The Art Of A Festive Gathering

 

New Website Bubbling Up Soon!

My Dear Friends, Mermaid Junkies and Shoal Family, 

I titled this post as a festive gathering, because by the time I hit publish on this post  I do believe my book will be out into the Universe for all the world to read. 

I wanted to touch base, have a little visit and tell you each how much I appreciate your friendship, kindness and support with regards to my blog and my new storybook, "The Tale of MerryMaid Scarlette Rose.". 

A dinner party in celebration of Jane austen. I love this outfit and hope to replicate it at my book signings.

This is the final proof from the company that I am having create all of my formatting for my  storybook series. 

 If you ever decide to self~publish your very own books and would love a terrific company to format your books for you, I'd highly recommend Glendon at Street Light Graphics. Tell them I sent you. They are a wonderful company to work with.

I have begun scheduling my book signings with the list of tea rooms and book stores. Did I tell you that Oliver will be joining me at the signings? Isn't that a delightful idea? He seems to get all of the attention, so I figured he'd be a wonderful way to bring excitement to the children and parents. 

I am still working on it, but I figured out a nifty idea for a travel basket for Oliver. I had to put it off when my beloved took sick, but I'll have it all ready to go before my book signings. Oliver is asking that you bring him rose petals to munch on and he'll have his wooden cane that he uses in the story. {smile}

I wanted to chat a bit about the particulars of what's happened since I last posted about my dearest Gardener, for those of you that have contacted me and shown concern. Thank you so much for reaching out, it meant the world to me. 

This is a cropped illustration of a page from my storybook. The pixels look a little off but rest assured in the book they are very clear and perfect. I edit all of my photos to fit an aesthetic for my blog and social media so that's why the saturation looks the way it does in this photo.

I made some Geranium Rose Petal powder and cold cream. I'm mildly obsessed with this cold cream. It reminds me so much of the scent that my maternal grandmother used to wear. I can't get enough.

Do you like how I used old portraits and glued button eyes. I think It's an element of spooky, but on the subtle side. The little golden frame in the background is from the dollar tree. Did you know that these size frames are the exact size of lithograph photos. I buy the frames and just remove the paper art image inside and if the gold is too fake looking I will spray a light coat of brass or gold spray paint over it. these were perfect so I didn't have to touch them.  

A favorite of mine, the  double boiler. I received this as a gift from my dear Aunt Dianne on my mother's maternal side.

In between my visits back and forth to the hospital to stay with Jeffrey, I had some time to faff around the cottage and make a few things among my routine writing, cleaning and making ye Olde youtube Videos. The Victorians were very resourceful and used glass for all of their needs, and I try to do that also. I am a Mermaid after all, and the oceans are much better off If we are conservation conscious oriented. I save all my glass jars from the market. I clean them out and remove the labels, and I do age and distress the lids to look old. I made a dozen of beeswax candles, and I jokingly said on my IG stories that I only caught the stove on fire once. 

I swam down to the crystal market and found some lovely crystals to add to our collection. I also had some extra sticks from the gardens and made another wispy broom. Quite fitting for this time of year. You know how I fancy Halloween. I love Citrate crystals, do you? What is your favorite crystals?

Citrate {brown}: Assists in overcoming obstacles, increases feelings of self worth and confidence and helps build leadership skills. I think it's beautiful how so often I will go to purchase a crystal and before I go, I always set a little intention that the correct crystals will call my spirit, and that I will be drawn to them. It occurs every time. I had no idea what a citrate crystal was especially healing for , but my inner being knew. I also found a blue, and a green citrate. jeffrey got a blue citrate as well, along with a citrine on a necklace and two Jasper bracelets for healing. I thought those were delightful choices since it was his first week since out of the hospital and he's been awful weak. I have the most fun with him. It's so wonderful sharing time with those beautiful souls that inspire us to sing songs from the soul, isn't it?

 I don’t think it’s a coincidence that each day I bring my tray of crystals down from the shelf to prepare for meditation that Oliver immediately gets comfortable, lays down next to them and becomes sleepy. Animals know best where real alignment and energy stems from.

Did you know that all through my life, I was always drawn to crystals and earthly sentiments, but I was taught when I was a youth that crystals were evil and bad. I now know that even as a child I intuitively knew how much everything in my world has a spiritual nature to it.

Remember that what your heart calls you towards is always right. It doesn’t have to be right for anyone else, but you and you alone. Don’t let people convince you that God isn’t calling you forward, no matter what form it takes on. Trust your inner being, it knows! I love crystals and I know they make me feel calm and happy, so I practice with them everyday.

“You have to be in the world to understand what the spiritual is about, and you have to be spiritual in order to truly be able to accept what the world is about. So this is how you swim inward. So this is how you flow outwards. So this is how you pray.”~ Mary Oliver
I also had some spare time to hang my vision board for this year. I know it seems most dreadful that I had it made for so long, but it was stuck in the closet. It just took a simple nail to hang it under my Victorian frame. Do you find that you do that sort of thing too? I get busy doing a million projects and abandon many of them mid way through. Ask my mother and my Beloved Gardener, they will both tell you I am notorious for this type of antic.

I now embrace it and just tell myself I'm not inspired to finish it. I think it's about high~time we all cut ourselves some slack and say to ourselves that if we didn't do something, it's because we weren't feeling inspired, and that's A-Okay... We are too rough on ourselves, Ladies. let's be a bit more gentle with ourselves. Things always go much better when we don't use force and aggressiveness. Have you ever tried to push a wet noodle? Oh my... It's a travesty!{heh}

"A minute's reading often provokes a day's thinking."~W.H. Venable, 1872 I had some time , or should I say I will always make time for some reading. I found these lovely quotes from some of my Victorian literature.

"Books are those faithful mirrors that reflect to our minds the minds of sages and heroes. A good book is the precios life -blood of a master spirit treasured up on a purpose for a life beyond.."~J.F. Spaunhurst, 1896.

Writing: "Every new book must have, in the consciousness of it's author, a private history that, like mysteries of romance, would if unfolded have an interest for the reader, and by revealing the inner life of the volume show its character and tendencies." Sarah Josepha Hale, 1866.

This is my logo that I painted for my new branding and website. I must confess I have gotten my bloomers in a wad in more times than I can count while working at creating a header, oh my...Pixels are maddening {heh}. I practice the law of attraction and it still trifles me with how much I allow the little things to bog me down, such as attempting to create a new website by myself. Are you a website genie?

I took a break and walked to the park and spent some time just clearing my head. How has your life been as of late? I've missed you each and I think of you each so very often. I hope to see you around these waters very soon. If I happen to be in your area at one of my book signings, I sure hope you'll swim by and give me a hug and ocean kisses.

I will put up a list of the places and sightings when I have each event dated for certain.

Most affably yours til my next swim, raquelxxx