for us to pull it out on occasion. He, by the way, is now 6 years old.)

After a time...I realized that less videos, more play time, and one-on-one interaction was what she needed.  Weaning away, began...and she no longer asks for her videos.

Then it was time to establish a room for her...

I didn't want to create a nursery but preferred an inviting room, suitable for a guest of any age...

and this is what I came up with...

 We had just painted the room, formerly the office, the same color used by Susan Branch for her kitchen makeover...

I included my collection of vintage children's books, velvet pumpkins and glittery candles from my favorite french shoppe, here in town, Avec Moi....

I found these long pussy willow branches at Yarrow Acres gardening shoppe....

This is such a sweet place to bring her after her bath...to be lotioned and powdered and dressed in her jammies for bedtime...

 I blended the classics with the antiques...

She loves this room...success!

The blocks and puzzles and child-sized table and chairs began to take over the living room, as that was the warmest place in the house...in front of the fireplace...

where we often enjoyed our breakfast...

by the soft light of our Tasha Tudor beeswax candle...

It was where she could play with her new cloth tea set...

(I found we needed some practice before advancing to the little porcelain set)

(These paper doilie placemats and Peter Rabbit napkins are mod podged to the table)

I painted the tiny chair, mod podged the heart shaped doilie,  and personalized it on the back...

Sophia feels more and more at home, as she sees things being prepared especially for her.

Valentine's Day fast approaches, and husband Tim brings two batches of roses for his girls, in the shades Blush and Bashful....for those who are Steel Magnolia fans, you will know exactly the shades of which I speak.

We are making attempts at potty training...

even celebrating, once, at 4:00 in the morning, when she actually had success....

By this point, I am realizing my body has grown soft...I don't have the energy, strength, patience, or stamina I once had. But I am determined...we can do this!

Onward....

I begin researching blogs, websites, articles...surfing the "web" on the weekends, when Sophia is home with her mother....

and I come upon my saving grace...

Bella Luna Toys and Moon Child Blog by Sarah Baldwin, 

and I lift prayers of thanksgiving.

Sarah is a former Waldorf pre-school teacher, home-schooler, and now owner of a toy shoppe, providing beautiful Waldorf toys, books, music, and instruments.  Her blog is filled with videos of advice, crafts, and answers to parents questions. Her soothing voice relaxed my anxious mind and spirit, and I was finding answers to some of my questions.  

I have ordered some of the products, a few at a time, and am slowly putting together a playroom worthy of the Waldorf philosophy....

let me take you on a tour...

These are a few of the Ostheimer wooden toys from Germany, she offers...

Sophia loves to learn new songs....lots of them...for every thing we do. We have morning songs, lunchtime songs, bath time songs and bedtime lullabies...and everything in between (another Waldorf mainstay) The song "Old McDonald Had a Farm" was one of her first favorites, so we chose from the farm animal collection (along with the darling farmer and wife)

I kept reading the positive reviews about these beeswax crayon rocks...

how fragrant they were...

Well, you know me! I'm all about the senses and believe strongly in aromatherapy...

It was all true! They have such a subtle, sweet fragrance. I enjoyed coloring with Sophia....and she enjoyed coloring over my pictures...as well as creating her own beautiful blendings...

She was also quite intrigued with transferring them from the little pouch they arrived in, to the sweet tin I had acquired along with a precious little lunch box. Back and forth...back and forth...

She was up extra early, so this was a wonderful quiet time at the table.

(can you see the pretty Bradford pear trees in bloom?)

 Tending her Maileg bunny babies....

She stands in her chair, savoring a Pink Lady apple, while watching the storm roll in...

As the day progresses, she enjoys twirling in her new silks by Sarah's Silks (also available at Bella Luna Toys webstore)

 More toys are ordered and arrive, to the delight of Grammy and Sophia.

A child-sized drying rack, iron, dustpan and brush, and a broom...

A "heavy baby" weighted with millet, infused with lavender essential oils, sleeps with us and is quite the comforting presence with its calming fragrance and soft fabric.

Are you beginning to see how much we love this baby... (It certainly is nice to roll over, during the night, and inhale the softest hint of lavender)

As this baby doll weighs 4 1/2 lbs, and is a bit heavy for carrying around through the day, I have ordered the smaller size, at 2 1/2 lbs, which will be more suitable for daytime play. This is a Waldorf baby doll, recognizable by the minimal facial features, which encourages the child to imagine her baby's expressions. 

Her Aunt Trish arrives with dress up clothes....fairy dress, bracelet, shoes, purse and wings.

Next morning, our little fairy presents herself ...

eager for her toast and jam...

We commence play....

and find it is easier for her to manipulate the old-fashioned clothespins (available at craft stores) than the regular ones. This free play consumed at least a half hour, while I was able to fold laundry, nearby...(another of Sarah Baldwin's suggestions for what to do with your toddler when there are things you MUST get done around the house...engage the child in a task similar or same as yours. They learn through imitation...a Waldorf philosophy that resonates.)

 Early Friday morning, my charge is whisked away to spend the weekend with her parents.

I take advantage of a few more quiet hours to rest...

and then it is time to tackle the project I have been excited to begin....

.... the painting of this tower display ...

(Originally, it was to be Eliza's abode...but for now, it is best served in the playroom.)

It required at least two coats of white Kilz to make the black paint and signage disappear...we surely did not need the word distillery peeking through;)

Much progress...

Time to paint the shutters.

I was elated to find a pot of paint that matched the sweet robin egg blue of the Maileg bunnies' furniture...

