snow

My world has finally decided to be winter, it snowed all day yesterday and it's still snowing now. It's so peaceful to just sit and watch it fall. I did so while drinking chi tea a few hours ago and I had one of those moments where I get overwhelmed with how magical my life is and I feel that everything is perfect. I love it when that happens. My little brother and sister are getting ready for a carnival that's happening at a church tonight, Timothy's going to be Willy Wonka and Chana's going to be a dwarf. I'll try to post pictures later, they're so cute. I would love to dress up as well but I have dance tonight and no where else to go dressed up. I'd love to hear what you're all planning to be though.

snowflakes,

Clara

(click on photo for link, same for the last post too)

gray

The world seems a cold and dismal gray. the sun must be. sad. up there. in the sky all. alone. the moon can make friends with the stars but. the sun has. no one. so today she decided to not get up. and pulled the covers. up over her. head. if she feels gray. why should the world not. feel gray as well. in the cold. light. the clouds are thick and heavy. why don't they loose their feathers. and just. be done. the colorless blanket could then. hide me too and. I would not have to show my. face to the. world. why must I go on when the sun will not. why is she jealously hording her snow. goose quilt when. the ground is shivering for. rest and protection.

I wrote this in my journal yesterday, the world seems a bit brighter now though, thanks to all of your wonderful replies. You're words and well-wishes mean so much to me, it's such a blessing to get home after a frustrating day at dance or anywhere else and check my email and read your treasured thoughts. And also tomorrow is my one year blogiversery! woohoo! To bad I'm not having a party or some little celebration, but maybe I'll do that for one hundred posts or something, we'll see. I appreciate you all so much!

feathers,

Clara

Something thrilling came in the mail for me last week...
this darling little purse from Anji Jane! I won it at her giveaway and it's just the perfect size for bare-necessities such as, money, pen, little notepad, and Anne of Windy Poplars.

She also included with it some covered buttons and little bows, I can hardly wait to find what to use them on. I thought it was about time I showed you some of the other things I've acquired of late.

I got this suitcase (and the blouse which you'll see at the bottom) from the antique shop with a gift card I had from my birthday. It's currently holding all of my gypsy clothes. When ever I fall into a certain mood I go through my clothes and pack all of the ones that match my moon in a suitcase, then I base what I wear off of what's inside it.

I got these too little books just this last Monday, Mother West Wind's Neighbors and The House of Seven Gables. Mother West Wind is one of the stories I remember loving when I was little, it's full of little animal stories about why the woodchuck doesn't like the crow and such things. The House of Seven Gables is by Nathanial Hawthorn, I've never read it but I loved The Scarlet Letter so much that I'm sure this will be wonderful as well.
I got a tea pot! I'm so happy about this, I've been looking for one for a very long time and this was only three dollars. The blouse I also got with the gift card is not in perfect condition, as in it's rather lacking buttons and there's a few tears, but I know it will be perfect to me once I find it's buttons. Oh my goodness, I have been so restless these past few days. I feel such an urge to just do something different, something that won't make this week blend in with all the past ones. Do you ever feel this way?

Love, Clara

my sanctuary

My biggest project of late has been my bed room. It's become a wonderful place for me to just be. I hope you know what I mean. So I'm going to show it to you, I've been wanting to put together a little video of it, but I got tired of waiting till I had the time. Hopefully it will still happen, just not now. Yes, those are tea bags strung about, it was my friend's idea, I think they're beautiful.

Since the first picture was taken I've taped these papers on my closet, they are copied from my favorite journal entries. I bought the pointe shoes at the antique shop the day before my birthday, they were only five dollars and I just couldn't leave them behind.
My old books. Most of them came from the library book sale where hardbacks are only a dollar. The shelf they're on (up above my closet) was a birthday present from my parents.

My newest tea cup, thrifed.

My grandma gave me this one for Christmas, along with Peter and Wendy from 1914. All summer I found lots of little feathers in the back yard so I put them and some dried yellow flowers in this tea cup. I guess it's one of my ways of collecting magic. I also hang teabags on my mirror.

Now this is my pride and joy. Yes. It's a tree. In my room. And I made it. You can't see it very well, I know, but that's because I'm planing to show you a lot more of it later. After all of it's elements are in place. I'm thinking more little pictures hanging from it's branches and perhaps a fairy door or two?

I love this Bambi picture, it was my mothers.

My sister Teresa felted this chickadee, isn't she incredible? It's perched in my tree right as I speak. I hope you like my room. I love it so much.

~Clara

Time to Escape

Escape into a dream world,

It doesn't matter where,

Neverland or fairy tales,

Narnia or Wonderland.

Leave the whispers,

growing pains

of adulthood,

making,

taking,

shaking

us away.

Journey to a safe place,

It doesn't matter how,

Looking Glass or rabbit hole,

Pirate ship or galloping steed.

Ignore the whispers,

growing pains

of adulthood,

chilling,

grilling,

killing,

us away.

Run off to a refuge,

It doesn't matter which,

Forest deep or forest dark,

River raft or meadow hill.

Resist the whispers,

growing pains

of adulthood,

dealing,

pealing,

stealing,

us away.

Become a new person,

It doesn't matter who,

Robin Hood or Peter Pan,

Heidi or Snow White.

Forget the Whispers,

growing pains

of adulthood,

falling,

mauling,

calling,

us away.

