The Mad Tea Party in the secret garden blog event

Frolic…  Whimsy…  Magic…

Childhood comes and then it’s gone before we’ve had the chance to understand the magic and pure joy of living every day just for the sake of fun.

Just as soon as you fall under a childhood spell, it’s broken and grown up life begins. There are mountains to climb, bridges to build and households to maintain.

 

 

This story got started the day Gi Gi decided that something in her life was missing.  She couldn’t quite put her finger on it but  something was definitely wrong. 

The days of endless tea parties and playing dress-up were gone and 

her day dreams had all been forgotten.

 

She needed to find the piece of herself that had been  lost in the midst of living? Where could she go for help and who would understand?

 Suddenly she heard a voice…

“There is a place where dreams run wild and hope is free. Follow me to a far away land with magical spaces. This fanciful place can only be seen upon a return to the carefree mind of a child.”

 I must be brave, thought Gi Gi, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly before entering this secret garden of  magical characters and dreamy spaces.

 

She piered through the gate, while worries she might not fit in or be accepted filled her head with nonsense.

 

Don’t be afraid says little sister, Ra Ra we will enter the garden together, you and me. It’s time to forget the pressures of grown-up life and remember the days when you felt like a princess and your only worry was eating the icing before it melted. 

 

Gi Gi knew sissy was right so she checked her worries at the gate and entered the garden. This strange place of magic and whimsey filled her heart with pure joy.  For the first time since she could remember she was able to be herself , in this place where hearts were true and wishes granted. 

 This secret garden allowed both sisters to be themselves, to chase dreams, love unconditionally and wish til their heart’s content.

 Best of all, everyone in it was content to be themselves in a whimsical kind of way.

Nothing was too serious or uptight but fun-loving and free just like the days of her childhood.

The garden was full of surprises and laughter echoed from every direction.

Thank you, Dear Miss V, for providing a place where the cup is always full and our inner child runs free.

click on the image below to begin your journey to the enchanted land of A fanciful Twist and join this year’s fantastical blog party with  almost 300 participants.

 This festival of madness has shown us the way to a land of magical dreams and fairy tale wishes.

Take it from Gi Gi- life is meant to be lived authentically with joy and whimsy, surrounded by people who are free to dream and live their lives with hope for the future.

 Enter her secret garden and

live every day the way it was meant to be- joyfull!

 

 

There’s no place like blogland!

xo-jj

Morning Zen

The magic of morning crept through my window and I came alive under her spell.

 

Fresh herbs growing on the potting table, patina pots and warm sunshine are my favorite parts of summer.

 

A little something, something I’m working on for my Etsy shop, little cards and envelopes made from a collage of  lovely images, professionally printed by Tiny Prints.

Wishing you a zenful day…

ox-jj

Believe in the magic

A flicker of inspiration is twinkling in my brain. It must be the gorgeous weather we’re having. Some say it’s too hot but I am at my best when the weather is hot, wearing nothing more than a tank top and shorts, no shoes, no sleeves, nothing to confine me.

I have a million pictures and dozens of quotes traveling through my brain as a quiet breeze blows through my window.

“believe in the magic and your dreams will follow”

xo-jj

Today’s cool hunt

I went on a little cool hunt this morning and found this…

A bedroom to die for. I love everything about it. If this was my bedroom I might never leave my bed. Okay your right I can’t sit still for more than 5 minutes but I’m just saying…

As the years pass I become more and more determined to own a cottage kitsch house. I love, love old architecture , mediterranean, country cottage,english cottage, french country, etc. We built a new house a little over six years ago and it is quite modern. The last few years I’ve been craving a little cottage with character. I don’t want to leave the beautiful setting I’m in, woods, meadow, pond, but the heart wants what the heart wants. That doesn’t mean it’s going to get, so for now I dream.

The pathway to this colorful cottage  sold me and the red door, well, let’s just say this would definately be an impulse buy. Good thing we’re only cyber shopping.

No new house for me just a cottage garden.

 

 

Join me in my garden of cottage dreams…

xo-jj

A run through the garden

Had a great weekend up-north- came home to a garden full of surprises.

 Peony flowers are my fave and this yummy shade of red fades to a soft pink in the warm sun. Love, love…

 

Love the wispy stems that end with an explosion of pink. It doesn’t get much better than this…

 

 

chive, chive and more chives, they’ve taken over my garden with a vengeance. I love the fresh green stem topped with a bulging head filled with potential,  just waiting to explode.

This is the end of our tour and the start to a Monday full of potential.

