Welcome to My World!

Dreams and Loves

2012-02-02T14:06:00.001-05:00

Happy February, everyone!

It's the shortest month of the year and also the most loving one, too. Thoughts of hearts are swirling in my head. Look at this rock! Do you see what I see? There is definitely a heart there. It made me smile, and I just had to take a photograph of it. I love finding symbols in nature.

I included this heart in my Dream Board that I created for Lifebook. I don't mind sharing it with you, as it projects my hopes and dreams for the year to come. I infused it with a lot of love and aspirations. I've included both my personal and professional dreams for the year. I am striving to improve my art and would love to try and submit some work for publication (which is why I included a Somerset Studio cover here featuring Kelly Rae Roberts - who I adore). It's a scary thought for me, but I definitely want to try. Health is another big goal for me, as I want to improve it for me so I have the energy to thrive and live. I've included doors and keys in the hopes of opening up new opportunities for myself - both personally and professionally. There is also a little etsy symbol here, as I continue to dream up new designs and artwork for the shop. I haven't had much time to update my blog, as I've been taking tons of new photographs of the items in my shop. It has turned into a bigger project than I expected! But I am rather pleased with the "new and improved" photos. Believe it or not, I have still a few more to go! Plus, I have some new art pendant necklaces to upload...lots of happy work!

Lately my heart has been a bit sad, as thoughts of Borders have filtered into my mind lately. It has been five months since the store closed. I still have my rewards card on my key chain...I just can't seem to part with it. And when I was searching for some photos on the computer, I came across the photos I took of the store when it was closing. It just about broke my heart. I created this treasury today as a love letter to books. I shall never own a Kindle or Nook - I LOVE holding an actual book in my hands...I love the feel of the paper, the smell of the paper, and just everything else about a "real" book. The heart loves what it loves.

Here's a more traditional tribute to love...the heart! This collection is pretty and red and happy. It made me smile while I was creating it - but it also gave me a big craving for chocolate!

Hope you all have a wonderful week. If you missed it, Punxsutawney Phil predicted another six weeks of winter! Hope you don't have a day like Bill Murray did here. But you know - he DID get it right - and in the end, that's what matters most!

Til next time,
Theresa

True Words...

2012-01-27T20:26:00.000-05:00

Spring-Inspired Treats

2012-01-22T12:23:00.000-05:00

Romantic Red Rose Earrings

Hello everyone!

It seems like forever since I've posted. Happy to be back with a new post highlighting some new goodies in our shop. We've got flowers and butterflies - definite signs of spring and faerie-approved. Our romantic red rose earrings feature gorgeous paper flowers in a deep shade of red. We've attached sweet little green leaf charms, too. They are super adorable in person!

Beaded Yellow Butterfly Necklace

It's no secret that I simply adore butterflies. I was fortunate to find these absolutely amazing butterfly pendants, which I am using for necklaces and other accessories. First up is this lovely yellow butterfly necklace. Just look at those adorable little hearts lined up along the bottom of the butterfly's wings! These pendants were created from vintage images affixed to thin pieces of wood, which were then carefully laser-cut. The backside is painted black. These pieces are so versatile to use. I am even thinking of using some for mixed-media pieces.

Lovely Lavender Lily Earrings

One of my favorite floral colors is lavender. My hubby grimaces every time we go flower shopping because I always seem to gravitate toward this shade of flower! However, these shades work perfectly well for these earrings - we layered lucite flower beads in various shades of purple and adorned them with a beautiful filigree bead cap and decorate head pin in the center of bud.

Mossy Roses Bobby Pins

Mossy green is SUCH a beautiful color! I was so happy to find paper roses in this lush color. I think they work extremely well for bobby pins - adding a touch of woodland whimsy to your hair!

Beaded Blue Butterfly Necklace

And I have one more butterfly necklace to share with you. This necklace highlights beautiful shades of blue - reminiscent of a bright open sky! The butterfly is slightly larger than the yellow one shown above, and this necklace hangs a bit lower so that everyone will be able to admire the butterfly. Keep in mind that since these butterflies are crafted from paper and wood, that they don't take well to water (or snow, since we are still in the middle of winter).

Thank you for allowing me to share some of my new goodies with you today! After all of your amazing support for my goddess art, I will indeed be preparing her for prints. I hope to have them available within the next few weeks.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Til next time,

Theresa

Things I'm Happy For...

2012-01-13T15:16:00.001-05:00

Coming across a really cool knitting magazine. All of the designs here are inspired by Jane Austen! How awesome is that? I discovered this little treasure while walking around in New Haven with my hubby last weekend. I was immediately smitten...

Here's a sample of some of the designs within...it sent my heart a beating, that's for sure! And I just recently came into some new yummy yarn, so...

I received the Tasha Tudor Museum newsletter in the mail! I'm especially excited because this is the year for our visit to Vermont, where the museum is located. We didn't get to go on a vacation last year, so it will be an especially happy occasion this year (not to mention that it will also mark our 15th wedding anniversary). The Tasha Tudor Museum is going to be the number one stop on our trip. I am also yearning to revisit the Grandma Moses exhibit at the Bennington Museum. Can you tell that I wish it was October already???

While on our travels last weekend, I found this adorable book by Sharon Montrose at half-price. (I truly miss working at a bookstore!) I just had to bring it home! Each page is filled with the most enchanting portraits of animals both large and small!

I really adore this simple image called "The Fox and the Hound." How cute is this?

You might remember me mentioning that the hubby and I would be handcrafting many of our holiday gifts. Well, we did - and I forgot to photograph some of them to share with you! I did manage to take a few before madly dashing off the gifts in the mail. Here is my favorite that we collaborated on...three cupcake photo holders for our niece and her family. We used paperclay for this project - my hubby carefully molded each "cupcake" in an actual silicone cupcake mold and then created the "frosting" and "cherry" for the tops. I did the painting! You can't really tell from the photo, but each cherry has a liberal sprinkling of glitter! We used heavy copper wire for the photo holder itself.

We created this necklace and earring set for another one of our nieces. Her favorite color is blue, and so that was the primary color throughout the set.

Here's another necklace we created for another one of our nieces. Her favorite color is pink - so we took a lovely paper rose in a beautiful pink shade and hot-glued it to a filigree base and adorned it with beautiful silver, pink, clear and crystal beads.

I am so thrilled that I joined Life Book this year! And I'm even more excited to share with you my first piece of art of the New Year - produced through this amazing workshop. The theme was our Goddess Superpowers. I used key words that are important to me in my life - and created an earthy background dappled with moths and butterflies (which also appear on the backing art paper for this piece). I created a goddess of my own creation - perhaps a manifestation of my own inner goddess and ran a fern stamp and music notes through her hair - which I coated with a metallic copper powder. Of course, since she's a goddess - I had to affix some clear jewels to her face.

I'm delighted with how she came out. If you enlarge the first photo, you might be able to read the Kahlil Gibran quote that encircles her head and hair. I am considering making a print of this piece, as I am hopeful that it will resonate with others as much as she resonates personally with me.

Til next time,

Theresa

A Year of Promise

2012-01-05T12:39:00.001-05:00

Greetings everyone, and Happy New Year! Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday and is looking forward to a year filled with possibilities and magic. Thank you all so very much for your kind comments on my last post. So happy to hear that you enjoyed the free printable mini-posters I created! It was the first time I've done something like that - and your support was very encouraging. I hope to make more of them in the future.

We went on our annual New Year's hike on Sunday. The weather was simply amazing - nice and sunny with a refreshing breeze. I kept my coat on the whole time and didn't get too warm while climbing to the tippy-top of the mountain. It was well worth it - we had such amazing views from all angles. We were told an eagle was in our midst, but sadly we did not catch sight of him.

I find peace and magic on these walks. And I simply adore the scent of pine needles, which scatters the forest floor. Even in winter, there are so many treasures to find...beautiful gifts from nature just waiting to be discovered.

I found a beautiful piece of driftwood for my hubby, in the shape of a large arrowhead. Because of the wild weather, we found much greenery in the way of a variety of mosses and lichen. Normally, everything is brown and still - but little hints of spring were evident along much of our path.

I love finding unusual treasures on our walks...even if I can't take them with me. There is still the memory of discovering them and savoring their beauty and magic.

You can imagine extraordinary things in nature. Look at the photo above - do you see a butterfly? Look at those lovely wings! Perhaps the butterfly is just resting - getting ready to take flight and discover new lands, soaring through the trees and shining in the sunlight.

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.

John Lubbock

Til next time,
Theresa

Happy New Year 2012 and a Gift for You

2012-01-01T00:01:00.030-05:00

Greetings one and all - and Happy New Year from us to all of you! We hope you had a holiday season filled with warmth and love and light.

It has been one interesting year - 2011. And I am most ready for a fresh new year springing with possibilities to begin. Our little family has been through a lot this year - some of which I have shared with you here on my blog and some of which was just too painful to post publicly. But through it all, I've tried to smile and soldier on. I'm so grateful for my wonderful family and friends, who have supported us and given us oodles of unconditional love. It made me realize just how fortunate I am to be surrounded by such amazingly kind and generous people.

My chosen word for the New Year is gratitude. I am more aware of all the little gifts in life that I have received that have filled my life with happiness. And I want to give back this year...starting with these little gifts just for you!

I created the two following PDF files using some of my favorite nature photography from the past year and inscribed them with lovely and inspirational quotes from Rumi. Please do click on the links so that you can either save them to your computer or print for framing. The files are formatted in high resolution and will print out in 8 x 10 format. I hope you find them just as inspiring as I do. Choose one or both!

CLICK HERE RumiLeaf

CLICK HERE RumiBee

To save them to your computer, simply click the download button on the upper right of the screen. If for some reason you're unable to open or print these files, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll email them directly to you. These images and words truly speak to me. I always try to seek joy in things that I love, such as nature and animals and art and literature.

I thank you all for joining me in my journey this past year - and I hope you will continue to follow along in 2012. I have a lot of plans and ideas, which I hope will come to fruition - and I want YOU to be a part of it.

May the New Year bring you much magic, happiness and light! I leave you now with this fun little video from one of my favorite actress/singers - Zooey DesChanel. I think it's rather appropriate for the occasion, don't you? ;)

Happy New Year!!!!

Til next time,

Theresa

Warm Season's Greetings!

2011-12-24T13:51:00.000-05:00

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred,

and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit,

become a child again at Christmastime.

~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Have a most beautiful holiday, everyone.

Til next time,

Theresa

Seasonal Songs

2011-12-22T16:37:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone!

What would the holidays be without some festive tunes to get you in the spirit? I've included a few of my favorites here for you. Of course, U2 has to be number one. They're my favorite band. Bono was so young here. Ahhhhh...

I have very fond memories of when "Do They Know Its Christmas Time" first came out. I was in college at the time and took the bus downtown to get the single in my hot little hands. A news crew was actually on the scene and interviewed me about my thoughts on the song. My mom was so excited! It gives me such a thrill now to see some of the favorite musical acts from way back when. Of course, the true message of the song still holds true today.

Yes, I am a proud GLEEK. I always thought that "Christmas Wrapping" was a fun little tune - and I really like what the folks at Glee did with it. I adore the black and white filming AND the ribbon twirling. This is still one of my favorite television shows.

"Carol of the Bells" is one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs. There is something so magical about it. I recently discovered this version of the song from The Bird and the Bee. I love it because they did a truly traditional version of it.

Blackmore's Night is one of my favorite Renaissance-style acts. And yes - the Blackmore is actually the famous guitarist Richie Blackmore, who has teamed with his wife, Candice. They have done a lovely version of "Emmanuel" here.

I was really happy to find this clip from the film "Love Actually." You will see a LOT of familiar faces here. This girl does a wonderful version of "All I Want for Christmas." If you've never seen this film, which I referenced a few posts ago, DO watch it (it is Rated R, so be mindful if children are about).

What holiday songs are you humming along to?

Til next time,
Theresa

Trimming the Tree

2011-12-19T16:06:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone!

Hope you are all in a joyful holiday mood. I know I am. I simply cannot believe how quickly time passed from Thanksgiving til now - with Christmas only six days away. And I also cannot believe that I am actually on schedule with things!

Today I wanted to share my tree with all of you. We don't have a real tree - we've had the artificial tree you see in the photo for 14 years. It was our first tree that we picked out together. Maybe there is sentiment involved - but we are happy with it.

What I love best about Christmas trees is how personal they are. I believe every tree has a story. Each ornament hung with care from the branches holds special memories. I wanted to share a few of my favorite ornaments with you. Here is my newest acquisition, from my wonderful friend Zan. Can you believe how beautiful this snowy owl is? See that little snowflake on the wing? It's actually a hinge, so I can move the owl's wing in either direction. I adore owls - and snowy owls are just so right for winter time.

This adorable ornament belongs to my hubby. It was hand-stitched by his grandmother many years ago. It has held up so amazing well. Every stitch is still in place and the colors are still vivid and true. It makes me smile, and I know it holds precious memories for my hubby.

I purchased this Where The Wild Things Are ornament for my hubby a few years ago. He loves this book, as do I. I simply couldn't resist it. I've purchased many a sentimental ornament for him over the years, including another one of his favorites - Curious George. Can you tell that my hubby is a mischief-maker?

Obviously, our tree would not be complete without a little Nightmare Before Christmas magic! Here is Jack and Sally nestled together amongst the branches. We also have Rudolph and Clarice and also Victor and Victoria from The Corpse Bride.

I was immediately smitten by the felt mice in the Warmth shop on etsy. My hubby purchased this sweet little mouse artist for me. She's tiny but there is so much detail to her. Isn't her painter's palette and paintbrush just too cute for words?

Ever since I was a young girl, I loved creating Christmas ornaments. My mom's tree was liberally covered with all my creations. There was a local craft shop in town, and I'd often go there after school to purchase little wooden ornaments that I could paint for the family tree. I continued to create ornaments when I grew up! Here is one of my favorites that I painted on tin. I have quite a thing for snowmen. They make me smile.

