=A View Through the Window=

is this what faeriedust looks like?

I am sitting here today, inside the studio feeling completely trapped. The wind is gusting outside blowing the trees hither and fro, and were I to open a window to enjoy the spring weather, most of the soil from the garden would be covering every surface of the cottage and studio ::sigh:: and I think half of it already is dancing across the floors. I am pretending as hard as I might, that it is faeriedust.

Although I love a good winter storm with it's whistling through the trees and making the lights flicker...I am not at any time of year a fan of these springtime warm dry winds. They are just plain old yucky.

There are however things I do love about being held captive inside my studio. I can play. I can play with the bears (yes, where have you been? I have bears that live here--umhum I do) and I can play with faerie micelings ... mostly I just peek inside their tiny windows and watch the goings on. It is spring and time for the little ones to begin arriving! Such busy happenings are taking place.

I have often wondered if there is a faerie stork? I have never seen one ... but I imagine there is indeed someone quite special that makes the babies appear! Perhaps a member of the royal faery court (arriving no doubt by pixie-poofed ponycart, and pulled by a corgi princess) singularly appointed to deliver a beautiful pram made from a vintage baby shoe.
I picture this awaited delight is left at the doorstep of the expecting parents. Everyone in the neighborhood keeps a close eye out in wonder. Everyone thinks they can hear the bells on the corgi's harness ... And then one day ::poof::magic:: a gift arrives under a faerie moon.

Remember the post I did about Brambley Hedge: Winter Story? Okay then, no surprise ...

I am a HUGE fan of the darling little mice in Jill Barklem's tales of them. Such a delightful little world she shares. I just know they really live that way ::sigh::

So I'll tell you a secret.
When I had my studio finished, I had built into the baseboards a space to have a tiny world at my feet. Like a doll house in the baseboards, it runs along the walls with hinges that open up. It is only as high as an 8-inch baseboard but runs all along the length of the studio.

I made tiny doors and windows here and there and put pieces of vintage doll house furniture inside for the mice & lights that can turn on and off! There is even a fireplace of teensy bricks ... to curl up next to with a book and keep wee toes warm in winter. At Christmas, should you visit the studio ... you will even find a tiny tree lit in one of the little windows! And a wreath on each tiny door.

Now of course I help the fae keep house, and welcomed them to stay when I discovered the studio was enchanted. But the strangest things keep happening over the years:

There is a now church with a beautiful circular stained glass window (one must assume it is a church...I sometimes am quite certain I hear a choir of small voices singing Amazing Grace on the other side of the window.) But I don't remember having that particular window installed. It is one of several additions that have appeared without my help. I know what you are thinking ... They show up right about the time a certain friend stops by to work on the cottage. But he promises it is not him that places them there.

I choose to believe.

I am trying to decide if I should take you on a tour ... and how to do so with out disturbing the occupants inside ::wink:: Maybe this summer we shall go knock on some of those tiny doors.

... just a thought.
=^..^= love, zU

down the rabbit hole

There is something magical about the neighborhood in which I live. One of the delights is that one never knows what to expect next. Unquestionably I live in a wonderland.

Walking along the avenues one day a year or so ago I spotted something rather unusual. Rather ... something oddly large. Not something you would not expect to see on a walk ... matter-of-fact, I can name a half dozen or so houses with windchimes hanging from their eaves. But that day I felt like Alice. I had to stop and think if I had consumed anything from a small bottle that morning labeled: Drink Me.

In my hood, I have favorite houses. Ones I feel compelled to visit on daily walks. I pass by and sorta nod hello asking nothing in return but to be there and admire them. That's eleven-twenty Spruce. This place is awesome. Nothing left to make this house better, thought I. This house is my favorite on the block to begin with ... Like a cottage taken from a fairytale. The perfect pitch to the roof, the colors it is painted of greens with berry-red trim and white ... the porch has a welcoming bench stacked with pillows that sits under a stained glass masterpiece ... and of course the beautiful evergreen trees that surround it makes it perfect. At least in my eyes. But that day something else made it more than perfect.
Enchanted beyond compare.

