Ahhhh...it's Autumn! How I love this time of year! I was born in the Autumn, and I look forward to this time of year for many reasons. Since I live in a desert, the cool days and rain make it worth waiting for! Here are a few pics of my Autumn spirit. I am already listening to Christmas music! couldn't wait...time is so short - before you just get used to the holidays - they are a thing of the past!

Vintage Treasures

I have become addicted to yard sales and flea markets. It is the thrill of the hunt that gets me every time. There's something about looking for that perfect item, and every new location offers a new chance for the 'find'. And I have found some beauties. Most everything I do find I have a hard time of letting go. But I do let go of 90% and sell the rest in my E-Bay store, Victoria's Tea Cottage. Here are a few of the treasures I have acquired.

Panoramic Easter

This year, I did something new for my gift baskets. I made panoramic Easter Eggs. They are so much fun to make, and your imagination can go wild, or stay calm...whatever your mood that season. I happened to be more on the calmer side, and so mine are more traditional. My favorite baskets are ones that tend to be Victorian/vintage in nature, but I like to do anything and will try nearly anything.
I love Easter...it's the newness of the Earth, the buds, bulbs, the awakening of color and nature, but mostly, it's the proof that there is a God, and that He is in control of everything. His death and resurrection, and the newness of eternal life. Nothing is better than that!

Recently, I have become very fond of cherubs. Anything along this line, such as statues, old vintage ephemera, fountains, or art. There is something so simple and innocent about these little characters. Of course, I realize that Biblically speaking, these are not the angels of the Bible, but rather the mythical children of Diana the goddess of love. Real angels are warrior creatures that God created to serve Him and protect His children. I still delight in these little imaginary creatures, however, because I find them 'charming'. I don't need another reason. I'm in the process of changing my bedroom into a cherub retreat! With creams, pinks, and roses, it's becoming quite "heavenly". I've thrown in a few pictures I have recently found to share with other cherub fans. These are not of my yard...oh, the very idea...oohs and ahs...but I can dream, can't I?

Why are we drawn to charm?

What is it about softness, pastels, textures, and light, that seem to sooth the savage beast in so many of us? I can not answer that for anyone but myself. Every day as I watch the news, I find myself in such a state of mind, whether sad, angry or afraid, that I long for anything that is opposite of these emotions. When I look at something that reminds me of childhood, the ocean, the countryside, or a favorite holiday, it soothes my soul. Maybe it's just a sea shell, or an old book - better yet- the smell of an old book. My dad is 78 years old, and a true scholar. He has his thd (Doctorate in Theology). Some of my best memories are when I was young, going to old musty bookstores in Seattle on the wharf with him, as he perused till his heart's content, searching for that one 'special' book - usually at least 1oo years old. After all, 'you can't trust anything written on theology in the last 100 years!" he would say. His basement or catacombs as we call it, has shelf after shelf lined with these jewels. For him, nothing in the world could possibly compare to the sight, smells, and beauty of these books. (Bach coming in on a close second!) It soothes and comforts him. Don't we all have something that we intuitivly run to for our comfort? In this day and age, it takes more than sheer beauty to find comfort. One needs to back up their entire Life Support System with faith in God. We live in ever encroaching difficult days. But He has given us the gift of seeing and appreciating beauty. It is His way of allowing us to 'de-stress' and to simply enjoy our lives, not taking all of the bad to heart. So for those of us who love a comfy cushioned chair in a corner with the sunflight streaming in, or plants pouring over a window box in summer, or fountains in a park, we can look at these things as gifts from God, "who gives us richly all things to enjoy".