My photo
"Where better to care for the soul than in the details of our daily lives?....The soul has an absolute, unforgiving need for regular excursions into enchantment. It requires them like the body needs food and the mind needs thought... An enchanted world is one that speaks to the soul, to the mysterious depths of the heart and imagination where we find value, love and union with the world around us. As mystics of many religions have taught, that sense of rapturous union can give a sense of fulfillment that makes life purposeful and vibrant." ~ Thomas Moore.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Some of My Creations of the Green Kingdoms in Minature

I am a lover of this Earth and the Green Kingdoms, I cannot get enough, inside and outside. I was a floral designer for 20 years but am now in some in betwixt state of ''being'' in this world but not of it. For a very long time I was very much into a spiritual life that took me more away from the physical life than it probably should have. I looked deeply at the workings of life on Earth, who is controlling the planet and how, etc. It made me ill. I wanted nothing to do with it but to leave. I found manufacturers extremely irresponsible, the trash of the world building up through wasted materials and disposals, the chemicals in everything and the mutations of every food we have now....the list is endless. I didn't participate because I wanted to be green and not produce garbage and waste from careless consumerism and temptations that come from China and all manufacturing/importing countries. I took myself out of the matrix.

Now I have taken a turn and am back into the material world it seems, complete with fiery passions for organic textures, natural colors, and being busy with playing with all these things. I want to engage this in an organic way, in a green way, as much as possible.

These pics are not good and what I'd do on a gifting level and for a business is much more detailed. 
I have many things I can do, many talents, and one of them is a clothing line. Another is an organic cafe.
Maybe this time I can earn a living from this as my friends have told me throughout the years, but which I always found very distasteful. I'm just not a business person, however...... I begin to play again.....

Throughout this blog is a mixture of my experiences and the things I create and like to play with. 
Health, Sustainability and Beauty always the uncompromising criteria.






















crazy beautiful sweet potato vine basket




my ''toy garden box'' with eggplant, swiss chard, tulsi and lettuce




shade garden outside kitchen window






 a terrarium I made for a friends Xmas gift, who I share Sacred Tea Time with....notice the tiny tea set in there? The silver pot looks just like my Moroccan Tea Pot



another gift I ''put together'' for Xmas





miniature terrarium








Thursday, December 29, 2011

From the Enlightenend Tooth Fairy

Hello Everyone...


who at some point has not had tooth/mouth problems? hummmm? 
Well this site, as I am, is about remedies. I don't believe in doctors unless for critical things like broken bones and emergencies. All else the body can heal on its own if it is given the right things for this healing. At this point in my life I'm addressing very seriously tooth/gum hygiene and proper care in the natural way. I just had a bridge put into the front and that was nothing but trauma, getting 2 perfectly good teeth drilled down to small things to fit a bridge. I never want to see a dentists office again. The trauma to my emotional body, the noise of drilling for 90 minutes piercing my ears, the horrid expense of thousands of $ and the aggravation of the whole barbaric scene is not for me. So prevention is the cure from now on. 
I've done pretty well mostly, but the bridge was necessary after a crown decided it didn't want to be there anymore after 13 years, it fell out. I had no choice but to replace the tooth. 


So I'm looking into ways to keep the rest of my teeth and gums in excellent condition so I will not have to regret anything later.
I've come up with a few things I do. One is I never ever never use toothpaste with fluoride. If you research that nefarious psychopathic ingredient you will see why. So I make my own toothpaste. I actually do make everything else I use on my body except for shampoo and conditioner......even though baking soda works as a shampoo as does vinegar for a rinse....it really does. Check this out for the ''No Sham''Poo" movement. Some are now saying that clay actually words better and this makes more sense to me and so I will try it out, next time I need to wash my hair.

So today I made another version of toothpaste because the one I usually use, is a mixture of baking soda and sea salt with pure essential oils. I love it, it makes my mouth feel really clean except I still want to see better results with my gums, and somehow brushing seems harsh, never mind the baking soda and sea salt. 
Today I made something I heard about using tooth soap, which is a mixture of water, olive oil, coconut oil, and essential oils. I had the ingredients on hand of course so I made it in a few minutes. I brushed with it and the softness with my teeth felt much better. I feel now this is soft enough to allow my enamel to grow back. 
Here is a good explanation.

