Hoppy Easter to All!

Peter Cottontail and I both wanted to wish you a happy day!

 

Bring joy,

Welcome, Springtime

Ring tingaling, ring tingaling, hurray, hurray for the first day of spring!

changeable weather

forsythia bloom

open window

bird song

garden chores

cloud pictures

short sleeves

pastel eggs

baby animals

swelling buds

tiny green leaves

daffodils dancing

easter baskets

warm soil

peter cottontail and robin redbreast

Henry James said "summer afternoon...the two most beautiful words in the English language";
 "Spring morning" would be my own personal second pick.

 Bring joy,
 

Magnolia Pearl Forever

Remember when I said in a perfect world I'd be wearing this romantically frilly, bohemian outfit?

Well, the world is now officially perfect.

I let out a most unladylike yelp of joy Friday afternoon when I received an email telling me I'd won this Magnolia Pearl ensemble.  I'm pretty sure they heard me all the way to Texas!  After emailing my address to Fiona and Twig (aka photographer extraordinaire Anne Lorys) who hosted the giveaway, I began day-dreaming about wearing my newly-acquired bohemian outfit when it arrives in the mail.

Daydream number one:  I'm lounging in my newly-recovered hammock, sipping an icy limeade, watching the resident goldfish swimming in Lilypad Pond and keeping an eye on the Bombshells (egg-laying machines named after Rita Hayworth and Sophia Loren) so they don't dig up my newly-planted flowers or steal lunch from my veggie patch.  Naturally I'm feeling fabulous in Magnolia Pearl.  I loves me some natural fibers--I'm a cotton/linen/silk girl.

Daydream number two:  I'm sitting on a huge boulder with my sweetie, watching a fire-dance troup perform during Artown.  The Truckee River is reflecting a full moon, the July night is warm with just the merest hint of a breeze.  And I'm the best-dressed girl there.  People ask what I'm wearing.  "Magnolia Pearl, of course," I reply.

Daydream number three:  I've magically grown curly hair, my grandma's high-top boots finally shrunk to fit me, I've lost twenty pounds and I'm enjoying a margarita at one of the neighbor barbecues with some friends who haven't seen me for a while.  (I really like this daydream.)

Not only will I soon have something amazingly, incredibly fun to wear, I also found the perfect name for the newest little member of our cottage family.

Meet my sweet little Barred Plymouth Rock chick: 
M a g n o l i a    P e a r l. 

She'll remind me that I'm lucky every time I see her.  

The world is full of wonder.  Your wildest dreams do come true sometimes. Happiness comes unexpectedly if you just open your heart without expectation.

I'm well aware that this treasure is also the Universe sending me one of its messages.  I'm listening and acting on it.  But that's another story...

Bring joy,


p.s.  The Magnolia Pearl ranch is still for sale, waiting to bless another owner.  But after seeing the place that will become their new home, I can almost understand how Robin and John could bear to part with their old digs.  A new canvas, a new adventure! 

Dreaming of Magnoia Pearl

In a perfect world I'd be wearing this outfit from Magnolia Pearl instead of jeans and a t-shirt. This is the real me:  an artistic, romantic dreamer. 

Ignore that girl behind the screen who gathers eggs in mid-winter wearing a nightgown and wellies.

Oh well, I can dream. And I can dream about buying the Magnolia Pearl ranch--it would be a bit of a commute for me since it's in Texas and I'm not.  Rats!

I'd love using this screen door every day after I gathered eggs.

Can't you just hear that classic wooden thud as it closes behind you?

I know I'd have sweet dreams in a bedroom this delectable bedroom. I suspect that the subtly floral walls are painted.  Yes?

If I practice my painting skills really hard for a decade or so, I might be able to replicate this for our master. 

I'm no fan of pedestal sinks.  Please excuse me for not swooning over exposed pipes.  Plus I love the storage my vanity provides a girl.  But this china rose encrusted version could make me change my mind. 

That's some serious creativity.  See that floor?  Painted rug!

These summer roses make me want to grab my paintbrush. 

I've actually been working on my rose technique lately instead of just daydreaming about incorporating more art into my life.  I don't know that mine will ever turn out this beautifully but I'm happy trying.

I can't decide whether I love the rusted galvanized roof or the size of that veggie garden more. 

Now that I think about it, I know I can replicate that roof for my chicken coop, but my yard will never magically expand in size.
IwillnotbejealousIwillnotbejealousIwillnotbejealous. 

Maybe somewhere, someday, there'll be a ranch for me.  The Gray's ranch is a bargain at $695,000 though. Not that I have that much cash stashed in my mattress or buried in the yard.  If I put as much love and dreams into a place for twelve years, I know I'd want to sell for more than that!

Want more photos to drool dream over?  I found these at Fiona and Twig.
Anne Lorys' lens has a way of capturing the poetry around us.

