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

Michigan Summer

Close your eyes, feel the grass between your toes, the breeze blowing through your hair, as a warm sun kisses your cheek. I’m enjoying the beautiful colors of summer and a steady breeze through my window-enough said…

xo-jj

Pictorial meditation

 

Just finished my daily Yoga session. Feeling kind of spacey, no-words just a little pictorial meditation.

Enjoy!

xo-jj

Yes, you can

 

Someone once said,

“Your wings already exist.

All you have to do is fly.”

 

 

I’m soaring through the rain today

how about you?

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

Happy Mother’s Day

 

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

 love ya-jj

Spring vignettes

Just wanted to share the spring vignettes I created, yesterday,  my day off.  Gosh I needed that, feeling recharged and refreshed.

 

 Hydrangea, green and pink, my fave

Lulu, the bust Mr. Java gave me for Christmas, is now dressed in her summer best with a shell necklace and crown that I created just for her.

 A closer look 

 

More collections, creations and books

 More of my shell collection

 

 Green plants in turquoise and terracotta pots with the perfect patina, bohemian scarf and more shells

 

Rustic, nature, and angelic treasures-love

 

Indoor pics with flash, not my fave but you get the idea. Just wanted to share my day of blissful decorating with you.

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

Got a vintage itch I can’t scratch

I didn’t win the dress. The auction ended with it going for over $87.00, I couldn’t dig that deep. It was gorgeous but I wasn’t even sure it would fit. sigh…

 This time of year always puts me in the mood to go junktiquing, (sp???) I have a few haunts that I like to peruse for treasures.

 I don’t really have the time or the money to persue this hobby right now but if I did I’d be on the look out for something like this…

or maybe something like this…

I suddenly have the itch to paint all my wood furniture in a shabby chic kind of  way. But then there’s Mr. Java who hates shabby chic. I can see his head shaking right now, no, no, no.

 

A couple of years ago I talked him into helping me do this to an old dresser that I’d picked up at a garage sale. Not his style but I like it’s cottage charm. It stays in my office, which is very whimsical, well actually it’s a whimsical mess right now It needs an over-haul and a good cleaning.

That’s all for now back to real life. Take care and enjoy your weekend.

xo-jj

Island girl

My bags aren’t packed and I haven’t done a thing to get ready but that won’t stop Mr. Java and I from jumping in the car and heading south shortly after sunrise, tomorrow. In the past I’ve been very organized. I started packing well in advance, even kept a check list. This year is a bit different, more laid back and nonchalant.  Which is totally fitting for the subtropical paradise we’re headed to. Captiva island is a bustling island covered in cottages and tropical foliage. The image above is a view of Laika lane just outside my cottage door. This year we downsized to a smaller place a few steps closer to the beach.  I can’t wait to take a stroll down this shell covered path to the beach. 

I’ll return to Michigan and my blog in about two weeks. Happy Easter and cheers to a beautiful spring!

xo-jj

this image was borrowed from ccambridge.org