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A Cosy Rainy Saturday at Rose Cottage

Amor Milagre, Handmade Organic Vegan Flour Tortilla
Amor Milagre, Handmade Organic Vegan Flour Tortilla

On this cosy rainy Saturday, we: praise the clouds, stir up our weekly cooks and bakes, organize a new homeschool bookcase-locker tree, work on installing our handmade custom-designed kitchen pantry cabinets and mutter puzzle-figures for three other woodworking projects, and try to unglue our exhausted senses from the various terrible news sites.  While we all protest the injustices attacking our world, we also need to nourish and appreciate all the goodness that is in our control.  A weekly soup to sustain our immune systems, an effortless annual routine in the way of a handy rotating locker to easily find weekly lesson resources, a fresh uncluttered storage space to walk in, and a cosy preciousness of our own making are all easy ways that we take care of ourselves.  Pineapples for luck, Love~ Amor Milagre

Amor Milagre, Handmade Organic Vegan Flour Tortilla
Amor Milagre, Handmade Organic Vegan Flour Tortilla
Amor Milagre, Handmade Organic Vegan Flour Tortilla
Amor Milagre, Handmade Organic Vegan Flour Tortilla- Family Teatime
Amor Milagre, Fresh Organic Vegan Bread, Cosy Weekend Baking at Rose Cottage
Amor Milagre, Fresh Organic Vegan Bread, Cosy Weekend Baking at Rose Cottage

Airy soft dough relaxes me…

Amor Milagre, Fresh Organic Vegan Bread, Cosy Weekend Baking at Rose Cottage
Amor Milagre, Fresh Organic Vegan Bread, Cosy Weekend Baking at Rose Cottage
Amor Milagre, Fresh Organic Vegan Bread, Cosy Weekend Baking at Rose Cottage
Amor Milagre, Fresh Organic Vegan Bread, Cosy Weekend Baking at Rose Cottage
Amor Milagre, Fresh Organic Vegan Bread, Cosy Weekend Baking at Rose Cottage
Amor Milagre, Fresh Organic Vegan Bread, Cosy Weekend Baking at Rose Cottage
Amor Milagre Couture, Custom A-Line Black Floral Skirt
Amor Milagre Couture, Custom A-Line Black Floral Skirt

I’ve been sewing up some pretty, breezy clothes that can also be layered up on snowy days.  Here is a recent women’s design in a French black floral. I prefer high-waisted A-line vintage silhouettes as they are the most flattering, comfortable, and easy to wear with a variety of top styles.

Amor Milagre, Handmade Organic Italian Pasta
Amor Milagre, Handmade Organic Italian Pasta

My early comfort food is homemade pasta.  I rolled these delicious little squiggles up for lunch a few days ago.  Chef’s kiss…mmmm.

Amor Milagre, Handmade Custom Furniture Design & Organic Vegan Flour Tortilla
Amor Milagre, Handmade Custom Furniture Design & Organic Vegan Flour Tortilla

I designed three new pieces for the kitchen and bathroom, and my talented husband is already counting up boards.  I like to keep things off of the floor for easy cleaning, and in the case of our endlessly dividing houseplants, they will be closer to the sun this way, too.  A little narrow kitchen linen sideboard will go sleekly by the door to house aprons, napkins, and tablecloths.  We can place a sweet selection of seasonal decor on top!  In our art class, we are making some autumnal pieces now with clay and fabric.

Amor Milagre, Handmade Custom Kitchen Pantry Cabinet Design & Woodworking
Amor Milagre, Handmade Custom Kitchen Pantry Cabinet Design & Woodworking

By separating the fridge from the main kitchen area with a glass door, we have extended the kitchen into the back mudroom and this keeps that certain wearing buzz away from us as we enjoy our cooks.  All of my designs are for sensitive people.  Soon, there will be a counter and upper cabinets for dried foods in here.  The base stores bigger pans, pots, pie plates, and glass storage containers.  The counter will be where the blender and toaster live, freeing up our main counters in the kitchen for rolling out dough and just a general uncluttered clarity.  The fruit bowls will lounge on a bistro table in here as well.  We changed this design a bit back here to finish these spaces sooner and to allow for other types of storage to live here, too.  It will be so lovely to be finished with our complete kitchen renovation, and I will post the before and after’s soon.

