Incense For Inspiration

The Mixing Mirror © 2013 hula.la

The first thing on the agenda today is to mix and roll some of my "passion" incense in order to awaken the  the inner spirit that influences my inspiration.  I burn incense constantly when I am home doing my "domestic" duty all the while sneaking in some of my creative chaos along the way.  On my vintage mirror that I use to gather my supplies, are the last of the Autumn mums and gourds, along with the dried herbs and resins to mix with the 2 year old homemade wine from the grapes at Two Crow Cottage that I use to 
create "passion".

Mini scrapbook or journal

 While the washing machine is doing its thing, I have a slew of papers spread all over my work space in order to complete at least one of the mini altered book ~ scrapbook journals that I started before the storm blew into town and disrupted my inspirational flow.

I can also fit dishes and baking into this little scenario because everyone is out and about, and I have the whole place to myself in order to just LET LOOSE!

Watch out!!!  And if you want to get some incense to enhance your creativity, visit Nina of 
Happy Herbs Soap at Two Crow Cottage.

Sandy's Aftermath

Tree still there...since Monday afternoon.

 

Power is still off. Electric company has taped off our driveway...no in..no out.

Around the neighborhood

We have made the best of the situation.  We are alive and well.  Still no power, yet my home is intact.

I was able to knit a scarf by the woodstove, until nightfall. While in the dark, by candlelight, I learned how to get beat at chess in 3 short moves!  Funny, when I asked my daughter where she learned to play chess like that, she told me it was I who taught her to play.

I don't ever remember those moves!

TRICK OR TREAT IS ON FOR TONITE...AND MY BROOM AWAITS!

Autumn Ends

The leaves come falling, falling, falling...

Swirling to the ground on their final journey...happy to have given joy and smiles for many photographic opportunities that bring people to the region.  Autumn in all of its glory!

As we batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst, we savor the memory of a beautiful, colorful Autumn season in the Northeast.  Last year on this day, we had a freak snowstorm that took down power lines that left us in the dark for a couple days.  

This year, we had the best fall time ever, with a peak performance of color.  The rains did not destroy all the beauty, and the temperatures were very accommodating for many outdoor peeping events.

Today the winds are howling, the rains are coming, and the last of the leaves on the trees will make their final journey, sailing and singing in the wind.  Hopefully the trees will stand firm and hold their ground.

Yes, Autumn in New York is truly a beautiful sight!  Even as it meets a terrible storm for its end.

Autumn in New York

© 2012 hula~la

I wish that I could bottle up this view from yesterday...my only full day off in a very long time.  And the temperature was in the 60's...just right! This is the stuff that rendezvous are made of; picturesque and captivating.  Leaf peepers will surely enjoy the beauty of the season this year.  At full peak, the colors of the many different species of trees that are home in the northeast will provide inspiration for all types of art projects...not just photography.  For I have chosen the colors here to use on my next mini altered book/scrapbook.  With papers and paints and even a honey gold colored yarn, this little book will be transformed into a journal worthy of an Autumn Adventure in New York.

© 2012 hula~la

                                                        © 2012 hula~la

Perhaps that Autumn Adventure can be taken by train, or maybe by boat on the Hudson River! If you are in CT, there is the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat Cruise that is near and dear to my heart.  For 25 years ago this beautiful month, we took over the newly renovated parlor car on the train and the top deck of the riverboat for our family and friends who came to town for our wedding 'neath the cover of October skies.  A most memorable time for all. Oh to live in the Northeast, where the seasons offer a unique tale from within, where the natural beauty is abundantly clear....  Get out there and enjoy the beauty of your season...and LIVE IT UP!  TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE!!!

NYC bound train on the Hudson River Line
I'm in a New York State of Mind!
© 2012 hula~la

Autumn Inspiration with Clay

The mini clay tiles and incense burner for hippie Mary came out beautifully, and of course once fired I had to test the burner with my own "passion" incense...works just fine!  I am a scent-ual person.

Thank goodness for Nina who keeps me involved in the discovery and mystery of new scents.

Before the kiln

The clay stones are from Gen, the kiln owner, with her nicely written words to 

keep my mind focused and help me to breathe deep...the red wine helps!

I have a best friend, I smile, I have hope, I must practice patience, and I will learn to trust...again.