My hubby and I also have a tradition of picking up a new Christmas ornament on our annual vacations. Maine is one of my favorite places to visit. Although I've never actually seen a puffin (as we always visit Maine in the fall), I do love Acadia National Park. I am eager to return there just by looking at this ornament!

Of course, there are some ornaments you buy ... just because. This little snow Santa is made from salt dough - something I'm interesting in trying. He is just so jolly - AND he has glitter!!!! Nothing wrong with a little glitter!

I also have a thing for ornaments which are simply unique. The lovely Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist created this lovely ornament using an antique chocolate mold. I adore the vintage feel - old-style Santas are definitely the best. There is a sheer coat of paint on this gorgeous ornament which also lends to its antique feel. It's one of my favorites.

Sometimes I never want to take our tree down. I smile every time I look at it - because every branch holds a very precious memory. My hubby and I were married in 1997 - since then it is our tradition to put this ornament up together. It always takes a special place of honor on our tree.

What are some of your favorite ornaments or tree-trimming traditions?

Til next time,

Theresa

Magical Holiday Books

2011-12-15T11:33:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone!

I hope that you are all doing well and enveloped in the magic of the season. We continue to work on our handmade holiday gifts for family while attempting to squeeze in some personal time for watching our favorite films and, of course, planning out all the yummy treats that need to be made!

I promised to return with a fun post filled with some of my favorite magical books of the season. Being the book lover that I am, I've had to condense this list just a bit! First, of course, are my collection of books centered around my favorite film - The Nightmare Before Christmas. I absolutely treasure the "making of" book, which contains all the song lyrics and SO many fun facts about the creation of the film. I even have a little young readers storybook which is a first print!

There is also a picture book of The Nightmare Before Christmas, which - of memory serves - was the inspiration for the film. Here's Zero - I just ADORE him. While many of the characters in the book will be familiar to the film's fans - Sally and Oogie Boogie are nowhere to be found.

I just adore The Nutcracker. For many years, it was our little family tradition to go and see it live each year. I'm also a big fan of DK books in general, which are always so lavishly illustrated. This fun book contains the entire classic story of The Nutcracker, along with fun facts about the author, the ballet and toys of the time.

Back in the 80s, although I only recently discovered the series about five years ago, Time-Life Books released an entire series of books dubbed "The Enchanted World" dealing with faeries, ghosts, and other magical delights. They are no longer in print, but I was fortunate to scoop up a bunch of these books from used bookstores and ebay.

The artwork in the book is just so enchanting! And there are songs and facts and traditions surrounding Christmas Eve, St. Lucia's Day, Brigit's Day, the Solstice, Twelfth Night and much more!

Of course, no Christmas book collection would be complete without one or two Tasha Tudor titles. I am so smitten with my Tasha-illustrated edition of The Night Before Christmas. There is also the heartwarming story about The Christmas Cat, written by Tasha's daughter, Efner, and so gorgeously illustrated by Tasha. After much searching, I purchased a used 1966 edition of Take Joy - the Tasha Tudor Christmas book. It's filled with Tasha's charming art, holiday thoughts, Christmas stories and poems, and carols.

Another favorite is Forever Christmas - a book about Tasha's personal holiday traditions, recipes and crafts. As with all books about Tasha's life, it's beautifully photographed and definitely makes you yearn for simpler times.

How about some Christmas tree gingerbread? It's obviously furry baby-approved!

When I was a little girl, I fell in love with all the animated holiday specials that appeared on television - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Year without a Santa Claus - the list goes on. A few years ago I received this really cool book about the creators of these magical treasures - Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass. The two produced 35 animated holiday specials, 16 animated TV series, and 6 animated feature films. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is the longest-running special in the history of television. How awesome is that?

Please excuse the orange-hue of this lovely Christmas with Victoria book - which I received from my dear friend Clarice in a giveaway that I won a few years ago. Talk about inspiration!

This beautiful book, from the creators of Victoria Magazine, is filled with wonderful decorating and craft ideas. It's also filled with recipes and instructions on simple yet elegant handmade gifts to create.

Faerie tales and fables are always enchanting - especially those with a winter theme to them. This picture book was illustrated by the delightful Mary Engelbreit! The Snow Queen is one of Engelbreit's favorites - and her artwork really enchants and draws you into the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale.

Alright, you all know what Tolkien is most famous for. But did you also know that he conjured up magical tales in the form of whimsically illustrated holiday letters for his children each year? Every December, letters for Tolkien's children would arrive bearing a stamp from the North Pole from Father Christmas himself! This book is a compilation of all these adorable letters and drawings. It is quite an intimate peek into Tolkien's mind - and each envelope, illustration, and letter is such an amazing gift.

Our Christmas room has little mini holiday books strewn about - here are two of my favorites. One is A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas and the other is the total opposite - The Twelve Terrors of Christmas by John Updike and illustrated by Edward Gorey. I love mixing the unconventional and the traditional!

Hope you've enjoyed this exploration of some of my favorite holiday books. Please feel free to share some of your favorites.

Til next time,

Theresa

Busy Elves

2011-12-10T18:34:00.000-05:00

Dewdrop Faerie Bracelet

Greetings everyone!

No - I haven't disappeared to the North Pole. Just been busy working on creating some holiday gifts for family with the hubby. I cannot show any photos of these goodies until after the holidays, but we are really having so much fun creating them.

In the meantime, I have a few new pieces of jewelry to share with you. The first one is our Dewdrop Faerie Bracelet, which is shown in the above photo. I am really in love with this bracelet. It was quite hard to capture the luminescent quality of these beads with my camera - trust me when I tell you that they are just so lovely in person. My hubby did the wire work and wrapping. He also named the bracelet, too!

La Petite Roses Bobby Pin Set

I also created some new bobby pins for the shop, since the first set sold very quickly. These pink and red paper roses are so lovely and feminine. I also chose a delicate yellow rose to complete the set. I think they will really make for a bright cheery hair accessory during the dreary winter months.

I'm also offering free shipping for all my wonderful blog friends! Simply use the coupon code GRATITUDE15 to save 15 percent off your entire purchase (before shipping) from my shop. It might be too late for friends in Europe or Canada to receive goodies in time for the holidays, but there is plenty of time for those who live in the United States. Orders within the US will ship through December 16th. Oh - and my very NEXT sale will receive a FREE art bookmark AND a special gift.

I hope to post again by the end of the week. I'll be sharing some favorite holiday books with you. Til then, I will be hard at work on those holiday gifts and visiting your blogs. Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

Til next time,

Theresa

Holiday Film Fest

2011-12-02T20:48:00.000-05:00

All images in this post sourced from the Internet

Greetings everyone and Happy December!

We are now in the midst of a magical season filled with possibilities and wonder. I actually got a little giddy today while cleaning the house in preparation for putting up all our holiday decor. And I get excited each time the mail carrier delivers another holiday greeting to my door...hooray! I am definitely in the mood for some holiday cheer. And what better way to do that than to share some of my favorite holiday films (please note that they are not in any particular order).

First up, obviously, is The Nightmare Before Christmas. It is our tradition to watch this film each Christmas season. This film is my favorite of all time. I could watch it every day, but instead I do choose to show restraint and watch it only a year. It makes it more special that way. Of course, I have quite the Nightmarish obsession and try to acquire a new piece of memorabilia each year for my rather large collection. My new want...Nightmare Before Christmas Operation!!!

I simply adore Elf. Of course, I am also a big fan of Zooey Deschanel and will watch her in just about anything. Plus, she sings! This film is just so sweet. And it carries a great message, too. Besides - Ed Asner as Santa? Totally awesome! Remember, the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Pass the maple syrup, Buddy the Elf!

Love, Actually takes place during Christmas and it's a rather non-traditional type of film. All the different vignettes in the film and how they all weave together was wonderfully done. Here you see Bill Nighy - who, in my humble opinion, really stole the show. His aging rock star character is way over the top, but in an weirdly endearing kind of way. The one thing that binds everyone together in this film is love...and what could be better than that?

Edmund Gwenn is the epitome of Santa to me. I most enjoy watching this film on Thanksgiving Day. Little Natalie Wood was wise beyond her years and gave such a great performance as a little girl who was raised to be practical. Imagination is so important, especially to a child. And the power to believe in Santa - or the spirit of Santa - is something that young and old should always be allowed to experience.

For some reason, I always enjoy watching Little Women at Christmas - the version with Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon. The enduring love of the March sisters is so heartwarming that it truly makes it a holiday must-see for me. It was also one of my favorite books growing up.

Home Alone is a favorite in our household - especially with my hubby. Who doesn't love a wise-cracking 8 year old who can single-handedly take on two bumbling burglars? It is often the wish of most children to be "home alone," but when it comes right down to it - you always end up missing your family...especially at the holidays. I always get a tear in my eye at the end of this film.

Speaking of getting teary-eyed, I never fail to cry at the end of It's a Wonderful Life. Interestingly, I had never seen the film as a child and was introduced to it when I was in my twenties. And I fell in love with it. In turn, I was able to introduce the film to my hubby. I remember reading that the film was only moderately successful when it was released - but just look how it has endured. And the message to this film is so very important...that every person alive touches the lives of so many others whether he or she realizes it or not. As Clarence the Angel wrote to George Bailey "Dear Geroge, Remember NO man is a failure who has friends."

Bing. Rosemary. Danny. Just as I introduced my hubby to It's a Wonderful Life, he introduced me to White Christmas! What a beautiful film this is. I adore the music and the dancing and everything about it. Of course, there is a wonderful moral to this film, as well. And be ready to have a tissue handy at the ending. If you've seen the film before, you'll know exactly what I mean!

One of my favorite tales is A Christmas Carol. For years, I'd watch the musical version of the tale starring Albert Finney in the pivotal role of Ebenezer Scrooge. They did such a fabulous job of aging Mr. Finney, who was rather young at the time of filming. The effects are wonderful, and the songs are catchy and memorable. I'm rather excited for this weekend since the hubby and I will be attending a stage production of A Christmas Carol. It will be so much fun to see this classic brought to the stage!

And now for something completely different...Scrooged! I'm a major Bill Murray fan, and I just adore him in the role of a modern-day television executive who is, well, rather Scrooge-like. It's over the top and just plain fun. Plus, Carol Kane, Bobcat Goldthwaith, David Johansen (from the musical group New York Dolls) and Karen Allen star in it, as well. We actually got to meet Karen Allen a few months ago. She owns a textile shop in Massachusetts - and she is probably the most gracious "celebrity" you could ever meet. And she is just as luminescent in person as she is on screen.

And, finally, there is A Christmas Story. For the longest time, I never watched this film - although it on television constantly! Once I saw it, I was hooked. There is so much to love about this film! Ralphie is such a typical little boy - who dreams of owning a Red Ryder BB gun. Everyone warns him that he'll "shoot his eye out" - even Santa! Now please don't anyone try this stunt out at home - because your tongue really CAN stick to an icy cold pole...even if you receive a "triple dog dare!" My hubby even managed to get himself a "pink nightmare" (aka bunny costume) for Halloween - although he wasn't able to wear it this year. Get ready to see photos next year, folks!

And there you have it. I am SURE that I've missed a few beloved films. I'd love for you to share some of your favorites!!!

Til next time,

Theresa

Late November Musing

2011-11-29T00:01:00.010-05:00

"November comes

And November goes,

With the last red berries

And the first white snows.

With night coming early,

And dawn coming late,

And ice in the bucket

And frost by the gate.

The fires burn

And the kettles sing,

And earth sinks to rest

Until next spring."

~Elizabeth Coatsworth

The time has come to say goodbye to November, and with it goes fall. Winter is upon our doorstep, and the enchantment of the magical season awaits. I'm ready...

Til next time,
Theresa

Get Ready for Christmas Sale!

2011-11-25T00:01:00.009-05:00

Dear friends,

I wanted to offer a special coupon this weekend for you to use on any goody in my little etsy shop. The offer is valid November 25 through November 28. Please note that this coupon must be entered upon checkout for the discount to apply. Hope you find something you love!

Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Til next time,
Theresa

Warm Thanksgiving Wishes

2011-11-24T00:01:00.009-05:00

He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
~J.A. Shedd

Dear friends,

I want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a most Happy Thanksgiving holiday. My little family has been through much this year, but the most important thing is that we are together and happy. I have much to be grateful for...a lovely roof over my head, a part-time job with health insurance, plenty of food for our table, clothing to keep me warm, a loving husband, two beautiful pups, and the most amazing family and friends a girl could hope for. And I wish this for you, as well.

I recently came upon a blog post from my dear friend Zan which struck a chord with me. You can find it HERE. It actually brought a tear to my eye. Zan captured everything that I have been thinking as of late in this wonderfully written post which embodies - to me - the spirit of Thanksgiving. I highly urge you to stop by and give it a read...I think you will agree. If you have not met Zan, do stop by and introduce yourself. Zan is not only a talented artist, beekeeper, and farmer but she has an amazingly beautiful soul. I am grateful to know her and call her friend. And I know you will be, too.

Even if you don't normally celebrate Thanksgiving - or have honored it already in another country - why not take a moment on this day to reflect upon the many people in your life that you hold dear and things that you are grateful for.

I'll leave you with this favorite scene from a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving...

Til next time,
Theresa

New Treats

2011-11-21T16:37:00.001-05:00

Playful Fox Earrings

Greetings everyone,

I finally got a chance to list some new goodies in the shop, and I'm excited to share them with you. First up are our Playful Fox Earrings. I have never seen such cute charms! I love how these little pups seem to be running. We have them facing each other so they can create mischief together. We've adorned them simply with red faceted beads and small pearls. Super cute for young and old!

Sweet Silver Owl Earrings

My owl obsession continues! These are my favorite owlet charms, as I just adore the detail of them. We chose vibrant blue faceted beads, along with pearls, for a bright happy look!