Someone in our town makes these huge pipe chimes ... You've probably all seen the small versions. Windchimes made from different size silver pipes, cut at different lengths and of several widths. The sound can be incredible. The larger the richer and deeper the tone ... they resonate and carry each note in the air, sharing like church bells. But this guy in our town makes these chimes bigger than life. The pipes are each the size of tree trunks. The finished chimes can be two-stories tall. And one day when I was walking past my favorite cottage ... There it was. One really enormous, I mean HUGE windchime hanging in the big walnut tree by the road.

I was so taken I thought nothing could possibly make that moment better. I was wrong. At the very moment I was standing there, the wind picked up. And with a firm gust, the chimes began to play. I could have died on the spot and been happy.

You know what's best of all? Whenever there is a breeze, I can hear them at my cottage. Across the roads, over the trees ... I can sit on the porch here ... and listen to them ... playing ... there. The wind carries the notes all the way to visit me.
Now that's enchanted.

. :: listen to the chimes :: .
.::..::.
(UPDATE: file isn't wanting to load/play. Bummed!)

=^..^= love, Alice ::zU::

the dolls tea

The day was announced with the faerie windchimes in the trees ringing out their deep ::dong::dooong::dong::dimmm:: and the dolls awoke in an instant rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Sitting up in bed they each realized the day they await for each spring was here!
Today was extra special.
Today they would be seen by not just human children as they really are, but by anyone that believes in the power of real will on this day, see dolls as children see them.
And in celebration there was a faerie's invitation sent out across the world to join the dolls together with hearts of children everywhere.

Charity could hear the children of the household in the kitchen already and quickly reached for her apron. Yes, there it was sitting where she could find ... where her child had placed it. As she put it on, William threw open the curtains to see the day and gasped.
It was snowing! April snow? This could not be ... No.
"Not today" ::sighed:: William.

Charity came over to the window to see what was the matter. When William said, "snow" she too gasped and immediately opened the window sash. Snow today would change all of the plans! She reached her tiny hand outside to feel the snow, but something wasn't right. The air was warm. There was a slight breeze and something was floating down from the sky onto her hand. Startled by it's touch she pulled her hand inside and felt one of the flakes that had landed there. It was soft and velvety. Not cold at all and did not melt. By this time several of the others in the nursery had gathered at the window and were giggling.

Charity, tilting her head to the side listened carefully and heard William laughing. He leaned over to her and taking her hand, placed more of the snowflakes there. Charity closed her fingers around them and then she too began to laugh. Bringing her fist to her nose, she opened her palm and breathed in deeply and smiled. Appleblossoms! The wind was carrying the petals in the air like snowflakes. She could now feel them under her toes where the wind was tossing them through the open window onto the nursery floor. Today was indeed meant to be magical.

And that is how Tuesday began.

**The characters in this story are from a series called, A Dolls Letters Home. It was a series of short stories (letters) I began to write quite a number of years ago when a doll was left on my doorstep in need of repair. Wanting to thank the person without embarassing her by letting her know I knew who she was, but at the same time let her know how much her thoughfulness meant to me ... The doll began to write her letters telling her of her new life in an enchanted cottage where she was left at the door. A regular following of readers at the gift givers place of work began (where the letters written in script like those of days gone by, seemed to anonymously arrive on her desk) and consequently were watched for with anticipation by growing numbers. Someone once made copies of the letters for their daughter to read and then someone else did too ... eventually arriving in the hands of many children in the community. And the rest as they say is ... Well, lets just say one little dolls life became a faery-tale. I hope to someday publish the letters together bound in a small book.

An introduction of some of the characters:

Charity is blind. A 1937 Mme Alexander Princess Elizabeth doll, her tin eyes having turned cloudy many years ago ... Sweet William is a 1930s Knickerbocker teddybear with curly woolen hair and a heart big enough to cover the earth. His best friend is, Sir Loved-a-Lot a 1950 Steiff bear with golden hair like sunshine and who wears his heart on his sleeve. Faith and Hope live in Charity's pockets and go everywhere with her. The twins belonged to my mother and sleep in a real heartshaped basket in which they arrived in 1925 to a then 5 year old birthday girl that passed along the belief to her daughter--this author, that all dolls become real ... if you believe they can.

