Sometimes, if we are really lucky, the people who follow our blogs and the slipstream of our life stories step though the structure of the blogosphere and make a personal connection with us. And when they do, it feels like being given a HUGE gift; something priceless, something which just could never be bought. This has happened to me with thesnailofhappiness.com and when she asked me to take part in a blog hop I thought, yes! Let’s do it! Because only good things ever come out of this incredible lady’s blog; a place where creativity, recycling, living a green life and a love of nature all swirl round in a melting pot. And where inventive handiwork and cooking exist in a version of the good life which we can only look upon with awe. So thank you, thesnailofhappiness for asking me to take part in my first blog hop. Here is my little story of what makes me and my blog rock!
It’s summer; my meadow has been cut; and I wake yearning for a pair of my childhood sandals.
This evocative thought sets the mood for my day. I open my vintage bead box, pile on layer after layer of sweet, vintage necklaces until the petals and embellishments merge into a Klimt-esque mix of pastel millefiori and muted gold. And I don’t stop until I feel just right.
Like a happy Magpie, I have been collecting vintage clothes, linen, haberdashery, jewellery, furniture and china with a passion since my early teens. I don’t want to wear something with no past I want to feel close to the soul and rhythm of other eras and to soak up the loves, lives, passions and the very heartbeat of all those women before me.
My Gardens, cooking and preserving the produce from them or simply enjoying the flowers, are my passions; along with my love for my beloved cats, Otto, Ossie and Josef.
Thank you for spending time with me today, but now it is time to do a little blog- hopping! So get ready to jump……..here we go!
Johanna’s blog, http://colorpencil2014.wordpress.com is an inspirational place to visit. Her style, creativity, aesthetic sense and eye for a bargain mean that you will find great tips for up-cycling on a budget. Her love of nature, wildlife and illustration mean that there is always something sweet and fresh to see on her blog
When it comes to gardening, there is a lot to inspire you on http://sliceofheaveninsweden.wordpress.com from the moment I saw photos on this blog I was hooked! The creator of the blog was a novice gardener and the posts tell the tale of building a garden from nothing in a part of Sweden so beautifully unspoilt that you really will think you are in heaven when you read about it. Too busy harvesting cucumbers and dill for pickling and a positive festival of every kind of vegetable and salad at the moment, Honey can’t join the blog-hop at this time, but she will love to welcome you for a visit.
I hope that you enjoy hopping round to visit them as much as I do.
Dartmoor Flower Shed 
I love this post. It shows you generosity, personality and vitality. Nice pictures of your 3 handsome guys. Thank you for mentioning my blog.
Your friend,
Honey
Your blog and your incredible results in a garden which you have created from scratch deserve a BIG mention.
Your friend,
Karen
Lovely post Karen! The photos are gorgeous! You are a good collector. had to smile at the little shoes…I had exactly same but mine where not the fashionable aqua but the practical fits-with- all- white. And of course, your garden!!! It will be hard to follow up on this Blog Hop on the 11th! Thanks for including me, love from across the big pond! Johanna
Beautiful post with lovely images, each one full of interest.
And you’re back, with a flourish! I’m so happy to see you posting and to see your beautiful photos again. Your world looks so inviting!
Karen I’ve been so concerned for you since the sad times you were enduring as you tended your precious cat. It looks like the Lord has breathed fresh wind in your sails within the blogging community. I am so glad to hear your renewed joie de vie! Welcome back!
Thank you Jan. The support which you and all my other friends from the blogging community have given me and sweet Ossie has touched my heart. I am still nursing him and it is a humbling experience to tend him when he is so vulnerable and in need of care. My vet Mark supports us both 100% and is ready to help me when the time comes. There is sadness in what I do and yet grace and beauty too. Perhaps there is too little thought given to how we leave this world and the manner in which it is handled. I am trying my best for him.
I have missed you all and am pleased to be in touch again. I am sorry if I have missed your posts and hope to catch up soon. x
You are such a precious lamb! No worry about catching up. You are in a season of watching and tending. Do what you must guilt free. At these times try to destress your life and lessen commitments. What you are going through takes an emotional and physical toll. Take joy and strength in simple pleasures. Live in the moment and know all you have touched have been blessed by your sweet musings. You are loved. “-] ♥
Dear Jan,I am so touched by your kind and loving comments. I feel the power of your wise words across the miles and can recognise the value of them. You have really helped me to stop and listen to my heart. x
I am so glad. Have a lovely day Karen. Allow yourself time to heal. 😉
Lovely pictures… I’d love a pair of sandals just like that!
