Vintage Farmhouse gift-Teacup Exchange 2015

A vintage farmhouse gift...

What a delightful box waited for me on my front porch.  While participating in The Enchanting Rose's Teacup Exchange 2015 I was gifted with a beautiful one-of -a kind teacup.  Jo from Anne's Attic-design sent me this lovely teacup. It was handmade and came from an old farmhouse that is over 200 years old.  The tea cup isn't that old but the lady she purchased it from had hand crafted it when she was in her 30's and she is 91 now!  I absolutely love stories like this! I'm a sentimentalist and to know that this treasure has found its way into my home-- it's most welcome here.

Jo included Bits and Bobs... so fun!

 The teacup will be wonderful this holiday season... I am looking forward to enjoying a cup of Christmas tea with it.

The unique shape of the petals on the saucer... ruffly, unique and lightly shaded with green.

 Truly a unique and charming piece.  I'm so happy it found its way to me.  Thank you Jo for your lovely gift and new friendship.  Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose... thank you for hosting such a fun and sweet event. I had a sweet time putting together my exchange for Janet of Rosemary and Thyme- she did a beautiful blog post and I'm so grateful to have been introduced to two new friends.

~Tanya

Lavender's Blue

Lavender's Blue... dilly, dilly

Freshly cut this morning from my garden.  Wonderful to be the end of September and still have my roses blooming and lavender!

I could walk in fields of lavender! So pretty. 

'When I am king, dilly dilly, you will be queen.'  A pretty little nursery song... my mom used to sing to me when I was a child. Such sweet memories.

Dilly, dilly! 

~Tanya

Sharing with:
The Enchanting Rose Roses of Inspiration #38

Romantic Pink Hollyhocks

After a light spray of fresh water this morning my pink hollyhocks seemed to flutter in the breeze.  These blooms are from seeds a coworker gave me many years ago and were a surprise this year in my garden.

My former coworker loved to garden and would put thoughtful small gifts together for her friends.  She gifted me with a small seed packet from her flowers.  Many years later I planted these seeds and this is the gift I received again from her.

My coworker friend and I lost track of one another many years ago as I moved away out of state but I often remember our shared office times together.  She had a love of gardening and flowers and was always so willing to share the fruits of her labor.

Late last year I decided to see if I could find her again after 20 years but was saddened to find her obituary in a Google search.  This spring I planted the seeds she so lovingly placed in an envelope and gave to me over 20 years ago.  They have bloomed and fit right in with my double pink roses.  My heart is happy to know her gift of seeds is blooming and right at home in my flower garden.  I hope she sees my flowers and smiles because they made my heart sing this morning. 

Plant your gifts of love and generosity today... for you never know where or when they will make the world a beautiful place or touch those you love.

~Tanya

Creative Process

Leaning tower of Maybell Flowers.

Petals stacked upon petals.  Stitches upon stitches. 

How could I resist stacking these pretty flower motifs?

A study of muted tones with a splash of yellow.

Time spent creating is never wasted.  

Forming each stitch, watching my hook breathe life and shape into one long strand of yarn.

Making a circle into a square.

Playing with the layout.

A lovely burst of fresh sea foam.

Makes me think of the sea air blowing.

Enjoying forming each stitch.

Scallops and curves.

Sea foam and white.

Ahhhhh the joy of creating.

~Tanya

Antique Summer

In the midst of an antique summer day.

Something cheerful and uplifting about antique worked crochet lace. This piece was given to me by my best friend.  She found it at a thrift shop and immediately thought of me.  It was gifted to me as a birthday gift last year and I believe it has found a warm home among my other much loved pieces of lace.

I often wonder where pieces like this came from, who spent hours crocheting and forming each stitch.  I wonder where they were when they stitched it, what were they thinking, what were their hopes and dreams?

My cherry quilt /table topper seems to have perfectly befriended this new addition to my collection.  I remember stitching the scrappy cherries not knowing where or how I would use them but just knew that some day they would look just right on my table.  Some times projects are kind of like that. We design and create to make our heart and soul feel alive... and when it all comes together it makes sense.  Many of my projects are like that and I often question myself because I want to make so many things but this is an example of why I do what I do.

Perfectly formed pineapple stitches.  I'm so glad this piece found it's way into my life and home. It feels like an old friend.

A friend that knows my heart and soul.  A friend that sits with me when I'm happy and comforts me when I'm sad.  