BTW speaking of potential

she’s lovely and listed

 

 

xo-jj

Grandma’s attic

 

On my way home from work yesterday I felt a familiar calling. It whispered, more like nagged me to take a little diversion to a nearby town.  I pulled off the highway, drove through several stops lights, down a residential street, over the railroad tracks and into a little parking lot.  The sky was overcast and  grey after a full day of rain but no matter, the place I was going didn’t have any windows, just stuff, wall to wall stuff. 

A little town a few miles to the north-east of my home is over-run with tiny antique shops, where you can find almost anything your heart desires- if you’re willing to pay for it. I quite often go just to browse, live in the moment of yesterday and hope that something I can’t live without jumps out at me, for the right price, of course.

When I first entered the shop I didn’t feel anything , no nostalgia, no excitement, no lust. I thought this trip was going to be a bust so I turned toward the door in an attempt to make it home and have dinner made before my hubby arrived. I made it halfway before I was stopped dead in my tracks by a case of vintage jewels, my biggest weakness. It was then that I felt that feeling of nostalgia, want, lust. The memories of grandma and her dresser in the attic filled with sparkly brooches, vintage hats and scarves, things I covet today.

The sales girl came over and offered to open the case. I knew once she did that it was all over for me but that tiny voice that came from an eight year old girl dying to play with her grandma’s jewels said “yes please.” Well I guess there isn’t too much else to say except I love the cameo brooch, the millenary flowers and the salvaged rosary chain that I spent three hours assembling last night. It looks great and I think if I can find the strength to part with it I’ll put it up for sale in my Etsy shop next week.

Have a wonderful weekend. I’m headed up-north to hunt for moral mushrooms-yum!

xo-jj

A river of words

The light filtered through my window in such a way that I became engaged, motivated, no, compelled to capture it’s essence. One click and it was done, the color, the moment, the magic only lasted for a minute or two before the morning light took on another position. It morphed itself into something benign. 

If you wait long enough anything will change. It happens when you’re not looking, at night when you are fast asleep but sometimes the transformation takes place right in front of your eyes.

One of my roles in the family is peacemaker or it maybe better defined as channel master. I listen, I talk and then I defuse the situation. It’s not as simple as all that and it doesn’t work half the time but I always give it my best shot. I’m comfortable in that role most days except a day like today, when all I want is to be my own guide, my own channel master. To have time to listen to me and then quickly change the channel if I don’t like the feature presentation.

The act of writing/typing this on-line diary is a revelation for me. I start out on one subject and then quickly change to something entirely different.  It’s a great opportunity to reveal my inner most thoughts. What starts out as a quick post becomes a river of words which are the deepest aspect of who I am at this very moment. I’m so glad I have someone to share them with.

xo-jj

Happy Mother’s Day

 

Happy Mother’s Day to all my girlfriends out there…

 love ya-jj

A reoccuring dream and a visit with old friends

 

Tonight I will be revisiting my past. A dozen or so girls from my graduating class are getting together for a night of laughter and reminiscing,  a few I haven’t seen in twenty years, others I run into on occasion. I can’t wait to listen, hug and giggle the night away. We reconnected on facebook and decided it was time for a face to face.

As a teen I couldn’t wait to get out of school and move on with my life and now after more than twenty years I can’t wait to go back to those years and visit the friends I left behind. It’s funny how that works. You are always looking for the next best thing but can’t wait to go back to the good old days. I’m sure this meet-up has something to do with the reason I have been so preoccupied about where I’ve gone with my life.

Thank you Shell and Seawitch for your words of wisdom.

When I first started junior high I used to dream about walking down the long halls lost and late for class. Last night I revisited that dream. It’s funny how certain things never leave you.

Tonight I will be toasting to old friends and I’ll probably realize that life hasn’t really changed all that much.

 clink, clink to old friends and new

xo-jj

It’s my time

This image takes my breath away. It’s spring at it’s best and I borrowed it from the wedding pros on wordpress.

It’s Tuesday and I have the whole day to be whatever I choose, free, relaxed, inspired, or whatever else comes to pass. This is the first time in a long time with the whole day to devote to whatever I want.

I think I’ll begin my day with a deep breath or cool spring air… it smells like melted frost and newly emerging grass. I see green shoots poking their heads up through the forest floor. I hear busy birds chattering away as they gather material for their feathered nests. A splash down in the pond by a large Canadian goose breaks my concentration. It’s lovely and it’s mine to enjoy…

Enjoy your day!

xo-jj