Whimsical Dangle Snowflake Earrings

These snowflake earrings hang long (3 1/2 inches). We jazzed them up with the colors of snow...clear gems, bright white pearls, and some lovely silver spiral connectors. Perfect to wear to an upcoming holiday party!

Faded Flowers Bobby Pin Set (SOLD!)

Here is something entirely new for us! Some beautiful mini flower bobby pins - just right for faeries everywhere. I fell in love with these gorgeous paper flowers in natural earthy tones. We affixed them to some super sweet little bobby pins for magical hair accessories. Wear them singularly or all together...the choice is yours!

If any of these goodies are just calling out to you - or any other treat from my shop - feel free to use coupon code FREESHIP2011 to receive complimentary worldwide shipping.

I don't know about you but I could REALLY use a little extra holiday sparkle this year. I recently discovered this fun little initiative designed to bring you a bit of holiday cheer during a traditionally hectic time. For 10 days, beginning November 26, you will receive a total of 10 letters from Hannah of Hannah's Harvest filled with gratitude, love and magic! What could be cooler than that? There are many guest participants who will be sharing their own personal ways to sparkle and feel gratitude during the holiday season. And there's also fun new healthful recipes to try. You can even join a special Facebook Group to share the love. For more details on this delightful program, feel free to click the link you'll find on the top right sidebar. I hope you'll join me.

Well, that's all I have for now. I have SO much catching up to do with all of you!

Til next time,
Theresa

Thank You

2011-11-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

How beautiful a day can be

When kindness touches it!

~George Elliston

Dear friends,

I wanted to thank you all again for your kindness, friendship and support. Since the surprise snow storm occurred, we've been dealing with several issues that have taken us away from our normal routines. What is truly keeping me afloat is YOU. I am truly fortunate to have such wonderful friends and family.

Slowly but surely, I am catching up. I've actually had a bit of time to create some new fun pieces of seasonal jewelry, which I hope to share with you soon. And I have thoughts swirling in my head for new art! Please know that although I may not immediately have time to chat that you are all in my thoughts and I'll be over to visit with you soon.

Til next time,

Theresa

And We're Back!

2011-11-12T12:36:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone!

It feels like forever since I've been here! Since my last post, I am pleased to report that we have our electricity back (including heat). And we just got our cable/internet/phone back two days ago. There is just so much catching up to do!

I would like to thank all of you for the kind and comforting comments you left for me on my last post. They truly meant a lot to me. I tried to respond to each and every person, but there were a few that did not have a email attached so I was unable to. You ALL made my heart sing! It was fun playing a pioneer girl for a few days; but as they stretched on and on, it became a bit more difficult. Plus, I got a whopper of a head cold which I am still nursing. I've been without my voice for four days now. It is VERY hard to be quiet!

My first order of business here is to announce the two lucky winners from my Halloween blog party giveaways. The winner of my Halloween witch hat decoration is Marie Segal! And the winner of my Halloween Tea Party giveaway is Alia from Buccaneers and Ball Gowns! Let's have a hearty round of applause for Marie and Alia - and do be sure to visit their amazing blogs, if you get a chance, to say hello.

Are any of you familiar with Goddess Leonie? She has provided me with much inspiration as of late, most especially during the past few weeks. I adore her new book, 73 Lessons Every Goddess Should Know, which I purchased through amazon.com. While I sat in my living room, wrapped tightly in a coat and scarf and fleece blanket to keep warm, I would read through the pages of this book - guided by a small pocket book light - and it made me feel so much better. If you've never happened upon Leonie's website, I encourage you to take a peek. There's lot of free goodness there to inspire you, along with some interesting e-courses to sign up for.

During the course of the past month, I was most fortunate to win a few giveaways myself from some amazingly talented artisans and friends. My friend Stacy of Magic Love Crow created this STUNNING original painting, and I was most fortunate to have won it. And the cool thing was that I actually got to name the piece. I called it "Earth's Reverie," because it resembles a daydream to me. I absolutely treasure this painting, and I adore that there are details on all four sides of the painting. Thank you so very much, Stacy - this is truly art to cherish! Be sure to stop by Stacy's shop to see all her amazing crow creations.

Isn't this simply gorgeous packaging? Way back when I participated in the Practical Magic blog party, I visited Carol Ochs, who is a wonderful fantasy artist as well as soap maker. I was fortunate enough to have won her lovely giveaway, which included a beautiful print as well as soap samples and a sachet of magical herbs.

The print is really quite fitting, since Practical Magic focuses on two sisters. I was so excited to receive a bookmark, as well, seeing as though I love reading! You can find more of Carol's soaps here and her artwork here.

Recently, I've had the pleasure to meet Dana of On The Broomstick! Let me tell you...Dana is one busy lady! Her blog is absolutely fantastic! You can always find great recipes, artisan reviews, giveaways, book reviews and interviews and so much more! Dana also writes Zombie Girl Shambling, Dana's YA Bookpile, and a few more. I think you'll find them all very fun and entertaining. I was thrilled to have won this adorable little Halloween cupcake kit from Dana...and I had fully intended to use it before the power went out!

I also won this amazing three-CD package through Dana's blog from Artemis - a band which crafts ambient-style electro-pop music which is great to create to or just turn the lights down and relax to. You can learn more about Artemis and their music here.

My wonderful friend Cindy Adkins sent me this lovely journal and recipe set as a thank you for the interview I recently did here on my blog. It was such a thoughtful gift - and I'm sure I will fill both the journal and the cards with a bunch of holiday recipes!

Again, thank you all for sticking by me with such support and friendship. Knowing that I could come back and find you all here waiting for my return lifted my spirits when I was feeling blue. It's great to be back! I will be trying to concentrate on creating some new jewelry, and hopefully some art, for the shop. My creative muse is anxious to produce some lovely goodies in time for the holiday season.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and happy weekend!

Til next time,

Theresa

The Halloween That Wasn't...

2011-11-05T14:57:00.001-04:00

Or "Where I Have Been Since October 29!"

Dear friends,

We have had quite the adventure here at Faerie Moon. Seems like Mother Nature decided to give us a "trick" instead of a treat for Halloween (we received nearly a foot). On Saturday, October 29th we experienced a freaky October snow storm that blanketed our state in a world of white. This snow storm has left our state greatly incapacitated - with over 88 percent of its residents and businesses left without power. Ourselves included - today is day 7. I write this post from the warmth of my parents' home.

I actually had to drive in this rare autumn snow storm, and it was not fun at all. The snow came down fast and furious, making for most hazardous driving conditions. But I made it safely home from my destination, and my hubby and I sat inside the comfort of our home and watched the snow fall.

As the temperatures dropped, we gamely wrapped ourselves in our warmest coats and hats and tried valiantly to dust snow off our many trees and shrubs - which still had many lovely colored fall leaves clinging to their branches. Then, I settled in and was about to visit all my lovely friends participating in Frosted Petunias' Halloween Tea Party when the Internet went down (along with our cable and phone).

While inside, and when we were shoveling snow from the driveway, we heard the scary noises of tree branches cracking under the strain of the heavy, wet snow that continued to fall from the sky in a fury. The first to go was one of our beloved crab apple trees in the front yard - where many a bird loved to land and eat from the feeder that we maintained there.

Later that evening, at about 11 pm, we lost power. Never did the thought cross our minds then that we would still be without it after seven days. But we became rather inventive - mostly out of necessity. We built many a fire in our fireplace, which provided us with both warmth and comfort. We ventured into the next town over (which did not experience any power loss) and purchased a crank radio, so we could keep atop the latest state news, and a butane heater so that we could heat water and cook simple things like couscous and veggies.

Sunday came, and still no power. Monday - Halloween Day - came and still there was no power. There were so many downed power lines, tree limbs and pitch black streets that parents were encouraged to keep their little ones safe at home. Our plans to attend a party were thwarted, as well. Alas, although my Halloween came and went with no fanfare - I took solace in my decorations and the one wee pumpkin that grew in our yard! I was so happy to save this little guy before the snow came.

We waited patiently as service trucks from all across the country descended on our state to try and help with the recovery process. It was frightening to see so many huge trees downed by the storm - crippled by the weight of the snow. The one positive is that we shall have cured firewood for next season and many years to come.

It was quite disheartening to survey all the damage done to our beautiful trees - many of which were over 50 years old. We have tried to salvage those that we could - and we will purchase new trees to flourish and grow in the spots where others were not so fortunate.

Our furry babies were always safe and sound inside the house - although they were most curious as to all the ruckus and were probably wondering why things were slightly different in their home! Sometimes they would both venture atop the couch to peer outside and think "hmmm...wonder where those service trucks might be!"

In all my years, I've never witnessed such devastation to our state as this storm caused. I was saddened to learn of unnecessary deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning and fires from individuals just like us who were trying to keep warm in whatever way they could. We were so grateful that my sister and her husband lent us a small generator so we could keep the food in our fridge from perishing. I am now nursing a case of laryngitis, but otherwise we are all safe and well.

I will never forget the Halloween That Wasn't. And I am so sorry that I have been absent here to update all of you - but it was beyond my control. We were most grateful to be able to visit my parents today for hot showers, hot home-cooked food, a bit of computer time, and good company. You, my dear friends, are all terribly missed. I am sorry that I have not been able to visit and spend time with you...but please know that you are not forgotten - and I hope that I am not, as well. Although we hope (fingers crossed here) that as we approach day eight without power that we will "see the light" very soon, I will still be unavailable until cable/internet/phone service is restored to our area, as well. Please do not take offense if I am unable to respond to your emails and comments in a normal fashion...for I will do so as soon as I am reasonable able to.

As for my two recent blog party giveaways, I am terribly sorry for the delay. I won't be able to draw names at this time. So, if you haven't visited and wish to do so, there is still time to enter! I will include a few other lovely gifts to the winners to make up for the inconvenience.

As soon as I am back up and running, I shall come and spend time with you all. Til then, I bid you adieu and send you warmest wishes and hugs...

Theresa

Witches Tea Party (and Giveaway) Under a Halloween Moon!

2011-10-29T00:01:00.060-04:00

Welcome! I'm glad you've all arrived for this wonderful Witches Tea Party Under a Halloween Moon! This delightful party is hosted by Anna of Frosted Petunias! Please do be sure to visit with all the party revelers this All Hallows weekend! This list of participants can be found HERE.

Are you ready to begin? Be sure to wear your finest hat...

And your most beautiful shoes...

For a flight in the night, where the pumpkins grin and black cats sleep...

Past beautiful strange flowers that glow orange...

Where will you land? Right there in that field near the inviting warm house with buckets filled with fresh apple cider right outside the door and the scent of delicious treats inside!

Do take care to park your broom in the proper place!

It's a little dark out, but these friendly butterflies are happy to light the way for you...

Follow the trail of brightly colored leaves and crow's feathers to the door and come on inside!

Our friendly host Nathaniel is ready to lead you to the drawing room, where all your fellow witches are assembled...

It's warm inside, with a fire roaring in the fireplace - where there's beautiful fall leaves and strawberry corn hung from the mantle with much care!

It's time for tea...beautiful, fragrant delicious tea! Let's take some flowers and herbs and tea leaves and blend them well...

The finest of tea cups are laid out for the occasion! Time for tea - sugar or cream? Maybe both - or neither!

What would a proper tea be without some delicious snacks? May we tempt you with a cupcake or two? Chocolate or vanilla? More sprinkles? Yes, please!

Now that we've had our tea and cupcakes, let's carve pumpkins! We can roast the seeds afterwards for a delightful snack! Hmmm...what shall we carve? An owl? A cat? Maybe the moon? The possibilities are endless...

GIVEAWAY TIME: Thank you so much for joining me for my Witches Tea Party. I hope you had fun! As a thank you, one lucky visitor will receive the vintage tea cup and saucer used in this post - along with some "magical" treats for your own Halloween spells, in addition to a little witches broom necklace and my Halloween witch bookmark for your favorite spooky read (there will also be one extra little surprise)! This giveaway is open to all the Witches Tea Party members, visitors and my beautiful blog followers.

This giveaway will be open through Halloween night, October 31st. I will announce the winner of this giveaway AND the winner from my Fanciful Twist Halloween Party post on November 1st. If you haven't visited my party, click HERE. There is still time to enter the giveaway there, too!

How do you enter the Halloween Tea giveaway? Please share with me what your favorite tea is and why. I am most partial to chai tea - I just adore the intoxicating blend of warm, rich spices like cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. My hubby creates it for us on the stove - letting the tea and spices slowly steep, then adding light cream and a touch of honey. It is delicious!

From me to all of you, All Hallows weekend!

Til next time,

Theresa

Halloween Blog Party and Giveaway!

2011-10-22T00:01:00.008-04:00

Hello! Hello! I'm so happy you've arrived! Thank you for stopping by my Halloween Party. I'm so excited to take part in this annual holiday fete hosted by the lovely Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist! You can find the complete list of Halloween Party revelers HERE. I hope you'll be able to stop by and visit all the other talented bloggers who are ready to welcome you with open arms!

Halloween is filled with such fun! It's SO hard to wait til the day is done. To get dressed up and ready to go. Marching through crunching leaves, maybe rain, and (sometimes...ugh!) even snow!

What awaits in the black of night for you? Maybe it's something that goes "hoo! hoo! hoo!"

Oh the sights and sounds of Halloween night! Pumpkins, and laughter, and shrieks of delight!

Knock! Knock! There's goes the clock! Why must we wait any more? Please oh please, just open the door!

Slowly but surely the door opens with a creak...and there be a ghost and a black cat taking a peek!

The Halloween tots were startled for sure! With their mouths wide open, they were ready to soar. Far far away to see yet another day!

But there came a lovely witch who was goodly and kind. She said with a smile, "Oh please my dears, pay them no mind."

"Meet my crow - his name is Joe!" said the witch. "He does so love guests but beware of his jests!"

