Inspiration by a candle...The Loveliness of Fall

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” – George Eliot

I love fall. And yet, sometimes I forget how much I truly do until the season comes around again and I walk into a grocery store and the aroma of cinnamon scented pine cones greets my nose. Then I am in heaven! And inspired. Feeling crafty and domestic like an 19th century young woman (minus the corset, lack of baths and basic civil rights).

Its amazing to me how one small thing can brighten someone's mood so tremendously. Scent, for me, and many others, has this magical power that can lift your mood instantly. Yesterday, in lieu of fall's newborn arrival, I went to Wal-mart with my mom and bought Mainstay's pumpkin spice scented candle. It was just a small one with a glass encasement for a $1. Totally worth it! It reminds me of my childhood in Utah, and even annual home shows where they'd always have something like pumpkin & apple pie, mulled cider, or sugar cookie wafting through the corridors making the public happy. Lets be honest, it seems Utah hands down has the best candles on the planet being that it is probably the craft capital of the world. But Wal-mart is a close second, and luckily they manufacture and serve worldwide :)

My little pumpkin spice candle is already getting great compliments and use in the household. We burned it for about 6 hours yesterday in the living room and its only a 1/4 gone. It is now positioned on my computer desk so that I may make both my nostrils happy and keep my inspiration flowing (is it odd how I use the word 'nostrils' when referring to inspiration? LOL!). But then again, think about it, scent trigger memories, and if they are good memories you can transport yourself to that feeling again, even when you are struggling to attain it at times. Its scent therapy. And it works! I should know.

All last night I was raving about the candle and its heavenly odors, to which my mother declared, "If I knew it would make you this happy I would've bought a case load!" She probably said this because during our evening watching a 2-hour episode of "Dancing With the Stars" I kept proclaiming, "Doesn't that smell so good?", "Oh, that is so divine!", "I want to make pumpkin pie!", "We should make pumpkin pie chocolate muffins," etcetera etcetera etcertera!!

As you can see I've been hypnotized by pumpkin, and for only a $1. I can't imagine what the $5 large version of that candle would do to me! Undoubtedly it would be a sound investment. When it comes to one's nose and state of mind, peace and pleasantry is priceless.

So what scent makes you happy and reminds you of happy times? I ask because I may expand my candle empire beyond pumpkin and should like to know. Thanks :D


Leaving you with lovely thoughts of fall :)

Some beautiful visual imagery....Scottish Style

I don't know about you all, but sometimes, when I am really wishing I could go on holiday, I go on a mental one. No, that doesn't mean I go nuts, haha, just means I go to google image search and start typing in places I'd like to go and see where it leads me to.

From the beginning of me and my boyfriend's courtship we have always talked about going to Scotland, maybe living there someday. I am absolutely in love with England, yes, but there's something so rugged, pure and untouched about Scotland's landscape. We didn't have time to go on my last trip to the UK but what I've seen, and heard, makes it a definite destination next time around.

What I love about Scotland from what I've heard from Pete and seen from photographs is that that most of it is hills, valleys, and lochs, with no civilization for hundreds of miles, even more so than England. I love that. And wherever you are in Scotland you are always close to the sea- since its such a narrow country. I cannot wait to go there. I long to walk through the hills and valleys attempting to channel ancient wisdom from my ancestors onto paper (just kidding, I just mean writing in a journal, or working on my novel), taking photos, and listening to Enya on my MP3 player. Sounds like heaven!

During my google search of Scotland for my mini-holiday I found these GLORIOUS and absolutely divine photographs by photographer David Lloyd-Roach. When I saw them it literally took my breath away, and I've been sharing them with everyone I can since. Hope you enjoy them blog ladies and gents and they brighten your day and make you dream of glorious holidays, too :)

*Note, click on the photos to enlarge to really get the true experience :)





This is my favorite photo of all. It makes me think of a prehistoric paradise (minus the dinosaurs, of course)

My Attempt At Domesticity

Two weeks ago afore I welcomed this flowerous visitor (we shall call her Miss Chrysanthemum) into my home in hopes that I could nurture her, watch her grow, and enjoy part of nature indoors whilst basking in the pride of my green thumb. I have been writing on a regency novel lately and envisioning beautiful English summer gardens in my head and thought if I had just one actual pot of flowers (however small & minute) on my desk of inspiration, that somehow, I’d have, well, more inspiration.