Bring joy,
 

Dr. Suess-isms

March second--today it's National Reading Day AND somebody's birthday.

Here's a hint:

I love the Cat in the Hat although he caused me severe anxiety as a child; I remember cringing when that pink bathtub ring and Mom's dress were on a collision course.

My very favorite is One Fish, Two Fish--I even have a t-shirt.  As though I couldn't quote the entire book from memory without help.  Followed closely by Green Eggs and Ham.

I laugh at Max wagging his tail, mistakenly waiting for a sleigh ride down Mt. Crumpet.  Every.  Single.  Year.  Because it wouldn't be Christmas without him or Boris Carloff's narration.  (My children do not share my fondness but I suspect that it's one thing they'll always remember about me.)

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, here's a bit of wisdom from world-famous philosopher Theodor Geisel himself:


You'll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut. 

I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells.

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

 Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.

A person's a person no matter how small.

You'll be sort of surprised what there is to be found once you go beyond Z and start poking around.

I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of fun that is funny.

I meant what I said and I said what I meant.

Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.

You can find magic wherever you look.

What's your favorite Seuss book?

Bring joy,

(how appropriate!)

 

Going All Lizzie Bennet Diaries On You, Again

Spoiler alert:  If you haven't started watching LBD as I politely encouraged you previously--then do it NOW.  Before you read this!

I hinted that the Lizzie Bennet Diaries have me reluctantly liking Lydia Bennet. It's impossible not to love a happy-go-lucky, ever-so-slightly obnoxious but sweet little Irish setter puppy either.  So I started watching Lydia's YouTube channel.  Adorbs!



Thanks to the writers and Mary Kate Wiles, she's the best Lydia ever--there's a complex human being behind all that fluffy air-brained exterior.  I admit I feel completely protective of her now and worry like a big sister.  See I told you I got hooked on the LBD!

Darling sweet Jane Bennet has her own Pinterest account. 
I've been inspired to begin braiding my hair in new styles as an homage.  (Milkmaids of the world, unite!)

Then there's Pemberley Digital's new Domino application.  Turns out Darcy has an awesome sister.
But you already knew that, right?


It's just possible that some faux blogs have popped up to carry us through real-time until the next episode pops up.  Because LBD only Mondays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. is not nearly enough.  Two of the better ones:
Diary of a Darcy  or Worst Wingman Ever Fitz

Other fans feel just like I do but make better use of their wait time. What else does a true fan have to do whilst awaiting the next episode? Well, if they enjoy musicals they make this YouTube video.

I love creativity.

But I cringe to think of how much time it took to assemble this.  Then I watch it again. Combining LBD with Beauty and the Beast? Crazy good!

Depending on how much you like Jane Austen, I promise either to not torture you with another LBD post until the final episode or I promise to share my delight as the series wraps up!

One final confession:  I tried filling in the wait by re-reading Pride and Prejudice but all I could hear every time Mrs. Bennet spoke was Lizzie's southern accent.  It fits so darn well!  So I dug up my BBC mini-series version to get her British accent back.  Whew!

And my positively last confession:  I've been reading Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Northanger Abbey too.  (In my spare time.)  (I read really fast.)

Bring joy,

Currently Obsessed with Jane Austen and LBD

What is it about Pride and Prejudice anyway?  It's truly amazing that a two-hundred year old novel's still going strong.  Each DVD version brings new opinions about the best Darcy. There have been jump-offs like Lost in Austen and Death Comes to Pemberley and P and P and Zombies.  And I'm sure I'm not the only one who's lost count of how many times I've read the book.

And now? Now I've gotten ensnared by the Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube!  For those of you who are not LBD subscribers, it's delivered as a twice-weekly vlog by grad student Lizzie Bennet. Yes, THAT Lizzie Bennet.

I've become pretty much obsessed with this modern twist on a fav classic.  These single women (even if it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife) are smart, educated and thoughtful and I'm rooting for them every step and er, misstep of the way.

You may think you know the characters, but prepare to be surprised and delighted. I think the best part of this new adaptation is the fleshing out of minor roles.  I'm not dropping any spoilers here, but I predict your heart might get highjacked by an unlikely member of the Bennet family.

I love browsing Jane's Pinterest boards and may have re-pinned a sweetly romantic idea or two.

And Lizzie isn't the only one who vlogs about her life.  Facebook, Twitter and tumblir accounts exist in the world of LBD.  The more I dig, the more I find. It's like a Jane Austen treasure hunt!


I could go on and on, but all I really wanted to say was that you might enjoy the Lizzie Bennet Diaries as much as I do.

But be warned, you might find yourself sitting in front of your computer at precisely 9 a.m. Pacific Time waiting for the latest episode to be posted and being tickled to find you're viewer #307.  Not that I'd ever be enough of a fangirl to do that or anything.

Bring joy,