When someone wanders down the stairs first thing in the morning wearing a vintage nightgown and wings, there is only one thing you can do.
Have a breakfast tea party!
Pure bliss. Sugarwings has loved Ariel since she was barely two.
While she is enamoured of all the Disney royalty, and can insert herself into any of their stories, she has always been loyal to her first and best favorite, Ariel.
During the princess luncheon at Cinderella's castle, she was pretty much in heaven and happy to meet these people whose stories she can't get enough of.
Each princess is announced as they walk into the room, and then they make their way around to each table for photo ops and chats. As Sugarwings spoke to Snow White, Ariel's visit was announced, and poor Snow was dissed mid-sentence for a view of the most wonderful princess of them all.
Snow White was set aside like a pile of dirty socks the minute Ariel walked into the room.
As she waited nervously for her special princess to come around to our table, she clutched her chest and told me, "I just don't know what I'm going to say to her when she comes here!!". Which is completely unlike our little chatterbox who is never at a loss for words.
This is a little girl who lives more in her imagination than in the real world around her, to her, this was all 100% real. So, after meeting Jasmine at lunch, she was not surprised to see a look alike of her, in a waitress uniform at a different restaurant that evening.
Our supper waitress was named Jasmine and Sugarwings was as happy to meet her that night as she had been earlier in the day. Jasmine told us that most little girls dismiss her when they don't see a fancy gown, but Sugarwings is a girl who knows that princesses don't always have to wear a dress to be royal through and through. (My husband preferred the lunchtime Jasmine's costume)
It was all quite special, but anytime we can watch our little grand fairy indulge her imagination is wonderful to us. And it was fun to be able to give her mommy a first time visit here and to watch her become a little girl again too.
PS- If you are going to Disneyworld, I highy reccommend the food and everything about the meal at the castle. And any food at all you get at the California park.
The Florida one, on the other hand, seems to have a lower standard for Food and Beverage, at least on the few trips I've been to it. And it is hard to get into a restaurant without reservations. Unless you want to eat hot dogs or other fast food, make a reservation or pack a picnic. Next time I go, I'm taking a cooler and a picnic lunch. We rented a double stroller to haul our stuff and to keep Sugarwings where we could find her, so it would have been easy to put a cooler in there too.
What is more fun than a barrel of monkeys? A weekend with a guncle! Throw in some talented crafty friends, a trip to a favorite city and nothing can compare.
Our craft day was Friday, and all day Saturday was shopping at a downtown art and antique fair. Sadly, it didn't measure up to our expectations, but we had a blast anyway.
And our first stop was a good one. Judy, the Birthday Girl, had a booth at Annabelle's. This is her fairy crown and it was lovely.
We all found something we wanted to buy at Annabelle's.
Karen has a booth there and at a glance you know exactly whose spot it is. You can see her touch on everything.
Before shopping, we checked out a fruit laden tree growing by Karen's porch. I didn't know what it was, but it smelled and looked tasty. I broke one open and tried it, probably not a smart thing to do, not knowing what it was. I guessed kumquat, but Randy told us it was a loquat, so I was close. And man, was it delicious. Kind of peachy.
Before Randy let us know it was safe, I asked everyone to watch me for signs of poisoning. But I was fine, of course, just a little sticky.
I'm very impatient for our Food Forest to start producing. I adore all the fresh fruit growing in Florida and can't resist picking it any time I can. At the Guncle's they have lemon and oranges too. But there were only a few oranges left at the top of the tree and shaking it did no good.
I was able to get some French lemons from Karen and some non French, regular lemons from Randy. I'm not sure what the diff is. But all will soon be lemonade and pie.
We ate lunch at a tea room in Mt Dora that I thought was pretty durn good until we went for a walk and visited THIS tea room.
WOW.
(yep, my eyes are closed in the photo)
I was ready to make myself at home and stay there forever. But of course, I was going to the Guncle's that night, so I was ok about leaving after all. They are wonderful hosts, just like Karen was. I'll have pics of their warm, welcoming home next.
Our visit to Karen's doll house was such a magical time.
The weather cooperated and was ideal, lots of sparkling sunlight. While blizzards blew at home in Kansas!
Here I am with Sherry and Karen on the porch of the Kozy Kottage. This is Karen's get away in Mt. Dora, and is as girlified as any retreat can be. Pinks, whites, roses, pretties, all twinkling and sparkling in a joyous petite doll house.
Guncle Randy and I had a bit of trouble finding it, because the GPS took us to another pink and white house a block or so away. (who knew there would be so many pink houses with white picket fences on one street??)
