A Gathered Table Scape

Hello~

Today we are celebrating clouds and 

possible rain this week....

As well as our sweet

daughter's 31st birthday.

She and her older sister and I

went on a little outing

for dinner, shopping and a movie.

We went to see Oceans 8.

Oh my... 

What a fun chic flick.

We try to celebrate the entire week.

Life passes by so quickly and I believe

in being very purposeful.

And a cloudy day?

 It's like a holiday for us around here especially considering this drought.

To clarify...

Ours and surrounding counties have been declared

a disaster area and we are on severe

restrictions. We're not even permitted 

to mow our lawns because of sparks.

No smoking outside.

Anyway...

On to happier things :) and there

are always happy things!

Like birthdays and flowers blooming

and little butterflies flitting about.

And a table that is full of color, glittery sparkles

and fun surprises for little eyes to find.

This may have the appearance of Easter but it's

actually just for spring with some things that I just 

grabbed because kids light up

when they see it all!

You can see what I used...

The vintage bottles and salt and pepper shakers

were some of my favorites.

I so enjoy using ordinary things

for something other than it's

intended use.

What about you? 

What kind of treasures do you enjoy using

when you're creating? And it doesn't 

have to be decorating your table.

I hope you're doing well and

taking some time to keep yourself grounded

and in touch with you.

I read something this morning that

got me to thinking about what

we give ourselves permission for.

Do you give yourself a lot of grace?

We all need it.

I know all too well how to put 

myself in a box and to criticize 

what I do and how I do it. 

and even what I fail to do.

 Are you allowing yourself to be you and

even embracing who you are?

I am hopelessly devoted to

getting this right. Making room for my

real self. The one who makes mistakes

and is always learning. She's creative and

messy and sometimes loses her way.

There's growing and accepting and then

when I think I have it figured out,

I change! Can you relate to any of that?

One thing that I'm learning to do is to be more
open and honest with myself and others.

I am back after taking a very long break.

The clouds were so inviting and the temperatures

so forgiving that I wandered outside to

(more like raced before the sun came back out ;)

get some more of my plants in the ground.

And to do some more rock work

on the little wall that I'm building

in the the Gypsy Camp gardens.

I will share some pictures.

I have my eye on a couple of climbing roses

 in town and the Virginia 

Creeper wintered so well through

the drought and the cold that we are going to

plant a couple more to add some greenery.

We must whenever we can as we are

surrounded by white grasses (dead) and dirt!

We do have some
Juniper and Pinon 
trees that are very gracious
 to give us shade.

 I have planted several herbs in the past couple

of days. Annual and perennial.

And I found the most adorable

Dwarf English Boxwood. So far it's doing well.

Fingers crossed!

I also had to take some time to dust and clean

and get things in order. I do so enjoy a tidy home. With the season of playing outside, it takes a little more effort to keep up.

It's time to go rest up for this evening.

As we are playing music tonight at one of our favorite places. I get to play my new pink guitar that Jeff bought me for our Anniversary in April.

Eeep!! Doesn't a 

Shabbi Gypsy girl need a pink guitar?

I will share some pictures soon.

I do hope that

you have a lovely, lovely weekend creating and

enjoying just being you right where you are

and of course

celebrating the wonderful

fathers in your life.

Here's a fun quote for summer...

"LIFE IS SHORT.

TAKE THE TRIP,

BUY THE SHOES,

EAT THE CAKE!"

Blessings and hugs to you~

Tamara 

xoxo

Art Inspiration: My Quest ~ Dreams: Focus and Purpose

Hello...

With a day full of possibilities, what will you do?

We can soar on the wings of our dreams!

Do you have dreams?

I think at one time in our lives,  we all had a dream..

Hopefully, you still do.

 I have dreams.

There have been times when I haven't been true..

to myself or to my dreams.

It's easy to get caught up in expectations of others.

What we SHOULD do can dictate our

decisions and the whispers of our heart's dreams

can be drowned out by so many things.

 Where do your dreams stand?

You know you are the only one that can protect them

I'm building walls around my dreams and learning to guard them

with a fierceness because if I don't...

they can so easliy vanish in the midst of daily living.

 I think we're meant to dream. 

Without them, how would we set goals?

There's a longing in my heart that is leading me to practice being artistic 

and creative. Living life to the fullest in my home and through my 

drawing, painting, playing music and writing songs.

God has given us all talents and gifts along with a desire

to express ourselves through these gifts and talents.

