Victorian Valentine

Be Mine

Eternal E~~

In my mind, I have been hiding
among the ruinous thistle of last Winter,

like Cinderella, waking
in the drool of ribbons and spit,
lace lost some place on the body,
lost in the ice-ravaged ragweed and phlox,

I vanish inside the golden rattle
of this old, cloven heart.

~In Bondage~
~Louise~

Coquito Recipe

Coquito is the Puerto Rican version of Egg Nog. It is to die for. It is usually only made during the Christmas Season. I fill up embellished wine bottles with it, and give them out as gifts. One taste and you will want more and more.






4-6 servings
10 min 10 min prep
2 cans coconut cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 cup rum
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
Not the one? See other Coquito Recipes
Blend all ingredients in a blender on high for 5 minutes.
Refrigerate.
Serve cold, sip and enjoy.

Flower Song

~Victorian-style scrapbook~

Labor Of Love

This is a visual arts/poetry project I am working on...it is a work in progress~


It is a Paper Bag album, sewn through the middle and hinged with vintage drapery hoops.
It was made using encaustics and beeswax that has left a fabulous patina on the surfaces.







Hand dyed silk ribbons, wire ribbon, vintage garter, papers created with collaged digital images, grace every page. The book board paper is made using pages from a 1890's French English dictionary.Glued together for strength, there are approximately 6-8 layers of vintage paper that makes up each "book board" page. Included in the scrapbook are lovely ladies from the 1915 Philipsborn's Catalog, digitally enhanced and colored with permanent inks, and given an encaustic coating. Also, there are several "Ladies in Red" altered dominoe charms. One side of the domino has been sanded and the image applied with encaustic layers. Silk ribbon flowers, a Shakespearian quote and a few vintage rose stickers, give depth of color and a sense of beauty.

Now in between the pages of this remarkable album I've tucked away over 50 Epistolery love poems I've authored with River Grey, a dear friend. The poems are printed on vintage paper, and various other textile papers in many different fonts to emulate handwriting.

It's a treasure trove of language & art

Also included are a tiny collection of Victorian Nude Ladies, all enjoying their freedom in Nature. Delicate little cards, dipped into melted beeswax and pressed to a smooth, translucent surface.

~this is a true labor of love, and a joy to contribute to~sure to become a family heirloom.