JourneySeeds

::In the West::

A medicine pouch I created for Soulodge.


The sun sets in the West at our place...

birthday

stacy de la Rosa of Bella Wish created this word of the year necklace for me.  She is one of my Soulodge Sisters.

A gift from my husband...a birthday wish for me.

A new pantry shelf made for me for my birthday.  I'll fill it up with grains, beans, herbs...all those good things that nourish our bodies!

finished off with a heart!

I already had a shelf that held 15 jars quite nicely.  Inspired by Heather over at Wholefoodkitchen...we decided a nice big shelf would be wonderful.  This will work until the someday pantry is built.  That someday pantry will also do double duty as cold storage for the winters.  This is the panty in the new kitchen that is slowly coming together.

A tray perfect for a girl born under the Pisces Sun.


Flowers were brought to me all week long!

Red Rose and House Wine...


Rabbit door knob to be installed...


Dried roses in an old blue fiesta vase that emma found at the flea market a couple of years ago.  I love old dried flowers.  I like to watch them shrivel up and fade away.  Often I tie them into a bunch and hang then up somewhere...


Mushroom salt & pepper shakers...


Red tulips fading...

There was...
*building
*reading
*vintage hunting
*cooking
*pizza
*conversation
*wind & sun
*dog visiting
*pantry shelfing
*a christmas tree lit up
*carrot cake
*green candles
*Design Sponge Book
*gift giving
*spirit doll materials
*drift wood from the beach
*candles of blue
*love

Windowsill

Storyteller overlooks Paperwhites. 

Fabric postcard from heathersmeding.

Snow is predicted for tomorrow.  I'm not complaining.  We haven't had any snow whatsoever this winter yet...snow will be pretty to shuffle through.  I got a little lost here today...thanks to Holly on Decor8.  It's been a year since I took her BloggingYourWay e- course.  If you want fresh ideas for your blog I highly recommend it.

simple gatherings

Oh my...Kinfolk arrived yesterday.  Simple gatherings with friends. 

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.  ~Charles Mingus

Kinfolk is simply wonderful, delicious, lovely...it is how I want to live each moment.  If you haven't seen it...I don't say this often...you must have a peek.  Kinfolk can be found here.  To compliment this gorgeous work are beautiful films that Kinfolk has put together.  Below is just one of them.

Dutch Oven Bread from Kinfolk on Vimeo.

Thank you so much Kinfolk... 

Protectress....

I created this spirit doll today...

She is made from a white birch that fell during the big snowstorm a few weeks ago.  She is dressed in vintage linens with an L embroidered on her back.  The feathers are Turkey, Pheasant and Owl given to me from my husband.  She carries rosehips and milkweed pods for nurturance and heart health.  Silk ribbons are held for humanity...and the community of women sisters that I travel with.  Aventurine gem is a her throat chakra tied with a gossamer thread for speaking the truth, finding one's voice, speaking up.  Aventurine shards are also hung from her belt and held in her hand...for heart protection, leading, self healing, pain relief, transformation, clairvoyance, intuition, self nurturing.  Mother Turtle is at her core chakra...holding all that is the world.  Octopus hangs near her feet for swimming through the deep tides of the emotinal depths of the soul's ocean.  A vintage handkerchief sit on her head...tied with glittery silver threads that call in light, winter, the north, the moon.  Her feet are wrapped in the seafoam of the ocean...watery, undulating, deep, welcoming and at times so unforgiving in her power.  The base wood is from a poplar tree. Spirit protectress...I made for Soulodge, which is a wonderful community of women sharing a journey together...Aho.

The Big Snow...

We made it through the big snowstorm of October!  Believe it or not, we never lost power.  We didn't loose a tree either.  I think last winter's storms did us in and we were spared this time around.  Neighbors still do not have power.  Things are busy around here lately.   A few photos for a class...Infusing Images with Soul.  I don't know my way around this camera yet. 


turkey feather on lady's mantle


circles


lines

Photo Meditations and Soulodge are taking up my thinking lately.   I have not posted much on this blog in the past months.  I do not know the direction I'm heading with this blog.  Things may change here.  It seems a new focus is required and desired.  This year of turning 50 has brought so many changes to me.  I'm remaining open to what the universe brings in.

Wood Words with Josh Vogel

Often Etsy has inspiring videos on their blog for all of us sellers and buyers to be inspired by.  I wind up hitting repeat frequently.  I watch some of these videos with my family.  I find deep inspiration that comes from watching and hearing other artists.  This video with Josh Vogel is from Scout.  You will love it.

Josh Vogel from The Scout on Vimeo.

PoetryofObjects sells many things made from wood.  The feelings I have for the stories behind these objects is best described here by Josh.  When I travel about, looking for vintage treasures, I have a deep feeling for the workmanship that has gone into the creation of that object.  I think of the maker.  I think of the people that have used this object of beauty.  These words are worth returning to.  If you create anything...a family, a piece of art, craftwork, a styled setting with a story...you are embracing the brief moment in time of going backwards...and building your story into the very fabric of what you are creating.

 
I found this old children's book that is all in pieces. 

 
lithograph

 
lithograph

 
lithograph

 
I found this book for 50 cents.  I find the history of clothing fascinating.  Why do we dress the way we do?

 
 A set of teacups in the shop in Woodstock

 
Pair of lustreware birds.  They are up in Woodstock as well.

Emma Embroidered...

Penguin is coming out with classics with embroidered covers...of course I love this one....Emma.

 
I have never learned to do embroidery but, I think these covers are beautiful...
Today is supposed to be SoulCollage®Sunday.  My camera wound up in a car that isn't here at the moment so I cannot take a photo of my card.  So, instead I give you this pretty textile work. I hope you had a good weekend...

Decorate with a new book...

 
My husband has been trying to keep me entertained while I am limited in my ability to get about.  So, in his kind efforts to do so...he purchased this new book for me from Holly Becker founder of Decor8 and one of the fine teachers in the recent Blogging Your Way ecourse  (I highly recommend it) that I took.  I really like Holly's perspective about design and making your home a soul filled place.  I've already leafed through alot of the book last night. Leslie Shewring of Creative Mint was a contributor to this book which includes photos of her home as well as advice and her tips on flower arranging.  I read a number of  quotes from other designers and bloggers that she has sprinkled throughout the book, out loud as my husband worked on painting some of the furniture we've collected for my new vintage design adventure.  I'll share a couple of pages of the book with you.

 
I really love white kitchens. I like this kitchen because of the haphazard array of cups stacked in the cupboard.  I like the collection of cups that most likely appeared here over time...suggesting a history in the place.  I can imagine many a friend having shared a cup of tea in this home.  I especially like the old farmhouse kitchen sink.  My friend Sarah has a sink like this in her home.  I like to wash my dish and pile it into the dish strainer with her other dishes of her day.  When we bought our old home 24 years ago...there was a sink like this in the house...we gave it away and I now wish I hadn't.

 
Of course I love this photograph.  I like the simple bottles and the deep, indigo, dreamy blue that sits on the plain windowsill.  I like using old bottles to tell a story with a few flowers carefully arranged.

What I like most about this book is that it represents vignettes of people's homes from all over the world.  I like the presentation of over 1,000 ideas that anyone can incoporate into their homes to make it more creative.  The ideas in it fit any budget and there are many diy projects presented to inspire you in your own soul filled home.  This is a wonderful book to have on hand to just browse though as well as give you hours of creative ideas to fill your time.  If you love design...you want this book.

 
Saying good-bye to March today.  We are expecting some snow again.  I'd like to be out flower essence gathering and wildflower hunting.  March's word was Expect.  What are you expecting in your day?