Little by little I am going through each room in my home…slowly packing away Christmas decorations…wrapping each in tissue paper…before I safely tuck them back in their boxes…for storage.

Each piece…each decoration… now holds the memory… along with all those past holiday celebrations… of my family…the laughter we shared this season…the excitement…the giving and the sharing.

They are now captured in these decorations forever.

Some of these decorations are looking so worn and frayed…as many are over 20 years old…some are cracked… the glass balls… looking like they are ready to burst…like a light bulb…but I just can’t part with them.

They hold too many sweet moments… when they girls were small tots… their first holiday season… crafts they made in grade school… how could I ever part with these beautiful mementos of my life….of my family…of celebrations past and present?

No… I will keep them…for as long as they hold up…and even after they fall apart…I will keep their little bits and pieces of broken and frayed beauty…and put them in a memory box…or pretty glass bottle…and when the time is right…pass them down to my daughters…so they can start their own memories… and share in mine.

Happy New Year to all!

As I go about my days preparing for the holidays… I touch that center of myself…that wishes everyone in the world would slow down…connect with their hearts… and really feel deep down inside of themselves…what the true meaning of the holiday really is.

It is about kindness…giving…and generosity of the human spirit each and everyday…not just what a date on a calendar says… that THIS is the day to celebrate giving or give thanks.

I sometimes wonder what is going to happen to humanity….if we don’t start caring about each other again… or remember what matters in life…besides our plastic cards that allow us to spend…and in most cases over spend.

I want to know what is inside a person’s soul…what makes their heart sing…not what they just bought…or gonna get…or how much money they made.

I honor spiritual authenticity… compassion and giving from the heart… and I hope you do too.

Cause each one us can make a difference… when we listen to our hearts…and express love…support… and genuine bonding with one another… not just when it is marked on a calendar…or by Hallmark cards…or when it is convenient for you to do so………but because living from the heart is the right thing to do.

This holiday season has been full of creative activity for many months now.

I have baked dozens of goodies to give to others…made homemade caramel sauce for friends and neighbors…and made decoupage trays for family and a few close friends.

It has been a whirlwind… that frankly I have enjoyed so much… and fulfilled my creative goddess within.I truly have felt deeply connected to the spirit of giving this year… and made a promise to myself…that I will handcraft gifts from this moment on.

There is such care and love put into something made from your hands and heart…that a store bought item can never duplicate…no matter how much you spend or how grand the item is.

It lacks an energy…that only comes from your soul…when you handcraft something… that lasts forever…instead of that fleeting moment of gratification… opening a gift that was made on an assembly line…or China.

I am already creating in my mind the gifts I will make for upcoming birthdays and the holidays… and my soul is already smiling at the feeling I get…when my hands and creative heart come together…to handcraft that something special…for those I love.

I have finally got my back yard somewhat to my liking… after working on it for 2 Spring seasons.

Yellow, red and white roses line the fence… as well as those rare orange colored rose plants… I was lucky enough to find one day… placed on one side in the flower bed… next to the garage.

Tomatoes and herbs nestle closely together on a beautiful brown wrought iron plant stand…with ample shelves… and my Meyer lemon tree is green and lush.

I planted a beautiful wistera… in honor of my youngest daughter’s 16th birthday… and a new honeysuckle vine was planted along the fence this Spring. All of the other shrubs and evergreens… planted last year… are healthy and doing very well.

I am pleased.

Like any person who loves to garden… I am already making plans what to plant next Spring… although I won’t need much…as my yard is looking full… yet simple… and beautiful now… but who knows?… a special plant or a new variety of rose… will tug at my heart… and long to find a home in my ever growing and nurturing garden.

I find such peace and inner calm… working in my garden… I can’t even imagine my daily life…not having the Earth to tend to… water and weed. My garden has truly become my close friend and constant companion.

I am grateful… and my cup is full.

May your garden grow
Victoria

I was looking through a catalog the other evening… and couldn’t believe what I saw!  SADDLE SHOES  are now back in style… you know those wonderful white and black ones that laced up… like tennis shoes?

OMG!!!… I had a pair of those shoes… just like the ones I saw the other night in that catalog… in grade school… how many years ago? Well…  how many years ago that was… will be my Victoria’s secret ! But I can tell you this… I loved those shoes… I mean I couldn’t wait to put them on in the morning… with thin white socks…  or the pair of white socks I had that had a small edge of lace at the top.

I felt soooooo sassy in those shoes… soooo… I don’t know… cool perhaps… preppy maybe… a future yuppy ( wait… they didn’t have that word then) !!!  Maybe those shoes just made me feel grade school chic… after all… I was the first girl who got a pair… and the only one who wore them everyday… the whole school year!!!

