Awaiting Spring

Well, the wheel of time is turning away. Turning the hours into days and the days into weeks. I started the year well enough, with new and creative ideas and projects brewing. But then a curious thing happened. I got caught up in meetings, household chores, deadlines to meet, and the general mundane tasks of a hectic life. And I have lost track of the time.

But, with the new season coming there is new hope! I shall slow down. I shall get more sleep and take better care of my body in order to be my best! I have big plans for the coming year, and aim to share those plans here with you.

As a much needed day out, my family and I went to our favorite museum- The Grand Rapids Public Museum. We are members here and go quite often. The Bodies exhibit was visiting and I planned to take pictures and share them with you. Alas, picture taking is not allowed in the exhibit, and so I have none to share . I will say that if you have the opportunity to visit the Bodies exhibit near you, you should go! It was truly amazing!

The Victorian Carousel is so beautiful and the kids love to ride it. I think my husband does too, he always insists on riding with my son.

They have a beautiful section that replicates the city streets in Victorian times. We could wander there all day. I love visiting all the little shops to see how different things were.

I love these boots! They also have a whole wall of interesting hats from around the world.

A huge whale skeleton hangs from the cieling. My husband and I were here late on evening for a laser light show in the planetarium and they had a wedding set up on this lower floor. It was so beautiful looking out on the river with lights twinkling everywhere. There is something almost comforting about being amongst all these old artifacts and pieces of history.

My favorite section is the natural history and taxidermy section. The kids love to look at all the animals and birds. My husband and I usually find a seat in this section and let the kids wander, it is so fun to see them excited about learning.

I have also started a Daisy Girl Scout Troop at my daughter's school. After asking at the Council about a troop for my daughter to join, they said they had nothing for her, unless I wanted to start a troop. My mom was my troop leader when I was a girl, and I figured it was my duty to pass that on. So I jumped in! We are having a great time!

I am looking very forward to spring arriving. I think that a bit of my frustation was cabin fever. I can't wait to dig in my garden and to smell and feel the dirt. I have big plans for my garden this year! I think I will mostly concentrate on greenery. Ferns, Ivies, trailing tendrils. I have a vision in my head of a cool, lush, green surrounding and I am prepared to work for it! We still have several inches of snow, but I can see the grass peeking out here and there. I do know one other creature who is looking forward to spring- my sweet girl, Jezebel. She is definitely a warm weather dog!

The Holidays are Upon us...

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We spent it with my parents and had a perfectly lovely meal. Of course, we ate until we were stuffed and then ate some more.

Our home is infused with Holiday Spirit. I am very excited about the Holidays this year. Perhaps it is because my little ones are so excited, it is very contagious, you know. We have been decorating, baking, singing songs.
I am hosting my first Holiday dinner this year and am already thinking of my menu. Should we go with the traditional dinner? or should we do something interesting and start our own traditions?

Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.
Does your family have any dinner traditions for the Holidays?

I have also been creating some new pieces. Holiday Bling done Gypsy Moon style...




These are now available here in my Etsy shop. They would make great gifts, or would make a great gift to yourself. You have been good this year, haven't you?

I have many more new creations and will be adding new items to my shop daily.

We woke up to snow this morning. There was much jumping up and down and clapping from my two little ones. The first snow fall is always so beautiful. I love the snow, I just wish there was some magical way to keep it off the roads.

I will leave you with this magical clip from my FAVORITE Holiday movie, White Christmas.
What a wonderful era this was, ladies wore dresses and pearls everyday, and men wore suits everyday. Oh, to dance with Danny Kaye would be amazing...

Ancient Dreams...

I have always had dreams of another existence.

Images flash when I close my eyes of bonfires with men bearing swords and furs sitting around, laughing in celebration. They are raising their mugs and slapping each other on the back, the sound of drums resonates throughout.


And in the Forest...
Running, climbing, living among the trees.
Gathering berries and lazing next to a stream.
It is beautiful.


These visions are a part of my inner self.
They are my sanctuary when I need a place to hide. I have so many dreams and visions like this, surely they must have been from a past life.


I have often suppressed these inspirations when creating my jewelry. Deciding instead to create what I thought others would want to see.
I have always been been a bit eccentric, never following the rules. So, why would my jewelry designs be any different?

Lately, I have been listening more to my heart. And I like it. And apparently, so do others.
My new designs have been very popular, for which I am extremely thankful. It is so inspiring to create something that is a part of your soul and have others fall in love with it.

It encourages me to create more of these wilderness inspired designs. I don't really have a good name for this style...Feral Fantasy? Wilderness Gypsy? Celtic Tribal?
Believe me, there are many more rolling around in this noggin' of mine.

