Year End Reflections

With every December 31st I take a little time to reflect on the happenings of the past year. I sit, sipping hot tea from my china cup, sprays of painted roses beaded with the dewy steam upon the cool porcelaine, and watch the gentle snowfall out my window. I think of twelve months worth of accomplishments, of hard work and leisure, of family and friends come and gone and those that remain close to my heart. The ebb and flow of the changing seasons, from the gentle hesitant buds of spring to the fiery blazes of autumn colour. I think of special events, birthdays, weddings, graduations, happy times and countless smiles. I also ponder oportunities missed and chances lost, of regrets that have taught me to live well and to seize every moment. Best of all, I think of the future and plan out my dreams and devise ways of achieving my ambitions. By the time my cup is empty, my heart is full and I am ready for a fresh beginning with all the beauty, joy and love from the year ending.

What memories, experiences and joys are you grateful for in 2010? What do you look forward to in 2011? I invite you to sit with a favourite beverage and reflect upon this year you have lived. Have you lived it well? Whatever your conclusions, stir a little sugar into your cup and remember that with every ending, there comes a new beginning and a fresh start for all your hopes and dreams.

Happy Holidays to You and Yours and All the Best for a Very Hopeful, Heartful and Harmonious Year Ahead!

Much Love from The Clever Cottage xox

Breakfast at...

Last evening I attended the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts exhibit of the masterworks of Louis Comfort Tiffany. I was absolutely blown away! This artist and designer was a true genius when it came to glass! Everything from lamps to chapel windows to mosaic murals to fireplace mantels!! The workmanship and design is so exquisitely beautiful - forget everything you thought you knew about glass! The world he created is whimsical and beautiful and inspired by nature and religion.

To say that I was inspired would be an understatement! Although I have never tried creating stained glass art, it does encourage me to explore new mediums... glass beaded jewelry perhaps? Hmmmm...interesting! The ideas keep flowing!

http://www.antiquesandfineart.com/articles/article.cfm?request=769

However, this is not to say that the shop-a-holic in me wasn't satisfied! I did purchase a book about Tiffany Lamps called "Tiffany by Design (A Schiffer Book for Designers & Collectors)" and one about his influences and other works entitled "Louis Comfort Tiffany: Nature by Design". I found some pretty magnets and postcards (how touristic of me!).

When all was said and done it was an "illuminating" experience!! Check out the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts website and see when this beautiful exhibition will be coming to a gallery near you!

http://www.mbam.qc.ca/tiffany/en/index.html

"Nature is Always Beautiful." - Louis C. Tiffany

Welcome to the Clever Cottage

Hello there! Welcome to my little place for sharing beautiful creations, designs, observations and dreams. My name is Dawn-Tara, I like to call myself an artist because I love to create! An interior designer by education, a writer by passion and a beader, painter, crafter and quilter by obsession I am inspired by nature, history and fantasy. A country girl at heart, I bring a little cottage charm to life everywhere I go. Join me in experiencing the beauty around and within us and share in the delights of the Clever Cottage! And now, a cup of good tea I think!