Today I'm taking you back to my Friend Carol's Shops COTTAGE GARDENS for even more Holiday Enchantment. Carol and the Shops Gals, Monica, Heather, Connie & Meilan have brought a Fantasy to Life in the Quaint Rooms of the two Cottages. This time we're experiencing a taste of a Whimsey Christmas... from a delightfully Imaginative knitted and crafted Cupcake and Confections decorated Tree... to Whimsical Sweet Characters of Mice and Chicks all decked out in their Winter Fashions.
There's something about Whimsical Decor that just takes me back to Childhood... it has a sense of Wonder about it... of allowing the Imagination to run Wild and Free... where anything can and does happen just the way you envision it. Where you could believe that somewhere Magical the Animal Kingdom does come to Life in a Humanistic Fashion and make their Enchantingly Decorated Dwellings inside of hollowed out Trees and Matchboxes like you saw in Cartoons. And in those Fantasy Lands perhaps there were also Trees that grew delicious Confections and Cupcakes on their branches instead of Fruit and Lollipops came out of the ground like Colorful Candy Flowers and there were Chocolate Waterfalls... Button Trees... and everything Sparkled as if encrusted in Diamonds! And even though I'm all grown up now, I still enjoy seeing the Visions of my Childhood Fantasies played out in Christmas Vignettes such as this... where it becomes as Real as I Imagined it was as a Child as it springs to Life in a Whimsey Christmas Theme... and there I am, right in the midst of it!!!
And that has been important my Friends, as in Real Life I've been dealing with some very heavy issues and burdens. Having brief Escapes has been invaluable in order to resist going off the grid for a while and shutting down until I felt things weren't so grim. Including attending to my Blog... which does bring me great delight... but I've intentionally wanted to keep upbeat, inspiring and positive for the most part. Have you ever forced yourself to be upbeat, inspired and positive when you're actually not 'feeling it'? But because I Believe that Joy is not dependant upon circumstance I refuse to let go of my Joy and Hope that the rest of the emotions line up with it in due time if I don't give up, give in and give out. The Holidays and this most Holy Season in particular have much to be Joyful about, where Faith is strengthened or even renewed as we pay Homage to the Reason for the Season and remember His Priceless Gift to us. Where Fantasies can be indulged in childlike fashion. And so rather than going off the grid as I am strongly tempted to do {you have no idea how strongly in fact, I didn't even want to be sitting here Posting this right now, but here I am! LOL}, I have chosen instead, and am determined to deal with the heavy issues as Joyfully as I can force myself to for as long as it takes to actually "feel it" for real. Because I realize 'feelings' are fickle and they can change rapidly, even during a single day... but the Joy of the Lord abides and brings with it the Fruits of the Spirit and the Light of His Love for us, even during the darkest of times. And I'm confident El Roi {God Who Sees}... sees all... cares deeply and is True to His Word and Promises.
May all of your Fantasies come to Life this Holiday Season my Friends, regardless of what you might be facing and up against or how or what you might actually be "feeling"... may you remain up by Faith and be confident that it will hold... and may you surround yourselves with Enchantment and whatever brings you and others Joy... Dawn... The Bohemian