Remembering...

Halloween is past, and November comes with it's cold bite and frosty mornings. I have had to dig out knit hats and mittens for the kids to take to school. Can you believe it is November?
The holidays are right around the corner now, and the time seems to fly by faster each year.

Does time go by faster as we get older because we appreciate it more? Or do we appreciate time more because it goes by faster as we get older? Anyway, I wish it would slow down.
I wish I could freeze it right now, with my daughter reading beginner books
and her front teeth missing.
I wish I could freeze it right now with my son learning to write his name and him still wanting to hug me all the time.

I have been thinking about my grandpa alot lately. He passed away while I was on my honeymoon. He didn't get to come to my wedding because he was in the hospital. I hate that he never met my husband, and that my kids will never get to meet him.

He introduced me to Willie Nelson (the only country music that I will listen to) and I thought this song fitting for today.

I also am missing our sweet furry baby, Scotta. She was a 100# Boxer lapdog. She was so lovey and funny. It has been 5 years since she passed and my husband and I still laugh about things she used to do.

So today , on Dia de Los Muertos, I remember my loved ones who have gone
and I will hug my loved ones who are still with me,
and tell them that I love them.

Sacred Heart Cemetery

I have been admiring this beautiful country cemetery since we moved into our house, and finally had the chance to walk through and photograph it.

Now that my youngest is in preschool for the first time, I am having fun with my new-found freedom (even if it is only 2 days a week). So after dropping the little ones off at school,
Mama took a field trip.

It was a beautiful, perfectly foggy morning. It made my visit to the cemetery so amazingly creepy and sent lovely shivers up my spine. With the leaves rustling and the laughter of workers from the nearby farm filtering through the trees, it truly felt eerie.
I glanced over my shoulder more than once.






This cross has been repaired more than once. The seeping glue looks just like blood oozing from the crack.

There is a corn field in the background of this photo with very thick fog rolling over it.

I love the stone fence that surrounds the cemetery, it has inspired me to build one in my garden.
So beautiful and peaceful...it was the perfect early morning visit.

Master of Macabre...

Spirits of the Dead

by Edgar Allan Poe

Thy soul shall find itself alone

’Mid dark thoughts of the gray tombstone—

Not one, of all the crowd, to pry

Into thine hour of secrecy.

Be silent in that solitude,

Which is not loneliness—for then

The spirits of the dead who stood

In life before thee are again

In death around thee—and their will

Shall overshadow thee: be still.

The night, tho’ clear, shall frown—

And the stars shall look not down

From their high thrones in the heaven,

With light like Hope to mortals given—

But their red orbs, without beam,

To thy weariness shall seem

As a burning and a fever

Which would cling to thee for ever.

Now are thoughts thou shalt not banish,

Now are visions ne’er to vanish;

From thy spirit shall they pass

No more—like dew-drop from the grass.

The breeze—the breath of God—is still—

And the mist upon the hill,

Shadowy—shadowy—yet unbroken,

Is a symbol and a token—

How it hangs upon the trees,

A mystery of mysteries!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In remembrance of my favorite American poetic genius. On October 7, 1849, Edgar Allen Poe passed away in what was his biggest mystery of all.

May his tormented soul rest in peace.

Great Lakes, Great Times...

What a completely lovely trip my family had. We camped in Michigan's beautiful upper peninsula and explored many different places. It was a bit overwhelming for my 4 year old and he fell asleep in the most interesting places.

I have been visiting the U.P. since I was a child and am completely in love with it's woodland beauty, American Indian Legends, and it's haunting tales of icy shipwrecks. Did you know there have been roughly 5,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes?

Leaving was sad for all of us (I must admit I was a bit teary-eyed), but we are looking forward to exploring it together again...next time we will go even further north.

There are a lot of pictures here. I tried to narrow it down, but I just had to share the Michigan love with all of you.

The Mackinac Bridge is almost 5 miles long and connects the lower peninsula to the upper peninsula.

Old Mackinac lighthouse

Colonial Fort Michilimackinac first built in 1715 by the British was used as an outpost for fur trading and introducing the American Indians to Christianity.

Lower Tehquamenon Falls

Upper Tehquamenon Falls

Looking north on Lake Superior at Whitefish Point. There is a large freighter ship, and beyond that is Canada. Whitefish Point is known as the Graveyard of the Great Lakes. More shipwrecks have occurred in this one area than any other.

Sunrise on Lake Huron.

The Mackinac Bridge from the ferry to Mackinac Island.