© 2012 hula~la

The smudge bowl is from the beautiful clay at Two Crow Cottage and the smudge stick is made from the lavender gardens that surround the property there.  Lavender is a calming agent used to reduce stress and promote relaxation.  The ritual of smudging can be defined as "spiritual house cleaning".  In theory, the smoke attaches itself to negative energy and as the smoke clears it takes the negative energy with it, releasing it into another space where it will be regenerated into positive energy. 

As the autumn leaves continue to fall, we must take the time and notice all the beauty that this season brings.  The bright colors of the mums, the scarecrows popping up out of the cornfields with the brightly colored ears for decorating.  The gourds have such a unique style all their own with colors and shapes of all sizes.  And don't forget the pumpkins...for soon they will be transformed into jack-o-lanterns with unique personalities all their own.  Yes, let us rejoice in all the beauty of this colorful, bountiful season.

TGIF...

FRIDAY FILL INS...AND HERE WE GO...

 

1.  If I had a thousand wishes, I'd give them all to you!

2.  When will I see Tuscany?

3.  Why is there never enough time?

4.  Soon the leaves will be gone and the snow will fall.

5.  WOW! Where did the time go???

6.  You said we've come this far........................

7.  And as for the weekend...tonight I'm looking forward to a nice warm fire; tomorrow my plans include writing and creating; and Sunday, I want to watch nephew Ryan learn to drive a 5 speed!

Autumn Activity

This year's Little World's Fair in Grahamsville was absolutely fantastic!  

We had such a great time! 

 Of course the burning of  "prosperity" incense brought us just that...prosperity.  

Along with that we made some new friends. As usual, our booth looked FABULOUS!!! 

(BEST IN SHOW ~ ACCORDING TO OUR ARTY TEA PARTY GANG)...

HAPPY HERBS SOAP

And now we prepare for our next few shows, including the GIANT PUMPKIN PARTY. 

Altered Books/Mini Journals~Scrapbooks © 2012 hula~la

Meditation Journal© 2012 hula~la

Dream Journal © 2012 hula~la

These are my latest creations...

ready to take in some

wonderful secrets or pictures.

Or maybe they will expound on a deeper tale that is released from a place within the soul as you begin your journal journey!

Remember to burn incense for inspiration as you write your way to enlightened peace.

Patience © 2012 hula~la

Creative Chaos...again

Creative Chaos "IN HIGH GEAR" is apparent at the homestead.  

The evidence is strewn from one end of the house to the other...

and also upwards to my attic studio where the zillionz of buttons and beads reside...

and then down below in the basement where old blue jeans, if deemed worthy,

are cut and designated to the "upcycle" bin for use in the many artistic possibilities

that only good old fashioned denim can be relegated to.

I am painting, singing and dancing, cutting and pasting..

but more importantly...I am writing.  

ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD!!!

The weekly batch of "passion" incense is rolled and drying.  The burning of incense, my own blend, or one of Nina's famous blends, is a constant companion when the creative juices are flowing at full tilt.  This ritual reminds me that the passion within me will fuel the flames so long as my soul resonates the beating of my heart...and my mind stays focused on my relentless pursuit of LIFE!!!

Outside, we have weathered yet more strange weather and while tornados, hail and high winds surrounded our location...we have "weathered the storm" unscathed...but for a few downed branches. Those branches, and the few trees that have been dedicated for winter use in the wood stove are currently being cut to size.  Yes, we are rednecks with a chainsaw! 

(I even learned how to file and grease that sucker)!

The full green trees, are preparing to change colors and display their beautiful

autumn transformation.  I can however, do without the knee deep clean up of those

wonderfully colored leaves...no kidding...knee deep! Lots of trees~lots and lots of trees!

And so, while we can, we will enjoy the last days of riding the 1950 panhead 

through the mountains and countryside of our bit of the northeast. 

Oh, to live in the country!

And soon, it will be a marvelous night for a moondance 'neath the cover of October skies...There and then, he has made me his own...25 bumpy and wonderful years ago!

I AM TRULY BLESSED!  I AM LOVED!

(thankfully, in spite of my flawed self)...

Remember...

September 11...

We must remember that "passion" wields a double edged sword.

It has the ability to draw you in under the 

guise of love or lust,

yet, dangles love's opposite...powerful hate.

We must continue to fuel the flames of "red-hot" LOVE.

For there lies, on the cusp of joyful passion, 

a devil in the soul...poison! 

DO NOT FALL FOR IT!  
LOVE REIGNS!

LOVE REIGNS O'ER ME!

First Day of School ~ Senior Year

My Baby has just begun her senior year of high school...

and I am lost...good thing it is raining because it hides my tears as

I stand there with the dog and blow a kiss to her.

