celebrations – Page 11 – Karla's Cottage

Bahama Bound

By Karla Nathan / May 5, 2018

Today, I am 60.

I've decided to relish every second of this year and celebrate throughout.

I'll wear the swimsuit that might not be quite age appropriate, knowing that if I don't now, then WHEN? (This sagginess isn't going to get any better.)

I'll ride the roller coaster (after taking ginger pills) and deal with the motion sickness because life is too short to avoid fun when it is offered.

I'll say YES when friends offer an invitation and make the most of the time spent with them.

I'll play hooky with the grand fairies and float away with them across the seas to explore new places.

I'll take the time to paint, to play, to walk in the woods.

I'll look for the happiness that is always waiting for us, if we just give it a chance.

I'll be thankful and recognize the blessings I have, and treat each day as a brand new gift.

The 4 grandfairies, my Handsome Husband, and I are on a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas now, and my birthday dinner will be before Pirate Night on the ship, after a day on the beaches. It can't get any better than that. We are also celebrating our eldest girl's high school graduation while floating around.

Did I mention that I feel blessed?

celebrations, friends, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 3, 2018

While in Florida, I didn't expect to see my pal, Karen Hillman.

She was planning a trip to Kansas the next week and we had plans then.

But Guncle Randy took me out to a shopping center one morning while I was in Jax, and as I strolled into a pretty shop- there she was! What a surprise. She'd driven almost TWO HOURS, brought me a decadent cake, and a gift card, leaving me speechless when I saw her waiting for me.

She couldn't stay for the day, she had to turn around, drive that long trek right back and get to work for the afternoon (two photo shoots). During her quick trip, she helped me choose a pile of things to try on and we had an hour together while Randy waited patiently, and was asked to comment here and there on our Pretty Woman style spree.

He was much more patient than you'd expect. What a nice guy to hang out while we tried on mountains of clothes.

It seems like I rarely have time to shop, and when I do, it is for the grand fairies. Or I'm at TJ Maxx, finding a quick tee shirt or two. Shopping with buddies was a nice change, and both convinced me to buy things I probably wouldn't have on my own.

When a person with as much style as Karen does, tells you that you should wear more red, you buy something red. She also thought this dress wasn't too young for me… I'm going to wear it on my Big Birthday Boat Trip.

This was waiting in front of the dressing room door, how cute.

The cake was amazing too. And how sweet of her to take the time to do this for me. I feel so blessed.

MORE from the florida trip??? Yep, I was blessed!

celebrations, family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / May 1, 2018

After seeing my life long, best buds to celebrate the three of us turning 60, the party went on! Sister Terry drove from Orlando to St. Augustine to fetch me, and headed back again to Orlando, so we could go straight to the Flower and Garden event at Epcot.

Afterwards, we checked into a luxurious suite at the Animal Kingdom Lodge where we were greeted by some of the creatures that roam the grounds.

The next day, Terry had quite an adventure planned. I started off lazying about on the balcony, sipping my coffee and watching for zebras to visit, then we headed to Animal KIngdom park. She had set up fast passes for the afternoon, then an evening filled with the best Disney magic you could ever hope for…

WE WENT ON THE VIP TOUR!

And yes, it was amazing. And even better than you'd think it would be.

I was blown away.

We were taken on a tour of the top 5 rides and then front row and center at the Rivers of Light, by two guides, one who looked like he stepped right out of a Disney movie.

He kept us entertained with puns and trivia. I told him that my grand fairies would have been very impressed with him. (because that is what grammies do, they blather on with cute, young guys about how darling they are, without shame or embarrassment)

We were told there would be a snack, and were to pick a dessert and drink. I chose wine, because I was feeling very pampered, not thinking about my problems with motion sickness…

But you know what? I pounded non-drowsy, organic ginger tablets for nausea, and wore motion sickness bands. Along with the power of my will, and making myself find a focal point to not think about getting dizzy-

I RODE A ROLLER COASTER!!!!!