By now, it is the end of the day...husband is home...and I am quite exhausted ...

and exhilarated...all at the same time...

My mind's eye is envisioning sugarplum fairies and the like:)

This morning...

scraping paint off of the windows...which now sounds quite humorous as I write this. 

I have to say, though, I'd rather scrape these windows;)

....arranging the shelves....

I am now able to use the smaller wooden shelf to house the growing collection of Ostheimer toys...

There is now more floor space for building with blocks and train set play...

...and two spots reserved  for the wooden kitchen and wooden ironing board.

We are anticipating their arrival this week.

Before I go...and catch a bit more rest before our sweet girl arrives in the morning, I want to leave you with a few photos...

Our kindergartener, growing faster than we prefer....

grandson, Xavier...

...and to "Our Mary"....

here are the precious Snowdrops and Lenten rose...

Know that Mrs. Tiggy Winkle is standing watch above the spot reserved for the sweet little ironing board....sprinkling her pinny pocket-full of ironing wisdom...

Sophia says, "Happy Spring, Grammy's kindreds! Since she loves me to the moon and back, she will be quite busy and may not find much time to post. We have much playing and frolicking and stroller rides ....for we are about the business of growing into a fine and loving young lady."

"There are stickers to stick....

....and special walks into town to Meridee's for their yummy grilled cheese sandwiches...

Just ask my Grammy's friend, Mary....she knows!"

Thank you, my dear dear sister friends, kindreds, gentle readers...

for your love, your presence in my life, your understanding of these divine appointments that require all of our time and energy, and especially your prayers, as this journey continues.

Blessings for a wonderful Easter Season and celebration of Resurrection Day.

Christie

A Christmas Memory

My dear friends...
Winter weather has us in hibernation mode...

Even my dear Bella in Rose Stockings (by the talented Christine LeFever) is staying close by her black cookstove..

and we are staying close by the fire, as well...

knitting on most days,
(the Tasha Tudor Cottage Shawl I have been promising my mother, since Christmas '11)

snuggling with Scout in the quilts...

and working fervently on Goat's Milk and Gardening, book 10, for spring,

along with another rhyming book ...This is Our Cottage of White...

...and this is the real door, aged one hundred and four....

But I cannot go without posting the most precious of Christmas Memories.
My dear, dear friend...who Jeri Landers and I refer to as "Our Mary"...
gifted me with the most precious little music box.
I knew, immediately, it would be scooped up by one very precious little boy...
and it was.
He was entranced, watching the miniature waltzing figures....

How grateful I am for this sweet gift,
but moreover,
I am thankful for the sweet gift of friendship.

Much love to you "Our Mary" from your kindred in the cottage.

Blessings to you, my friends, as we enjoy the home and hearth through this season,

Christie

Eliza's Gardening Hat

What a dilemma.  What a quandary.  What a situation!

Eliza has no hat to wear into the garden, and this just will not do.

Grammy is writing and illustrating the book for spring... Goat's Milk and Gardening... and how can she
draw Eliza in the garden without a lovely bonnet to wear?

Eliza has a sweet mousie friend, Bebe, who sports a nice felt hat with a sweet gingham ribbon...just the thing for long mornings in the garden...

She loves Bushky Bushybottom, who lives in Hopalong Hollow, and after a visit there, decided she was quite the gardener. Her mistress (Penny White of Angelsdoor) fashioned her sweet blue overalls and even made sure she had a supply of gardening tools.

Jeri Landers, the mistress of Hopalong Hollow, crafted the beautiful garden cloche (below) with crow's nest, atop, to remind us that spring will come again.  We will endure these long winter months knowing that pretty little flowers will bloom and vegetables will sprout when the ground thaws, once again.

Eliza inquires if Hopalong Bebe might consider sharing her hat ...as Grammy begins the illustrations for her new story...

Bebe is the sweetest little mouse, and because they are such dear friends, she offers it to Eliza...knowing that it will fit over her ears juuuuust right.

Oh, dear....this just will NOT do.  Eliza cannot see one THING....

What am I to do...Eliza thinks to herself.

Grammy shows the girls the wonderful array of paint colors...

...and asks..."If you could imagine the sweetest bonnet in the sweetest colors...what would your gardening hat look like?"

Eliza ponders Grammy's question....

...and when Grammy is quite sure what Eliza has imagined,  she begins to draw and outline and
paint...

This is exactly what one sweet little Eliza mouse has envisioned...

What a wonderful thing, is our imagination.  We can imagine the most incredible things, and bring them to life....even if it's just for a painting.

Two little friends + One grammy = One great idea

Grammy had to use her imagination, once again, to illustrate the wind...you know...the "secret pollinator"....

It was easy to draw clouds and rain and the sun...but how do you draw the wind?

Eliza helped Grammy think of a way....

Now can you see the wind?

Does it really have a face in the clouds?

Why, no....but if we use our imagination, clouds with puffed up cheeks and a furrowed brow can help us  "see" the wind.

The sunshine, wind, and rain help the peas to grow...

My brother, Mr. Jones, sends pictures of the sprouts' progress, in the garden at OJA, and then I paint the pictures.

I use the Scientific Method to write and illustrate what I think might happen...

Eliza and I are so anxious to receive more photos of our little sprout, and see if our hypothesis is correct.

We will be sure to let you know.

Have a wonderful day, and may God continue the process of healing in these days and months, ahead.

Blessings,

Grammy Christie, Eliza, and Bebe