I love to cook and I love to eat. I love chocolate. Good chocolate. And bread. I dream about bread. Really good fresh bread. These are just a couple of the reasons that I am my own worst saboteur when it comes to staying on a diet. I've read all the books, I've watched all the shows. It is just really hard for me. Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment. I've cancelled it three times already just to avoid the scale. My doctor isn't scary, in fact she's very cool. She specializes in weight loss and women's health. Last year, I had started a diet under her supervision. I was doing well, but then I went off of it and stayed off. Mistake number one. I should have hopped right back on that horse, but it was easier and more comfortable to stay in the old familiar place. This time, I am going to try a more realistic approach. I've really thought about the times I am tempted to eat more than I need. My doctor had asked me to keep a journal last year before I started to diet. Now I understand why she wanted me to do this. It is a real eye opener. She had suggested that since I was adhering very strictly to my diet during the week that I might want to have one day where I could have a little splurge. I did not allow myself that back then. It was all or nothing mentality. I sabotaged myself. So now, I am going to be more realistic. I'm going back tomorrow (gulp) without an 'I want to lose x pounds by (insert date or occasion here) mentality. I am going to make realistic and smart changes and allow myself mini splurges or slivers of only things that are really worth the calories. I will not let a birthday party and a small piece of cannoli cake prevent me from going back on my diet the next day. I will not whine or feel deprived because of all the goodies around me. I will choose my goodies wisely, knowing there will always be goodies in the future. I can still bake and cook delicious things for my family, but I will sample them rather than wolf down enough for three grown men. I will make better choices and seek good substitutes for my old familiar downfalls. Like the whole milk or half and half in my coffee or cereal. This morning I used Skim Plus instead. I must say that it is not bad. Zero fat. Much better. My Corgi club gave me an award at our Specialty show recently. I was so surprised. Anne Bowes told me that it is indeed a very special award as it is given by my peers. I am very grateful for receiving it. Carol Donnelly also received this award. I know she was as surprised as I was. So THANK YOU to Mayflower for this honor. I will treasure it. I've hung the lovely award in my little studio, which is still being organized. I must find out who did the lovely calligraphy. It is so pretty. I want to have a little incentive to jump start my diet which includes drinking more water, so I will be ordering one of these new SIGG water bottles for myself from my CafePress store. Since giving is just as much fun (even more, really) than receiving, I want to share this gift with one of my readers. If you are feeling inspired to make healthier choices along with me (or you just want a cool Corgi water bottle) then leave me a comment on this post between now and July 4th, and on July 5th I'll let a random number generator pick the winner! If you're not a Corgi person then you can have a hedgie girl instead. I haven't seen this new product yet, so we will both get the surprise together. Now, what to cook for dinner?.... xo xo -CS ^..^
It's Tasha Tudor's birthday today and since I've always been a big fan of her books and art and the way she celebrated holidays, I decided to celebrate! Clarice from Storybook Woods is hosting Tasha Tudor Day again this year so if you would like to see what others around the world are doing to celebrate this day, check in and read her blog comments. I honored Tasha Tudor by playing in my watercolors. I am fairly certain that she did not "play" in her paints since she was a commercial artist who used her art to "feed the wolf" as she once said. But I'd like to think that once in awhile she took time to just enjoy her painting as a means of recreation and inspiration. I painted four small cards and I must say that even though they are very simplistic, they took quite a little time to do. It makes me appreciate the time and effort that artists take to produce a worthy piece. Our children grew up on Tasha Tudor books. I was always grateful that our library had an extensive Tasha Tudor book collection and I'm sure we checked out every single one of them. I always liked the way Tasha created borders around her pictures. Tasha said: I've always done borders of sticks or ribbons or flowers around my illustrations and I don't even know why I decided to. I don't even remember when I didn't. People like to find things in them. Another appeal of my drawings, I think, is that they are done from actuality, not imagined. I know which side a cow is milked from, and what side you should mount a horse from, and how to make a haystack. It's not made up. The people in my pictures are my own grandchildren and friends, and the surroundings are drawn from my surroundings. The flowers are growing wild in my fields or are from my garden. People who come to visit say, "Oh, it's like walking into one of your illustrations." This picture comes from a book I own called The Private World of Tasha Tudor I love to identify all the wildflowers and garden flowers from Tasha's borders, and I know that the flowers she chooses for her borders are the very ones blooming during that time of year. She doesn't just slip in a daisy or a strawberry because it would look pretty. If it isn't in the season of the illustration, it does not belong. This afternoon I enjoyed a simple Tea for One -- Chai tea served in a kitten china mug and banana bread with butter. I imagined that Tasha would have fixed herself a simple tea like this after a morning of painting illustrations. Do you think she would have liked my kitten mug? Happy Birthday, Tasha! It's been fun knowing you! Take Joy!