For a few days I did have more inspiration, and then despair, when I woefully realized that my Chrysanthemum was beginning to wilt. I tried to water it regularly (but then one has to be careful not to over water, causing root rot – these things are so delicate), and I attempted to give her some natural sunlight, but mostly incandescent light by the lamp near my desk. Miss Chrysanthemum was having NONE of it. Her largest blossoms were shriveling by the day and I felt so wretched I decided to put her outside on the balcony. First it was a couple hours airing each day – but last night, I forgot about her and left her outside the entire night.

I took this picture of her today. This is the first day (and after much trimming away of the excess dead flowers and leaves) that she actually looks perked up. Apparently, leaving one’s precious Chrysanthemum out all night is a positive thing to do (I've just learned that these flowers are supposed to be outdoor plants). If this solution does not work out I suppose I should not be too upset, however. I only spent $2 for the entire project ($1 for the Chrysanthemum, $1 for the pot; the trouble and worry of it all – priceless).

This story is to be continued. In the meantime, does anyone have any recommendations of pretty, colorful and small indoor plant I could buy (preferably a flower)? I was thinking perhaps an African violet. Something lovely to perk up my author's corner of the room. I need a backup plan in case Miss Chrysanthemum makes a dramatic exit.

P.S. Admittedly, I am quite proud of myself; I didn’t even have to look up how to spell Chrysanthemum, hehe. Reminds me of that scene in Anne of Green Gables where the teacher asks his soft-voiced blond protege how to spell it, but she ruins it, and Anne triumphantly declares the actual spelling. Hurrah!

Blogless Inspiration or should that be Inspirationless Blog???

I don't know about you all, but sometimes I feel like I don't have much to say, or if I do, it shall be boring in a blog, which then in turn bores other people, defeating the purpose of a blog, haha. But then again, you might be like me and find that no matter what is going on in people's lives, and blogs, other people's lives are far more interesting to read about and news worthy than my own on paper, or blog space for that matter. So perhaps that is why I've been M.I.A. in the blog realm lately. A lot has been going on, yet if I wrote it all down, it might seem like nothing at all. HA!

But alas, I am back again, regardless of my aforementioned fears, and attempting to be creative or blog inspired once more. My blog title after all does promise such.

Let me think what I have been up to lately.... a road trip and visit to Utah to see my family (was lovely), I live in a hotel (well not really, figuratively speaking, two more family members are staying with us right now, but its been fun, and never short of laughter, only room, hehe). I have seen far too many films in the last few weeks to number, (mostly redbox, so haven't broke the bank) and have spent far too much time playing bedazzled on facebook, (oh wait, is it called bejeweled? HAHA, it is, and that just shows what a brain-numbing/addicting/make you solve imaginary equations afterwards whilst even on the toilet/sick/freaky and hypnotising game that it is). It really is terrible when one thinks about it, haha. But I can't stop, I'll probably even play just 15 mins before I go to bed after this (which translates to= 150 mins, haha).

I will say I have accomplished some good things lately as well in my blog absence. I am 100 pages through my Regency novel that I've been writing, have rewritten some of the plot (for the better I believe) and the story has evolved a great deal. I have done a helluva lot of research recently to keep my regency knowledge & vocabulary up to par which was fun, and time consuming . P.S. If anyone wants to know what an ape leader is, just ask me and I'll tell you ; P because I think we should all incorporate it into our daily vocabularies. JK.

I have also been doing a very difficult, but beneficial diet for my health recently - perhaps that's why I've also been inspirationless and maybe a little crabby. Its the adrenal/anti-candida diet. Which basically means stay away from all the tasty stuff, to improve one's health and vitalization. Translation = stay away from bread and sugars.

You'd be surprised the first couple days on the diet are horrible - I'd liken it to someone getting off crack (not that I've ever done crack, but I've watched that A&E "Intervention" show, it's scary!) , but after the initial few days the diet gets much easier. (I say that only because I tripped up this last week and gave into bread products and ice-cream). Oh well, back on the straight and narrow tomorrow! The good news is I already lost some weight around my middle because of it, which is super hard to lose, and its encouraging that I am beginning to be able to see inside my belly button since... well, I can't remember, lol. Encouraging stuff, haha.

Alright well, I am a bit delirious and tired. I hope this was somewhat amusing. Till I return again lassies & laddies...