I just found this lovely clothing shop call Cabbages and Roses, it's left me very inspired. See that coat on the left? I've been wanting one like that for such a long time, it's a Pride and Prejudice coat, you know. Like the one Elizabeth wears. And oh, the entire ensemble on the right gives me thrills, the blazer, skirt, cardigan, jewelry, it's amazingly perfect. I really need to sew patches on to one of my jackets now, and buttons, the whole things just to good to be true.

The pictures of course are a third of the attraction, but from the above, I hope to find a loose sweater to wear with my plaid skirts. Of course a deer sweater would be just as nice, if not better. I'd love to see if I could make something similar.

And oh, to have a red silk skirt, perfect for any sort of mood, gypsy, chocolat, fairytale, red ridding hood, medieval maiden...

AND

Sock Dreams, if I could I would buy enough socks to support them for five years. I mean, I want some in every color! Aren't these striped socks so pretty? Fairytale/Victorian/circus could it get more perfect?
They have tights and leg warmers too. Oh, to be rich and have hundreds and thousands of dollars. Not really though, I find it so much fun to be creative and resourceful when it comes to clothes. I finished a big chunk of school yesterday that had been holding me back creatively, so now I'll have much more time to do all the things I've been hoping to do. It's such a relief. I'm so glad I got to do this post, I've been wanting to do something like this for a while. Oh, good luck to all who are starting college this week, I start my art class on Thursday, (scary!) so we'll see how that goes. I have to go now, I hope your all having a great week and lots of creative fun!

Love, Clara

"The truth is we all ache. We all have growing pains and wonder if we are okay and enough loved. The thing is-we are. Really. Without the silver shoes and leopard print sheets. We are enough without all the things we buy to make us much more than we are or need to be. We are simple and complex and rare as is."
"Sometimes I forget about the magic.Like the moon and red leaves and how the apples grow again and again outside my windows."
"I think that if we can aim for just five minutes of complete acceptance of ourselves, we are doing really well!"

"It's okay NOW. These feelings are normal and have to be allowed to be felt and seen.

We have to trust that our friends won't quit on us when we are hopeless and even more- we can't quit on ourselves. We are all we have deep down- and all we can save."

From Spilling Open: the art of becoming yourself by Sabrina Ward Harrison

Click on photo for link

So, one of the big things of this summer was that three of my friends turned sixteen. The second big thing is that I was broke. Which means I had to make them all presents, (I only finished one of them in time) and go to all their parties. Which to tell you the truth kind of freaked me out, most of my friends are really hipper and have really hipper friends so the energy levels were high. Oh well, I guess I'm just not a big party kind of person. This first present was for my friend Charity, it's kind of like a card or a scrapbook page or a picture, either way it's so she can hang it up in her room. I was very pleased with how it turned out.

This is a picture I drew for Lauren, of me and her. Aren't we cute?

This is for my friend Clara, (not me! don't get confused) I put it together for her because I thought she would appreciate the quotes more than my other friends.

from Maya Angelou

from the Avett Brothers

from SARK

From John Burrougs

From Helen Keller

From Grey's Anatomy

Unknown

From SARK

from Before Sunset

And Unknown.

It didn't turn out how I wanted it to, but I think it still looks pretty nice. The main thing I love though, is the quotes, aren't they amazing? So full of truth. I'm sorry I didn't end up posting this on Monday, I tried but it just didn't happen. I hope this wasn't too boring and I hope you all are well!

Love, Clara

more knitting and a birthday tag

Well, here's some more birthday news. My birthday was on the last day of the fair, at which I actually won Jr. Grand Champion in both knitting and sewing! With that honor came all of these goodies from the local sponsors. And Oh. My. Goodness. That's two complete projects, a case for straight needles, and hand dyed fingering weight yarn. And look, the girl on the needle case looks like me, (kind of) isn't that crazy?

So now, I get to make my first pair of socks, I've already gotten started, the yarn is such a yummy apricot color and the pattern is lovely. The only part of the pattern that I'm nervous about is the grafting at the toe, Kitchener stitch is definitely a weak point for me. Sadly, I don't know where the pattern is from, but the yarn is Debbie Bliss.

It also came with a note book for knitting projects and Brittany DP needles, my hands down favorite kind, unless there's a better wood brand that I haven't tried.

This is what I need to make a lovely cowl, the pattern is from blue sky alpaca so you could probably find it on their website if you're interested. I think the yarn is Aslan trends, I could be wrong, but I know it has Aslan in it.



Now this is really interesting, it's called a "flat" I think, and it's hand dyed, you then knit from it and it makes a cool pattern. I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out, it's the perfect weight for socks, but we'll see, I might go for something else.

(I found a heart in it!)

As I said before, I started knitting the socks and they're turning out so beautiful, I'm actually done with the first one, (I feel bad for it having come out so quickly) except for the grafting.