I can remember the sound they made on the sidewalk… as the heels hit the ground. But the favorite sound they made… at least to my ears… was the sound they made walking across the class room floor to sharpen my pencil… everyone would turn to look… to see who was making that grand  and overly loud waltz to the front of the class…  to sharpen their pencil. Okay… another one of my Victoria’s secrets…. my pencil didn’t always need to be sharpened … it was those shoes… that made me do it!

It was me… walking and a strutting  in my white and black saddle shoes!!!

Seriously… I have never been so smitten with an article of clothing ( are shoes even considered clothing) ?… in my whole life. Or the affect that they had on me… or other people! Unless of course… it was my pair of red flannel pajamas with the black scottie dog print… that I finally had to throw away… because they had so many holes in them… I wore them so much.  Or those lime green Italian sandals… that are to die for… that transport me to Hollywood… or Venice… or Rome… when I just look at them!!!

Never…  so smitten have I been… ever!

And have I shared with you…. how clean I kept those shoes?  No marks on those shoes… not a smudge of dirt anywhere! And I kept them in my closet… on the floor… away from all my other shoes… not that I wore any of my other shoes… once I had those saddle shoes!

So now I have this problem… I want those SADDLE SHOES… I saw the other day….REALLY BAD!  I would wear them believe me. I can hear their sound as I walk… just typing this to you!!!

See what these saddle shoes do to me? And… at my age? I feel like I am robbing the cradle… for a pair of saddle shoes… no less. I can’t help myself!

My teenage daughter would never speak to me again… if I bought those saddle shoes and wore them in public! She would be appalled.

So…. I have a plan… a secret plan… I will buy my white and black saddle shoes… next week… and keep them at the back of my closet… away from all my other shoes…. and when no one is home… I will wear my saddle shoes once again!

And feel sassy once more… and maybe… even young again… as long as I don’t look at myself in the mirror.

And they will be my ultimate Victoria’s secret!!! Forever!

Shhhhh!

Victoria

I love anything vintage… it is my passion in life. It connects me to our past… and touches upon that place within me… of long ago traditions and a more gentle way of life.

I have always been this way… the vintage life is not new to me… although I am so pleased that more and women and men… from all walks in life… are returning to vintage… and the grace and beauty that this way of living brings to a person’s soul… and everyday living.

I often see vintage jewelry on my flea market and antique browsing… some of it I love… while quite frequently it is too much for my tastes.

And then I found a vintage sister … through my Dreamers into Doers Martha Stewart contact… named Lindsay… and fell in love with her design style… and her handcrafted vintage jewelery!

Her vintage jewelery is stunning…simple… yet elegant… the type of jewelry I love to buy and wear!!!

I am so nuts about her work… that she is now on my blog links… forever… and you can view her hand crafted vintage jewelry… by going to LC VINTAGE JEWELRY or just click on the link on my blog page!!!

I know you will fall in love with her jewelry… and want to own some of her pieces… as they can be worn with jeans and tee’s… as well as for dress up!

She also has a new blog… and she is so kind… to run a feature on my hand crafted bee’s wax candles… that I pour in vintage glass. I feel honored to have a product of mine on her blog!

So scoot on over… meet Lindsay… and read her lovely blog… and see what the vintage life has to offer you!!

To view Lindsay’s blog… and take a peek at my bee’s wax candles… go to http://chictothenines.blogspot.com/2011/02/lovely-with-capital-l.html

A vintage gal
Victoria

With the holidays… candy making… an out of state holiday vacation… my oh my… where have I been in blog land?

I have been busy tending to my home! Cleaning out closets… giving my office/studio a major over haul… reading… buying supplies… and planning new plants and shrubs to finish my back yard this year… my efforts and energy have focused on my hearth and home.

During this whole process… I have come to a deeper appreciation of where I live… my family and friends and my sweet and beautiful home!!!

Oh… I know some days I will have wonder lust to go somewhere… or move somewhere… and drool over a French farm house… wishing it were mine!

But inside my heart… I love my life… and the wonderful husband and children I have… and my beautiful and calming house… that is my home… and my sacred place… where I can be myself… laugh… love… and be at peace… and I wouldn’t trade who I am… or what is my life… for anyone or anything else in the world!

I am glad I am planted in my home sweet home… cause this is where my heart belongs!

Victoria

I have started working on my Christmas gifts… several loved ones will receive needlepoint pillowcases from me… and with each thread I embroider I say a positive affirmation for the person I am making these for!

I figure the positive statements will stay with these pillowcases… and make a difference in their lives…plus I love putting all this good energy into my handcrafted gifts!

Try doing this with everything you do each day…even while you prepare and cook meals for your family…infuse the food with loving and empowering words and feeling!