Bien plus connue outre-atlantique qu'en France, Tasha Tudor (1915 - 2008) était une célèbre auteure et illustratrice de livres pour enfant. Considérant ne pas être née à la bonne époque, elle a vécu t
Her beautifully-illustrated animal tales, bringing to life the likes of Peter Rabbit, Jeremy Fisher and Mrs Tiggywinkle, have enchanted children –…
this post began when i came across images of Tasha Tudor, a children’s book illustrator whose nostalgic throwback lifestyle (she lived in a replica of a late 18th-century New England farmhouse)…
Desde hace muchos años tengo un sueño recurrente en dónde estoy sentada frente a una ventana por donde entran algunos rayos de sol, llevo...
I have been reading one of the books I recently checked out at the library. The Art of Tasha Tudor. ART..........The quality,production, expression,or realm,according to aesthetic principles,of what is beautiful,appealing,or of more than ordinary significance. I didn't become very aware of who Tasha was until just a few years before her death so I didn't know a lot of her history. Some of the things I learned from this book were rather a surprise to me. She lived a beautiful life from the outside looking in,but when we tend to idealize people we don't imagine all their daily frustrations,trouble and life despairing moments.She had them,just like you and I. She also had some beliefs that are contrary to mine,but such are the ways of this life. With all that said...I still sense a very beautiful life in the way she chose to live. What a gift she had in being able to bring to life such wonder with paper,pencils and paint. The ability to plant things and make them grow...such a gift there as well. So her life was a art,the living,the dreaming. In reality and in fantasy. And even in death,she will continue to contribute to the world through all that she left behind. While her children are still in a squabble over her estate,etc. My prayer is that love will prevail in the matter and they will come back together as a family and share in the memory of what must have been a beautiful life together,growing up with Tasha Tudor as a mother. Even in the most simplest form of living there can still be much confusion,despair and anxiety...life just has a tendency to be that way. Its in the way we cope and manage that keeps us from going under. In my life I choose to live by biblical instruction and through guidance from God's Holy Spirit. And when I fail,he is always standing over me with his hand held down to help me back on my feet and on to the right path....once again. It is there on that path..that I find Peace! Credit for most of the pictures goes to Google images Tasha worked from her winter kitchen...... It seems we keep the same curtains in our kitchen...smile. Go here to visit The Tasha Tudor Museum. And below is a video which isn't in English,but still lovely to watch. Scroll down and pause the music on my blog first. Blessings
this post began when i came across images of Tasha Tudor, a children’s book illustrator whose nostalgic throwback lifestyle (she lived in a replica of a late 18th-century New England farmhouse)…
this post began when i came across images of Tasha Tudor, a children’s book illustrator whose nostalgic throwback lifestyle (she lived in a replica of a late 18th-century New England farmhouse)…
A beloved authoress known for her petite tomes filled with charming stories and watercolor illustrations, Beatrix Potter’s talents and interests extended widely beyond children’s literature. An avid farmer, she coupled this love with a vision for conservation—becoming an active force in the preservation of the Lake District in England. Her legacy lives on in the
My cat Nils is not very smart. (Although he wishes me to add that he is a mighty hunter and slayer of mice. Among the phrases he recognizes is: Nils! viscera!) In the past few days he has developed a...
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"The sun shone in at the window and brought Becky wide awake. She sat up in bed. "This is my birthday," she said. "I am ten years old!" ...
Beatrix Potter is best known for her heartwarming illustrated children’s stories, set in the pastoral idyll of the English countryside. Characters such as
The Fenimore Art Museum will open a new exhibition Monday of Tasha Tudor’s original art for greeting cards, children’s books and holidays — from Christmas and Easter to Valentine’s Day and the Fourth of July.