No one answered the door there, so we got out, walked around, and called Karen to leave a message and say we'd be back soon. Then, left my piles of craft supplies and kits on the porch to save bringing it back later.
As we drove off and around the corner, I spied another pink and white house.
hmmmm…
I told Randy that I thought just maybe, we should turn around and go get my stuff off of the other home's porch!
No one had opened my boxes and created bird cages while we were gone, so all was fine.
I'd brought tons of goodies for the ladies to go through and make as many fairies as they wanted and cloche/cage for the little sprites to live in when done.
We spent the afternoon at Karen's dining table twisting wire and gluing away as we chatted.
It was a fun group, we had the birthday girl, Judy, and her daughter-in-law who was part of the big surprise Karen had planned for Judy.
One of my best friends, Sherry had driven down from Georgia, and Casandra was there from a nearby Florida town. I've always wanted to meet her. And she is every bit as nice as you'd expect her to be.
Guncle Randy met up with me in Orlando, where I flew in. He was there to receive yet another, Top Sales Director of the Year award from Hilton. I was very proud of him!
Karen scooped me up at the airport for a day of junking, while Randy was busy accepting his trophy. She showed me some good places to shop in Orlando and was lucky enough to find a few florally hats to tear apart that night at the Hilton while I waited for Randy.
We all made these fairy cloche/bird cages, and I think they turned out sweet.
We will be doing a version of this again at Birdsong. Karen and Sherry will both be coming to visit me in June for that, so looks like they will be starting a collection, huh?
After we were done, we walked downtown to dinner. And then, weren't quite ready for the party to end, so we kept working till after midnight on projects.
My only regret (besides the fact that I probably passed my awful cold onto everyone) is that I didn't get to jump out of a giant cake for the surprise. I was hoping for strawberry.
My trip to Florida to see Guncle Randy and do a mini class is also a surprise birthday party. I'm writing this ahead of time, so I'm not mentioning details about who will be at the party.
Since the class is about fairies, and it was a party, I decided to make fairy cupcakes.
A kind swapper, Wendy, who was in my Fairy Book Swap, had given me a cupcake she made as a hostess gift and I've always admired it.
I hope that she doesn't mind me making some myself. These were done with Styrofoam balls in cupcake papers. Hers are a bit different.
I made a special, little boy sprite for Guncle Randy.
And an extra large serving of cup cake for the birthday girl.
When I get all unpacked and settled back in at home, I'll have some photos of the weekend for you.
I had such a nice time at the Valentine Journal workshop. There is something wonderful about a Valentine theme, that always makes me happy. Roses? Hearts? PINKS? All of it!
We had a small group, so only needed to use half of the studio. I used this half to set out extra supplies. So, not only did we have kits stuffed with Vintagey goodies, I had enough extras to make dozens more books. One table was just used to display previously made books as examples. I showed my travel journal, my samples for An Enchanted Affair, the Valentine book, as well as a couple of books from swaps I'd been in.
By the way, Kim was able to squeeze in one more table at her arty event this spring, and has sold all but one space at it! If you are interested, better jump in fast! Hope to see you there.
Another table held lots of extra pretty papers, while a third was all tidbits, ribbons, lace, and embellishments.
I should do fresh flowers in my studio more often, its a nice treat.
Our local grocery store usually marks a dozen roses down to $1.99 every Monday, but for some reason, they were on sale this Friday too. So, I was able to set out flowers all around the house.
When prepping for the class, I spent about 14 hours making kits, and thought I might just end up running away from home to get away from them. What was I thinking, waiting till the last day to make them???? That isn't like me. I sure learned a lesson, and will be getting a jump start on spring time class kits so this won't happen again.
Kits can be fun to make, and I enjoy playing with my piles of papers and deciding what to include, but not at the last minute. I had to write instructions, edit photos, sort papers, plus dozens of other things that make the kits successful and well thought out. It shouldn't be done the day before the workshop!!
I made up what I thought were lots of extras, but not quite enough. They sold out in one day, thank you to all who bought them! It is never any more trouble to make an extra 10 or so while putting together enough for a class, so I always make some to sell. Plus one for myself, so that I can pull things out during class to demonstrate and know that the kits are functional and have what they need in them.
The best part of making a kit, is seeing how it is used.
Of course, since they are vintage, no two are exactly alike, but still I love the way everyone changes things around so much and puts their own stamp of uniqueness on their work.
And its very pretty to see how far some go to change it up.