And the Banshee 3D virtual reality thing at Pandora!

Right afterwards, it was time for the "snack" they'd promised.

Which was a feast, much more than expected.

My stomach was ready to argue with me, but I would NOT let it.

Dang it, this was my special treat, and that wine was not going to drink itself.

I powered thru by sheer determination.

Having a ton of fun sure helped me prevent a lifetime of motion sickness from letting me from back out on some of the more twisty rides.

Am I going to be a regular on the merry go round with the kiddos?

Or hop on more roller coasters?

I seriously doubt that.

But I have decided that age 60, is a good time to not let myself be ruled by what might happen. If I'm offered a special treat, like a night of adventure at Disney, I am not going to turn it down because I'm afraid of a little motion sickness. (well, typically a lot, but it can be overcome if you try hard enough).

At 60, I know life ahead of me is shorter than what is behind me. I'm going to make the most of the rest of it.

I'm going to grab onto the fun I find out there and hang on tightly!

And look for hidden magic, or unexpected joy in every corner. (I'm always excited to find "Hidden Mickeys" at the parks)

I might be a Grammy, all cozy in her cottage, but I'm not ready to be old.

Thank you, Terry, for not only, a magnificent, and generous trip, but a chance to get out of my comfort zone, and fly through Pandora on a winged beast!!

A flock of seashell fairies

celebrations, friends, sea shell fairies, Travel

By Karla Nathan / April 22, 2018

My visit to St. Augustine was better than I even hoped it would be.

The weather was pretty dang bad the first couple of days.

And chilly after about 48 hours of thunderstorms.

So we didn't get to do the things we planned.

Hmm, not sounding great, huh?

Oh, but it was!! I met up with friends from childhood and beyond, they are lifetime friends that I rarely get to see. We made the most of the weather, wrapped ourselves in warm quilts, drank some wine, and enjoyed the view of the storms across the ocean.

We also enjoyed our never ending conversations that started when we met at the airport and flowed non-stop til I rolled my bag out to the car to leave.

It wasn't what we were doing, it was who we were doing it with that counted.

Although, we did manage to get a lot of fun activities going despite the weather.

When the sun finally came back out, we had LONG walks on the beach and hunted seaglass.

I'll leave you with a few photos of the 180 Years of Celebration trip. (all three of us were having our 60th birthdays, one in February, two in May)

Galentine’s Day Workshop

celebrations, Food and Drink, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / February 13, 2018

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm still relishing rosy thoughts from my party last week.

It was a seriously, lovely day for me.

We had two projects to do and the rest of the day was spent on freestyle crafting with a table full of supplies. Back in November, at my Snowbird's Song event, I provided free time and it seemed really popular, so I thought I'd give it another shot.

When you have creative people together, they simply want to create. Kits are important, and so is learning a few tricks, but it is also good to nurture and explore individual tastes.

Just being in a room with other artsy types and having lots of new (vintage) supplies to play with can spark some great ideas.

Here are a couple of pretties that Alice-Anne made up.

With the kits, I included some variations so my guests could personalize their projects, with a choice of words and photos to use on the pieces, and some options for the ruffles.

I'm always happy to see the different ways my kits become art in the hands of the attendees.

But the best part? The atmosphere in the room, with all the happy gluing, cutting, chatting, and creating.

It did my heart good to see ladies who had just met here in November, back together and hanging out as friends.

There were 8 of us, an ideal size group for getting to know each other while making pretty things.

Thanks to everyone who attended and to those who bought kits to make at home!

I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love and friendship.

A year of Sea Shell Fairies

celebrations, sea shell fairies

By Karla Nathan / December 31, 2017

My year has been full. Trips, family, events, puppies. Wow!

When I looked back over 2017, these sea shell fairy photos stood out to me as examples of just what a good year it has been.

Some represent trips to beautiful shores, others, like this, a walk along the edge of Lake Clinton, right here in Lawrence with the kids, dogs, and my husband. The girls and dogs all ended up soaking wet, splashing in water way too cold to play in, but not able to resist the fun.