And so all made merry within the large house, when they happened to the drawing room where there sat a magician mouse!

"Shall we have a little fun?" The magician mouse said with a grin! "The night is calling...it's time for a spin!"

And with one magic sweep that lit all the rooms, his wand produced several magic brooms! And with candy in their bellies, they flew out of sight! Wishing Happy Halloween to all in the dark dark night!

GIVEAWAY TIME! As a thank you for stopping by my party, I will be giving away a fun treat to one lucky individual! I created this cute Halloween decoration by taking a paper mache hat purchased from a craft store and painting it black, interspersing it with glitter. I hot glued a lovely cream-colored ribbon to the base of the hat, along with three lovely glittery black roses. Finally, I glued on a black butterfly with cute silver glitter spider webbing. There will also be some SURPRISES for the winner, as what would Halloween be without a few extra unexpected treats!!! The giveaway is open to all Fanciful Twist Halloween party participants AND my blog followers. I shall keep the giveaway open through Friday, October 28th. How to enter? Simply leave me a comment here...I'd LOVE to learn what your favorite Halloween memory is! Good luck to all!

Happy early Halloween! Thanks again for stopping by! I hope a good time was had by all. Please remember to try and pay a visit to all the lovely Halloween blog party participants!!!

Til next time,
Theresa

On This Day...

2011-10-19T10:45:00.000-04:00

Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. ~Kahlil Gibran

Greetings friends,

On this day 14 years ago I married my best friend. It has been a long and interesting journey since we first pledged our vows to each other, with many twists and turns along the way. The road this year has been particularly hard, but I am so grateful that I had my beacon of light to guide us through the rough dark waters.

There have been many moments of pure joy, too. It is wonderful to be able to share your dreams with someone and find them welcomed and encouraged. So many times when I've doubted myself, I've had his love and patience to guide me. Sometimes all I need is a warm, tight hug, and I know that everything will always be alright.

It is amazing how many things we have in common....nature, adventure, photography, art, music, books, a love of whimsy. And he loves animals just as much as I do. As you can see, our furry babies love him to pieces. He is such a great furry baby father - except when he eggs them on to do mischief! Then it is mommy who must be the disciplinarian!

I love that when we go on nature walks together that he is just as inquisitive as I am. We both try to be finely attuned to our surroundings, often filling our pockets with nature's treasures to bring home as gifts to savor. I love that he sees the world as I do - as a beautiful place filled with simple wonders to be grateful for.

I like to think it was fate that brought us together. We met through the Internet. Yes, we did! To me this brings certainty to the fact that you can indeed form lasting close relationships - be it romantic or otherwise - online. In fact, the community chat board that brought us together was reorganized the very next day. It gives me chills to think that there was a chance that we might not ever have met!

Although we lived far from each other, we quickly developed a bond that could not be broken. He dropped everything so that he could be with me. We searched together to find him work where I lived; and when we did, he moved himself, his furry baby and all his belongings in a rental truck to come be with me in our new home together. And I'm so happy that he did.

Here's to another beautiful 14 years together with the man I love...And my wish for all of you: that you find strength and love and beauty in the little moments spent with your partners, children, grandchildren, furry babies, and friends each and every day.

Til next time,

Theresa

Special Guest Feature: Cindy Adkins!

2011-10-14T17:17:00.000-04:00

Greetings everyone,

It's been awhile since I've hosted a special guest here on my blog. So, I'm really delighted to be sharing this wonderful interview I did with the talented artist and blogger, Cindy Adkins. Many of you may already know Cindy; but for those who don't, here's a brief introduction. Cindy is an artist and newspaper writer living and working in New Orleans. Cindy has a gorgeous shop on etsy filled with romantic, shabby chic, vintage style home decor, accessories, jewelry and much more!

Shabby Chic Journal

Cindy is the author of not one or two but THREE active blogs. Cindy Adkins' Whimsical Musings is her art blog; Whimsical Musings Magazine often showcases the work of wonderfully talented artisans that Cindy has discovered. Cindy's newest blog, Shabby Chic Girls Club features the work of talented artisans who specialize in shabby chic designs. Although Cindy has all this currently on her plate, she also found the time to author two e-books! "Blogging: It's a Woman Thing" and "Blog From the Heart: A Woman's Guide to Blogging" are both available through Amazon.com for the low price of only 99 cents each! Both books are chock-full of great advice for newbie bloggers (or those who are thinking about it) and seasoned bloggers alike!

I recently interviewed Cindy to learn more about her personal blogging journey and what she hopes to share with others through her lovely books and blogs. Enjoy!

When and why did you first start blogging?

Cindy: I actually had an art website that started two years ago. I had created a six-month art project that was dedicated to the people in my area, which is just outside of New Orleans who had lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. My website began as a place for everyone in the community to view the art online that was made as a tribute to the community which is permanently displayed in various buildings throughout our Parish. Although my book shares with readers how my blog began about a year ago, I can tell you that the difference between a blog and website is drastic. More followers visit my blog than ever came to the website. When I started blogging, it was like a “light turned on!” I was having people visit, make comments, laugh and share things together. I always say that we have lots of social media outlets, but with a blog, someone is the STAR of their own show!

Can you tell us a bit about your blogs?

Cindy: I actually have three blogs.

http://cindyadkinswhimsicalmusings.blogspot.com: my main blog

http://whimsicalmusingsmagazine.blogspot.com: a blog with tutorials for bloggers

http://shabbychicgirlsclub.blogspot.com: this was created to have a sense of community amongst bloggers and feature many different people’s work.

Why did you decide to write these blogging books, and what do you hope people take away from them?

Cindy: I wrote my books to show women how fun blogging is. Clearly, it gives us a “voice,” and lets us show our art; our homes or our hobbies and enables us to share it with everyone we meet in the blog world.

Why do you think people shy away from blogging?

Cindy: I’m not sure why people shy away from blogging, but it could be because they are not sure how to design them. As a graphics designer, I actually design blog buttons and headers because even if people like the ones they have, often they want to change them or have blog buttons to use to announce giveaways so that other people will put them on their blogs to help send traffic their way.

What are some of the biggest mistakes people make when blogging?

Cindy: Maybe one of the biggest mistakes I see is that some people make posts that are so long and wordy that visitors do not know where to make a comment. The other mistake I see is that if people are not consistent with their blogging and come and go months at a time, it definitely affects traffic--or visitors.

What defines a successful blog?

Cindy: I think that there are many things that define a successful blog. But, this is all dependent on what someone is trying to accomplish. If a person wants many followers, then their blog’s success would be defined by the number of comments made and the amount of followers they have.

However, in actuality, the true success of a blog in my opinion is if someone is happy with their own blog. Some people are thrilled with blogs that they only share with family members. This is wonderful. Perhaps they have large families who live in various parts of the country. So, a blog is the perfect place to share recipes, art projects, and keep in touch with the people they love.

Each blog is different and only the owner can define what “success” is. I have a seminar transpiring on my blog. It is a seminar that someone can attend at ANY time, whenever they want. It is my gift to the blogging community.

Although my books are inspirational and heartfelt, the seminar is more about the “nuts and bolts” of blogging--how to get more followers, etc. But, there is so much more and it is a result of a great deal of research. All bloggers need to do is come over to http://cindyadkinswhimsicalmusings.blogspot.com, go up to the top of my blog where the Blogging 101: A Free Seminar is listed and start reading away! When they are done, they are welcome to take a beautiful Graduation Certificate blog button I made and post it on their blogs. Easy, peasy! Too give you an idea of the success of the seminar, I received over 300 emails the first day it was in session!

Shabby Chic Birds Nest Decor

What advice would you give to beginning bloggers on building a readership?

Cindy: I would say come over to my blog, scroll down the page and see the blog buttons that show which blog parties I attend. Click the buttons, take a look, and join. I only have blog parties listed that bring visitors. If no one visits as a result, I take them off of my list. Bloggers have to be sure to check their stats. I show how to do that on my blog in the seminar. Everyone can see WHERE their blog traffic is coming from. If a party does not bring comments, followers, or visitors, just move on to the next party.

Your FREE blogging 101 series seems to be going really well. What do you achieve through this series?

Cindy: Through this series, I was able to give some informative, concrete ideas on how to increase blog traffic, achieve higher rankings on Google, and help bloggers get more visibility by using key words for the titles of their individual blog posts. I give examples of everything and it is very detailed.

How can people purchase your blogging books?

Cindy: My books are only 99 cents a piece on Amazon and they can go there, put in my name or the titles and buy them to read on a Kindle. If someone does not have a Kindle, that is okay because Amazon allows them to download software for free to read them on--How cool is that? They can read them right from their home computers. If any woman feels that she might also own an online store, I think that the stories in them would be quite inspiring. I'm sure you would agree with me, Theresa, that blogging definitely provides us with a community--I think that is the best part of all and we can definitely help each other!

Carte Postale Necklace

I'd like to thank Cindy for taking the time to answer my questions and for allowing me to share her wonderful blog headers and artwork. I hope that you all enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Cindy and her work! Please feel free to check out her free blogging seminar and pay a visit to one of her lovely blogs.

Til next time,

Theresa

New Autumn Goodies

2011-10-10T12:24:00.000-04:00

Great Pumpkin Earrings

Greetings everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend. We were kept very busy - first visiting with friends and reminiscing about book store life on Saturday evening. Then enjoying a day of admiring fine artisan crafts at the Paradise City Arts Festival.

In the meantime, I did manage to get a few new goodies in the shop for you to see! I named the earrings you see in the above photo The Great Pumpkin! I found these lovely charms in a little bead shop nestled in an artsy community that we traveled through recently and thought they would be perfect for earrings. I envisioned Linus seated in the pumpkin patch each Halloween eve waiting patiently for the Great Pumpkin to arrive! I never tire of watching that holiday special. Can't wait to see it again this year!

White Pumpkin Earrings

Speaking of pumpkins, I absolutely ADORE white pumpkins. They're also known as "Cinderella" pumpkins, and we search high and low for them each year so that we can carve - what else - Jack Skellington! These pumpkins are not good for their pulp or their seeds - but they are just right for decorating! So, I used my imagine to conjure up these Victorian-style earrings. Here we have some beautiful white pumpkin beads curled up in a tangle of lovely filigreed leaf bead caps. Of course, the earrings needed a little splash of color, so we topped them off with an adorable glittery little green leaf bead.

Red Toadstool Faerie Earrings

I have always been fascinated by red toadstools. They don't grow around here, but I love them anyhow. And faeries love them, too. I found these super sweet little charms online and decided to keep these earrings really simple. Just the toadstools and a decorative headpin. They may only measure 1 1/2 inches in length but they are long on extreme cuteness!!!

Halloween Witch and Pumpkin Art Bookmark

You might remember this sweet witch from my Practical Magic party post. She now resides happily in my shop. So far, this benevolent witch has received a very welcome response. Truly, she prefers a more lighthearted autumn read - but she promises to be brave if you're reading a more scary story this holiday season!

Choose to Bee Happy Bookmark

Finally, I created a new bookmark from my Choose to Bee Happy original art piece. There is no text on the bookmark, but this adorable bee lass still exudes positivity and light. I was really happy with how well she translated to a small bookmark format.

If you are interested in bringing home any of these goodies, feel free to use this special code FREESHIP2011 at etsy checkout and enjoy complimentary worldwide shipping from me to you!

Thank you for allowing me to share some of my new work with you! I hope to be visiting and catching up with all your blogs quite soon. I appreciate your friendship and support more than you know.

Enjoy the week!

Til next time,

Theresa

Faire Time

2011-10-03T12:53:00.003-04:00

Greetings friends,

Happy October! I can't believe an entire week has gone by since I last posted. I hope the new month finds you happy and looking forward to a productive and enjoyable new season. I'd like to thank all of you who stopped by for my Practical Magic blog party post! Your comments truly made me smile, and I had so much fun visiting all of the other party posters. :) It's now time to announce the winner of my Practical Magic giveaway....(drum roll here)....Let's all congratulate Jingle!!! Hooray, Miss Jingle - I hope you LOVE your goodies!

The week flew right by, and it ended with me celebrating a birthday and attending our annual Renaissance Faire! Although it's technically a "Renaissance" faire, the theme is actually King Arthur - who can be seen here in the photo above with his lovely Queen Guinevere. Sadly, I did not dress up this year as the weather was (a) too warm for my heavy attire and (b) the ground was muddy after a soaking rain - which would have soiled my dress and ruined my Ren shoes. But a great time was had nonetheless! I'll share some of the highlights here.

We always enjoy the performers at the Faire, like this comedic troupe called Commedia Mania - for only $1 they acted out the movie/film/book/song of our choice. Thus, we were treated to an abbreviated yet rousing version of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog! Later, we went to see their original stage performance, which was quite entertaining.

We were delighted to find that the Faire hosted a falconry demonstration this year from Kitty Carroll - who has over 40 years experience working with birds of prey. I truly love barn owls - their faces are so sweet!

Not surprisingly, most of my photos were taken at the Birds of the Gauntlet demonstration. Here is an up-close photo of the Harris Hawk.

This beautiful Red-Tailed Hawk was relaxing with his friends before the show!

I managed to take a lovely close-up shot of this majestic Barred Owl. Many of the featured birds were rescues who were injured in the wild or abused. It was amazing to able to see them in simulated hunts.

Meet Captain Black Sparrow and his sidekick, Smitty the Pirate Wizard. These rogues proved to be extraordinary percussionists and also provided some sea-worthy renditions of popular songs by Adele, the Beatles and many more!

This little Renaissance princess enjoyed the drum beats, as well as a dance with the friendly Shire Dragon!

Although the realm is ruled by King Arthur, everything is truly overseen by Pope Urbino and Cardinal Claudio. The Pope and Cardinal are longtime fixtures on the Renaissance Faire circuit - and they have called Connecticut home for several years now. Things get mighty rowdy at the Pope's shows - and a bit bawdy, too. Let's just say that they WON'T be getting into heaven any time soon!