We do mini workshops for holidays throughout the year, just for my friends and their kids to come over and play, and of course, I have Birdsong too. (Which I have not done a single thing for yet this year! I need to gather my thoughts and get the website done for sign ups!!)
We did a Halloween gathering and then this little Valentine party, and I really enjoyed both. I would like to do more small, one afternoon workshops if possible. Its so much more intimate than a big to do. Of course, even Birdsong is not big at all, compared to most arty weekends, its 25 people and all cozy in my studio.
Still, it would be nice to do a smaller class like this and have them quarterly or so. Just a thought. 10 people or less, hanging out, chatting all together instead of broken off in groups around the room.
Either way, no matter how many come, I love having company in my studio. Its not that I don't enjoy a good day alone with my creations, but since I have soooo many of those days, working all alone, its nice to have some company.
I can't imagine any other job than the one I do (although the thought of one that pays better, is pretty tempting), but it does get lonely. Which is why having a blog and all of my blog friends is so nice.
Of course, these guys too! They are great company when they aren't stealing things from me to shred. Dorothy can't jump or climb because of the injury she had when she was tiny, but Albie is good at getting on the table and grabbing something fun for them to rip up.
Auntie Beth brought them some Valentine tees, and even girlie-ed up Dorothy's with some lace.
She also brought this. Beautiful, isn't it?
One of my guests brought this lovely, old image, and I was asked to copy it to share. I thought maybe you would like to have it too. Just click on the image to open it to a larger window, then save it to your computer to print.
And this one was in one of the kits and I was asked to copy it also.
When scanning it, I took a few moments to edit it in a romantic way. Please save these the same way as the cabin picture.
When we went to DC in December, I got to visit one of Twinkle's pups who now lives in VA.
HIs name is Buddy and he is a furry ball of delight.
He has a sister named Lola, from a previous litter of Twinkle's and she is a beauty.
While visiting the grand dogs is always a highlight of any trip I take, we also were treated to a fantastic holiday dinner at Rivercreek Country Club on the Potomac.
Not only was the food and wine fancy, there was also a sense of humor served with it. The courses were created to represent all the markets in the country that my husband's region held.
For Tennessee, the chef whipped up moonshine martinis!
I'm not a good drinker, two glasses and I start giggling or snorting, so I figured I shouldn't drink it. I just ate the olive instead.
The liquor soaked, strong olive. It was pretty tasty, but almost made my head spin.
Luckily, we had some of the world's prettiest food coming to soak up the liquor I'd just chewed up in that olive.
Usually, I'm not a fan of rare beef, but this was beyond amazing. It was cooked sous-vide and perfectly done.
And I don't think I've ever had a dessert this good. The disc thing on the bottom? I have no idea what it was made of, but when I bit into it, the thing disappeared into an explosion of flavor. Really, it disappeared. Like eating some sort of tasty ghost. But it was more like powder, not like cotton candy, although a similar principle. Delicious air.
It was all just perfect. So good that, looking at these pictures has made me sad about dinner tonight, and I had been looking forward to homemade pot pies in the oven before I started thinking about this meal. It was quite a special treat.
Top Chef style dream food and a great night. I even made it through the evening without snorting after imbibing the moonshine.
Happy New Year!
I'm starting off mine with a little bit of a redo. My husband has had some vacation time, and we've been enjoying reading by the wood stove in the kitchen. Since we have spent so much time there, I shuffled some things around and set up a comfy spot for us to relax in.
There is something about this time of year that compels me to rearrange, redo, lighten up, edit. Over the course of a year, as I scrounge flea markets and garage sales, I tend to accumulate and add cool, beloved junk to our home. When cold weather hits, and the January 1st marker of new beginnings rolls around, I start to rethink my look.
I still love my junk, and always will, but feel like I need less of it around in January. Maybe its partially the excesses of Christmas that make me crave tranquility.
Being cooped up indoors so much makes me want less stuff around, cleaner lines. And a new view.
Combining my urge to edit, the compulsion to redecorate, along with our love of roasting our toes by the fire, led me to a drastic, but FREE change.
I took the leaves out of the table, and turned it around, moved the island (that is why I built it with wheels!) and shopped in my own living room for a recliner. The second chair in our Archie/Edith setup is just one from the dining table, with a soft pillow for the small of my back and a footstool.
When Sugarwings came over, she loved it and said that my table was soooo cute, since it looked so tiny with no leaves. I doubt if she has seen it set up this way before, I like having a huge table.
