A Celebration of Marmalady's

 

On December 3rd I have chosen to let my marmaladys.com website go. I know, most of you probably don't even realize I have a small online business. Today isn't about selling you anything, but a celebration (though bitter sweet). I bought the name Marmalady's 21 years ago and the website officially went up in March 20 years ago on my 60th birthday. Crazy to say this, when at 60 most people are thinking about winding down. At first my website sold tea and teaware, plus a few ready made tea cozies. I had the tea cozies made in a local factory here in Oregon. My main product was a line of jams and jellies with tea in them and also made at a local jam factory, but my recipes.

That first year I took my products to Las Vegas for the World Tea Expo. It was the first year for the expo too. My jams and jellies ended up mostly selling wholesale to tea shop. At my full steam ahead time I sold to tea shops in 11 states. However, shipping was expensive and wholesale buyers didn't want to pay shipping; so after 9 years I discontinued selling the jams and jellies. I missed them, as they were really good.

When selling at the World Tea Expo people also liked my tea cozies and aprons, but wanted different fabrics than I was selling. I was asked to sell them the pattern, so they could make their own. Now that was a novel idea, since I was already a professional patternmaker. So I packaged up some of my patterns and started selling the patterns on Etsy 15 years ago. Amazingly it has been the sewing patterns that continue to sell.

About 10 years ago I changed my website to one page directing buyers to visit my Etsy page, but I continued to pay for the website all these years. So this week I am letting the website go. Yes, I will still be on Etsy, it does nicely for me. It brings in enough each week to give me tea pocket money and to feed my tea addiction. Smiling!!!

But for today I just wanted to celebrate and share my little business with you. It has been a fun adventure and who knows how much longer I will do Etsy. I love it! Celebrating over 20 years in my little business, 15 years on Etsy, and over 80 years of life. Oh Yes!! Also celebrating 15 years of this little blog called, Delights of the Heart.

 

The pictures above are my Marmalady's logo and the front page of my #1 selling sewing pattern. Even today I am shipping a couple orders.

This was one of my jams.

This is the tent cozy, which I still sell in a sewing pattern on Etsy.

So celebrate along with me and say "hip-hip hooray!!"

Happy weekend, dear friends! 

Marilyn

Word Magic

 The word this week is SEE

definition -

perceive with the eyes; discern visually."in the distance she could see the blue sea" discern or deduce mentally after reflection or from information; understand.

One of my all time favorite quotes is by Georgia O'Keefe, "Still—in a way— nobody sees a flower—really—it is so small—we haven't time— and to see takes time like to have a friend takes time."

I visited a flower nursery a couple days ago and I still don't know what this plant is. Do you recognize it? It had such interesting pods.

The camellias in the nursery were in full bloom. My camellias in my garden are just beginning to show their buds.

There was one rose bush with blooms. They were at the end of the season where the camellias are at their beginning. Isn't a garden and nature so fascinating that way?

Do you know this children's game? I definitely remember playing it with my children whenever we took road trips.  "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players attempt to guess this object. It is often played as a car game. It is again to see or notice takes time; so why not notice along with others those little things we see as we drive down the road of life?

When we played this game I realized my little boy didn't see many of the things I was seeing. At first I thought he must be a little slow at noticing, but then I took him to the eye doctor and found out he just wasn't seeing things and desperately needed glasses. This game is what finally helped me to see there was a problem with seeing for one little 4 year old.

So for this week and always "notice what you notice" and pay attention to what you see.

Hugs,

Marilyn

And Christmas Begins

 In the eyes of child wonder

A look at life through a child's eyes
Is pure and honest; without disguise
A life of joy and wonder and grace
But here we are running in place

A look at life through a child's eyes
Is pure and honest; without disguise
A child's eyes are bright and strong; they don't dull or dim
You might hear their quiet song if you stop and listen

There is a life of joy and wonder and grace
But here we are running in place
A life of joy and wonder takes patience, love, and care
It takes a long time, many years till we get there

But a life of joy and wonder is a precious thing I'm told...

Because a life of joy and wonder far surpasses the value of gold!

I couldn't find an author's name other than "Show you love" on a Poetry page.

The troll was recently done by Thomas Dambo and is the only one in Oregon.

I felt like I was a child beside this amazing troll set in the woods at Nordia House, Portland, Oregon. The troll called me to visit, but once I got there I wondered why I hadn't visited this lovely place before.

The story goes that the troll lifted the roof on the cottage to find sweets sitting on the table below.

You can see the perspective with a father and child standing inside the cottage. The troll is the only one in Oregon, but there are others in other parts of the country. He is made mostly from recycled material. You can find @thomasdambo on Instagram for more.

On the grounds of Nordia House there was this beautiful family home, picnic tables, a short hiking trail, other tiny cottages, and the main Nordia House with a gift shop, restaurant, and beautiful Christmas decorations.

Enjoy the decorations, I certainly did.

And we were greeted by this troll when stepping inside.

I hope you find a troll hiding somewhere in your Christmas season. 

May it greet you with a smile.

Welcome to the Christmas season.

Marilyn

Word Magic

 The word for this week is Thankful

definition: "What does it mean to be Thankful? The textbook definition is that “thankful” means being conscious of benefits received. The person receiving the benefits has an awareness of a beneficial gesture…and responds as such. Often, it's automatic, such as saying “thank you” when someone does something nice or helpful."