In addition to the festive atmosphere, one of my favorite things to do is attend the amazing "side show" entertainment that you don't see anywhere else. We always make it a point to see Zoltan the Adequate - who specializes in daring feats of magic and what some might deem to be torture. Zoltan (who is actually WAY more than adequate!) does slight of hand, fire-eating, and has been known to eat razors and pound nails into his nose. Here you see Zoltan laying on a bed of NAILS while a colleague breaks apart a concrete block with a sledge-hammer on his stomach.

I'm quite fascinated with fire-eating, judging from all the photos I took. Here we see The Wonder Fool and Jayna Lee simultaneously eating fire. Jayna is a phenomenal acrobat and aerialist. She also is a stilt-walker, juggler and contortionist.

She barely stands 5 feet tall, but she is STRONG. She balanced The Wonder Fool (who stands about 6 feet) on her stomach! Jayna was obviously a skilled gymnast in another life.

The Wonder Fool is no slouch himself. Here you see him juggling Jayna on his shoulders, as she juggles fire and as he juggles fire while balancing on a single roller board which is also lit with fire. He also carried Jayna as he walked barefoot over huge chunks of broken glass. The Wonder Fool is a master magician and comedian, too. He and Jayna are quickly becoming performers that we never want to miss.

So, after a day filled with kings and queens, knights and maidens, pirates and wenches, we wearily headed home with our head full of memories and anticipation for next year's fete!

Hope you enjoyed this brief journey through the Faire! If there is a faire in your community, I highly recommend a visit.

Til next time,

Theresa

Practical Magic Blog Party 2011 and Giveaway!

2011-09-24T00:01:00.233-04:00

Trouble is just like love, after all; it comes in unannounced and takes over before you've had a chance to reconsider, or even to think.

~Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

Greetings one and all!

I am so happy that you've joined me for the Second Annual Practical Magic Blog Party, hosted by the lovely Anna of Frosted Petunias. I hope you'll also visit the rest of the bloggers who are taking part in this magical event...you can find the list of revelers HERE.

There are some things, after all, that Sally Owens knows for certain: Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can.

~Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

All of us are gathering to celebrate one of our favorite films (and book) - Practical Magic! I am a huge fan of both. The movie and the book are quite different from each other - but each holds a distinct place in my heart. I am especially drawn to the basic premise of love and sisterhood. After all, we have joined together in the bonds of sisterhood to honor something we hold dear. And that is such a beautiful thing!

Author Alice Hoffman

I love that Alice Hoffman's work depicts everyday life liberally spiced with magical occurrences. She has written a total of 21 adult novels, 3 volumes of short stories, and 8 books for children and teens. Four of her books have been translated to film, and one was even an Oprah Book Club pick (Here on Earth).

Holding a tear back makes them drain upward, higher and higher, until one day your head just explodes and you're left with a stub of a neck and nothing more.

~Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

Although there are many differences between the book and the film, I feel in love with what I saw portrayed on screen. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman were the most wonderful choices to portray Sally and Gillian Owens. And the house...well, who HASN'T dreamed about living in that gorgeous house! I never tire of marveling at that stunning creation. It's as if someone peered inside my mind and crafted it exactly from my dreams.

Young Sally: Summoning up a true love spell, called Amas Veritas. He can flip pancakes in the air. He'll be marvelously kind. His favorite shape will be a star.

And he'll have one green eye and one blue.

~Practical Magic Screenplay

And what young girl hasn't concocted a special spell or wish for love. I know that I did...many times. Often, I'd use a flower to try and conjure up a knight in shining armor...one who would love me for who I am and who would encourage me in all that I do. Fortunately for me, that dream came true. Later than I thought, but it arrived just the same.

Do you ever just put your arms out and just spin and spin and spin? Well, that's what love is like; everything inside of you tells you to stop before you fall, but for some reason you just keep going.

~Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

The one consistent theme through both the film and the book is a bond of sisterhood. Although Sally and Gillian took different paths in life - and had remarkably different ideals - their love for one another stayed strong. Even through the rough times. And who hasn't at one time in their life pushed love away - for fear of hurt and betrayal? That scene toward the end of the film - where many of the women from town joined forces to help Sally and Gillian - really resonated with me. It does truly remind me that the bonds developed through bloghood can be just as strong - and everlasting.

GIVEAWAY TIME: In the spirit of sisterhood and love, I would like to gift one lucky visitor with my Halloween witch bookmark (doesn't she look a bit like Gillian?) AND my hand-knit wrist warmers (in luscious black yarn). There will ALSO be some additional surprises included in the package, which I hope the winner will love! This giveaway is open to all blog party visitors and Welcome to My World followers worldwide. Just simply leave a "Practical Magic" comment! I will leave the giveaway open for one week (through Saturday, October 1) to give as many people as possible a chance to enter. The winner will be chosen via random.org.

I'll leave you know with this beautiful duet from the film featuring Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow. Thank you again for stopping by and good luck to all in the giveaway!

Til next time,
Theresa

Something Wicked (Fun) This Way Comes

2011-09-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings everyone,

Fall is nearly here! Just a few more days, as a matter of fact! I'm so very excited - fall is my favorite time of year. Pumpkins, apples, brightly colored leaves, crisp cool nights - and who could forget Halloween? There are two absolutely fabulous parties celebrating the season that I wanted to share with you.

The first is hosted by the magical Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist! This is her 4th annual Halloween Party, and I know it will be most fabulous. The date is October 22nd, and you can find all the details HERE.

The second party I wanted to share with you is hosted by the magical Anna of Frosted Petunias. You are all cordially invited to attend A Witches' Tea Party Under a Halloween Moon! You can find all the grand details HERE. The event runs on All Hallows Weekend - October 29 and 30. That is two days of mystical magical fun!

As always with blog parties, Vanessa and Anna don't expect you to do something elaborate. Just keep it fun and simple. Share a craft! Share some art! Share a story! The best part for me is joining in the party fun - I always love meeting new and creative souls. And blog parties are such a fabulous way to do this!!!

Hope you'll join me with two weekends of Halloween fun!!!

Til next time,

Theresa

Pretty Things

2011-09-16T19:15:00.000-04:00

Greetings everyone!

This post is WAY overdue, but I hope you enjoy it. I wanted to take an opportunity to share some beautiful creations and gifts that have come my way over the past few months. I have often mentioned my love of the work by Liza Lambertini. When I saw "The Three Muses," (featured above), I knew it had to be mine! Liza specializes in fairy silhouette art, which you can see HERE. Liza also has fantastic fantasy paintings of faeries and mermaids and goddesses HERE.

Liza also surprised me with this gorgeous and sweet miniature faerie tea set. There was also a mini print of a gorgeous silhouette fairy with the package. Liza is amazingly talented with clay sculptures. Take a peek of her creations, including faerie doors, goddess pendants and dragons here HERE.

Liza included one last sweet surprise in my package - this adorable miniature acorn bird feeder! I am trying to find the perfect spot where the faeries and their friends will appreciate it! I hope that you'll pay Liza a visit on either her website or Flickr.

Isn't this the cutest, friendliest ghost you've ever seen? I purchased this adorable little Halloween pin from the talented Diane of Dianie Mac Designs. He fits nicely in the palm of my hand, and I just adore his infectious grin! It's hard to see from this viewpoint, but he has a little gold glitter on his body. Diane is offering an amazing deal on these little guys on her blog - just $7 for two AND free shipping! Her blog is a lot of fun, and she always showcases her whimsical Halloween-themed creations. Hope you can stop by and pay her a visit.

Aren't these ear wings just the coolest? I got them from the Artlandish shop on etsy. You can find so many whimsical ear wings there. I'm planning on wearing these to Renaissance Faire later this month. I love looking at them - they have a wonderful iridescent sheen and a thin coating of glitter.

I was fortunate to win this gigantic prize package from Susan of Pieces of Fate! She was so very kind to tailor this package specifically for me. In addition to a lovely gift bag, she showered me with trinkets for jewelry-making, lovely beaded knitting stitch markers and some stationery and memo paper embossed with the letter "T." Thank you again, Susan, for sending me such a thoughtful package of goodies!

And finally, I received this adorable handmade flower faerie from Shawn of Poetry in a Pot of Tea. I won this little lovely during the Mad Tea Party celebration earlier this summer. Isn't she just the sweetest? I have placed her upon a lovely fabric rose in my studio, where she happily sits and oversees the Faerie Realm. Hope you get a chance to pay Shawn a visit at her wonderful blog to say hello!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed these lovely goodies as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you.

Til next time,

Theresa

Leafy Inspiration

2011-09-12T10:46:00.001-04:00

Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars...and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents, and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are. Osho

Always Remember

2011-09-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers. ~Robert Ingersoll

Dear friends,

There are two days in my life which I remember with immense clarity. One was my wedding day - the happiest day of my life; the other was 9-11 - one of the saddest days that I have ever known.

On this fateful day 10 years ago, I can remember exactly what I was doing, who I was with, where I was, and how terrified I felt. I sat in front of the television and rewatched the horror unfold over and over again. Even now, so many years later, when I close my eyes I can see in my mind one of the most jarring images I've ever seen...a businessman, his tie serving as a feeble parachute, leaping from one of the Twin Towers to his death. In the days that followed, I meticulously clipped news articles and brought home magazines and read them cover to cover. It was as if I could not force myself away from the tragedy that continued to unfold. My heart broke over and over and over again with each story of lives lost. I asked my husband one simple question..."Why?"

Sometimes there are just things in this world that are completely beyond comprehension. You just have to have hope. To take comfort in the little things. Take inner flights of fantasy into a world free of war and violence and hate. Smile at strangers and share little bits of kindness. Try to make a difference - no matter how small it may be. It is always the little things that matter.

And always remember...

Til next time,
Theresa

Celebrating Tasha Tudor (a few days late)

2011-08-31T16:13:00.000-04:00

Happy LATE Tasha Tudor day! It's still August - and it was only three days ago - so I am fashionably late with this post celebrating all that is Tasha. I did actually have every intention of trying to post on Tasha's birthday, which was August 28th. I had my photos ready and was prepared to type when my Internet went out...and my cable...and my (land) phone.

This had me thinking about how much we all rely on modern technology. Where would we be without our cable television programming and cell phones and laptop computers? It is so hard to remember a time when we didn't have all of these conveniences. But it really was a way of life - something that we tend to forget.

Many of us on the east coast were affected by Hurricane Irene. Although some places were fortunate enough to have escaped her wrath, there were many which took a direct hit. And it forced many to lead their lives differently as they waited for electricity and internet service to return.

We were well prepared - with oil candles at the ready. We were prepared to open cans with a hand-operated can opener and cook our food on the grill. We were even ready to make coffee and tea on the grill, as well. And, of course, we'd read books by candle light and heat up hot water to bathe. It didn't come to all of this, but we were more than ready to live our lives in a simpler manner.

Tasha Tudor chose to live her life simply by choice. She was truly an inspiration. I have long admired not just her whimsical and heartwarming art but her true sense of being. She followed her heart and played by her own rules. She wore clothing that harkened to an earlier era - making much of what she wore. She earnestly harvested fruits and vegetables from her own beautiful gardens; she handcrafted lovely dolls and puppets; she knit and sewed; she dipped her own candles; essentially Tasha lived frugally, happily and well - all the while bringing joy and delight to both young and old with her art.

You can find out more about Tasha Tudor's life and work HERE. And if you are ever in the northeast, there is a brand new museum dedicated to Tasha in Brattleboro, Vermont. You can also learn more about Tasha Tudor on two lovely blogs! The wonderfully talented folk artist Heather, of Audrey Eclectic, has a weekly feature called Tasha Tuesday. And the amazing Clarice of Storybook Woods has also been highly influenced by Tasha and her life and work. If you are not familiar with Heather and Clarice, I do hope you'll pay their blogs a visit. It is easy to see how Tasha has influenced them both.

Hope you find a little Tasha in your life as well!

Til next time,
Theresa

Words of Beauty

2011-08-25T17:33:00.000-04:00

When you dance to your own rhythm,

Life taps its toes to your beat.

Terri Guillemets

Hope you are all "dancing" this week!

Til next time,

Theresa

Shop Update Bonanza!

2011-08-19T19:32:00.000-04:00

Close your Eyes

Hello everyone! I hope you've all had a really wonderful week. I've still been spinning in all different directions, but I am most positive that things will settle in within the next several weeks. I am so thankful that you are all sticking with me - and I want you to know that I'm really grateful for your friendship and support!

As promised, I was able to update my shop this afternoon with all types of goodies. The first item you may already recognize, as it was one of the grand prizes in my anniversary giveaway. I've shown the entire piece above and also a little close-up for you. This dreamy giclee art print features bold red, yellow and orange. To also further explore the "dream" concept, you will notice that her face and neck are actually part of the background. She was part of an art journal exploration for a class in 21 Secrets, and I was extremely pleased with how she came out.

Two Crows

You may also recognize the above piece, too, as it was also a prize during my anniversary giveaway. This is a photo I took in late winter/early spring during an afternoon walk. This particular photo is 5 x 7 and is a metallic print, which kind of gives the image a slightly spooky feel...just perfect for Halloween!

Acorn Earrings

Speaking of Autumn, I am most excited for the change in season. So I decided to offer up my first pair of acorn earrings for the season. I selected a rich chocolately brown bead for this pair. I think they came out so cute. I've ordered more supplies, so there will be a lot more acorns bounding into the shop this fall!

Mystic Moons

This is one of my favorite bracelet designs! I adore when my hubby gets the urge to work with copper - as magic really happens. This is our latest joint offering - a bracelet called Mystic Moons. I think the bracelet has a magical feel to it - with its rich earthy colors and symbolic spirals. They resembled little moons, at least to me. It's such a lovely piece to see in person!