 There have been times when I have prayed and asked for God to make a way,

and to show me what HE wanted me to do.

A lovely revelation came to me.  

{Sometimes God is just waiting on us to make up 

our minds about what it is we want to do.

And then He can bless it.}

 He has given us gifts and talents and 

HE WANTS US TO USE THEM! 

The desire is natural and beautiful

and one of the strongest motivators to get us where we want to go~

 I am having to retrain myself and it's kind of like steering

a very large vessel through the water.

It's a very slow but deliberate process.

It takes a seriousness of purpose and focus that

has to shut out the everyday.

This focus also comes from knowing what it is I REALLY want.

I cannot tell you how many hours I have wasted

by just letting my mind wander.

 I can't allow myself to putter away at lots of little things that

I think are interesting. I don't have time to chase

bunnies that run across my path and distract.

I have to be orderly in my thinking, keeping the dream ever

before me. Picturing the destination and how to get there helps.

We can achieve anything we want when we have a desire and a plan.

Just recently, I was reminded that one of my purposes was to inspire.

Beauty and truth. 

Here are disciplines that I am learning to apply to be able to 

see that happen.

*Work my mind really hard. I can be and have been

 very lazy in my thought life.

*Be realistic. I have had to come to the truth that I

cannot accomplish every idea that I have had.

This has led me to *purge my ideas

and my home of materials that I will never be able to put to use.

And I am always...always, in some way,

working on some kind of project.

Such as ...learning a new song, researching how to write a song,

playing my guitar or mandolin.

Working on a painting, learning a new technique.

Etc.. this helps me keep the momentum.

This has required letting go of things and ideas that I have attached myself to.

But I can't allow emotions to get in the way.

Sometimes we have to be strong and firm.

These disciplines have made me stronger and enabled me to

focus SO MUCH MORE.

Which brings more inspiration and peace 

which my heart was desperate for. 

 It may sound like I am never spontaneous and don't follow my heart.

Actually and ironically, it's the opposite.

The more we are able to pinpoint our weaknesses and work to put forth a plan 

that can clear our hearts and minds of distraction and unwanted clutter,

the less we worry and fret about that stuff and get bogged down

trying to figure out what to do.

We can make mistakes and will.

We will get sidetracked and distracted.

Because that's real. 

But do you have a plan in how to get back on track 

and find your groove again?

 So.... 

HERE' S TO THE HEARTS THAT DREAM~

 Best wishes for your journey to be magical,

filled with wonder, excitement and purpose!

We will make messes of all sorts but won't it be fun and 

inspiring and encouraging to learn?

And how wonderful to be in a place just to know that we're 

listening and responding to  those quiet nudgings. 

How beautiful and exciting!

I wish you all the best in following your heart and being 

able to achieve your dreams in the truest 

sense of what they mean to you!

Have a wonderful week and thank you so much for coming by!

Hugs~

Tamara 

Give What Lasts... "Living" a Gift For Others (and Ourselves)

It's a very cold, frosty morning here in the 

White Mountains

and we've had our first snow.

This morning, I've been thinking about 

what's important to leave behind. 

I've always thought that it

 would be a good thing to 

leave some kind of legacy.

 Some strong sense of something to ground,

enrich or inspire those who follow. 

And being so close to the holidays,

I'm also considering the possibility of these things

as gifts. Something that will make 

a difference to those that I

have the privilege to encounter.

Obviously, this type of gift isn't quite as convenient 

to give as one that can 

be wrapped in pretty paper.

So, I guess, they become a challenge as

well as a gift to ourselves.

Because, in order to "give" them

we have to be living them.  

So, hmm....I guess you could call it..

"Living" a gift instead of 

"giving" a gift.   

Or... 

Gift Living.   

Wouldn't it feel amazing to give something 

like this to someone

that we knew would hopefully be passed

down for generations?

We do that with heirloom pieces and 

handmade gifts. Wouldn't it be wonderful to

gift a person with some intangible "heirlooms"

as well?

Such as;

A sense of humor~ 

(Which is a little ironic.

Because I've never had one.

Hah! But I'm learning!)

What a great thing it would be to 

inspire someone

to laugh or be able to look at

circumstances from 

a "lighter perspective." 

Something that could help a person get 

through the tougher times of life.

And help someone else do the same!

Compassion~

There's something else that I feel

that I am having have had to "grow in to."