This is from my favorite place to visit, Siesta Key.

I made two that week, while playing in the cool, white sand with Sugarwings. She flew her kite, collected shells, and took long walks in the waves with me.

And I was lucky enough to have a second trip to Sarasota in the fall with my sisses.

While there, I made two more.

Double gratitude!

Bobbie and Sissy and I have gotten together each fall for the last few years to catch up, shop, giggle like little girls, and watch sunsets together.

No shells were found in Missouri at a creek bed while camping with family, but my grand fairies helped me find some rocks that fit the purpose.

Rocks at Lake Alcova in Wyoming were gathered to make this angel for Grandma Joan's 80th birthday party, a colossal gathering of the Nathan clan, jam packed with fun, ping pong, food, and love.

And I snuck in one last trip for the year, a romantic getaway to Mexico with my handsome husband. The laziest, most delightful trip, ever.

These little sprites mean more to me than just tokens of beaches. They represent time with people I love, in beautiful places I feel lucky to be able to visit. As I make each one, she is a thank you to the universe from me for the life I've been given.

Yes, this was a full year.

Full of people I care deeply about, and wonderful times spent with them.

Happiest of New Years to you in 2018, with sincere wishes that you have a much to be grateful for too.

Some holiday fun

celebrations, Dew Drop, dogs, family, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / December 24, 2017

My goal for December is to round up all of the Christmas fun I can find, wrangle, or create. I do not say no to an invitation, and I try to do a lot of inviting to others too.

Luckily, I have a couple of partners in my quest for holly jolly joy.

We gathered up all the sisses and a buddy for a night out to see Beauty and the Beast at Theatre Lawrence.

And we have non stop craft-a-thons by the Christmas tree or in the cardboard cottage.

And of course, delicious cocoa parties that come afterwards.

The rule around here is "First one up turns on all of the tree lights", so the house always feels festive.

After the holidays end, and the decor comes down, I think it is the lights that I miss the most of all the decorations. Sometimes, I leave some white lights over the windows thru January as a transition to help me survive the end the celebrating.

For now, I'm still revelling in the joy of it all.
And in the cookies. Maybe the only thing better than white twinkle lights throughout the house is decorating and eating sugar cookies.

Especially in good company!

Hi there, Mr. Claus!

celebrations, Dew Drop, family, holiday decor, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / December 22, 2017

We love to visit Santa and have a fabulous brunch at The Nicklaus Club at Lionsgate.

And not just because the napkins are folded like trees.

It is a fun excuse to get dressed up and spend some time with family and that jolly old elf, himself.

This year, the grand fairies made gifts for him, and he liked them so much, he offered the kiddos jobs at the North Pole as elves. I told them that I'd miss them a lot, but it sounded like a good opportunity.

We've been visiting him for years.

Since Dewdrop was just tiny.

Oh, they grow sooooooo fast, don't they?

And the holiday season is gone in a flash.

I'm enjoying every single blessed moment of it! And I hope that you are too.

Sacred Circus at Darkening of the Sun

celebrations, family, Sacred Circus

By Karla Nathan / September 3, 2017

There is a 50% off sale in the Boutique!!! To access the bargain prices, type in

LABORDAYSALE

at the checkout, and hit "recalculate" and watch the amount drop in half.

I'll be out of town and away from my computer and out of touch for a few days, so shipping will be next week. Please remember that the postage prices will be adjusted when I get the actual total from the USPS as I box the goodies up to send to you and I will refund excesses.

www.karlascottage.com

Our kids were performing in Missouri, inside the path of the full eclipse.

We love watching their performances, and hanging out with the grand fairies, so we packed up our little camper (I call it the world's biggest rolling suitcase, instead of the world's smallest camper) and headed toward the Darkening of the Sun.

Most of the family goes early to set up the village and rigs. So we had little ones all week, for back to school and Sugarwings' birthday too.

Which was pretty nice for us.