Faerie Bridge Bracelet

This bracelet has to be one of the most unique designs we've made. It is truly a magical piece! And it looks to me like a little faerie bridge. There are seven hammered copper "steps" which are linked on both sides with adorable little beads with hints of gold and green. I can imagine wee little folk skipping along the "boards" to faerie land.

Autumn Breezes Bracelet

This delicate bracelet reminds me of swaying trees in a gentle autumn breeze. For some reason, when I think of autumn winds - I imagine color. And the color I "see" is pale green. I was really happy with the way this bracelet turned out. It truly has a gentle spirit to it.

Special Edition Ella Necklace

If you recall, I used one of my fine art mini prints for a limited edition wooden necklace during my anniversary giveaway. I created just one more for the shop - this time with Ella. She has proved to be my most popular image, and so it was natural that I would create this necklace in her honor. This wooden necklace features a lovely bevy of glass beads, and it will be personally signed by me on the back of the pendant. Please note that this lovely necklace is not waterproof!

Ella Earrings

And finally I created another pair of Ella earrings. They have proven to be very popular. This particular pair actually has complementary colored beads to the necklace featured above. Every pair of Ella earrings is entirely different. No two pairs will ever be alike. So, even though you may be wearing the same image, the bead work will always be unique.

There you have it! I am so thrilled to be able to share these creations with you. So much so that I am offering free shipping to you on any purchase from my shop. Simply use coupon code FREESHIP2011 at checkout. You must click on the link provided at etsy checkout to enter coupon code for the discount to apply.

I hope to be able to catch up with all of your blogs tomorrow evening. Til then, I wish all of you a most wonderful weekend doing what you love!

Til next time,

Theresa

Giveaway Winners and a "Magical" Party

2011-08-15T16:51:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

I'd like to thank everyone again for entering my anniversary giveaway. Your lovely comments truly touched my heart. I wish I could give everyone who was kind enough to comment a little gift, but please know that you have my heartfelt gratitude.

I was going to combine this post with some pretty goodies I wanted to share and also a shop update. However, the weather had other plans; and my photos must be put on hold for just another day or two! But I will be sure to post again just as soon as the sun decides to shine once more!

So, without further ado, I am most happy to announce the four wonderful winners of my giveaway:

The winner of my Waterfall Metallic Photo Print is: Karey of Kaerie Faerie

The winner of my Two Crows Metallic Photo Print is: Dogs Mom

The winner of my Capture the Whimsical Fine Art Print is: Susan of Pieces of Fate

And finally the winner of my Every Girl is a Princess Art Necklace is: Maggi of Just Add Glitter

I hope everyone will join me in sending a hearty congratulations to all the winners! Please be sure to visit their lovely blogs, as well.

I am most excited about the coming fall. It's my favorite time of the year! And with it comes one of the most amazing blog parties hosted by the beautiful Anna of Frosted Petunias. On September 24 the second annual Practical Magic Blog Party will take place! You can find all of the details HERE. I had so much fun participating last year. It was so much fun celebrating one of my favorite movies. I'm also a big fan of Alice Hoffman, who wrote the book the film is based upon. If you've never read her work, you are in for a treat. I hope that you'll be able to join me for this super fun event!

I promise to update you again this week. I shall be keeping my fingers crossed that Mother Nature cooperates - even for just a short while! I am really excited to show you some of our new designs!

Til next time,
Theresa

Checking In

2011-08-10T15:06:00.000-04:00

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." ~Hans Christian Anderson

Hello everyone! Hope you had a great weekend and that the week is treating you well. It's been crazy busy here - so busy that I've been forgetting the days of the week!

I hope to check back in with you by early next week to share the lovely winners of my Celebration giveaway! Guess what? There's still plenty of time to enter! Just click HERE for all the details.

There will also be a shop update soon...hurray! We've got new art and photography prints, as well as whimsical new jewelry designs...I'm very excited about it, and I hope you are, too.

Take care, and I'll chat with you all again very soon!
Theresa

Inspiration

2011-08-05T10:26:00.000-04:00

Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair...

~Susan Polis Shutz

Hope you all have a most lovely weekend!

Til next time,

Theresa

Celebration Time (Giveaway Fun)

2011-07-30T12:44:00.002-04:00

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.

~Henry Ward Beecher

Greetings everyone!

I want to thank each and every one of you for your amazingly supportive and beautiful comments from my last post. It's been a most difficult time for me, but I'm getting back on track. And I know it's because of the loving support from all my wonderful friends

There's another reason for celebration - AND it's the cause of my delayed post here. I wanted to wait and have everything ready. For this couldn't be just any old post. It's my 200th post!!! But wait - there's more! August marks the second anniversary of both my etsy shop and blog. I think this calls for something happy, right?

I've met THE most wonderful people through blogging - and I'm honored to call them friends. The blogging world really is a most magical place, wouldn't you agree? I am always amazed by the generosity and kindness and abundance of talent. And I'm thrilled to be a part of it all.

Although I haven't had that much time to create as of late, I'm truly humbled that my little etsy shop has been a success. I am always grateful to make a sale, and it warms my heart to think that my work resides happily in someone's home or neck/ears/wrist! :)

So to honor all of YOU for helping me get where I am today, I'm holding a giveaway! What might I be giving away. Well, it's everything you see here in this post. There will be four lucky winners...

One winner will receive the fine art giclee print called "Close Your Eyes - Capture the Whimsical." This is actually a project from one of my 21 Secrets class. It was created in my art journal, but we made it into an 8 x 10 inch print. It's very rich and bold in person - lots of deep orange and yellow.

One winner will receive the lovely Every Girl is a Princess necklace. This is a one-of-a-kind necklace featuring a bevy of beautiful beads and a 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch print of my princess art affixed to wood. The back of the print is painted, and I will sign the back of it. The necklace will hang down 12 1/4 inches from the nape of your neck. Please note that the pendant is NOT waterproof.

One winner will receive my Serenity waterfall photograph print. It has been printed on lovely metallic paper and measures 8 x 10 inches. The photo was taken at our local park, and it always makes me smile when I see this lovely waterfall. There is something so wonderfully soothing about waterfalls.

One winner will receive the little crow photograph print. It has also been printed on lovely metallic paper and measures 5 x 7 inches. The photo was taken at the same park that houses the waterfall. None of the leaves were the trees yet, and I was surprised to see these two crows just hanging out together - when one of them decided to swiftly descend to the earth.

So, there you have it. Oh wait - I forgot!!!! Each winner will also receive some surprise goodies in their package. I'm so excited - I feel like doing the Snoopy happy dance!

What do you have to do? Well, there are several ways you can enter...You can do one or more. The choice is yours!!! :)

1. Leave me a super happy comment

2. Follow my blog

3. Follow me on Facebook

4. Chat about the giveaway (with a link) on your Facebook page

5. Send out a tweet (with a link) about the giveaway

6. Share this giveaway on your own blog (with a link)

Please be sure to leave separate comments for each entry that you choose to participate in, as I want to be sure to count everything correctly. The deadline for entries will be Saturday, August 13th. I will ship internationally. Of course, please make sure I have a way to contact you should you win!

Good luck to all of you!!!!

Til next time,
Theresa

Bye Bye Borders

2011-07-21T15:30:00.001-04:00

Dear friends,

This will be kind of an unusual post today, but it is one that is very meaningful to me. As many of you book readers out there may have heard by now, the Borders book chain shall be no more. All of its stores are closing shop - with many of them holding massive liquidation sales before fading into the cold musty retail graveyard. Some of you might be wondering why I'm featuring this here, and the reason is simple. For the past twelve years I have been employed by the Waldenbooks/Borders company.

Simply stated - I. Love. Books. Twelve years ago I decided to leave the stressful corporate world for something more light and fun. Being the bookworm that I am, I figured taking a job in a bookstore would be a perfect fit for me. I was right - but it became so much more than just a job for me.

What started out as a part-time whimsy quickly turned into a full-time career for me. I loved nearly every minute of being an employee at Waldenbooks. Nearly everyone on staff became like a family member to me. And I had the best boss in the world - who I am most thankful became a good friend of mine. Not only would we work together, but we'd play together, too, outside of the store. I was able to actually use my training in public relations and events on many occasions. As you can see, Halloween at the mall was a fun time. Most of the staff would get dressed up - and I always made sure to work so I could hand out candy to the kids.

I adored putting together and hosting Harry Potter parties. As each book in the series was released - we'd see the number of party attendees grow and grow and grow. How FUN it was to turn our store into Hogwarts and entertain all the guests who came to celebrate and buy books. One of our managers is a talented cake decorator - and with each book party release, she'd create the most amazingly detailed cakes. I remember the last book release party - I think nearly 300 people arrived. And we had the best time. It was one of the finest parties I've helped assemble.

Of course, there were new parties to be had. Our Twilight parties were major hits. I never minded all the girls screaming whenever we mentioned Edward or Jacob. And we held fun party games for them - like a wolf howling contest or "Kiss Edward Cullen," where the guest would be blindfolded and use a lipstick to mark a spot on a photo where she thinks the hunky vampire's lips are. It never failed to delight me to see a new crop of readers spring forth when the latest literary series took fire.

Working at Waldenbooks was wonderful. Then we got the scary news back in 2006 that our store would be closing and become Borders Books. Borders owned Waldenbooks, and they were looking to expand into malls. We were all nervous then that our jobs would be lost. But the newly hired manager of this Borders store took every single employee along for the ride. We were thrilled that our happy family would still be together - and that it would be expanded to hopefully include new members.

We all had some transitioning to do, and it wasn't always easy. But we were still together and helped each other through it. I was in charge of merchandising, which was something I had handled at Waldenbooks. Oh how I enjoy handling all the incoming titles - just placing them on tables and arranging them made me so very happy. It was such a great way to discover new authors I might not have heard of before. Although the workload nearly tripled as part of Borders, and I complained sometimes at home - feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, I still loved "playing with my books." And I had so much fun setting up a weekly music night - where I featured local talent on the rise. It was something customers - and even employees - looked forward to each week. Sometimes the performances were hit or miss, but for the most part we hosted amazingly talented musicians like Kala Farnham (pictured above).

Many of our events centered around children - and we were fortunate to have had The Grinch, The Cat in the Hat, Maisie, Pigeon, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and many more fabulous book characters pay a visit to us. We also had the greatest children's expert on staff, who often worked her magic with all the wee ones who came to hear stories and do crafts. Our store hosted local celebrities from sports teams, television and the local literary world to help entertain many of our youngest readers.

But, as always, it was the holidays that were the most heartwarming. Santa visited us the last two years. And we continued our tradition of dressing up and handing out candy for safe trick or treating on Halloween. We held author signings featuring steampunk and werewolf novels for teens, local hauntings and myths, dessert and picnic cookbooks, children's picture books, steamy romance, even the memoirs of a celebrated Broadway animal trainer/rescuer. Life was good. But then it systematically began to crumble...

Two years ago, the company started cutting back. One of our most beloved staff members was let go. And I think that horrible occurrence was truly the beginning of the end. More cutbacks followed. It was also around that time that I stepped down from my full-time position to spend more time at home with my hubby and pups (as I was hardly ever home - putting in way too many hours with little time to relax as the "climate" of the company began to change) and reignite my creative spark through art. Shortly thereafter, Borders stores started closing. A few at first. And then more. Although the possibility of our store closing certainly crossed our minds, we never really thought of it as a certainty. Until now.

With the news that the entire chain would be dissolving, I am left with a hole in my heart. Our hopes that the company would be successfully sold as a "going concern" faded into oblivion. For twelve years I have delighted in chatting about books with customers and sharing my love for literature with them and anyone else who was interested. I have now found myself dwelling on many happy memories and even created a scrapbook of photos on my personal Facebook page to share with friends. Doing this was therapeutic. I wanted to remember the FUN. Now as my hubby would have you know, not every day was a picnic in the park. This IS retail, after all. There were customers who made me cry, there were customers who called me names, there were spats with coworkers, and patient dealings with the slightly odd seasonal workers each year. But looking back, I wouldn't trade this for the world.

My heart is heavy that very soon an important chapter of my life will be over. But life is all about changes. My memories, though, shall remain forever etched in my soul. And although tears are springing forth from my eyes, they are essentially happy tears - for each and every lifelong friend I made, for each and every child who laughed in glee, for each and every customer who "cared." All have made such a huge difference in my life. They will never be forgotten. How could they be?

We are wiping away tears and saying our goodbyes. Now is the time for hugs and comfort in knowing that for awhile we did something right and had something special. I'm looking forward to continuing relationships with all my friends and moving forth with Faerie Moon Creations. Life and financial situations require me to seek some form of supplemental employment. It's frightening to move forward, but I am ready and willing for a brand new start...

Til next time,

Theresa

Happy Happy

2011-07-14T15:38:00.001-04:00

Greetings everyone,

I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the love and kind words you sent me and my Willow. I am pleased to announce that Miss Willow is home with us. I know you can't tell how excited she is from this photo, but trust me she was happy to be back and in charge. Things were looking rather dire on Tuesday, and the vet thought that she might need surgery and a blood transfusion. My hubby and I were so concerned and we went to see her later in the evening. Then on Wednesday morning - a miracle! Just overnight Willow's blood count rose to where it should be and we were told we could bring her home. I think it was the visit from both mommy and daddy - along with all your amazing support - that helped speed her recovery.

I, too, am on the mend. It is still a mystery as to what hit me. But I am very grateful to be feeling better so I can "get back to business" and also tend to Willow. The weekend is also expected to be a lovely one, and I'm thrilled that I'll be able to enjoy it and relax.

Since we are on the topic of happy things, how about I share some fun things with you today? I did promise this, after all. Did you know that Suzi Blu has a cool new class? It's called La La La, and it's all about creating cute little paintings inspired by vintage storybooks. You can get all the details here. There are 17 videos total that you get to keep forever and ever, and you get some fabulous Suzi templates. Plus, I just adore the name of this class - too cute!