this post began when i came across images of Tasha Tudor, a children’s book illustrator whose nostalgic throwback lifestyle (she lived in a replica of a late 18th-century New England farmhouse)…
Tasha Tudor est incontestablement une figure atypique, une femme libre telle que je l'entends, apparemment insensible aux modes et aux attraits de la modernité. Tout au long de son existence elle développa sa propre manière d’être, n’hésitant pas à s’habiller comme au XIXème siècle, siècle qui devait très certainement mieux correspondre à son imaginaire. « [...]Elle n'éprouva aucun besoin de vie sociale et préféra rester à la maison. Se sentant parfaitement à l'aise dans son rôle d'artiste, car ‘‘comme artiste on peut se comporter de façon aussi folle ou immorale qu'on le désire, personne ne s'en offusque… ma foi c'est une artiste’’. » « En 1938 elle épousa Thomas Leighton Mc Cready Jr.. Sept ans plus tard le couple partit pour le New Hampshire dans une vieille ferme en ruine datant de 1790, sans chauffage central, sans eau courante ni électricité. Comme l'argent était rare, elle filait et tissait elle-même l'étoffe dont elle confectionnait les habits pour la famille, qui vivait également en autarcie. Tasha Tudor passait de nombreuses heures avec ses quatre enfants, mais elle trouvait cependant encore du temps pour dessiner et peindre, et cela toujours à la cuisine. […]Après le décès de son mari, Tasha Tudor se retira dans le Vermont, dans une maison en bois que son fils Seth, avec son aide construisit entièrement de ses propres mains au début des années 70, construction qui est une fidèle réplique d'une maison du XVIIIème siècle. Le bâtiment est situé tout à fait à l'écart, à environ 3 km de la route principale, au bout d'un chemin de campagne d'1,5 km. Il n'y a aucune autre maison à la ronde et en hiver elle est complètement isolée ; de ce fait toutes les provisions doivent être sous toit en novembre, avant l'arrivée de la neige.[…] » J’imagine quelle fut dotée d’une bonne santé et d’une volonté à toute épreuve, en témoignent les nombreuses photographies d’elle en mère, grand-mère…cousant, filant, tissant… Fine cuisinière, faisant son jardin, coupant son bois, s’occupant de la basse-cour, des chèvres, des vaches, du jardin potager et d’agrément, faisant ses chandelles…Une maîtresse femme par excellence, toujours accompagnée de ses chiens Corgis. Ce qui ne l’empêcha pas de s’adonner à la peinture puisqu’elle illustra près d’une centaine de livres pour enfants. Une âme exceptionnelle, qui abordait simplement les choses de la vie de tous les jours, portant son existence au sommet de l’art d’être en harmonie avec les événements et l’environnement de la nature, rendant évident ce qui est devenu pour le monde d’aujourd’hui - ce qui n’est pas sans laisser songeur et interrogatif quant à ce que représente la modernité -, un domaine distant et étranger. Un retour à l’évidence éclairé par un cœur authentique, aspirant au dépouillement et à la vérité silencieuse de l’instant présent. "It's wonderful to grow old," Tasha Tudor said in an interview. " You can get away with murder. Everyone takes great care of you. And they're afraid of offending you. You can say the most outrageous things and get away with it. I fully believe old age is one of the most delightful periods of my life." -La maternité- “She was totally involved in fantasy. She wanted to live in her own little world,” said Thomas Tudor, the third of the children. “I found that when I was a teenager, it was very difficult to get back into reality.” -Les robes- “Why do women want to dress like men when they’re fortunate enough to be women? Why lose femininity, which is one of our greatest charms? We get more accomplished by being charming than we would be flaunting around in pants and smoking. I’m very fond of men. I think they are wonderful creatures. I love them dearly. But I don’t want to look like one. When women gave up their long skirts, they made a grave error…” -Etre- "Nowadays, people are so jeezled up. If they took some chamomille tea and spent more time rocking on the porch in the evening listening to the liquid song of the bermit hrush, they might enjoy life more." -La maison- “Life isn't long enough to do all you could accomplish. And what a privilege even to be alive. In spite of all the pollutions and horrors, how beautiful this world is. Supposing you only saw the stars once every year. Think what you would think. The wonder of it!” -le labeur quotidien- -Peindre et dessiner pour les enfants- "Tasha was not only a writer/illustrator, but she was a homemaker in every sense of the word. She loved handcrafts like weaving, knitting, candle dipping and doll making. She also enjoyed keeping goats and chickens and made cheese from her own goats' milk and cooked delicious, wholesome foods from her eggs and from fruits and vegetables that grew on her land. Every season had its pleasures and its work to be done, and home was the core of Tasha's life's work.". -Cuisiner, coudre, tricoter, tisser, filer, faire des patchworks...- "I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing. Whenever I get one of those questionaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It's an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren't stupid because you're a housewife. When you're stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare." -Le jardin- Les commentaires de cette vidéo sont en japonais -Les bêtes- - la neige - - La transmission - Les textes ont été glanés sur les sites suivants: Tasha Tudor Tasha Tudor and Family Le musée Facebook Tasha Tudor and family Le monde de Tasha Tudor The Simple Life of Tasha Tudor Les chiens de Tasha Tudor Tasha Tudor Historic Costume Collection Les photographies reproduites sur mon journal ont été aimablement prêtées par Pinterest Je remercie Madame B. qui me l'a fait découvrir.
PINK LUSTRE WARE was a favorite of Beloved Children's Book Illustrator and Author Tasha Tudor ( and also an inspiration f...
this post began when i came across images of Tasha Tudor, a children’s book illustrator whose nostalgic throwback lifestyle (she lived in a replica of a late 18th-century New England farmhouse)…
The author and illustrator Beatrix Potter recalled one of her birthdays, her tenth, in her journal: “I remember so clearly – as clearly as the brightness of rich Scotch sunshine on the threadbare carpet –...
The old-fashioned house and garden at Hill Top Farm, Beatrix Potter's home in the English Lake District where she wrote many of her books,...