The world famous Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Arch Rock on Mackinac Island.
The legend that the Ojibwa Indians have passed down is that of a beautiful maiden named She-Who-Walks-Like-The-Mist. She met and fell in love with a Brave from a rival clan. Her father, who was the Chief, did not approve and forbid her to see her love again. He chained her to the top of the hill to prevent her from running away and she wept at the loss of her love. She cried so many tears that they washed away part of the hill and left this beautiful rock formation.

July Happenings...

Well, I am beyond busy right now. I am getting ready for my two biggest art shows of the year, which I scheduled on back-to-back weekends...well it sounded like a good idea when I did it. I am a whirlwind of wire and stones right now.

I promised that I would post a link to my TV interview. I will not get into the fact that I have watched this 1,000 times and wish I could redo the whole thing (oh wait- I just did, didn't I?). I am extremely proud that I had this opportunity.

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/eightwest/Gypsy_Moon_Art-

Alas...I do not claim to be tech savvy and could not, for the life of me, figure out how to embed this video!

I also wanted to share a few pictures from our beautiful Lake Michigan. We love to go there late in the day and watch the sunset.



I will be sure to post pictures of the happenings at my big art shows. If you are in Michigan come by and check them out!

Saugatuck Village Square Arts and Fine Crafts Show
July 31 from 10-5

Holland Art in the Park
August 7 from 9-5

Spring Beauties

Why do I love it so much when my hands are dirty? Digging into the Earth is such a stress reliever for me. I have been very busy lately digging, pruning, and weeding. I have also been planting my vegetable garden, which has been expanded thanks to my husband's workout with the rototiller.

I love to make homemade salsa, and my family devours it. A few years ago I started planting a "salsa garden", full of everything I need to make my salsa~ tomatoes, several different varieties of peppers (including habaneros), cilantro, onions, and garlic. The only thing I need to buy for it is limes...Michigan's harsh climate does not support citrus trees.

This year I expanded my veggie garden to include beans, peas, spinich, lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, broccoli, swiss chard, and of course my lovely asparagus patch (my favorite). I do not have enough room to grow melons or corn, but we have the nicest farmer that sells his produce in our village square and we buy melons and corn from him.

I also have a nice herb garden with chives, mint, lemon balm, oregano, several different basils, several sages, and am hoping to expand that (maybe not this year) to include lavender and dill.

Having a garden is a work in progress and each year I find something that I want to change or add. My yard and gardens are like a huge art project for me. Our yard was pretty much void of any flowers when we moved in, save for some daffodils. I have planted over one hundred different varieties of flowers in our yard and have had so much fun making it beautiful. I have big plans for our yard in the future...now I just need to get my husband to weld some garden art and trellises.

~My First Blog Award!~

I am excited and honored to be given a blog award by the very talented Cat from In The Light of the Moon. Cat creates amazing treasures with photos, paper, wax, and glitter.

Now, I am to choose three artists to pass this on to? How? I know of so many talented and inspiring artists, and yet I have to choose three. Well, here are the lucky recipients~

Oonagh from CeltoiCroi~ Her woodburning and mythology inspired sketches are simply beautiful!

Ruthie from 5 Precious Things~ Her gorgeous illustrations and photography is the stuff day dreams are made of.

Julie from Mermaiden Creations~ She creates a variety of amazing beauties including jewelry, treasure boxes, wrist cuffs, and her beautifully witchy hats.

Thank you so much for your continued support and comments. You all are so amazing!

XOXO~

Exploration

There is nothing comparable to being in the woods on a beautiful spring day in Michigan. I cannot even begin to describe the strength and energy I absorb while being surrounded by our Great Mother.

It is my sanity.

Nature

O Nature! I do not aspire
To be the highest in thy choir, -
To be a meteor in thy sky,
Or comet that may range on high;
Only a zephyr that may blow
Among the reeds by the river low;
Give me thy most privy place
Where to run my airy race.

In some withdrawn, unpublic mead
Let me sigh upon a reed,
Or in the woods, with leafy din,
Whisper the still evening in:
Some still work give me to do, -
Only - be it near to you!

For I'd rather be thy child
And pupil, in the forest wild,
Than be the king of men elsewhere,
And most sovereign slave of care;
To have one moment of thy dawn,
Than share the city's year forlorn.

Henry David Thoreau


I am lucky enough to be surrounded by woods like these in my beautiful state. I took this photos just the other day while out with my little ones exploring. Please feel free to click on the photo to see all the amazing details up close. We need to take care of this great planet of ours, I fear areas like this may not be around for our grandchildren.