Have you ever visited Kind Over Matter? There is so much to love about Amanda's beautiful blog. It is so inspiring - I always take away something when I visit. I wanted to share her new e-book with you called Spin Your Story - it's filled with 200 writing prompts to stir your creative soul. She also has another amazing e-book called Regiving - The Gifts of Kindness and Laughter. I trust you will enjoy it.

I finally joined Pinterest. I am still feeling my way around the site, but it's really fun. To join, you have to request an invite via email - but it doesn't take that long to get approval. You can share all kinds of things there - your favorite blogs, places, recipes - the sky's the limit.

And now I'd like to announce the winner of my Mad Tea Party. I was really thrilled with the amazing response to the party. Thank you all so much for sharing in the "madness" and deciding to follow my little blog. After picking my hubby's brain to "choose a number," the lucky winner of my little "dorprize" is Giada! I'm so excited to be sending this little altered box (filled with some surprise goodies) and Alice bookmark all the way to Italy! Giada loves reading - and you can find book giveaways and author interviews on her blog. Be sure to pay her a visit! Sending out my thanks again to the lovely Vanessa for yet again hosting another amazing party!

In keeping with a happy theme, enjoy this wonderful how-to video from etsy on how to create a beautiful lantern from cocktail umbrellas! :) Enjoy.

Til next time,
Theresa

An Update

2011-07-11T14:53:00.001-04:00

Dearest friends,

So sorry I have been absent lately. It has not been the best of weekends. I fell ill on Saturday morning and am still not feeling better. But I am under a doctor's care now and hope to be good as new very soon. I'm trying my best to get some rest and take in a lot of fluids.

My dear sweet Willow (see above) gave us a terrible scare Saturday morning. We had to rush her for an emergency vet visit. I won't go into all the gory details - but it was truly upsetting. She even had a small seizure when she was taken directly into the examination room. Willow is still under the vet's care. We all miss her terribly and want her home soon. I visited with her today after my own trip to the doctor, and she was the same sweet Willow as always. She is alert, active, eating and happy as always to be the center of attention. I brought her a favorite toy, so she would have a small reminder of home. As always, she charms everyone she meets. In fact, she managed to get out of her crate last night so she could find the technician and snuggle up with her. Typical! My baby girl is over 9 years old but she still has a lot of life in her yet. Her daddy, Neo, and me have been a bit lost without her here at home. She is a furry baby who certainly makes her presence known. There is a chance that we may be able to bring her home tomorrow! We are hoping that she continues to improve so that this will indeed happen.

My mind has been consumed with thoughts of my sweet Willow and trying to nurse myself back to health. I miss you all and wanted to let you know why I've been silent lately.

I will do my best to catch up with all of you. And I hope to have a happy post to share with all of you soon.

Til next time,

Theresa

Magical Woods

2011-07-06T16:42:00.000-04:00

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir

There is magic in the woods. This I truly believe. My spirit sings when I am in nature. And it is there where my imagination soars. Can you picture being at the tip-top of the highest tree? Oh what delights you might find there. Perhaps there will be some birds to share a tune with...

There is always so much beauty to behold. It is quite humbling and leaves one with a deep sense of wonder and awe. I love discovering whimsical sweetly scented flowers and plants of all varieties...

Often I dream of being whisked away to faraway enchanted worlds...maybe Rivendell? How wonderful it might be to silently walk through those beautiful lands, with music softly playing from strange and magnificent instruments and the alluring choir of singing elves...

Where trees dance and greet you always with smiling happy faces. Why - hello there Mr. Tree! Hope you are well today! I love your crooked mischievous grin!

There are deer about...we've found their tracks! Oh how I wish they wouldn't hide, as we mean them no harm. Sometimes you can hear them - little crackles of dried leaves reveal their sanctuaries. We won't disturb them, as this is their home...

There are faerie homes galore! Some are big and some are tiny. I love their red roofs! I never bother the wee folks that live there...I only take photos of their lovely homes to remember them by...

Nature is kind and generous. You will always find amazing treasures - and sometimes you'll be able to take home a parting gift or two. Something to inspire you and bring you joy...

If you're having a bad day, or you're feeling lost, a nature walk will do amazing things for your heart and soul. Take a deep breath and remember how beautiful the world is...

Til next time,

Theresa

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T00:01:00.013-04:00

“Life without liberty is like a body without spirit" Kahlil Gibran

Til next time,

Theresa

Strawberry Fields

2011-06-30T11:44:00.000-04:00

Greetings everyone!

I took a little break after all the delightful Mad Tea Festivities of last week! Thanks to all of you who paid me a visit - your kind words about my post made me so happy! If you haven't had a chance to read the the post and enter the giveaway, you may find it HERE . The party was so much fun - if you are an Alice in Wonderland fan, I hope you get a chance to participate next year.

The hubby and I got a chance to go strawberry picking last Sunday! It was blisteringly hot, and sweat poured into my eyes, but it was well worth it. We discovered a new farm to visit not too far from our home. It was the last day to pick the delicious ripe berries, and there were plants as far as the eye can see. Believe it or not, that is a building in the background of this photograph. It looks to be completely covered in ivy - click on the photo for a closer view.

There is truly nothing better than freshly picked fruit The berries in the store pale by comparison. These strawberries may be small but they are oh so yummy! We filled four cartons to the tippy tops. While we were in the berry fields, an elderly gentleman came over to speak with us. I wish now that I had taken his photo. He was a kindly fellow and with a mischievous grin. John is 86 years young. Young, I say, because he has the spirit of someone 50 years younger. He was ruggedly handsome and in wonderful shape, with a light tan and a mass of white-gray tousled hair peaking from underneath his sun hat. I had thought that perhaps he worked at the farm, but he was just a visitor - like us. He attributed his vigor to a lifetime of healthy living and activity. He was quite the character, too, and had us laughing with his jokes. He's been married for 51 years (with his wife threatening to divorce him for 50 of them!). John even helped us pick a berry or two before making his way through the berries to chat with a young couple and their children. He was really inspiring to me, and I hope that we see him again at the farm in the future

It wasn't just the humans who were enjoying the berry patch. We were surrounded by butterflies, dragonflies and honeybees! There was a lot of milk weed interspersed through the strawberries, which attracted many a winged beauty. They were so enamored of the succulent buds, they barely noticed me sneaking up on them with my camera.

Bees are so much fun to watch. It might be hard to tell, but this bumblebee was one of the largest I've ever seen. He had a difficult decision in deciding which blossom he most wanted to pollinate!

I just had to take a photograph of this most unusual beetle! I love the beautiful shade of red and black spots on his body. I researched him and discovered that it is actually a Red Milkweed Beetle. If you notice, you can see some of the "milk" dripping off one of the leaves. Looks like this little fellow is going to enjoy a nice cool drink!

Mmmmm....some of our many treasures. That evening we enjoyed fresh strawberry shortcake, and I'm planning on making a strawberry shortcake trifle dessert for July 4th. I also use the berries to make refrigerator jam. Even if you don't have fresh berries, supermarket berries will do the trick. Here's the recipe!

Fresh Strawberry Jam (courtesy of Cooking Light)

4 cups halved strawberries

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Combine strawberries and sugar in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium high heat stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer 1 hour or until thick, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice Cool to room temperature.
Yield: 2 cups. Can be stored in plastic or glass container in refrigerator for up to a month. Enjoy!

Hope everyone has a lovely and happy weekend (and a Happy 4th of July to all my wonderful friends in the states)!

Til next time,

Theresa

It's A Mad Tea Party! (and Giveaway, too)

2011-06-25T00:00:00.011-04:00

Greetings one - greetings all! I'm happy you have arrived for the grandest party in all the land. Why - what is that you ask? It's the Mad Tea Party - hosted by lovely Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist! Please be sure to visit all the revelers - because we are all mad (but only in the best sense!).

Tick tock goes the clock! Never fear - you are not late! No one is EVER late here. We welcome early birds, on-timers, late-comers and weary travelers.

Wow! Try to beat the stampede! All the woodland creatures are on their way! Watch out for this fellow - he hates being late for anything!!! Wait a minute...I thought he was white. Oh well...

Alice is thrilled to welcome you here. As you can see, she has her tea pot at hand...

Mmm...what kind would you care for? We have many to choose from. How about some flowery apricot tea? Oooh...can you smell it?

I think we should let it steep first, don't you? Here - let's set this lovely rose atop the tea pot for extra special infused goodness.

Hurray! It's finally tea time. I know everyone is anxious for a sip. In it goes into the cup...sugar is a must, please!

Perhaps a little cream for your tea? Yes, thank you! Oh, I see there is jar of deliciously tart lemon curd...wonder what that might be for?

The cream tea scones, of course! Hot and fresh from the oven - they melt in your mouth. And delicious fresh berries! Oh how yummy they are. How can we EVER stop at only one piece?

Knock knock! Ah...I see The Mad Hatter has arrived. That cheeky fellow! How kind of him to leave his hat near the door. His hair is so untamed...it's no wonder his hat is sooooo big!

Shall we take the party into the garden? There is a key to the gate - let's take our cups and plates and head out there, shall we?

Oh, I am so terrible with keys!!! Mr. Mad Hatter, would you be so kind? Thank you ever so mind, kind sir!

Oh how the sun beams down so brightly upon the gardens. Everything is so green and lush. Look at all the toadstools! There must be fairies living among them. Maybe if we're quiet enough, and they know we mean them no harm, they'll come and visit with us!

The flowers smell so delightful - let's walk around, shall we? Oh - I think I saw a petal wink at me. Seriously, I did! There - it happened again. Did you see this time?

Oh dear! Are those raindrops? Look - the White Rabbit is beckoning us to come back inside. Why did we not think of umbrellas? Ah, let's just giggle about it and head on inside. We can drink our tea, and sing and dance and play all night!

Look - the toadstools are waving goodbye to us. I'm sure the fairies have something to do with this. What a perfect ending to our Mad Tea Party!

Thank you ever so much for visiting. I hope you had fun. I know I did. Please be sure to visit all the party goers HERE. And what would a party be without a little parting gift? Just let me know you stopped by, and your name will be entered. To make sure that everyone has time to arrive for tea, a name should be selected two weeks from today. One lovely visitor will be gifted with this little handcrafted trinket box and bookmark (for your favorite book, of course) featuring my artwork. BUT - there will also be an extra special surprise inside the trinket box. Of which, I will not say. But I am hopeful you will like it. The giveaway is open to visitors worldwide.

Til next time,

Theresa

PS Did you know that June 24 was Fairy Day? I invite you to read my interview with the lovely and magical Twig the Fairy HERE.

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY.

Happy Fairy Day!

2011-06-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

all photographs used by permission from Twig the Fairy

Greetings everyone and happy Fairy Day! How truly wonderful it is that this magical day falls during the month of June - where everything is abloom and ripe with enchanting beauty. Fairy Day is all about taking a little time to find magic in the little things...searching for fairy doors in trees, dancing in your back yard, seeking fireflies, or just sitting back and reading your favorite fairy tale.

‎"You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses." Twig on Facebook

And, of course, what better way to celebrate Fairy Day than meeting a real life fairy?

all photographs used by permission from Twig the Fairy

Some of you may already be familiar with Twig Oaklyn Flewinia Thistlebottom, better known to all as Twig the Fairy. This bubbly fairy with the curly red hair has appeared on the covers of both Faerie Magazine and Renaissance Magazine. She makes frequent appearances at a number of Renaissance Faires across the country bringing joy and merriment to both young and old. You can also find Twig on twitter, where she loves sharing bits of fairy wisdom and on Facebook where you can "moodify" yourself as Twig and get your own magical fairy name! Why, there's even a Facebook campaign to help Twig appear on the Ellen show!

"A waterfall is like a giant tea party with a billion cups of tasty, steaming, hot tea being poured to the sound of a resounding applause!" Twig on twitter

all photographs used by permission from Twig the Fairy

Since Twig is somewhat shy by nature and not too familiar with the English language (she silently communicates with all she meets with a mischievous smile and serenades them with sweet tunes on her magical fairy flute or gifts them with fairy coins), I recently had the opportunity to ask Twig's human counterpart, Kathy, some questions.

Can you tell us a little about Twig personally and how she came to be?

"Twig is a product of childhood imaginings. She debuted at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in 2003 and started traveling across the country to other Renaissance Festivals in 2005. Twig’s personality has slowly evolved over the years but has always delighted in entertaining young and old alike. She is sweet, playful, and bashful yet gregarious. She is navigating the human world with a child’s perspective."

all photographs used by permission from Twig the Fairy

"Sometimes you just need to spread your wings and soar into that great unknown!" Twig on twitter

Why do you believe faeries are so popular?

"The magic of fairies is timeless. They can be a gateway to a soaring imagination. I love how dichotic they are by nature. They live in a world that’s in between; there’s no black or white. It’s a place where contradiction thrives. When you believe in fairies, anything is possible. There’s a lot of hope in that way of thinking."

all photographs used by permission from Twig the Fairy

"Take a smile and put it under your pillow so you're sure to wake up with one in the morning" Twig on twitter

Twig is always attired in the loveliest gossamer wings and sumptuous crowns bedecked with curling vines and vibrant flowers. These fanciful costumes are all personally designed by Kathy, who has an "amazing pixie" stitch them up especially for Twig. Most recently, a gorgeously photographed children's storybook titled "Twig the Fairy and the Curious Land of Real" was released and became an instant hit!

Can you tell us a little more about how the book project came about?

"I have always wanted to write a children’s book, and I thought one of the best places to start was with children leaving things out for fairies. It’s something I did as a child and hear countless stories of other children doing the same. It is a story that encompasses a mutual fascination between the worlds of fairies and humans."

all photographs used by permission from Twig the Fairy

You cannot help but smile yourself when seeing Twig's beaming face in person, in print or online. She symbolizes a world of possibilities where dreams come true and magic IS real.

What has been your most magical moment as Twig the Fairy?

