Sparkle, Sparkle – Can’t You Hear It?

When I was about 4 or 5 I said something that has remained in my families forklore for many, many years. At some point during a big family meal (Christmas most likely) I left the table to visit the little girls room. While I was in there I must have drifted into my own little dream world and stayed a while,singing and chattering. My feet fell asleep, as they had been dangling forever, you see. When I returned to the table, I kept saying “Sparkle! Sparkle! Can’t you hear it??” My feet, all asleep and tingling felt like sparkles to me, and in my mind I thought I heard them, as well as felt them -they made a sound like the slight tink tink of a little bell. So now, it is a saying around our crew any time we encounter something sparkly and shiny – or when our feet fall asleep. Take your pick.
Here is something sparkly I am working on for the shoppe and for some clients.
These letter cards are going to be attached to ribbon garlands and spell things such as “Merry Christmas”, “Hope”, “Peace” and “Feliz Navidad” among others. They are turning out rather well I must say! I will post pics of a finished one soon. If you are interested in buying one or two please email me.

Here is a little choir angel that needs a new pair of wings and a song book. I am calling her Zuzu Petal and hope to have her outfitted by Advent.

Speaking of Advent, I stole the book Sarah Ban Breathnach’s Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions from my Maw’s house this weekend. It is chocked full of “Victorian family celebrations of comfort and joy” and it just makes me giddy to read it. I am going to use several of the Christmas ideas for Advent and St. Lucia’s day this year. The ideas don’t seem as hard or talent-consuming as Martha (even tho I do love her) and they seem to catch the right spirit of the holiday season.
We shall see how it goes – I will keep you posted dear friends. (Can you see how I am embracing Victorian-speak already??)