Love you all
Victoria

My youngest daughter has experienced her first real date and Home Coming dance this last Saturday evening. It is a date and dance she will not easily forget.

About half-way through the date at the dance the young man got fresh with her…and she told him where to go… and basically told him to buzz off. She called us to come pick her up… which I did gladly.

I cannot tell you how proud I am of her…for respecting herself and standing up for her values as a young woman. A date with a guy does not mean FAVORS or obligation of any sort. Period.

As a mom I constantly wonder what has happened to good old-fashioned courting and respecting one another when one is asked out?

It seems from what I hear from other women and their daughters… males expect sex or something close to it (use your imagination) on a date these days. OMG when did this happen and why?

In a world when women have fought for their rights in so many areas and won (sort of) we still live in the dark ages and double standards of being treated like sexual objects!
It really angers me that my daughter cannot go out and have fun with a young man… and not have to deal with his disgusting and demeaning behavior!!!

And since when did sexual intimacy start so young… and why as a society are we allowing it? Scary stuff… and issues that parents really need to discuss with their children….like now.

One mad mom…
Victoria

Well… tonight is the Homecoming dance… and after work my daughter will have to pretty much race around to get ready on time. Fortunately… she is the type of gal who looks great and put together no matter what she is wearing…and she is so naturally beautiful she has never worn much makeup… mineral powder, blush… and mascara… so she will be able to be ready in 30 minutes.

I will set out her dress…shoes and purse… plus her real pearls and earrings… for her on her bed…so it should go easy and quick.

Hubby and I are the taxi service tonight…taking 6 couples… in both of our hybrid cars… photo shoot first at her friends…drop them off for dinner…grab a bite to eat ourselves ( at another place… she doesn’t want us to creep on them)!!!…then she will call us on our cell phone… to pick them all up…and drive them to the dance!

okay… so I am parent taxi today and tonight… but hey you as a parent would do the same thing right?

This is my daughters first real date… ( she is 15 ) and a huge deal for me and for her… and hubby too… truly I am freaked out… but gotta let her grow up… and trust!!

To teenage kids and dances
Victoria

Tonight is the homecoming football game…and daughter and hubby are off to the game tonight… I am sure there is high energy at daughter’s high school today… cause this is a huge deal when you are in high school… the game…the dance and all that hoopla to enjoy.

I think I will make something gooey and footballish for dinner tonight… how about sloppy joes?

Although I am not a football fan…I feel caught up in the excitement myself…this is kinda fun for an old gal!

Victoria

Today I start a series of deep tissue massage to get out all the stiffness and lingering soreness from my car accident. It has amazed me how being in an accident really messes up your whole body… including balance and just being able to have fluid mobility.

It has indeed been a slow and painful process for me… it is just this week I have energy in my body… and was able to begin fall cleaning…nothing major yet… just waxing and dusting furniture and doing tasks that have been undone around here for weeks. Hopefully… after my massages I can resume my life.

I want to thank my sweet family for all their love and care they have embraced me with… during my recovery…and for the friends who have sent me emails…cards and prayers. It has all helped me… and made my heart sing with your love and support.

I am so grateful for everything… and for life itself!

In gratitude
Victoria

My day started out so wonderful…my older daughter who now lives in Michigan… called to just chat and talk mom and daughter stuff.

She was telling me how she could not find a donut shop there… and was wanting donuts. This was a special comfort food goodie for the both of us when she was a small child. Small white powered donuts and chocolate milk were a weekend special treat… and jelly donuts from Dunkin donuts were the tops!

It is those small pleasures in life that create such lasting memories… isn’t it? And that even now that she is an adult… and married…we can still talk about those moments that only her and I shared together. It makes me love life…all the more!!! And her too!

This whole conversation made my day… and made me decide to have a day doing things that I love to do… instead of what I should be doing… so I am making a new recipe… from Gordon Ramsey’s cookbook… Cashew Chicken… spend a bit out in the garden…weeding a flower bed… and looking into some ideas I have for new and beautiful products for my business Feminine Living.

In other words… spend my day doing things that make my heart sing!

And it all got started talking about the memory of sharing donuts with my daughter!
To bliss
Victoria

P.S. Sweetpea I hope you find some donuts!

Today… I am gonna have some fun… and start decorating inside and out for Halloween. Pumpkins… cauldrons… and witches brooms for the outside… including the large witches glow light that I put beside the front door.

For the inside of my home… I place… small pumpkins on the stairway… on tables… orange twinkle lights under the dining table and my collection of glitter…handmade vintage Halloween figures… placed in a grouping on the fireplace mantle.

When I am finished my home looks so spooky and wonderful…I love it and so does that little girl part of me…that adores this holiday!

Happy Halloween to all
Victoria