And Jennabelle? Did you by chance to meet? Jennabelle is the mistress of a little cottage where tattered toys go to stay while they await for the love of a child to make them whole again. All are welcome. None are turned away. Even a family of mice that sleep on pillows in the window have made the cottage home. And considering that the mistress is a tabby cat ... this itself is enchanting.

I believe in the power of a child's imagination being bigger than us all.

The website for, A Doll's Letters Home is in the process of being built. I hope when it is finished, you will each and every one come to visit. Have a cup of tea with us in a chair by the window and meet all of the occupants of the enchanted cottage. Consider yourself invited.

=^..^= love, zU

clap if you believe in faeries

Browsing through blogs I love yesterday ... Allowing myself to be free for a moment ... I made the most delightful discovery. I found the blog and art of, Debbie Schramer.

Do any of you remember the original Victoria Magazine when it was in it's glory? Debbie and her husband, Mike were featured in 1991. Rather, their enchanted little world of fae furnishings were featured, delighting us all.
I have never forgotten those pages. I cannot even keep count how many friends wrote to me, called and pointed out this article in Victoria.

"Someone else is out there" they would say ..."...another like you. Have you seen...?"
And indeed I had. I had worn the pages thin from handling them. Another was building for the fae ... There was someone else out there that believed. Perhaps my hours spent playing in nature, collecting tiny seeds and shells, making minute teasets and stacking rocks, recording little stories of what only I had seen ... was not so strange if there were others ...
Or perhaps it was. But alas, I know I am not alone in following the faeries now.

I have for a long time known others. They write and tell of tiny trinkets they have found. Of little faery ponds, acorn slippers and beds of moss where only a fae could rest.

And so, many years later I stumble across (shown by the fae?) one of the most delightful artists ever. And best of all ... She and her husband are still making their faerie furnishings. They still have the eyes and hearts of children.
This is rare indeed.

Pop on by Debbie's and say hello.
Bring a tiny shell or scrap of velvet for the host. A button or a bead.
I promise, you will never believe what the faeries will do with your offerings!

=^..^= love, zU

in a tiny whisper .:OWOH winner:.

Upon the night the candles flickered,
a name was heard and in a tiny whisper ...

Dawn will you be my mine?

=^..^= and it was so.

almost time

The party favors are being gathered ...
The tables being set.
Bowls being filled with treats,
and candles being lit.

The names in the teacup ... overflow.
The excitement is mounting.

The hour approaches ...

Little feet scamper about in a flurry ...
Are gingersnaps ready?
Something special for everyone?

Someone checks.

And tea to be served?
We are ready?

A wee someone says, yes.

Tonight is the night.
All eyes will watch to see if they spy ...
The magic moment when the name appears.
From the teacup to the paper inside ...
Where nothing was, but then is ...

One name.
One tiny glass bottle with a paper inside.
And when that top is uncorked ...
a name will whisper out.

All the tiny bears sit in silence ...
Wondering. Quivering.
Will it be them?

They know.
Only one will hear the name.
Will it be their ear that hears?
The name of a human
... their forever person.
Will they be someones Valentine?

Will yours be the name whispered?
To One Tiny Bear?

..:: a wee 2-3/4 inch five point jointed mohair bear ::..

-- designed & made for you with love ... by me .:: zUzU ::.

Made of vintage mohair & wool, w/matted blown glass eyes, and a frumpy blue silk ribbon he adores ... Measuring less than 3-inches at his tallest, stuffed w/cottonwool, excelsior, and big wishes. The winners name will be placed inside next to his heart ... with the 'inside story' of his beginnings sealed within (--a copy to read included) signed/dated/marked ... & tagged with my Heartstrings studio logo.

It has long been spoken of among the bears ...
That at the very same moment a tiny bear
is matched with a Valentine, all the candles
burning around the world will flicker.
And something will be whispered
into their Valentine's ear only for them to hear.

But. Only if they believe.

What will that human hear?

It will happen before the clock strikes midnight.

Light a candle.
and Believe in magic.
=^..^=zU

"no man is a failure who has friends"

Have you ever thought about it? The idea of what a single person contributes to the lives of others, and to the world in general, without even knowing.

Bernie wanted to help the animals.
We wanted to help Bernie. We wanted to help the animals.