"Every time I see a child brimming with wonder and amazement, and know that they think anything is possible, I tuck that moment away in my heart; a moment of true magic."

Twig touches the hearts of young and old alike. What is it about Twig that you feel people can so easily relate to?

"Joy and excitement: every time I meet someone it’s like meeting a long lost friend or someone I’ve known I was always destined to meet. For adults it reminds them of the wonder of their childhood. For children it’s their imagination coming to life."

"There is beauty in imperfection. Because it is authentic and real. Embrace your bad hair day! Celebrate your typ7os! Rejoice when you get lost! And most of all, learn to love those around you who make mistakes so they can return the favor when you make yours." Twig on Facebook

all photographs used by permission from Twig the Fairy

Where are some of the places we can find Twig?

"Twig is performing at the Colorado Renaissance Festival until the end of July. After that she will be appearing at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. The schedule is available on my website for people to see where my next flight path will take me."

Be sure to visit Twig in person, if you can, and share in her fairy magic. If that's not possible, be sure to follow her adventures on Facebook and join her on twitter for glitterific fun and surprises. You can even say hello and share your Twig love HERE. Twig will soon have her own fan club and work has already begun on a second children's storybook and wall calendar for 2012.

I'd like to express my deepest gratitude to Kathy and Twig for granting me such a delightful interview and for bringing me oodles of sparkling joy when it's needed the most!

"It's not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes happiness." Twig on twitter

Happy Fairy Day everyone!

Til next time,

Theresa

Garden Walk

2011-06-19T19:39:00.000-04:00

My garden is my favorite teacher. ~Betsy Cañas Garmon

Greetings everyone,

I thought you might like to take a stroll through our flower gardens. The week was so busy, and we didn't get a chance to go for a walk. So, I grabbed the trusty camera and strolled our yard - searching for lovely summer blossoms to share.

I'm loving our purple foxglove. The spots on them are so striking. Sadly, we forgot the name of the lovely yellow flower in the first photo.

Our Japanese dogwood has the loveliest white blooms. We can depend on it every year to fill the yard with its delicate beauty. It was small when we first brought it home - but it's really grown huge within the last few years and has become one of my favorites.

I have a thing for pink and purple flowers. Our speedwell is so bountiful and pretty! I love the variagated color of these beauties - which remind me just a wee bit of carnations.

We love letting our lavender grow wild near our backdoor. When there is a breeze, and our doors are open, the scent gently wafts in and fills our living room. Ahhhh....

I recently found this gorgeous bumble bee garden stepping stone from My Garden Goddess. It looks so pretty nestled near the marigolds. The detail is just so gorgeous.

We discovered this adorable little toadstool nestled in the front garden. I've not seen this type before - so it was definitely a welcome surprise!

Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever. ~Author Unknown

This post is dedicated today to my dad, who is an avid gardener. I'm fortunate that I got to spend time with him today. Here's wishing him, my hubby (who is a furry baby dad) and all other daddies a most Happy Father's Day.

Til next time,

Theresa

Things I'm Loving...

2011-06-14T15:49:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone!

It's been chilly and dreary and not too much fun to play outside. So, in between work on my art classes, I thought I'd share some things I love and am obsessing over right now...

Like the film Amelie. This French subtitled film is one of my favorites. Every time I see a garden gnome, I think of "Amelie." For those of you who haven't seen it, I won't explain why! This film never ceases to bring a smile to my face. It has such a childlike innocence to it. If you've never seen this modern tale fairy tale film, I highly recommend it. And it also has such an enchanting soundtrack...

I've been obsessing over world music lately. It's wonderful to work to while I'm in the studio or replying to emails. My favorite series is Putumayo World Music, which has been introducing audiences to world music since 1993. There are so many different CDs available to suit your taste - world reggae, acoustic music from Arabia, traditional music from Spain, American folk - you name it! Sadly, the music is not available digitally, so I have searched ebay and traded with friends to try and bulk up my collection. There is also a division of the company called Putumayo Kids which produces world music that children (and adults!) will enjoy. Another great thing is that the label has contributed over $1 million to charities worldwide. Can't beat that!

I was so excited to discover the book "The Wilder Life" by Wendy McClure. "Little House in the Big Woods" fast became my favorite book when my third grade teacher read it aloud to the class. I promptly had my mom buy it for me, and I'd read it over and over again. I love Garth Williams' beautiful illustrations, and I always dreamed about living in a little house in the woods. Author Wendy McClure was obsessed with the book, too, and her book chronicles her quest to visit all the landmarks referenced in "Little House." I can't wait to dig in!

More book love..."Unfurling" by Misty Mawn is such a gorgeous art book! I was so excited to grab this book, and there are so many projects within that I'd like to try!

I was most excited about the section on paper pottery! This is something me and the hubby can do together - and it looks like so much fun. He already has a bunch of pottery tools from his previous classes, so we're all set with that. But truly the book is much more than just that. You'll find instructions on paper doll making, origami, stamp carving, and sculpture.

Another amazing book I discovered is The Artist Unique from Carmen Torbus. This is another beautiful mixed media art book featuring 17 different artists sharing their favorite techniques.

Each page is just as gorgeous as the next, and there is so much inspiration to be found! All the techniques and projects included are aimed at helping artists discover their own unique self and voice.

Speaking of voices, I've been loving the new music series, The Voice, on Tuesday nights. I cannot believe all the amazing talented musicians that I've discovered already! Lots of independent musicians struggling to find that next big break. Or, alternately, wonderfully gifted artists who got a brush with fame - only to see their dreams shattered when released by their labels. One of my favorites, Dia Frampton, is featured above. Her singing voice is so sweet yet deceptively powerful. She did an amazing cover of Kanye West's "Heartless" last week. Dia has a band with her sister, Meg, called Meg & Dia. They have some fabulous music out. After being released from their label, Dia and her sister independently released their band's newest CD, "Cocoon." You can find all of Dia's music on Itunes.

I was thrilled to discover this talented musician hails from Connecticut (hurray!). Javier Colon appeared on the first episode of The Voice, and his smooth, gorgeous voice immediately hooked me in. He performed the beautiful version of "Time After Time." Like Dia, Javier was released from a previous recording contract. The Voice is another chance for him to share his music with many. He is so unassuming and always wears his baseball cap slightly askew - as seen in the video above. You can find Javier's music on Itunes, as well.

If you've never seen The Voice, it airs tonight. Right now, you can vote for your favorites by phoning in, voting online or purchasing their televised songs on Itunes. It's definitely a fun show!

Hope you enjoyed this little journey into some of my happy things...

Til next time,
Theresa

Cool Copper

2011-06-10T19:55:00.000-04:00

Blue Moon Earrings

Greetings everyone,

Hope you've all had a wonderful week. Since I last wrote, our weather took a blisteringly hot turn. The AC was cranked and many cool refreshments were enjoyed. Yesterday, we experienced a terrible storm that turned the sky as black as night - at only 5 pm! Thankfully, I had my pups to cuddle with (and kept the cell phone and flashlight nearby, just in case).

The temperature was much more pleasant today, so that I was able to take photos of some of our new earring designs - which are currently in the shop. Many of our copper pieces sold recently, so it was time for me and the hubby to get together and create some new designs. The first, in the photo above, is called Blue Moon and features lovely turquoise beads adorned simply with ornate copper spacer beads. The hubby hammered out the copper and left them au naturale.

Gypsy Dreams Earrings

These earrings, called Gypsy Dreams, are some of the longest dangles we've created. They hang long - 3 1/2 inches to be exact. And they definitely have a bohemian feel to them. I adore these jasper beads, which we dressed up with small pearls and decorative spacer beads. The hammered copper wire is long and spindly - and it just looks so cool in person. I've discovered that it's really hard to try and photograph very long earrings!

Forest Faerie Earrings

I did manage to get most of the earrings to fit into the photo you see here. I hope these earrings will make faeries everywhere proud! The bright green of the bead and the shape of the copper just reminded me of leaves and tree branches. So, I named them Forest Faerie. They're fun and whimsical - with a little edge to them. I hope you enjoy all three of these designs - we had a blast making them!

I've been working hard on my art journaling classes through 21 Secrets and having a great time. In fact, I liked my newest art so much that I am seriously thinking of turning it into a print. I hope to be able to share the art with you next time. I have two more components to "Three Little Words" and then I can move onto my next course. The only trouble will be in deciding which one to delve into next!

Until next time,

Theresa

A Walk in June

2011-06-06T10:19:00.000-04:00

To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is

a delectable form of defeat. ~Beverly Nichols

Greetings everyone!

I hope you are all well and that you had a most enjoyable weekend. We experienced lovely sunny weather with cool temperatures, and it was pure bliss. Oh how I wish the summer would stay like that all season! We went for a walk along our favorite linear trail, just moments from the house. We hadn't been there since early spring, so it was lovely to see so much green - and flowers everywhere! Like this gorgeous peony in the community garden at the start of our walk.

Just as we were getting started, my hubby told me - in such a strange voice - to look at him. And behold! There was this beautiful dragonfly perched right on his chest! Now I have seen butterflies land on humans before but never dragonflies! What a gift! As you can see, this fellow is quite large, and he was so calm and trusting. My hubby arranged himself at such an odd angle so I could take a photo of our new friend. We made sure not to touch his delicate fragile wings. But as we started to walk, my hubby's buddy decided to join his friends elsewhere. If you click on the photo, you can see more of the detail on his gossamer wings.

It's not surprising that the dragonflies enjoy the trail so much. Everywhere you went, you were filled with the sweet scent of wild roses. Their scent is quite unlike that of a regular rose, and they look quite different, too. The scent is sugary sweet while roses are quite heady. I love the little white flowers so much.

I was so excited to see all the purple clover, too. The bees were in heaven. I remember when I was a young girl, I would pick the prettiest clover I could find and then carefully pluck out each petal so I can drink up the sweetness. I was very much tempted to do it again, but instead I opted for taking a photo!

Faerie doors were everywhere. Some of them were quite hidden, as I am sure our wee friends intended for a bit of privacy. My favorite was this little house tucked away in a corner of the woods. Don't you just love the leafy green canopy?

There's always so many treasures to uncover during our walks. We found several of these beautiful flowers which had fallen off a tree. Looks somewhat tropical to us, but I am not sure what type of tree it originated from. Any ideas?

Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars... and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - for no reason.

It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are. ~Osho

There is truly nothing like being outdoors and enjoying nature to clear your mind and make your heart sing...

Til next time,

Theresa

Party News and Shop Treats

2011-06-01T16:12:00.000-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Excitement is IN the air! Can you feel it? It's the talk of the town, and you're all invited to join in the fun! Yes indeed - the fabulous Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist is once again hosting her annual Mad Tea Party. This will be my second year participating, and I'm really excited. I have my thinking cap firmly placed atop my head to dream up something fun and entertaining for you all! If you are a fan of all things Alice, you are more than welcome to participate. Just peruse the Mad Tea Party invitation for more details and let Vanessa know you want to play. You can do something crafty, throw a tea party, bake yummy treats inspired by Alice, host a giveaway, perform an Alice skit - the sky's the limit, really. I hope you'll be joining me - I'm sure it will be just "mad!"

Alice in Wonderland Glass Earrings

The timing of the party announcement was perfect, actually. For I had just decided to whip up some new Alice-inspired earrings for my shop. These little cuties feature a mini print of my original Alice artwork entitled "Down the Rabbit Hole." The little glass pendants measure one inch all around. They are adorable in person! We dolled them up with sassy pink and blue beads. I hope the Mad Hatter will approve!

Butterfly Garden Girl Earrings

I also created a pair of earrings with mini prints of my Butterfly Garden girl. I just adore the faceted gems we used for the earrings - they sparkle so prettily in the sunshine. You can see the mini print includes a lovely red tulip and a sweet birdie perched on our fair lass's hair. I was very pleased with how these earrings turned out. I don't know what prompted me, really. I was creating a replacement for the Ella necklace that recently sold, and I still had quite a few glass pendants from my early jewelry-making adventures. So, that was how they came to be!

Ella the Butterfly Faerie Earrings

Speaking of Ella, you just know I had to make a pair of earrings featuring my lovely muse! I am very fond of these earrings, which feature two gorgeous red rose resin cabochons. They are so striking and feminine. I love that you can see one of her pretty wings and a wee butterfly flitting through her flowing hair.

I learned of some simply fabulous news! 21 Secrets - this absolutely AMAZING art journal class playground is going to remain open through January 1, 2012!!! I am very much enjoying this series of classes. If you haven't signed up, I highly encourage you to do so. One reason I'm excited that the playground is staying open is because I am fantastically slow! I tend to take my time with art classes so I can absorb each bit of goodness I learn. Right now, I'm entrenched in Three Little Words. I'm enjoying the process very much. I won't be sharing any of my finished pieces until I've completed the entire session. I'm weird like that! I've already reviewed a few other classes, and I'm so excited to dig in. Although I wish I could create 24/7, I know that is just not going to happen. So I sneak in my playtime as much as I can. So if you don't hear too much from me, you will know exactly what I'm doing! I honesty believe there is something for EVERYONE in this art playground. There is a total of 21 classes from 21 amazing artists with beautiful souls. And the cost is quite reasonable. I do hope you'll join me.

Summer seems to be busting out all over here in the Northeast. It remains rather hot -and sometimes humid, which has been good for our vegetables, fruits and summer flowers. Here is our first rose of the season. It's such a gorgeous shade of yellow. Our tea roses haven't blossomed yet, but they're getting ready to. We've enjoyed viewing some of our early season lilies, also in summer sunny yellow. And there is absolutely the sweetest scent wafting through the yard at different intervals of the day. Each year I wonder which shrub its emanating from. The only way I can describe it is as cinnamon sugar. Sweet but not too sweet. Ahhhhhh...

Here's hoping that everyone has a wonderfully magical and happy weekend!

Til next time,

Theresa