Saturday, August 31, 2013

The Old Pretenders

This is one of my favorite blogs to look at. 

I just came upon this doll on their blog and am utterly floored.


Isn't she gorgeous? You must go look at all the pictures of her. Her face, hair, dress and every detail is so beautiful and so fine!

Happy looking...
♥Em

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Tasha Tudor Day...

The gloom of the world is but a shadow.
Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. Take Joy!
{Tasha's favorite quote} by Fra Giovanni


Is anyone besides me excited? *smiles with giddy joy*


Even though for the past few years something always prevents me from doing exactly what I want to do for Tasha Tudor day, ON Tasha Tudor Day... I usually find a way to do something special for it during the month of August... {Click here to view our first Tasha Tudor Day party}

 {"Thumbelina" illustration - Isn't this a cute idea?)

 But for today, (since I just came down with the flu *ugh*) I'll just imagine the perfect day...

Ideally... My day would start with waking up in early morning.. slipping into my slippers and putting the kettle on for tea. Then sitting in the warm morning sun, reading my Bible for half an hour with tea in my hand and a warm fuzzy cat rubbing against my feet.




Then, after a breakfast of porridge, putting on my homespun work dress and sun bonnet, heading out to the garden to pull some weeds and gather vegetables for lunch.


“I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing. Whenever I get one of those questionnaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It's an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren't stupid because you're a housewife. When you're stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare.”  - Tasha Tudor



Next of course, I would go for a swim in the pond to cool off and stretch out. (There is nothing equal to this.)





Watermelon comes next, and spitting the seeds at my sisters naturally follows...


 After I rinse the pond water off, I put on my pretty afternoon dress with yards and yards of skirt and an apron and make delectable things for lunch which we eat in a shady place in the garden.






I would drink guava green tea with my family and friends and work a few rows of knitting or maybe try my hand at watercolor while the scent of rose and mint filled the air and the summer breeze floated by like a happy phrase of delicious music.




Then perhaps go for a canoe ride...


And do every creative thing I could think of...





 After several hours of this, we would cook our dinner.


We'd make a salad with fresh greens from the garden and cook a beef and vegetable stew using only ingredients that we've grown to make a heavenly tasting meal that we'd enjoy while watching the fire and rose colored sun set through the trees.



After the dishes are done and darkness has fallen among the living things... I would like to go out and lay down on the sweet smelling grass to gaze up at the stars and be swept away by the wonder of the work of my Saviors hands...

And before I have gotten quite sleepy, I would like to make some hot chocolate with a pinch of cinnamon and a few marshmallows and light the oil lamps and a few candles and cuddle up on the couch with my Mama and sisters and talk a while before heading up the stairs to my soft bed and beautiful, blissful, (hopefully) well earned... sleep.





What are you doing for Tasha Tudor Day? I would dearly love to know!
All my love,
♥Emaline

Monday, August 26, 2013

Wash Day

There's nothing like doing your laundry on a sunny, Summer day and letting the clean linens billow in the breeze. 




 Aren't the tiny clothespins darling?

And, you should have seen the color of the water after I had washed all the clothes. 
Oh my! It was filthy I tell you! 
I had no idea doll clothes could get so dirty. I was quite shocked. But then, when I thought about all the traveling and long walks in the rain and not to mention just plain dust... it started making sense. 


 Afterwords, my clothes looked so much better and smelled so good from being dried on the line. It was all together a very pleasant experience.

All my love, 
Em

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Shade in Summer...

 
"And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and rain."

Isaiah 4:6

 
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God; in Him will I trust."

Psalm 91:1

A friend sent a few verses to me recently that put a smile on my face...
So I thought I would share them with you.
As I sit in the cool shade, it is a wonderful reminder of the sweet and refreshing shade of Jesus' caring love and protection through the storms of life and of this world.
This time of year especially, with the hot sun and thunderstorms we've been having, it is like looking at a beautiful illustration of what these verses are about.

Love and happy day to you all!
♥Emaline

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Pretty Walls...

 The blank walls were giving me a listless, dull feeling.
So I put up some personality and inspiration..


 The pictures in frames I cut out of Victorian Trading and Victorian Papers catalogs.
 
 And most of the others I found on the Graphics Fairy and printed them out.
I added an Ink well...
 which is an empty perfume bottle, 
and the tall vase is a WWII style bullet shell.

I got this tiny pocket knife from my Grandma.
Mabel made me a calendar that I get to open one month at a time on the first day of the month.
She also puts little gifts in each one. It's so exciting! The paper dolls (see previous post) were one of the gifts she made!
And of course there must be flowers all Summer long!


I hope everyone is having a splendid Summer and trying to relax a little this August.
All my love,
Emaline