What a comforting thing to be on the

recipient of this loving attribute. 

Everyone needs compassion.

Kindness shown in a time of pain.

No matter what the source of that pain is.

Resourcefulness~

Another name for this could be:

Problem solving.

Being a thinker and then taking it a 

step further to the "doing" stage. 

What a fun way to stretch the 

imagination and be creative!

To apply gifts... talents and knowledge.

Or.... 

An opportunity to learn something new!

Of course, I enjoy going to concerts, movies and

and plays. They are fun, interesting and

 enriching. However, I don't want my life to

be characterized by that.

And it's so much more satisfying to use

what I've learned and the skills that I 

have acquired to enrich someone else's life! 

Everyday is filled with multiple opportunities

to apply this or to grow in it.

These are just a few that are important to me.

You've probably thought of your own while 

reading through this.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you so much for stopping by and

have a beautiful a day!

Tamara

To Define and Re-Define : It's A Learning Process

Hello all. It's another too gorgeous day here at our mountain. home. The weather has us all wishing for flakes from heaven. Charlotte is even wearing her snowman earrings. We resort to anything that we have with snowflakes and add it to our prayers. We like to think that it works. ;)

*******************************************************

 

My thoughts have been focused a lot of on my vision

 and goals for the......

 dream that is being fashioned and defined
in my mind and heart.

I am inspired by..so many things


Nature..

Words..
Music..
Textures..
 

Soft neutrals mixed with a touch of  beautiful,

cornflower blue and faded pinks.

 

 Soft, textured flowers and frayed edges that

look worn and loved by the passing of time.

And paper..
Pearls and lace draped and gathered with ruffles together with
 time-weathered barn wood.

I'm learning to understand .....

what's in my heart and how to let it spill
out from my hands and create.

 

 

It's inspired by:
 

 the richness of life ...the abundance of beauty...
hope..
 experiences... 
people's stories
and lifestyles..

  

The other day, on Amazon, I ran across a book.

It was called:

 

Rachel Ashwell Couture Prairie: And Flea Market Treasures

I LOVED it! 
I stopped to think and it made me
laugh; it made me see
how long it has taken me to settle on just WHAT it
is that delights my heart and inspires me.
 
My life has been so full of homeschooling, putting my heart and
hands to work in our busy home of 11. My husband and I also lead
 praise and worship at community events and in our church. And teaching Sunday school
in the mornings, and wrangling the youth
at our church kept us hopping for sure!

It was all very fun, fulfilling and
I learned so much!

Gratitude fills my heart when I think of how God
allowed us to be used in these ways and for how
it enriched MY life. The time was blessed
though sometimes crazy!

But you can understand, I didn't have much time to
think about the things
that were waiting to be created or decorated!
Though, we did encourage the children to work with their hands and 
nurture the gifts and talents that they had
Our life itself was a tapestry of
creativity as each day unfolded in our rambling,
country home.


 Now the season has changed and I still
want every area of my life to be a star shining with....

~Beauty...
Encouragement... Blessing...
Inspiration~

but through another means.


****
When I first began realizing my dream of designing crafts and
 decorating, I was intrigued by the Primitive
designs. I was drawn by the rustic look... weathered wood...
the homespun and stained fabrics.
The kind of historic charm and homey warmth
that comes with it all.
And just plain country.

 Though there are some
fabulous artists and it's full of warmth, 
Primitive just isn't me.

I'm sure my tastes and style will continue to transition as God
and others inspire and help me to define and re-define
who I am on the inside and out.

It's been (can be) discouraging at times feeling like I
would never quite find the resting place.
But there are some things I've learned:

*Always, ALWAYS enjoy every step of the way*

*Remember that everything I'm experimenting with
adds to my knowledge*
(Or, it's ALL good.)

*It's never too late to begin something new or change directions*
(Life is an ever-changing progression of seasons.)

*Always take time to encourage others*
(Whether a heart is seasoned or brand new,
each one is uplifted by a little sunshine.)

*Be grateful for every seemingly small accomplishment*
(Don't let the numbers influence me. This is about beauty
and a genuine, creative spirit.)

*Show appreciation to those whom I have learned from
and continue to be an encouragement to me.
They are so gracious. BLESS them!* 

***************

I'm excited about what's to come and thankful
for the privilege of the all that's gone before.

I hope you are inspired and fulfilled ..
Wherever you are in your pilgrimage.

Blessings and a hug to you,
Tamara