Happy New Year

I wish you Joy all through the year.
I wish you Love of Family and Friends.

I wish you Happy Days that never end.

Happy New Year, 

Gina

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Little extra color to spread around the house.  

No snow for Christmas?
Maybe Christmas day, they say.  

Celebrating with friends and family. 

Enjoying vintage wax decorations over and over. 

Pasha's domain is outside.  Except during the holidays when you will find him under the Christmas tree. 

With warmest thoughts and wishes for a wonderful Christmas. 

Gina 

Print, Print, Print, Stamp, Stamp, Stamp.

Print it yourself, it's easy.

Why not wrap your presents with inexpensive brown paper and decorate with 6 inch wide Toile de jouy Paper Ribbons.

Paper Ribbons you have painted yourself.

Print General Purpose Masking Paper, 180 feet for under $2, with rubber stamps.

(I used rubber stamps from "Rubber Stampede")

 As pretty as any 18th c. French Toile de jouy Fabric.

Happy wrapping and happy gifting

my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

Not really a Christmas Story

Tucked away in the most northeastern corner of Italy

A special place called Südtirol

Where the cows go to green pastures and come home every evening to be in their cozy barn, where each cow has a hand painted name plate and her own window to look out from.

This is also the place where I buy my hand knit sweaters.
(The black sweater on the left is my newest acquisition).

From a special shop by the name of Trachten Stueberle

Where every balcony is  adorned with the most impossible and

luxurious flowers.

And where an elderly gentleman, of nobility, lives behind these towering walls.

He lives there, by himself, hidden.

In this enormous castle.

And every year I ask the locals: 'what do you hear from the old Gentleman' ? 

And always, a shrug of the shoulders follows.

And every year, I am hoping, that the elderly Gentleman will see me from his window, and send his manservant to invite me to have tea with him. 

And then I will sit quietly and listen.

Where is this magic place, you ask?

It is called Toblach/Dobbiaco in the Südtirol, where both Italian and German is spoken.

Each year I discover a little more and one day I will know everything.

Gina  

Repost 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.



I'm invited, will take a few pomanders,
and make some more for myself.  

It's quiet on the pond.  Lola and Clyde now have only a few ducks to keep them company.  

My favorites.

Gifts from my garden.

Wishing you and yours a most wonderful Day. 

Gina

It's not too late!

Ordinary candles, shall we make them special? 

Why not add a little gold.

You will need a few sheets of gold leaf and a bottle of 

size (glue).

All available in any craft store. 

Size (rabbit skin glue) comes in small bottles. 

  Pour a small amount of glue into a plastic container.

Brush on glue to lower part of candle. 

Wait about 30 minutes until glue is slightly tacky. 

Stays tacky for several hours.  

Lay gold leaf sheets onto candle. 

Polish with soft cloth or sheepskin.

While you wait for the glue to dry on candles why not gild a few acorns...it's the same technique. 

After gilding the candle you can scribe a scrolling pattern into the goldleaf with the handle of a paint brush.  

See how special. A few candles with gold leaf, a few pomanders,  and fresh greens and a centerpiece is born.  

Have I convinced you yet?

Thank you dear friends for stopping by.  I am always so happy to hear from you.  

Gina 

Repost from November 2015

There is a reason

why I love Italy the way I do.

It's the water

Of the many lakes of Northern Italy, at the foot of the Alps. 

Villa Carlotta

So plain on the outside but wait until you are allowed to go inside. 

The top floor of Villa Carlotta is still occupied.  Her flag is flying when the Marquese is in residence.  

The flag was flying the day we visited.  

Fine silks in Bellagio, the pearl of the region.

I seldom succumb, but this time I came home with three beautiful, hand painted silk scarfs.

To see Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper was a privilege.

Next time I will not climb all the way to the top of the world's 3rd largest Duomo in Milan.

It is dizzying.

When in Milano one must visit Da Vinci, La Scala and the famous shopping mall and maybe the awe inspiring Duomo. 

What I loved most of all were the waters of the many lakes.  They were pure and clean.  Every Body of water was crystal clear. Not a piece of paper, not a spot of oil on the water, no refuse of any kind.  

I hope that one day you have an opportunity to visit this spectacular region of Italy. 

Gina

Italy is calling

Italy is calling and I must go!

 I can't resist. 

Be well dear Friends, 

Gina

A country wedding

We had a country Wedding

Country Bouquets for a country wedding.

We introduced his parents to each other.

A perfect day.

Two young people begin a new life together. 

Two families, from different parts of the world, will now be linked forever. 

When there are not enough beds, tents will have to do.  

Wishing you a great week ahead. 

Gina 

Not enough time

It's all right.

I love what I see even if it isn't perfect.

Wild roses seeking support.

Salpiglossis are a challenge.

Poppies are amazing.

Yank out the entire plant, singe the stem and every poppy head will open. 

A poppy bouquet for a week. 

More rain than usual brought on the berries.

I have eaten the rest. 

I can grow figs in Utah ...in my greenhouse.

Nasturtiums grow easily from seed.

Who can resist an Opium Poppy?

The hay barns will be filled to the rafters.  

We will most likely have 3 crops of Alfalfa this year, 

who knows, maybe even four. 

Wishing you a bountiful week ahead. 

Gina