The poem is by me. I wrote this a while ago, but I'm feeling the same way again. It's just so scary, how fast it's all happening. In so many ways I'm excited, graduation and freedom, that's good. But I want to stay a child, I want to run through the woods and talk to fairies, I want to paint with my fingers and give puppet shows. I don't want to grow up, but I do want to be free.

~Clara

Well, the Story Girl was right. There is such a place as fairyland- but only children can find the way to it. And they do not know that it is fairyland until they have grown so old that they forget the way. One bitter day, when they seek it and cannot find it, they realize what they have lost; and that is the tragedy of life. On that day the gates of Eden are shut behind them and the age of gold is over. Henceforth they must dwell in the common light of common day. Only a few, who remain children at heart, can ever find that fair, lost path again; and bessed they are above mortals. They, and only they, can bring us tidings of that dear country where we once so journed and from which we must evermore be exiles. The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and story-tellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland.

~The Story Girl

I shall never forget the way

(click on photo for link)

Did you notice something Charlie Brown? The world didn't come to an end.

So I didn't get the part, but I feel very good about my audition so that's what's really important. Another cheery thing is that now I get to keep dancing. Were doing a bunch of variations for our winter show and me and a few other girls are doing the cygnets dance from Swan Lake. If you don't know what I'm talking about I highly suggest you look it up on youtube and watch it. I think you'll fall in love. (oh, while your at it look up The Tales of Beatrix Potter Ballet, it's the ballet I grew up watching and it's amazing)

Last night I dreamed I got my pointe shoes, but they were a beautiful powder blue with a scalloped design along the side of the arch and heel, they were lovely. And they fit like a dream with the ribbons tied so nicely around my ankles. I think I danced in them all night and they never got worn they stayed perfect and beautiful. I love dreams like that. I woke up happy.

I'm finally reading the rest of the Anne books, you think I would have read them all multiple times by now, especially since we own them. But I haven't, I guess I've always felt the first one was too perfect to have a sequel and that I couldn't bare to have my beloved Anne grow up, but I've decided it's time. I'm loving Anne of Avonlea, although I'm not very far. It's just as if I'm growing up with an old friend, since she's now just a tiny bit younger than me. It's so strange how that happens, I remember reading and thinking Some day I'll be sixteen just like Anne, I hope my life can be just as romantic and dreamy. I'll declaim in a hotel and then, in a white dress, stand out by the sea with my bosom friend. (I'd also hoped that by that time my hair would be red) And now I'm seventeen, oh, life is so queer, is it not. Thank you very much again for all your well wishes concerning the auditions and although the results weren't ideal, I'm sure good will come out of it. (I'll get to blog more!)

I love you all!

~Clara

Beautiful things

Her gown was of cobalt silk and she had swept her dark curls up into a circlet of ribbon butterflies.

~Wildwood Dancing

I finished that beautiful book a few days ago and it has left me wanting to dress up in beautiful dresses and colorful shoes and find a magical land. Well, I always want to find a magical land, but the emphasis this time would be dressing up.

Aren't butterflies some of the most wondrous things? There was one summer a while back where there was a surplus of them, that was the summer I worked at a green house and the butterflies would get stuck inside and couldn't find their way out. I think I save a good dozen or so of them that year. It was the first time I'd ever held a butterfly. That's what I imagine magic feels like.

I fear this might be getting rather random, but I suppose that doesn't matter if I feel a small connection. I read a book a long time ago in which feathers grew with the man's hair, I've been fascinated with the idea ever since. Maybe that's weird, but I think it sounds beautiful.

One thing that's hard about falls here in Fairbanks is how there aren't any red fall leaves. I still love autumn here, but I always feel as if there's something missing from them. So if your around nice, red, fall leaves right now, blow them an extra kiss for me, will you? To show them that I miss them.

I finished my socks, I love how bright they are. They are so soft and delicate that I'm afraid to wear them. On the pattern it said they are perfect for curling up in and watching the rain, so maybe I'll do that. With tea and a book and cookies.

I also made these wrist warmers, you can't tell from the picture, but they are a beautiful shade of deep purple, almost like eggplant. I'm wearing them right now. I've made lots of other things that I need to show you, I just put these all together because they seemed to fit. I would like to thank you all very much for your sweet wishes concerning the auditions, I'm mostly trying to keep myself occupied so I don't think about them. We'll see what happens though.

I love you all very much and I hope your having a beautiful week,

feathers,

Clara

(click on photos for links)

Narnia

Silent Snowfall, quill and ink, old old books, tea, a glorious fire, fur coats, an umbrella, woodland animals, mythology, hope, dryads, father christmas, peter pan collar and pleated skirt, music, an old radio, the lamp post, ice, carvings and engravings, a red scarf, hot chocolate, small hair bow, turkish delight,a cloak, knee socks, wolves, silver birch trees and ancient pines, stories told in stars, magical lands, statues, flowers braided into hair, cardigan sweater, brown paper packages,
suitcase, rainy day, sleigh bells, knitted wool, dusty old taxidermy, impossible things, a wooden flute, globe, rubbers, dancing at night, the lion
A local theater is doing The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe for their Christmas show and the auditions are in a week. I'm going to try out for a part. It surprising that I'm even sharing this, because it will be really hard if I don't get a part, but I've just been feeling very inspired about Narina lately and I didn't want you to miss out. I love you all!

Snowflakes,

Clara

(click on photo for link)