I just felt that for this week we needed to focus on being thankful. Yes, it is Thanksgiving here in the US this week, but for those anywhere in the world we need to be thankful. I know in some places and in some situations that is harder than ever to notice those thankful things and those thankful moments. So often I dwell and notice all the devastation and hurt in the world and I pray for a better world where there is love and kindness, an acceptance of peoples differences. Where we can show kindness to them anyway.

But for this week, let's notice and focus on being thankful.

I am thankful for a full cup of tea each morning and food on my plate and in my cupboard.

I am thankful for beauty surrounding me in my everyday life and having amazing gardens to visit nearby.

 

And places to visit when I travel that decorate my life and heart.

 

 

And little critters in my world that color my life. Hi, Joey!

 

And family! And friends too! And those yet to meet!

And my one and only grandson!

And a garden that colors my world.

Color and nature just sing to my soul. Yes, I am thankful even for the falling leaves.

When I call my pharmacy and must go through the phone tree to renew a prescription and confuse the robot person on the phone tree when I say "thank you". I keep doing it, though I know I shouldn't, but I can't stop myself from saying those words. Silly, I know.

So for the next 7 days let's notice what we notice and be thankful for the little things along with the bigger things too.

Sending love and best wishes to you this week.

My prayer for this week is the song "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." And in that peace may we be thankful. 

I am thankful for you,

Marilyn

It's Beginning - Don Your Gay Apparel

"Traditionally, this word was used to indicated that someone is cheery, merry, jolly, or light-hearted. So, when you don your gay apparel, you get dressed in cheery clothes."

So for today, we will "don your gay apparel" and dance through the holiday season.

All the pictures were taken on a recent adventure to my favorite antique mall.

Which outfit will you wear?

Now put your dancing shoes on!

And let the sparkles of the season begin!

Even tiny snow men sparkle and shine.

Snowy trees and pretty, festive plates are worth the celebration.

Do you see me? I love the little bottle brush trees. They take me back to my childhood. And even an empty frame speaks to me of possibilities.

More sparkles for your eyes.

I loved the sparkly butterfly. It probably should have come home with me.

And that's a wrap! Don we gay apparel! Let's go out and celebrate the season with JOY, laughter, dancing and music!

Embrace the sparkle and shine!

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Word Magic

 The word this week is FLOW.

Definition:  a smooth uninterrupted movement or progress. a flow of information. b. : stream. also : a mass of material which has flowed when molten.

As I walked by these beautiful falls just a half hour from my home a few days ago I was reminded of the word flow. The water in these falls is continuous. Sometimes in summer the water flow is lighter and after a heavy rain it flows abundantly. In winter they sometimes freeze, but still there is movement, it might be a trickle, but they still flow.
 

I was walking there with a special cousin and nieces. The sharing and love flowed from both our mouths and touches of hugs.

It was a time of comfort and joy.

It bubbled up in our hearts.

The flow reminded me of a ballet dancer; so beautiful in the poof of her tutu and her movement with the music. She flowed beautifully across the floor and my heart sang her song for a little while.

In the definition it said a flow of information. I find sometimes the flow of information is too much and unavoidable. So much is heard in words and pictures that saddens my heart. So for awhile I will picture the flow of that ballet dancer and these water falls, plus the flow of the swaying trees in the forest and the flow of kind words spoken among dear ones.

What do you think of when the word flow comes to mind?

Have a terrific week, dear friends.

Speak words of kindness and love, let it flow from your mouth.

Celebration with Tea

 A couple months ago my favorite cousin called and told me she would be in town for a few days. She said, "I have never had one of your tea parties. Could you have a tea party when I am there?" Wow! What a request! I don't usually think of putting together tea parties when family comes to visit, but this was one special request I couldn't turn down. Now I don't often do the full tea party anymore, but this one I had to do. So yesterday was the day.

Her one sandwich request was egg salad; so on the top tier is egg salad tucked in Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls. The middle tier was Coronation Chicken because you don't go to tea in England without having that one. And the bottom tier was roast beef with caramelized onions and horseradish.

Not pictured on a separate plate was an open face sandwich which is toasted in the oven, a disk of bread with a mixture of cream cheese and chopped green pepper.

And there was also fresh fruit salad, scones with jam and butter, and dried plums.

 

Here is my cousin. She probably would not be thrilled to know I posted her picture, but we won't tell her. When she was a toddler I would carry her on my hip, then she was a bridesmaid in my wedding when she was 13 years old. I am the second oldest of all 26 cousins, so I did do a bit of babysitting. When I go to California it is usually to visit her.

Then these two we call nieces, even though they are second cousins. They both live in Oregon and wanted to spend time with their "aunts". It was a special day. Many family stories were shared. My daughter was also at the tea table, but I didn't get a picture of her as she came after pictures were taken and I forgot to capture her. She would be OK with that. My daughter is on a gluten free/egg free diet; so that was a bit of a challenge. That being said, I am getting better at figuring that out.

Did I say, we were celebrating a couple November birthdays; so there was birthday cake from Whole Foods. It is a favorite of one of the birthday girls and also what my daughter requests for her birthday. My cousin loves Sees chocolates; so there were chocolates and lollipops too.

And because it was a family gathering I served the tea on our grandfather/great-grandfather's china. I know the nieces had never been served on those plates, but my cousin was a young girl the last time she had a meal on those plates. They are Haviland/Limoges violets and daisies. The pattern was once on the china used for the Burlington Railroad.

There were two very different puer teas served. One was light with a floral flavor from QiTea. The other was more aged and black with the addition of peppermint and chocolate nibs from Smith Teamaker.

 

I loved having the opportunity to serve tea to these special ladies. What a treat for me.

 

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Hoping you have special times with special, dear hearts in your planning and days.