Help Bernie help the animals became the cry.

Everyone pulled out all the stops to help one person, do the seemingly impossible:

Build a sorely needed shelter for animals in her care. To save lives. She needed to win a challenge, the prize being a grant of fifty-thousand dollars. All for A Place to Bark and Meow.

Was that particular challenge won? No. Only the top four received the grants. Bernie's rescue came in fifth place. Was this a failure? Nuh-uh. Not in my eyes, but you be the judge:

People rallied. The message was simple.

We need to move a mountain. Fast.

A connecting chain was created around the globe nearly instantly and gained momentum causing a ripple effect.

Old friends gathered.
New friends were made.
And the impossible happened.

People donated what they could. The Zoline Foundation doubled some of the dollars. Money was sent from all over the world. Ten dollars here, five there, fifty, one hundred ... and it adds up, you know?

Nearly $80,000 to be exact.
That shelter will be built.
And all because of .::one person::. refusing to believe it couldn't be done. Someone believing we could make it happen.

Perhaps YOU were that person. And then the next person believed ... and then the next. Hundreds of believers.

Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?
-- Clarence (the guardian angel in Capra's, It's a Wonderful Life, 1946)

What if, that ::someone:: hadn't been there? One less believer.
What if, each of the lives Bernie saves, left an awful hole because ::someone:: wasn't there to help them? How many other lives would be affected? Can we even count?

I for one am so very glad that Bernie is around. I honestly try not to imagine all she goes through everyday. The things we don't see, I thank her for. She shelters more than puppers. I am one of those that cannot deal with the reality of animal cruelty. Not up close & personal for any period of time. I do what I can but need the Bernie's out there when I have to look away. And truthfully, no one can do it all alone. Not even an angel. So she needs our support ten fold.

A world without Bernie in it?
What a horrible thought.

Wag your tail if you agree.

=^..^= love, zU

looking at the glass half full

Bernie.
No matter how badly things are going, Bernie is always looking for and finding something to be happy about.

She spends her days (and nights) caring for those that cannot change their circumstances without her. She does it all for love.

The velvet touch of a puppies tongue is all that she needs.

One soft sloppy puppy kiss of thanks and if given a bonus, a wagging tail. Payment in full.

Bernie's animals need our help. They want more than anything to give her everything she deserves. And all Bernie wants is to give them all that they deserve. Beginning with a second chance. A place where they are forgiven the fate of being born into an already too crowded world.

Bernie needs the glass to be all the way full this time.
Sloppy puppy kisses and purring kitten hugs help but they aren't enough. We need to help a dream come true.

Bernie's A Place to Bark and Meow needs a physical shelter built. And the reality is that requires a lot of money. More than Bernie can come up with alone ... It's save a life or build a shelter. Building a shelter will save more. Hard choice?

If you haven't heard about the magic (goodness, where have you been?) let me tell you breifly. Six Degrees dot org has paired with Parade creating, America's Giving Challenge. Badges to collect donations for charity were created and the word sent out: The TOP FOUR BADGES, those bringing in the largest number of unique people to donate by 3pm east coast time, the 31st of JANUARY will receive FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS for their cause! Yep! Your $10 becomes $50,000. Can't beat that deal, can you?

(If you haven't yet sent your $10 ... go click the DONATE on the badge at right). We'll wait for you.
(While we wait, watch this darling little flick by Claudine!)

Already sent your $10 ... FABULOUS!
Thank You and a million puppy slurps to you!
Kitten purrs & nose kisses.

Ummmm ... guess what? That deal where your $10 becomes $50,000?
It gets WAY better! How would you like to see $10 turn into $120,000?
Sound too good to be true?
Read on ....

The Zoline Foundation wanted into the fun and has offered to meet each of the donations given...Every one of your $10 DOUBLED dollar for dollar up to $25,000 ... ON TOP OF THE OTHER CHALLENGE!
The offer was: If you can get twenty-five thousand, we will make it fifty! Just do it by June of this year. HA!

Did you look at the numbers on Bernie's badge? Yeppers!
YOU'VE ALREADY DONE IT for Bernie's Puppers!

The first $25,000 donated by YOU has become ...

FIFTY. THOUSAND. DOLLARS.

