Looking For Magic in the Year of the Rabbit...A List
If it wasn’t for that lovely splash of red that occurs on the fourteenth, the entire month of February would be monochromatically grey. Skies and earth share the same hue, obliterating the horizon. The novelty of snow, once so brilliant and clear, has worn rather thin and begun to fray - it doesn’t fit us in quite the same fashion as it did just a few short weeks ago. In fact, there are some days when we would shed it completely, if only the bright cloaks of tulips and clover were safely within our grasp. We stare out the window at the bare naked trees and wonder if green has been permanently retired from Mother Nature’s palette.
Magic doesn’t easily find us.
We must go in search of it.
I was able to find a bit to share, starting with the painting above. That wonderful rabbit is the work of artist Amber Alexander.
You can see more of her work HERE.
Enjoy!
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1. Reading Aloud
As I mentioned in my previous posting, The Songwriter has recently been reading aloud to me at night and the experience has reminded me how wonderful it is to have someone read you a story.
If you have the opportunity to read aloud to someone, grab it.
Let your inner thespian loose and do all the character’s voices.
Make up a theme song for the story you’re reading.
You’ll have as much fun as your lucky listener.
I recently came across these marvelous handmade shadow puppets that would add such delightful drama to storytelling time.
Try the one above with St. George and The Dragon.
See more of these magical puppets HERE.
Find the book HERE.
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2. Tea Parties
I occasionally entertain some of my younger friends at the dining table that sits deep inside the huge magnolia tree in my front garden. There, an antique chandelier hangs overhead, wind chimes and candles sway in the branches and, once inside, one is completely hidden away from anyone who might be passing by.
Unfortunately, this is not the month for such outdoor pursuits.
But how about a special tea party by the fire.
I can only think any child would love to be served tea and cakes on these amazing altered plates.
Whimsical and funny.
Find them HERE.
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3. Stella’s Spring Coat
When I saw this magical new coat by Stella McCartney, I knew spring could not be far away.
Just imagine this paired with slim white trousers and pale pink toenail polish.
Find it HERE.
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4. Handmade Coin Purse
Even an activity as mundane as fishing for the correct change can be elevated a bit when you are opening such a lovely little coin purse.
The beautiful tree serves to remind you that the leaves will be back on the trees in no time.
Find it HERE.
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5. New Books
I suppose all of us are a bit like Mr. Mole in Wind in the Willows when Spring rolls around. We become focused on our homes... throwing open windows, fluffing pillows, arranging flowers. It’s always the time of year when I think about recovering a chair, or looking for a new lampshade. I’m often found out in the garden with a notebook in hand, mulling over new colour combinations for the flower beds. Will it again be white for the back garden and pink for the front? Or should I do something wild and plant orange everywhere I see? Fun decisions, all.
And just in time for this type of inspiration, there are four new books I’m anxious to see.
Take a look and see if you don’t feel the same.
Click on the photos to find the books.
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6. Carpet Bags
I loved Mary Poppins when I was little.
I loved the way she could slide up a banister, loved how she could jump right inside a sidewalk painting.
Oh, how I wished for a talking parrot head umbrella for my very own.
And a carpet bag from which I could produce a floor lamp! Imagine.
Now, I don’t expect to find anything similar inside this bag, but one never knows.
And I just love this.
For short trips or overnight stays, this has magic sprinkled all over it.
Find it HERE.
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7. Feathered Headbands
Every girl needs a bit of glamour on these steely grey days.
No matter how old she is.
Isn’t this the cutest thing ever?
Find it HERE
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8. Magazines
Here in the states, so many magazines have disappeared over the past several years, victims of the turbulent economy. There are still a few that I wait for each month however, ones that cause me to smile each time I see them in my mailbox. Of course, my favourite magazine, UK Country Living, is far too costly to purchase through subscription and so I find it at the local book shop. It is a happy evening when I can spend it deep inside the pages of that delightful magazine, despite the fact that reading it always leaves me with a ardent wish to own a pig. Or maybe a couple of goats.
And just recently, I discovered a new magazine that has me totally entranced. It’s called Selvedge and it’s divine.
If you can find it, you’ll be glad.
See it HERE.
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9. Macbook Air
I’m rarely excited by technology, I’m really not.
But I simply couldn’t resist this.
Like magic, it’s less than an inch thick, thin as a saltine cracker and weighs less than two and a half pounds.
It’s going with
me everywhere.
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10. Valentines
There was a little boy in my first grade class who always wore a bright red blazer, complete with a crest on the pocket, and he gave me a Valentine on Valentine’s Day. The significant thing about this story is that I remember it. Valentine’s Day is like that. Memories are made on this day.
So, go out to lunch together and split a slice of Key Lime Pie.
Take a walk in the fresh air and hold hands.
Steal a kiss in a romantic movie.
Or, fill one of these boxes with chocolates, or diamonds, and give it to someone you love. I only have two left, and I’ve popped them into my etsy shoppe.
Find one HERE. SOLD
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11. Garden Gates
The most charming gate I’ve ever opened guarded a tiny church in the village of Buttermere in the Lake District of England.
But this one has its own special charm.
Can’t you just imagine this one in your very own rose garden?
Find it HERE.
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12. Finished Sweaters!
I love this photograph of Vanessa Redgrave and her daughter, Natasha.
And, once upon a time, if I had been told that I would knit my very own sweater and wear it out to Sunday lunch, I would have certainly have expected magic, and lots of it, would have to be involved.
But lo! That is precisely what happened.
And I am proud as a peacock!!
Here’s the finished product.
Believe me, magic exists.
Even in February.
