Winter at this old house in the roses

Is anyone here? Anyone at all? Lately, it seems to me, as if I’m the only living single soul floating above this lonely planet called “That old house in the roses”. You all know how it feels. It is like walking in the air all alone, or like floating in the moonlit sky while seeing the people far below sleeping as I fly… far, far across the world the villages go by like trees, the rivers and the hills, the forests and the streams… and I’m still the only one floating on this sky… yes, just like the old song says. But really, is anyone here? Do people read blogs anymore?

I’m sleeping more than I should and waking up much later than I want.  I’m reading three or four books at the same time and really not reading any; I’m baking what's suppose to be heart-shaped puff pastries, and instead getting something more like mushy stuffed flounder. I feel inadequate, and lacking; I’m lighting up candles and hibernating—like a she-bear without her cubs, like a wolf deprived of her instincts and a rose without her soul; one-part water and one-part dust. And how impermanent we all are, our bodies made of remnants of stars, massive explosions in the galaxies and dreams.

My green thumb has turned black too, so it seems… blame that to winter too, for some of my plants had to finally be discarded.  Overwatering was probably the reason why they weren’t thriving, and of course all those tropical ones--indoor heating, lower humidity in the air, the struggle to find a proper window, not enough light and so on.  Still…

 
...Still, the ones remaining look so pretty, and I so love each and everyone of them!

By the window in the gypsy room one of the geranium has started to flower...

This little tree here was a Mandeville tree this summer filled with beautiful crimson flowers, but now it is my all year around little Christmas tree. 

The Mandeville didn’t survive, but it gave me the perfect platform to turn it into a kind of a natural little Christmas tree.  I added some baubles and fairy lights, and then covered the soil with pinecones.  I love it so much, it will continue to sit here all year!

Now tell me... how do you fight the winter blues?

My gypsy room

Saturday morning—the first Saturday of the year.  It is cold and gloomy, and I’m sitting by the fire dreaming about those Saturdays of years past in the south—those warm sunny winter Saturdays; and the mid-winter flowers.  How precious were those flowers of mid-winter!  Not the hot-house things, nor even the forced geranium clumps birthed by the warmth of the tall windows, but the genuine toughs that for some strange reasons elected to display themselves out of doors at this time of year. 

But here is finally winter… winter with its biting, whining wind, and all the land mantled with snow.  People ask me what I do in winter when there's no roses to tend.  I'll tell you what I do. I hide in my gypsy room, and wait for spring there.

 

 

I simply love this room. It has elements of Shabby Chic and eclecticism, mixed with an artistic and theatrical flamboyance that has nothing to do with trends.  It is a bit crowded, a bit colorful, a bit feistier than any of the other rooms in the house, and I just love it! It is my most personal space and the place where, as some may say, you can always let your hair down and your imagination loose!

Last month when we were visiting Puerto Rico I discovered the most amazing bohemian store in Old San Juan.  I couldn't resist bringing home with me one or two of their beautiful and some of my favorite keepsakes ever Frida pillows!

 

There are so many different ways to take a plain wall and fill it to the brim!

And what else is one to do if you keep stumbling upon the sweetest paintings ever!  Like this one here in absolute harmony with my pillows!

Love my lamp all decorated with beads and gypsy jewelry!

Today at Barnes and Nobles I was reading The New Bohemians Handbook by Justina Blakeney where she offers some wonderful insights on how to create a bohemian home.  Blakeney shares that her spirit animal is the panda bear. As a kid, she filled her room with panda bear posters, and their distinct markings and love of bamboo inspire her to fill her interior with a similar vibe.  Now, I don't know whatsoever the 'animal spirit' thing is, or means, but if it has something to do with loving a particular creature from the animal kingdom more than the rest of them is, then mine would have to be definitely the owl!

Another of my favorite paintings on my gallery wall is this curly haired girl with glasses here, which, it is actually not a painting, but just a plastic bag I got from a store in Italy.  I like it so much, I framed it!

Boho is witty, whimsical and highly reflective of the mind and lifestyle of the person who embraces it. In its way it is an antistyle, but at its heart is a love of art, color, contrasts, creativity, travel, adventure, the past and, above all, freedom from convention. 

Are you a boho girl too?

A new year!