It's all good ~ bittersweet, I keep telling myself as my husband of 25 years smiles
and shakes his head.  The dog whines because the school bus didn't stop...he's used
to walking her to the bus, getting on for his morning treat, making his way down
the aisle to greet all the kids...for now she is a licensed driver with a school
parking permit. Which also means, that he no longer has to wait at the end of the
driveway in the afternoon for the bus to safely deliver her back home.

 However, on this first day of school, the motocross racer boyfriend
picks her up in his pickup truck, giving me yet another gray hair, for sure.
And as I try not to read him the riot act about carrying precious cargo, I send them
off with good wishes to enjoy their first day of their last year of high school!
Of course, with a juice box and goldfish crackers and a special note tucked inside
her little lunch bag...she is still the Baby, after all.

Milestones...roots and wings....and all that jazz!
I guess it is time for me to heed my own advice to my 3 beautiful daughters ~
"DON'T LOOK BACK ~ YOU'RE NOT GOING THAT WAY"

CLAY PLAY DAY...YAY!!!

Off to Two Crow Cottage to play in the wonderful organic clay, and Dear Sweet Nina presented me a very thoughtful gift that she acquired at the Cragsmoor Library Sale...I love them...~  dominos...I ignored the clay while I just dumped them out to play with them, and since I am a LOVER OF PASSION...well here you have it!!! 

A fun gift from Nina...

Fun clay tiles and buttons and an incense burner for my "passion" incense...

The large tiles will be bisque fired, then painted and fired again...
minis will fire just once! 

THANK YOU NINA...

 

                                          

Play Day

It's a very productive Sunday!

The sheets are drying on the line, (for there is nothing finer than air dried bed sheets)...the kitchen sink is empty and shining bright (which makes me smile), and it is relatively quiet.

Thankfully, that is, after a Saturday morning rush to URGENT CARE with our oldest daughter for what looked to be Anaphalactic Shock... We are breathing a big sigh of relief, as she is on the mends from a severe allergic reaction to something, that is yet to be determined. Up all night with worry gave me the opportunity to plan a Sunday at home instead of at Long Beach Island with some close friends...

So, born today is a new batch of "Passion" incense which is drying along side the mini clay incense burner I made for Mary, a true HIPPIE friend at work.  There are 3 mini clay tiles drying, too, that will adorn the 3 lucky herbal soaps that Nina has made for a new friend we made at the 
Little World's Fair in Grahamsville.

The clay, is not quite leatherhard in order to file the edges...but, soon...then the glazing, which always turns out to be an experiment in its own right.  Next week, we'll take a batch of glazed items to Gen's to fire in her kiln.  A very nice arrangement, indeed!

I am continuing the "relentless" pursuit of inner peace and enlightenment as

my husband of 25 years, and I, give in to the harsh reality of our

3rd and youngest child entering her senior year of high school!

Where does the time go?  It is truly BITTERSWEET! 
 

So, as I, the MOM, try to figure out what comes next, I'm keeping busy with plenty 

of my favorite items on hand with which to create...chaos...

~BOOKS AND PAPER~

 

I Love My Job...

And who doesn't love Dennis???  Except for maybe, Mr. Wilson...

Local artist, and Dennis the Menace illustrator visits the local library!

And HOORAY for me!  My very own picture of Dennis reading a book!

You can also find Dennis on a US Postage stamp.  We were lucky enough to have the 

first day of issue at our local post office with the artist in hand to autograph.

Thank you Ron Ferdinand!

Into the Woods...

It is peaceful living in the woods, that is once you get used to the night noises of the owls, and of course the serenade of the summer peepers.  The first time I heard a pileated woodpecker, I was waiting for something to come flying out at me swinging from vine to vine.  The cicadas song is a constant buzz, a seemingly distant sound, of which you don't even hear, unless you really listen.  For it is ever present.  There is nothing more peaceful than to awaken with the sun and the songs of so many different birds.  And of course, the black crows, or ravens who visit me, carrying a message from Nina, remind me of how to adjust my own life flight plans, when the winds blow into my life.   There truly is magic in everyday, and we must be ever watchful, lest we miss the opportunity to respond with creativity, and yes, PASSION!!!

Now this one must be a "passion" mushroom, heart shaped dual caps, MELD INTO ONE!