Well, that took The Zoline Foundation right off their chairs.

Good folk and they saw ... People care! So what did they do? Three days ago they made a second offer.

If Bernie can get the donations to $35,000 ... (Ten thousand more in less than a week)

...THEY WILL MEET IT DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR on top of the first twenty-five!

That's right. The offer is at $70,000!!!
All we need is to get to thirty-five thousand on the donation badge by noon PST January 31st. Plus don't forget, the top four badges will get $50,000 on top of this!

As Bernie says: It's Win-Win!

Expect to find good in the world and you will find it.
Things just get better and better.

If you haven't donated $10 .... PLEASE PLEASE if you can, send ten dollars. It's super easy and you will be walked through a safe and secure process. You will be allowed to use PayPal if you wish.

EVERY UNIQUE PERSON SENDING $10 COUNTS.

A PLACE TO BARK needs to stay in the TOP FOUR BADGES to win. And believe-you-me another Fifty-Thousand for the Rescue is everything!

And ... If you can send even more EVERY DOLLAR now COUNTS to be matched!
If you can only send $5 ... do it!

If you can send twelve, fifteen or twenty ::HOORAY:: because THE CLOCK IS TICKING! With LESS THAN 48 HOURS TO GO ... We need to hit $35,000 for Bernie and the puppers! We are SOoooo close! Lookie at the numbers!

We need to get those number totals up!

I know Bernie believes in you. And I know she always looks at the bright side. Bernie believes there are people that care. The glass is always at least half full in her eyes.

Show Bernie you believe in her. That the precious lives she is devoted to are worth saving.

It's time to make that glass overflow.
Lets show her a river.

=^..^= i believe!

::the lights on the christmas tree::

Once the Christmas tree lights were not lights at all. They were the colors in the rainbow. Just a perfectly good rainbow -- the kind you see in the sky after a rain! And when Santa Claus made the very first Christmas tree, it was easy to see that he needed a rainbow for a decoration, because all the decorations he had were white. He lived at the North Pole then, you know, as he does now, and when he had powdered the tree with snow and hung icicles all over it and tied snowballs on the ends of the branches, he looked at it and said,

"No -- it's pretty, but it ought to have some color on it. It needs some red and green and blue and gold --"
"Oh, Santa Claus," said the Littlest White Bear. "Let's put a rainbow on it!"
"That's just what it needs," Santa Claus agreed. "I'll send the Biggest White Bear to get one."

"Oh!" said the Littlest White Bear. He was so disappointed that the tears came to his eyes. "I was the one who thought of the rainbow. I think you might let me find it!"
"All right then," Santa Claus said kindly, "but you must be very careful. Rainbows are easy to break, you know, and really you are the clumsiest funny little bear."

"Oh, I will be careful," promised the Littlest Bear, and he ran and ran on his fat little legs till he had found the most beautiful rainbow. Then he picked it, and hung it over his back and went home to Santa Claus, walking very carefully. He walked safely past the snow fields and past the slippery slides, and at last he came to Santa Claus' steps, and saw Santa Claus in the doorway, waiting for him.

"Hurray!" he laughed, waving his little front paws in triumph.
"Here it is!"

And just then both his back feet slipped and -- boom! He fell on his back, and the rainbow was broken into a thousand pieces.

"Don't cry, don't cry," said Santa Claus, hurrying down the steps. "You aren't hurt!"
"No, but the rainbow is," sobbed the Littlest White Bear, "and I tried so hard to be careful."
"Never mind." Santa Claus patted him gently. "We'll put the pieces of the rainbow on the tree."

So they picked up a blue piece and put it here, and they picked up a red piece and put it there, and the Christmas tree was prettier than if the rainbow had been all together.
"Oh," said the Littlest White Bear, "I'm glad I fell down!"

And ever since, we have had rainbow lights on Christmas trees.

--f p jaques, 1931 . :: have a magical holiday :: .

.::..::.. . love =^..^=zU

no small change

. :: once just bitsy as a nickel :: .

. :: a tiny ball of yellow fluff no bigger than a quarter :: .

. :: three days later :: .

. :: wobbly but lookie me :: .

. :: . Wait until you see what's next . :: .

=^..^= grin