I put into a little jar, half organic extra virgin olive oil, half organic coconut oil, and a blend of tooth serum I make myself too....which is a blend of neem oil, oregano essential oil. black cumin seed oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil and extra drops of peppermint oil for flavor. I would definitely have added tea tree oil but I was out and substituted the black cumin seed oil instead. I added about 25 drops of this serum to the oils and it tastes great and was very soft on my mouth.






I will let you know if this new tooth ''soap'' works for improving my gums.


tooth fairy blessings!



Wednesday, December 28, 2011

I Simply MUST have it

Ok...blogging world is officially making me nuts, crazy, wonky. I've been so spiritually strong for so long, so immune to the material world's temptation, excepting for the low cost must have's in the $20 or less range. But now I'm getting the illness of bigger things, more expensive things and I don't like it much. This below is the latest. I want everything in the picture. My imagination swoons to think of feeling those fabrics! That bedskirt I want as a dress. This has sent me on an hour long trek through the internet trying to find bolts of this fabric. I still have not found anything. I think I will have to make something like this......It's truly been on my mind and in my heart for so many years actually.....I think it's time. I'm tired of ignoring this passion I have for fabrics and making beautyfull things.
and whites...... OHHHHH


http://www.cottagechicstore.com/viewourbeds.ivnu
NEW FOR 2011




"Whisper Linen White Bedding" (Queen)
Headboard Twin: $1,650, Full: $2,000, Queen: $2,200, King: $2,600
Whisper Linen Duvet Cover: 520.00
Whisper Linen Euro sham: 139.00 each
Whisper Linen Standard sham: 114.00 each
Whisper Linen body pillow: 271.00
Linen fitted sheet: 252.00
Linen Flat sheet: 252.00
Whisper Linen dust ruffle: 400.00



You see the prices and why I cannot indulge even if I were crazy enough to want to. Therefore I will need to get sewing....and once I start, I know it won't end. Maybe this could be a good thing.
But where to find bolts of these fabrics?







Saturday, December 24, 2011

My First Cookie Ever

Ok. So as I mentioned before I was greatly inspired by some bloggers who do so many things, taking care of kids, decorating, cleaning, baking....and I was inspired by one who made cookies to give to neighbors. I, thought, for some reason, I could do something so new and simple and just be neighborly and bake something.
I had to find a simple recipe and a video that demonstrated the whole process and I found this video, a demonstration by Laura Vitale. I thought it would be simple, I'd be done in about an hour, have them wrapped and with ribbons, in no time. 
Well it didn't work out that way and to describe my process would be a very very long blog which I cant do, plus I cannot remember every one of the setbacks and challenges I came across, one of them being that one cannot use whipped butter in recipes calling for butter in the baking world because whipped butter has much less density and doesn't amount to the same as stick butter. Then there was the baking pans, which I had to buy, but when finally ready to put them on I realized my roommate didn't buy nonstick ones, so I had to butter them, but when I did, I saw the silver come off on the napkin, so those had to be rewashed and put back into their plastic to be returned, and I had to borrow one....on and on it goes, but that was only the end challenges, there was the beginning ones where the butter wasn't melting with the sugar because I didn't use regular sugar but a natural organic turbinado one. 

Well it goes on but I'll end it here. I did however develop a passion in spite of the aggravation, I guess I was challenged lol, and it is for a snowflake cookie I saw in google images which originated to Paula Deen's snowflake cookie which is one of the most beautiful edible things I ever saw. I want to make a healthy version and I will.


Paula Deen's sugar cookie



Suffice to say, I did finish them, and I did decorate them simply after trying 6 different ways of doing so. 

Each gift was only 5 cookies and I know that is not nearly enough, but I had no idea how many would actually come out in the end and I simply could not stomach another batch LOL. 

But to those who received them, they were smiling very much and very appreciative anyway.


these were simply stenciled with powdered sugar





here they are being sprinkled with green sugar going to be wrapped in biodegradable dishes in background, then wrapped in clear cellophane and ribbon



almost done wrapping





finished

The Feminine Home Magazine

Ooohhhhh this magazine reminds me of the older Victoria Magazine, but purer in its essence, sans advertising or writings, but pure feeling, purely evocative. I NEED this magazine, I don't want it, well....yes, I do....but I need it more than want it. But at $37.00 per copy plus $10.00 shipping? Not sure I can do that.

It will give me life and I'll feel a pulse when I think I've gone to flatland.
This picture is basically how I truly feel inside. If I could wear these ephemeral fabrics that flow in the winds, you would see my truest inner self.