And guess what else? I got tagged!!!





Yes, the lovely Katherine tagged me for my birthday, thank you so much! Okay I need to cut back on the exclamation points.

SO, I need to state ten things about myself and then tag ten people

1. I used to want to be an actress in Hollywood, but last year I went to an acting camp in LA and I quickly changed my mind. I still love acting, but I just wasn't willing to live in southern California, too me it was one of the ugliest places I've ever seen (no offence meant). Now, if I decide to act it will be strictly theater.

2. Ballet is a huge passion for me, I'm not very good,(I'm not even on point yet) but this semester I'm taking three ballet classes, two pre-point, and two other classes, a long with the company rehearsal, so I'm hoping that will help me improve a lot.

3. I have this weird thing where I fall for men in old movies, like Gregory Peck and Jimmy Stewart, I also frequently fall in love with the men in the books I read, they're all just so perfect.

4. I've been journaling (apparently that's not a word) for a long time now, I think at least seven years, anyway, I'm currently working on my eleventh. Once, I finished my journal before I had a chance to get my next one and I had to wait over a week, I was a wreck the entire time.

5. Almost every time I read a book, I pick a character to be and I read everything they say out loud. And with fairy tales and other dreamy kind of stories I read the whole thing out loud to myself.

6. I've been home schooled my whole life and I'm really glad of it. I feel like it has really helped me to become my own person and enjoy being myself instead of trying to look and be like everyone else.

7. As far as music goes I can enjoy almost anything as long as it has good lyrics. My favorites though are ones with good lyrics and cute/pretty music like Eisley, Regina Spector, Avett Brothers, and then soundtracks of course give me thrills.

8. The place I want to visit most in the world is Ireland, it's so beautiful and green. I've never been there, but I'm hoping I'll be able to live there someday.

9. I've always lived in town, but I'm sure there's a drop of dryad blood in me because the woods is where I feel the most at home. Someday, I'm going to have my own little cabin in the woods and I'll have goats, chickens, and geese, and a big beautiful garden. I want to keep bees two. I plan to have two big dogs and name them Merit and Ash. (after the hounds in Deerskin and The Princess and the Hound)

10. When my mother first told be about Narnia, (I don't remember how old I was, three or four) I desperately wanted to go there. I asked her what a wardrobe was and she said it was like a closet. I remember (I really do!) hiding in our coat closet (because it was cold there) and waiting for me to get in. I didn't quite, but sitting there in the dark I had the most wonderful imaginings, and I think, in a not quite literal sense, I did find my way into Narnia.

And now I tag:

Un Bella Vita A Beautiful Life (my first blogging friend)

Acrylic and Old Lace (I miss you Rebecca!)

peculiar tallulah (a doll)

Thumbelina (fellow Alaskan blogger, hehe)

Raindrops and Rosepetals (I just found this blog and I love it, also happy birthday Sara!)

A Book of Blair (same as above, and a late happy birthday to this sweet girl too)

So that's only six, but I wasn't sure who else to tag. If anyone else wants to do it feel free, it's a lot of fun. I have a very busy schedule but I'm going to try to do a post every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. I have so much to share so I hope it works out. I must fly now, but I'll be back as soon as I can!

Love, Clara

The Birthday Tea

This past Saturday was my birthday, and the best of birthdays it was too. I had decided that I would do exactly what I wanted to for it, regardless of what my friends would rather do. I also did not want my friends to be board, thus making me miserable, so I decided not to invite them. Except one special friend from ballet class, and you of course.

So please come in, please do. I'm seventeen now, isn't that strange? I still feel like a imaginative five year old, not a girl starting her last year of high school. Well, what do you think of my playhouse? It does need to be cleaned, oh bother, perhaps next year, after all cleaning should be done in the spring. Is that not right?

I have had such a wonderful birthday and on another day soon I shall tell you all about it, for now though there is only time for tea.

Please sit down. My mother and I have spend the last few days preparing these special treats, I do hope you enjoy them. I made the shortbread and mocha marshmallows, she made the cream puffs and Turkish Delight.
Mmm, here's the elephant, he's my favorite, don't worry, I made two so there's enough for both of us.

I do hope you're enjoying yourself, I know I am. I promise to be back as soon as I can, with the rest of my story book birthday. I love you all,

Love,

Clara

Well, I've been gone a long time haven't I! Sorry, as usually every thing's been a bit crazy. However, I did manage to make and finish that beret I had said I wanted to make earlier. I really love how it turned out. I didn't use a pattern, I just made it up as I went along, which is pretty easy if you have the general idea of how it needs to be made. The yarn I got a while ago from Jo-ann's, I just love it because it feels like I'm knitting a cloud.

I've got a whole lot more I want to show you, but I haven't got time now. I hope you're all doing great and enjoying August. I'll try to be back very soon.

Love,

Clara