Does the room look fantastic this way? No, not really. To me, its all just a little off, and a bit odd too. But its very functional, comfortable, and only temporary for the cold spell. (but heck, if I wanted perfection and high gloss style, I probably wouldn't have a wood stove in the dining room to start with)
And I am enjoying the change.
Change is a good word for the 1st. This is the perfect time to look around at things we've grown accustomed to, or complacent with. It's a time to think about what really works and what we can do to make it better.
A time for looking at things in a new way, to see what makes us and the ones we love more comfy in our every day lives, whether its as simple as moving a recliner to an unexpected spot or totally rethinking some bigger issues. Getting rid of old habits that don't make sense today, things that you are doing by rote, just because that is how you've been doing it that way.
Could a simple change in the New Year bring pleasure or ease to your life?
It's hard to say goodbye to Christmas this year, but on the other hand, on the 26th, I was itching to take down the tree. I wasn't able to, due to other goings on, but I was ready to see it go. I think its because the lights all went out on the tree the minute the last gift was opened! That was some sort of sign. Plus, I feel like a dark tree is a bit sad. So, into the closet it goes, and I'll deal with the kaput lights next year.
We had an extended Christmas celebration, with all the kids over on the 24th for brunch and gifts, with a hot cocoa and cookie party afterwards.
Dewdrop came over with her parents on Christmas morning to see what Santa left under Grammie's tree while all the rest of the family visited other relatives. I think it was special for the youngest of 7 to have a whole morning of being the center of it all and opening gifts just for her. She was pretty excited, and a joy to watch.
We spent a lazy day, watching our littlest fairy play. My son, Mr. Zen and his Gypsy cooked a great meal for us all. Broiled lobster with seafood pasta.
YUM! The only thing better than having someone cook a meal for you, is if the meal is lobster.
Sugarwings had a sleepover on Christmas night, so Santa could bring some gifts to Grammie's tree for her too. She loves the whole spectacle of Santa, Christmas, and the arrival of gifts, but I think the stories and ambiance are what she appreciates even more than the presents. We decided that if we didn't buy a thing for her, and told her that the Grinch had come and taken everything out from under the tree, she would have been so excited, she would have popped.
That kid lives for fantasies and her imaginary world. She'd love to be plopped into the middle of the Grinch story and wouldn't think twice about not getting a present.
On the other hand, she was in heaven with the magic of everyone's gifts.
Many of the photos I tried to take look like this. She is darting about from one person to the next, excited to see what is under the wrappings. When I'd snap the picture, I'd get a blurry image of Sugarwings racing in to check out the latest, greatest gift her siblings got to open.
Yet, in the middle of all the gifting frenzy, she did the sweetest thing ever. We had 14 people squeezed into this little living room, along with three Christmas trees. So, Aunt Sandy made herself comfortable on the stairs.
When Sandy got a gift, Sugarwings would take it to her and sit to watch while she opened it. And finally, took her by the hand and led her to the center of the room and told her that she was "part of the group" and shouldn't be sitting by herself.
I was so proud of our little angel, who was caring about her great aunt during all of the hullabaloo, and not wanting her to feel left out of all the joy.
And joy there was. Plenty of it!
I think the dogs had a good time too. With so many kids around, there were plenty of crumbs. Twinkle tends to park herself under the highchair at most gatherings.
We kept the meal simple, honey baked ham, French toast and hashbrown casseroles made the night before, sweet corn frozen from last summer's farmer's market with some peas added for color, and scrambled eggs straight from the hen house, with chopped spinach and red peppers to be festive.
Paper plates, plastic forks, and foil pans made it all even easier. There was minimal clean up time, so we could get right to the fun stuff and gather around the tree! For some of us, it was hard to wait for that part.
I'll leave you with some photos of our day and I hope that yours was joyful as well.
We had the BEST Christmas! This is a little video of our gift from our littlest fairy, Dewdrop. She practiced a dance and gave us a performance. The non-stop giggling you hear is me, she had me laughing through the whole show.
The video is pretty short, because she kept slipping and falling since her tights were slippery on the wood floor. A lot of the video was filled with mooning. Her little bottom was the star of the show. While I think itsy bitsy baby bottoms are adorable, maybe the internet is not the best place for them, so here is the edited version.
Our whole holiday was filled with laughter.
And a few tears too. I got a hand made stocking from our Gypsy and it was filled to the brim with sweet notes from all of the kids. I grinned and cried as I read each one.
We are a sentimental bunch. The calendar that the Hippy Chick and Sugarwings filled with family photos was a hit too.
Sweet is a good word for our
Christmas. Very, very, very sweet.