Friday, December 23, 2011

Organic Seasonal Fragrances

Today I woke up wanting to smell things, beautiful things, seasonal things. What came to mind was doing it naturally with what I have, what is seasonal and organic. I still have to have my windows to the home closed unfortunately, though I do air the house daily, but the humidity is still so high I need the AC on. But I want to smell wonderfulness. 
For some reason I thought of pomanders to scent the home and quickly realized it might work well because it was natural and the smells were seasonal and wonderful and they were pretty,  but I never made them before, but how difficult can it be? (Don't ask me about the ''simple'' sugar cookie recipe!) I don't know if they are truly scent-ful or not. But I happen to have some nice oranges only I needed more cloves than I had. And I knew I needed some cinnamon sticks because my friend asked for something Christmassy when she comes, so I knew our tea would have to have cinnamon. A nice Christmas Chai would be perfect. But I needed to buy the cinnamon sticks and since I decided to make some orange and lemon pomanders I'd need some more cloves. 
I also thought of the pine branches I have in the back of my car. I had gotten them from the Xmas tree man when they trim trees and he said I could take as much as I wanted. I took some very happily thinking I'd make wreaths with the grapevines I have sitting in the backyard waiting to be cleaned and turned into pine wreaths and give them to the neighbors as gifts, but my roommate cut them one day and the pile overwhelmed me so I never did it.

I got tired of looking at the tangled mess and told him to take it out to his composter friends' place. But soon after telling him that, and the grapevine were in the back of his truck, I felt terrible, my stomach had pangs of something wrong. I immediately realized it was the grapevine and told him to bring it back, because my spirit wants it for some reason. I thought deeply about it and wondered then what I'd do with it.....and came up with a lovely decorating idea for the front porch! I have now other plans for that grapevine, so stay tuned :D
So the wreaths and garland never got made but I was really happy with the pine branches in the back of my car because the smells were divine every time I got into it! I thought I'd never remove them. 
But today I wanted fresh pine. So I took the ones in my car and placed them with the reindeer in the front, to add to the woodland scene, and they look cute bordering the edges. I didn't put them inside the bed because I grow veggies in that bed and I didn't want pine needles in there because I believe they are acidic and I don't need that in my soil. I left the pine branches on the outside and when we have our one cold day of the winter, I can burn them in the fireplace. 
 

So then my mission was to go to pick up some more fresh cut pine branches to fill my car, so I can simmer them on the stove to scent the house and pick up cinnamon sticks and cloves from the Indian Market, which I did. Now the stove is simmering with the pine and the smells are heavenly.






Here is a pic of my first pomander and I think I'll make one of lemon.........
 




It is pretty, we'll see if it gives off a scent. I have it hanging right by the entrance on a hat rack. There is sheer mosquito netting panel on the door because on cooler days I like to leave the windows and doors open, but for some protection from little flying things that bite, I put the mosquito panel on the door but when its closed I drape it on the rack. It both offers a bit of protection and looks dreamy.
Blessings,
Lady



Wednesday, December 21, 2011

More Xmas Beauties

Hello Everyone,
I've  been sooooooo inspired by so many bloggers, hate that silly word, but the women are multi-talented, all professional homemakers, which is like saying a professional master of all crafts. They do gorgeous homes, in designing, decorating, maintaining, caring, upkeep, cleaning, organizing, tidying, and beautifying and making it a caring functional and cozy sanctuary for their families and for themselves. I've been inspired by them, and thankfully I did find some passion still left in my bones. It's been a very rough year and I thought I lost myself. If I can find myself ''only'' in refreshing the environment and ambiance of my own living space as opposed to saving the world as I believed my whole life, then so be it. And I have. I wish I could do more as in changing the looks for the seasons, but alas, no space or funds for that. BUT ! I am very happy with what I've done today and my only goal was to finish an indulgence in mercury glass that I got into only because the sales were 70% off and I'm almost embarrassed to say what I paid for these things, but they are no less extravagant in their look. Even my roommate came out to tell me he noticed, which is saying something. I will show you here. Apologies for bad pics, but I'm not a professional photographer and I'm grateful for the simple digital camera I was given years ago because it is still alot of fun sharing pictures whatever the quality, even if the date and time and year are all off.....it seems every year the numbers goes backwards lol.
This first is one of the buys of today, a small cakestand, my first in life, and I wonder how I lived without it. I had no idea what I would do for the table, only that it needed a new beautiful seasonal look using the mercury glass and candles. I'm not fastidious about design, as in themes of one texture or color or tradition etc.....only that I need to like it in the end. I used what I had mixed with the finds of the sales, and this is what came out. I decorated the small cake stand with the mercury votive holders and added fresh mood moss and tiny pine cones which I've had for a while. Then I added the rest. At the last minute when I saw the cloche bell standing in the kitchen alone, I glanced at the tablescape and simply placed it over the fresh poinsettia. After a minute of pondering, I added the pearl strings I had sitting on the sofa for some odd reason, then the metallic fruit which were sitting in another cache pot I keep out all year. Done.