Thank you. You can buy them, I saw a lady in some the other day. They are made by Red or Dead http://www.redordead.com and they are just like the ones I had as a girl. The colours are not so pretty though, but I am hoping to order some soon…..
ohh. lovely! I’ll send an e-mail soon.. with news
Lovely post… I simply love your amazing garden and the nice looking pets…
Ah, Karen. Your photographs always, always make me smile! I do love how you capture color and details. They shine. Every one of them. I’ve been sending you and Ossie positive thoughts. Keep us posted. And enjoy every moment with the sweet little critter. He is so lucky to have you. Big Hugs, Theadora
Oh, thank you so much Theadora. Since Ossie became ill I have got so behind with everything and feel so sad that although I read your last post and loved it, I did not get around to commenting. You invest so much of your very special and unique self in your posts and they too sparkle. You must just be a sparkly kind of girl!
You are right, I am spending every minute with Ossie as we walk this journey together.
He is asleep beside me now. I have always been so comforted by the company of cats and every one is special.
Karen.
I’m so sorry, Karen. Kitties leave such huge voids, don’t they? Each one has a huge presence. I lost my cat Boo, about a year after I moved to Paris. It hurt, day in and day out. Words are not enough. This I know. I’m sending big hugs to you and Josef.
Theadora
Well, hello, you Happy magpie: I so missed your regular blogs! And how pretty this one is too. the photos are lovely, and how nice to see your friends Otto, Ossie and Josef. Welcome back, Karen. I will check the links that you provided.
Thank you Cynthia. I was trying to get back into the swing of things with my posts, but sadly, I had to have Ossie put to sleep on Monday. The pain is so raw and hard to bear and I miss him so much. His brother Josef seems lost without his brother. So in our grief, we spend hours together. There are many tears being shed.
My condolences, dear Karen.
Poor Josef. That must be so tough.
For him and for you.
We have so much in common, love for old things, love for cats (sorry for your loss) and the garden, photography. I think if we could meet and show each other all the wonderful things we have collected in our lifes, it would be very inspiring. Regards Mitza
I feel exactly the same way. There is much to share and often I feel that the tragedy is that some of the people who I feel I have most in common with are now scattered all over the world! I am staggered to discover how blogging brings so many like minded people into my life. Yes, I too think there would be much joy if we could see all the things we fill our lives with. I could fill several houses! I thought that the shared love of Rilke was a fantastic surprise. And thank you for understanding about the loss of my cat. His brother Josef misses him terribly and always wants to be close to me now. Karen x
I sometimes even dream about visiting some of the bloggers. Rilke is a new find for me, I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t really like to read poems. I love Russian literature, have more than 400 books only from Russian authors (and some hundreds others).
We have a small flat but all the things that I have collected could be distributed in several flats, too.
And regarding the loss of your cat: We had a beautiful, very intelligent Norwegian Forest cat up to 3 years ago, which died in the age of 18. We still miss our “Moutsee” so much. She was so funny, soft and always self-assertive. Greetings to your wonderful cats. I hope Josef will have a wonderful life without his brother. Mitza
We never forget out special cat friends, do we? It is silly, but I hope that I am reunited with all mine before I die. Just to hold them for a moment would be so wonderful.
Have you read The Master and Margarita? Now Bulgakov is a real favourite of mine. Karen
Yes, cats are so special and loveable. I hope to see my cat in heaven (hope I don’t have to go to hell, then we will miss each other, hehe). Of course I read The Master and Margarita. My favourites are Aitmatow, Bunin, Chechov, Nabokov, Lesskow, Tolstoi etc. Have a wonderful day, Karen, regards Mitza
I will have to do much reading to catch you up!
I’m reading so many books, Karen. Nowadays I buy books for a low price in a thrift shop. Otherwise I couldn’t afford this. But I love living in my imagination when reading books. Russian authors have the great gift to describe everything in a wonderful, moving and sometimes melancholic way. This
fits to my melancholic character.