New year, new beginnings, new stories to weave on the pages of this magical book called “Life”—page after page filled with dreams, and hopes for a better future, reveries and daydreams; stories of good and evil, of love, of memories spread-out in the wings of a thought; a time for celebrations and reminiscences; a time to love and laugh to repeat to weep to pray to plant to harvest to nurture to forgive and forget; a time to remember the good times, to consider and reconsider, and a time to live. 

Oscar Wilde once said that to live is the rarest thing in the world, because most people only exist, and that is all.  Dear Lord I want to live… live in the moments you gift, and in the now you bestow.  I want to really live; live the moments of my daily life deeply, for happiness is not in another place but this place, and not for another hour, but this hour… and you have given me so much, oh Lord… you have always provided, protected, encouraged, guided, and shown me your love in so many unimaginable ways!  And who am I without you?  Who am I oh Lord and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me this far?

A large flock of robins came by on Christmas day and stayed around for a long while.  I first knew they had arrived by the clumps of swift shadows they made across my kitchen windows as they flew from tree to tree under the brilliant sun of December. And I felt happy and giddily like a little girl fully gratified by the small things of life—by the great things I should say, because the small things of life are often so much bigger than the great things...

Some very especially dear people—our youngest son and his fiancée, came from the other side of the country to celebrate with us, in our togetherness, the end of another year.  We walked on the snow, and droved on icy road to the tallest mountains and ski towns, we cooked and ate, we drank lattes and watch movies past midnight, we played silly games and told stories of now and then, we laughed and danced with the Beatles in an old Egyptian theater and at the end of their stay we embraced once more again and again...

As love nurtured and strengthened every fiber of what’s good in us—affection, friendship, tenderness, fondness were the sentiments which soon let us realized that we had fully adopted ‘a new daughter’ into our family with opened arms and hearts.  How very lucky we are!   

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal, and there’s not a single day I don’t think of mom, and miss her terribly, but life takes away and in return bestows new unexpected ways for us to extend that love and let us continue on loving…

A blessed an happy New Year to you my dear friends!

The Christmas family room

Have I already told you that I’m not one to overly decorate during the holidays? Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Fourth of July and so on… I’m not a devotee. 

Christmas is mostly when I decorate a bit, and mainly because I love light. Even so, it is not much. One of the reasons being that clutter gives me anxiety. So, aside from the new Christmas tree I have in the living room, just a few more decorations are scattered here and there; but only in the Family room… 

The two little Christmas trees I had while living at the little white cottage came with me to this old house in the roses.  One sits now outside by the front door, embellished with pink poinsettias

And the other one is by the fireplace in our family-room.  I placed it in a wicker basket and covered the sides with some black and white polkadot tissue paper to match with the rest of my decor. No adornments on it, just lights. 

I made the cutest Christmas garland for the mantle using a gold bead string and some burlap ornaments I already had.  Then added lights.

Globe lights sit atop some chunky candles in front of the fire, for some extra sparkle!

And do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night 

amidst the candles!

On top of the coffee table is where the rest of my decorations are.  A Christmas flower bouquet in a gold vase.  Gold, because I love gold accents and this is the same vase I use all year around.  Later on, I'll just replace the flowers by some greenery, or leave it as is.  Why buy a new coffee table centerpiece just for the holidays?  

Frugality, storage, clutter, time... these are some of the reasons why I don't go overboard with my holiday decorations.  I know, you can call me a Grinch if you want, I won't mind! ;)

This cute little elf here has been with me for several years now.  I found him at a second hand store, on a beautiful sunny December day while living at the little white cottage, and I love him so much.  He means a lot of memories to me!

He sleeps on a bed of gold pinecones and pomegranates...

and by him some baubles and trinkets on a Christmas plate

I finally got all my gifts wrapped!

You?

At night, when the house is quiet, this is how I see our family room!  Aglow in the magic of Christmas and the love of the Child born in Bethlehem.

And where is Sherry and Rita and Ms. Luna?  So many of you I’ve gotten to know and love through the years by just coming here every day, that when I don’t happen to see you in a while, I start to miss you! I hope all of you are doing marvelous, wherever you are.  

And to the rest and every one of you my dear readers and bloggy friends, there are so many gifts I want to give to you this Christmas. Peace, love, joy, happiness are all presents I am sending your way.  Thank you for another year with me!

Love to all!