This mini cake stand is about 6 inches round. very cute! There was a glass dome cover that did not have a bottom that I've been eyeing in the store for weeks now and finally I asked if they could sell it, and the first person told me no, but I sought out another manager myself and she was gracious, and sold me the dome for only 4$. It fits perfectly over this cake stand. I'm happy. Now I have a happier way of presenting sandwiches ! LOL what fun !




But for now this dessert stand is for the season of Xmas.





without flash. In the center is the incense holder, which looks mysterious and ancient with smoke wisping out of the openings on top.




with flash and before I added the metallic fruit. The tall thing in glass with colorful balls is a Galilean Thermometer. When it gets cold, the balls rise, when it gets hot, they fall. The gold drops at the base of each ball contain numbers which tell the temperature in Fahrenheit. cool gadget. Even thermometers in my home must be beautiful as well as functional.





a detail on the left




detail of the right side with fresh white poinsettia 


I'm almost done with my Xmas arrangements and I didn't think I'd do anything at all this year! I'm happy.

Happy Xmas!


Monday, December 19, 2011

**Christmas Beauty **

There is so much I should be blogging and maybe I'll catch up with all the ''amazing'', to me, stories and little things that have been happening in my world of late. But I cannot find myself spending time writing when I'm really into creating and imagining. So here I will post pictures I've been taking, as they may say alot more than I can. I will put some captions to explain some of them. Please do not mind the date and time, it is totally retarded, it goes backwards every year. LOL
Enjoy ! My favorite of the moment is first here, I find it sooooo beautiful.....please note the exquisite electric blue in the background as I took this picture around twilight.

This is my Lemurian Priestess accompanied by the milk glass and lites, cache of moss, Xmas tree outside and brilliant sky in background.










father time greets those who enter at eye level :D

I love my tree at night, but especially in this picture as the lights glow!

front of house





There is more to come........
My first EVER cookies I made in the spirit of Xmas thanks to some of the bloggers, women who work so hard for family values, their commitment to beauty, comfort, and nurturing, and who are masters at many crafts all at once! it boggles the mind.......and on my part, just a sense of long awaited freedom blossoming into cheer of the season for the first time in a long time.
And coming soon, some more pictures of my new creations working with the Green Kingdoms of the woods, my new great love, Mood Moss!

stay tuned, and many blessings for your own comforts and beauties!
Lady

Fairy's at Play Again....

Good morning all you beautiful people!

I'm in a very playful and peaceful place this past month. I'm not questioning it, just running with it :D and I'm enjoying it for every moment it offers, and when I lose it, I go back and re-member the place and begin to recreate it again. I have done this today. I seemed to have lost the glorious day I walked into when I awoke on Friday, and today I deliberately conjured it up again. What I did was begin to play with some of the beauties I have sitting around in my home, decorating, and making new beauty....which makes everything refreshing, and new, capturing, and captivating, inspirational, and evocative.....all of it.
What I did today was play with the milk white glass I had, that I had brought out in the middle of the night before yesterday because I could not sleep. Let me tell you the story.

3 nights ago, in the evening, I was thinking very much about my friend Yvonne. I cannot describe her accurately, but to say how magical and sweet, and creatively divine she is doesn't cover it at all. I adore her. I was very sad because I remembered all the times we spent together, especially the sleep overs in either her magical house or my magical house because I knew when I woke up she would still be around and I had more time with her, and how we played just like fairies, creating and inventing, squealing and laughing the whole time and with no less beauty than they can! And yes, as grown ups :D We especially love to go the Renaissance Faires together....what fun! 
I wondered where she was, why I don't hear from her, if I should call, would she answer, is she OK, or worst of all, if she was not into playing anymore due to hardship. It was a difficult time contemplating these things. I wished somehow over the years I could find a way to keep us together more often.