A flower fairy peeking out from behind to stay with me a while and visit.

Bright and full of life again.

I think I'll sit for a while this afternoon and enjoy some quiet time with my newly loved crochet piece and some inspirational magazines and books.  Solitude and nourishing our creative hearts and minds is always time well spent... especially on an Antique Summer Day.

~Tanya

Garden Tour

How does your garden grow...

I recently toured many local homes as part of the Water & Rails home tour. I marvel at the talent and time the home owners put into their gardens but more importantly their generosity of opening their gardens to share with others.  

Ponds... water... koi... 

Pink roses!

 Yes, a train. Nestled and designed into the landscape architecture. A working train traveling and passing through.

Whimsical yet thought provoking.  The time and dedication required to allow the garden to grow and evolve. That's where the true heart of a garden is born and thrives.  Each garden reflected the owner's style and personal touch.  Just the way it ought to.

 All aboard!!!

This pond at one time was the ice hockey practice rink for the local university.  Now a uniquely decorated Schwinn bicycle sits nearby.  Oh, if the pedals of the bike could speak! 

Bo came out to meet me.  He regularly runs through two acres of gardens and ponds.  A friendly pooch welcoming me to his home.  Bo showed me where he likes to eat from the blackberry patch.  

Pretty and peaceful.

A local artisan creates one of a kind plant stakes out of vintage plates and door knobs. I had a wonderful time meeting the home owners who all were so welcoming.  Taking the time to visit, chat and hear their stories of their gardens was truly the highlight for me.  How does your garden grow... 

~Tanya

Antique Redwork Heart

Antique redwork has been a love of mine for years.  Redwork was a popular needle craft art in the 1870's.  Six inch muslin squares marked with simple designs were sold as Penny Squares in general stores. 

Simple, romantic and so fun to stitch.  

And one perfect white rose... just because.

~Tanya

Goodbye February

Spring is well on its way.  Early this morning I took a walk because it was snowing and because who could resist. It was a light snow following a few very spring like weeks.  Nature really has this 'ole life down and speaks both deeply and quietly.

Yes, bloom it will!

Made me think of T.S. Eliots 'The Waste Land.'  

I will show you fear in a handful of dust.

                      Frisch weht der Wind

                      Der Heimat zu

                      Mein Irisch Kind,

                      Wo weilest du?

“You gave me hyacinths first a year ago;

“They called me the hyacinth girl.”

—Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden,

Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not

Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither

Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,

Looking into the heart of light, the silence.....

“That corpse you planted last year in your garden,

“Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year?

~Tanya

Wild Flower Seeds

I found these wildflower seeds the other day while going through my seed box.  Yes, it's feeling very spring like here. I have cabin fever and am yearning to be outdoors enjoying the sunshine and planting time.  What a beauty of artwork on this little seed packet.

I almost forgot I had these! What a little treasure waiting to be planted. Wildflowers- something beautiful about how natural and simple they are. 

Antique teacups and a newly fashioned 'antique' crocheted pink rose hot pad. Right, a hot pad! Well if nothing but to make things pretty- and who can't use a little pretty in their life? I'm a sentimentalist and each time I see special things in my life it brings joy to my heart and special meaning.  

Maybe this year I'll take a walk some place beautiful among the wildflowers and just breathe it all in.

~Tanya 

Grow Your Blog 2015

Welcome to my blog and to the Grow Your Blog party 2015.

It's hard for me to believe a year has gone by since I participated in last year's Grow Your Blog party.  Last year I was included in the party at the very last minute and it was such a fun experience for me. I met and visited wonderfully inspiring blogs and even made some new blogger friends.

Welcome to my page and I hope you enjoy your visit.  As most people when the New Year rolls around we tend to reflect and think about how we want our upcoming year to look. We often try to set goals or put in our 'to do' lists things we have put off doing.  I've never really been a resolution maker but this year I some how turned a corner in my life.  I didn't do it consciously but it just seemed to happen.  The words 'just live' kept coming to me- and that is what I have set as my 2015 intention. To LIVE- to enjoy, to experience, to let go, to become, to forget, to never forget, to look forward to, to remember, to keep moving forward, to learn from the past,to hope- and most importantly to just live.

I'm so happy you've taken a moment to visit my blog and I hope you enjoy the party.  I'm looking forward to meeting new friends and to continue posting and sharing a snippet of my life and world.  Thanks again for spending a few moments of your precious life here and may we inspire one another to live more happily.

~Tanya