There is a ton of work to be done, this group doesn't just show up, do some tricks and leave, they set up an entire world of their own inside the music festival. They've got two 23' high rigs, that get covered in parachutes for shade, and multi colored lights for rainbow fun. There is a geodesic dome for sound therapy, and another big tent for workshops and then there is a vending area too.

It is all done artistically, and comes out quite beautiful when they are done.

As I walked through the venue, I realized that these guys had transformed the entire event into something really spectacular.

I'd been to festivals they throw themselves, so had seen their set up before, but had not really seen just how much they do at other people's events. (this photo is just part of the set up)

Of course, they also bring some great entertainment to fill those tents!

The show just gets bigger and more exciting every time I see it.

They have the two rigs with aerialists in each, fire dancers, hula hoopers, a guy on stilts, and dancers floating about, as well as my son spinning his songs.

Plus, there are workshops all weekend for attendees of the festival, who get to show off what they learned on the last night. It is adorable to see they little ones up there feeling proud of their accomplishments and being part of the circus.

All of the parents and grand parents out in the audience, enjoy that showcase as much as I do, I'm sure.

Well, it is all great to watch!

Next to the Sacred Circus was the main stage, and my husband spent a lot of time there. His favorite performer was the headliner, so he was pretty happy. Even happier when he had a fairy to perch on his shoulders to watch with him.

Of course, times without a kiddo climbing on him over the weekend were few and far between.

I'll leave you with some more photos from the parties. This is my son with his crystal singing bowls. (I'd love to sneak one away and fill it with water, fish, and a fountain for my back yard, these bowls are beautiful up close)

I'll leave you with some photos of the party.

Darkening of the Sun

celebrations, family, Sacred Circus

By Karla Nathan / August 23, 2017

Our town was not completely in the path of the totality, but was close. I'd have been happy with that, but my family's Sacred Circus troop was playing at a festival that was dead center of the darkness. So we packed up the camper and headed out to enjoy the shows on the arial rigs and in the afternoon sky.

This event was built around the eclipse, and there were huge parties on Monday in honor of it. Drum circles, dancing, Native American ceremonies. I'd fully planned on attending the Cherokee one, but after three days of heat, the idea of walking a 1/4 mile up to a bare hilltop in the mid day sun wasn't ideal. Our air conditioner didn't work in the camper, and neither did the outlets, so we had no fan.

The nights cooled off, and there was a breeze, but I was still worn out from getting very few breaks from the Missouri summer. (Although it could have been worse, I'd expected bugs and there wasn't any problem with them at all! Thank goodness for that break, yay!)

While thousands of happy hippies headed up the hill to go dance in the sun as it disappeared behind the moon, I joined some of my family who decided to take advantage of this Roots in Bliss Village that my boy had erected for the aerialists. The place was pretty much deserted while everyone climbed up the road to the hilltop, so we sat under the shady tents and waited for the eclipse, enjoying our private time. There was howling at the moon, some dancing, lots of relaxing.

There was even a fan. And chairs. And shade.

There were a few others about, but the field was large, and our group still had an intimate feel to it.

I was thankful that these guys also decided to stay behind and not go with the crowds, they serenaded the moon as it covered the sun and I felt like I was being serenaded myself.

After the lively days we'd spent at the overflowing festival, watching the sun from this spot with a handful of people felt even more special.

I'd been more worried about everyone's eyesight than I was about looking forward to seeing the solar event myself, and wasn't expecting to be so moved by seeing first little bite of sun go away.

When the air started to change and the light eerily began to have that glow, I was hooked.

Of course, I was still worried about eyesight. And kept watching the girls as much as the sun, making sure everyone was following proper glasses etiquette. And since bright lights lead to migraines for me, I peeked up in small doses.

But there is much more to watching one of these than just looking up. Looking around, feeling the shifts, and thinking about the magic of nature was more important to me than watching the entire sun get swallowed up.

I'm glad to know there will be another one to watch in my own lifetime.