Sunday was a time for reflection.  I even walked barefoot in the light rain through the grass.  And walking through the woods always produces some thought provoking inspiration from which to draw on for yet another project.  For after all the rains, the tornado, hail, crazy weather of late, topped off by the 90 - 100 degree temperatures, there lies on the mossy woodland floor an array of beautiful mushrooms.  Yes, fungi...some so teeny tiny they are smaller than the smallest of acorns.  They are red in color, same color of "passion".  Some are yellow, and brown, some are spotted and there are white ones with the most amazing patterns under their CAPS.

 

 



They are beautiful in their own right, and some are even poisonous but yet, they sit undisturbed, reaching up out of the ground for me to capture

and share with you. 

  I think they smile at this destiny.  ENJOY!

 

Passion...unleashed!!!

In an effort to gain focus on "Now and the Future" I have vowed to move forward 

with my art.  And though I don't possess any particular talent or skill, 

like painting, or sculpting, or jewelry making,

I am reminded very clearly of when I began my journey into "altered books".  

For all 3 of my first books came about somewhat effortlessly, without much thought...

it just happened!  And my books came to life!

and they each had a very basic theme...passion.  

 Deep seeded...passion, that is apparent within my creative soul...

    

Creating something helps me to dig deep into my soul 

for additional strength as I seek balance.

  For now that my children are grown, they don't need me as much, 

and I feel somewhat lost and abandoned.

I feel my life going in a new direction, a direction that actually includes my needs and wants, something for ME...not MOM~ME/MOMMY...but just plain old ME. 

I've been busy taking more photos...walking in the woods with my 2 dogs...

picking up perfectly rounded  rocks to stack...

and acorns, still green...making paper cranes...

and blending and rolling my very own incense, thanks to Nina of HAPPY HERBS SOAP.

  So here, drying in my meditation bowl handmade for me by Nina, 

are my newly rolled cones of incense from a special blend 

that I created in the studio at Two Crow Cottage.  

This personal blend never had a name...until now...very simply...I named it, PASSION!

It is reddish in color, which I believe is the color of true passion.

  Red and burning hot!!!

Here are two paper cranes, that I named TRAV & JESS preparing for flight

as Nina's 2 incense crows burn that soaring instinct into their spirited souls.

I am on a mission...a journey to be happy, enlightened with new found wisdom 

that will bring me inner peace and joy, as I struggle to let go!!!

Summertime...grad party season

come in...stay awhile...

don't mind if I do!

the bentwood trellis from our earlier arty tea party...

Andrea's beautiful gardens are an impressive backdrop for a  party.

She even has "Sweet Annie" planted amongst the very tall butterfly bushes.

Can you see her back there?  SWEET ANNIE...

The party was a huge success, with good old-fashioned fun for folks of all ages...even the very competitive volleyball game.  I will leave those pictures and those stories for their families to tell, but it was a rejuvenating gathering of friends, ending with a campfire with Joe spinning some great tunes...I even danced...all by myself... a fabulous event!  THANK YOU ANDREA AND JOE, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, NATALIE!

Bathing Beauty...

At the Arty Tea Party held at the wonderful gardens at Two Crow Cottage, Nina assembled a fine space for us to create "CAULK TRANSFERS".  Through Kitty's instruction, (thanks Kitty for jumping in there at the last minute), we made some cool image transfers using caulk, of all things. 

Here is mine...She is sweet!

And here are some pictures of the great gardens of HAPPY HERBS SOAP!

So very inviting!

Come, come into the garden...sit a spell...

Now, use your imagination to discover what's through here...

Affectionately posted by: VICKI, who was completely outofhand yesterday...and for that matter, today, too:)

 

Determination

The chaotic side of my creativity is sometimes counter productive.  For at this moment, I have more unfinished art projects than I care to admit.  I think back to my first altered book that I named, "PASSION'S SLAVE".  It was a tiny little board book that came to life quite effortlessly.  I didn't think about it, I didn't plan it...it just happened.  And my 2nd altered book named, "YOU'RE MY THRILL", came to life the exact same way.  They are tucked away in the bottom drawer of a dresser in my abandoned attic studio.  I have shown them in public only once a few years ago when I participated in the ALTERED BOOK/BOOK SHOW at Hamish and Henry Bookstore in Livingston Manor.  They were not for sale...they were a part of my soul then, as they are now.


Well, tomorrow, I will take them out and put them on display in a very prominent location so as to kick-start the creative chaos into high gear again and dig down deep into my soul for some loving inspiration to perhaps finish some of these projects.


It's late...tomorrow's another day...