2 days later, I could not sleep so I browsed online to see some who blog, create, cook, decorate and oh so much beauty and joy and well organized lives of beauty these women create! I'm in awe of woman yet again. One vase in particular caught my attention.....a pure white creamy pitcher. It was either the picture or the photo or the combination, but it reminded me of a simple and pure feeling, one that I had within, and one that was expressed in some of my possessions, including the milk white glass. 
I had first fallen in love with milk glass when my friend Yvonne had a collection she displayed on a wooden mantle, with all the many milk glass vases glowing from within with candlelight. There is very little more magical than that. She graciously gave me one from her collection. It has been stored away for years with another I had received in a floral arrangement. Well this middle of the night before last, I saw that white pitcher and remembered, the feeling again, and again thought of Yvonne. I went into my cabinet, pulled out the two I had and thought dearly of her, who I haven't spoken to or heard from in over 10 months. My heart pained. I was sad for her and some of the events in her life and a bit afraid she may have been changed so much as to have outgrown me. I felt nostalgic for all the things we did and shared for she is the most magical person I have ever met. When we get together we become like two little girls who only know how to play with each other and make each other smile, with our tastes for beauty, creativity, comforts, joys, purity, innocence, and laughter. Only she is my equal in my life in this magic. 

I pulled out the 2 vases and thought of her. I wondered what I could do with these two vases, making them fit into the landscapes of my home as it is without making it more cluttered....it must be just right. I didn't know at the moment but said I would play with them during the day when I could think, and continued to browse online until I could sleep.
Then next morning, 10 minutes after awakening, as I lay on a bed laughing hysterically out loud at some of the funnies in the Readers Digest I was looking through to find out the planting lunar days, I heard a little girls voice calling my name through my open window......I got up thinking it was the little neighbor next door, but this voice was on my porch peeking into my window......it was Yvonne herself! Talk about squealing and laughing with joy! and magic......
I did it......with my thoughts and sentiments, I conjured her up right to my door, reminiscing about our magic together, the milk white vases, and all the talents she has, and here she is, at my door. I love her sewwww...mueeshhhhhh! 
When I'm with her, I'm not 52 years old, I'm 12 lol. 
I told her my magical story of how I thought of her and brought her here. I explained the whole thing, from the 2 nights previous thinking of her to pulling out the white glass she gave me and how she showed up 8 hours later at my window. Enchanting. This was yesterday.

Today I woke up a little happier having spent time with her in my own home, and having delicious healing orange blossom tea and sharing our latest events, I was very happy to find out she had not lost her magic, and neither did I and that we were the same together again. Very happy!
After Yvonne left yesterday I 'put together' the white vases simply in that I added a bunch of clear white quartz crystals to one vase, added a tea light, and the other vase I only added a tea light and put them on the window sill. Yvonne came back in the evening to pick up something I made for her, and the white glass vases on the window sill were quite magical! She loved them.


view from outside window






But today again, I wanted to play with the vases some more to find them their permanent spot....but because I loved the look of them glowing with tea lights as Yvonne requested while having tea, worked beautifully! lol...., I decided more tea lights would go into them and stay on the window until I could think of something better. So I added the tea lights to both vases, including into one quartz crystal cluster tea holder I always add one to every morning . I left the two vases on the window sill, but soon came back to find that the one in the crystal filled vase was already out. When I looked at it, it was empty, burned out while the other one was still full.....I had only lit them 15 minutes ago, they had 5 hours to burn! I thought maybe it had fallen over, but nothing had touched them and there was no wax anywhere, it was simply burned out. This is not normal. But I added another one, moved them to the table to be with the low crystal cluster, and walked away. 

But something was nagging at me...why did one burn out so fast? I went back to look at the candle to make sure it didn't fall over and melt over the crystals, and no it didn't. Somehow, this tea lite decided to burn in quantum time and when I thought about it, I saw it was the one filled with quartz crystals and looked truly other worldly, and I remembered my Fairy Friends who like to borrow things from me now and again. Then I knew they had taken the one, used it for one of their Fairy events or balls, and because of the strange thing that happens with time on either of our worlds, the candle was already burned out. I do admit it is beautiful enough and worthy for them, and so did they, so they borrowed it as they do sometimes with my lipgloss in a shade called 'champagne'. I love that we share things. lol.



And my favorite picture of them all........