Amor Milagre, Homeschool Vertical Rotating Bookcase Locker Tree, Handmade Custom Kitchen Pantry Cabinet Design & Woodworking
Amor Milagre, Homeschool Vertical Rotating Bookcase Locker Tree, Handmade Custom Kitchen Pantry Cabinet Design & Woodworking

It’s hard to believe that ten years ago we only had a few shelves-worth of books, some of which had to be discarded after a leak.  Now, we have so many school books that we chose this carousel case to organize our weekly lesson books.  Each area is designated for a specific class.  They are in order of the days of the week, from top to bottom, with extras to pull from when one is finished.  Our lessons cover everything, so it’s fun and easier to set out a small collection to take over to the library each day, no harmful back packs needed.  Later on, we will place this piece in the library and spiral our most beautiful smaller novels all around.  It is a bit tricky to get the taller school books to fit, but they can be tipped sideways.  Less visual clutter eases the senses, so this will stay in the back room for now.  We designed and made beautiful ceiling height bookcases for the library which are now full and need reorganizing.  Moving the current school books over frees up a few shelves.  We’ll put on an audiobook and shift things around.  We love to be surrounded by loving stories.  It feels like we have a bookshop in our home.  I’m excited to share that my Amor Milagre bookshop will greet a few new novels this year!  I’ll be working on the treasuries over the winter, all cosy with my paints and cup of tea.  Note to self- Don’t dip your brush in the teacup!

Wishing all the love to those who need it most.

 

Music of the Moment:  The Very Thought of You, Ray Noble, Al Bowlly

 

 

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Amor Milagre Couture: Girls Pinny Dress

Amor Milagre Couture Fashion Design: Girls Summer Pinny Dress
Amor Milagre Couture Fashion Design: Girls Summer Pinny Dress

A breezy sheer over-dress was stitched up today so a little mermaid may dance about happily with the garden blooms…

Amor Milagre Couture Fashion Design: Girls Summer Pinny Dress
Amor Milagre Couture Fashion Design: Girls Summer Pinny Dress

I’ve noticed that the children’s apparel pieces that I hand-design last several years, size-wise, rather than just six months to a few years.  These heirloom items also don’t stretch out and are saved in our archival baby box to perhaps use later on if wanted.  Etiquette lessons, and using napkins, keep clothing from being spoiled.  Mostly, we keep our special pieces as a memory portal back to a certain stage of precious giggles and sparkling eyes.

Also, if fabric can be sewn, it can be easily edited if needed as babies grow to extend wear.  We love styling up our outfits with light layers.  Historical silhouettes influence more comfortable designs here at Rose Cottage.

We enjoy connecting to all of the beautiful techniques left for us by past nimble fingers and minds.  Fashion and costume design are a weekly course in our homeschool Fine Arts & History lessons.  Art is in everything we do, and we’re never done learning and experimenting.  The dolls acquire most of our finery.  Every button is saved to use for something extraordinary.

Amor Milagre Couture Fashion Design: Girls Summer Pinny Dress
Amor Milagre Couture Fashion Design: Girls Summer Pinny Dress
Amor Milagre Couture Fashion Design: Girls Summer Pinny Dress
Amor Milagre Couture Fashion Design: Girls Summer Pinny Dress

Sustainable fashion can be very special.

Amor Milagre Oil Painting Art Gallery Shop
Amor Milagre Oil Painting Art Gallery Shop

New oceanic oil paintings are on the easel…coming up next!

Love, ~Amor Milagre

 

 

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Summer Sewing & Poetrees

Amor Milagre Summer Journal, Hand-sewn Children's Clothing- A new Pinny Dress
Amor Milagre Summer Journal, Hand-sewn Children’s Clothing- A new Pinny Dress

Babies grow so quickly…time for new clothing.  This evening, pleats are on the menu for a new little pinny overdress.  Custom clothing is special and fits well.  It is a joy to add little meaningful hearts and embroideries into our unique design.

Can’t forget pockets so that little dolls may easily explore garden blooms…

Amor Milagre Summer Journal, Hand-sewn Children's Clothing- A new Pinny Dress
Amor Milagre Summer Journal, Hand-sewn Children’s Clothing- A new Pinny Dress

A beautiful mess of toys, new fabrics, and magic…in our cosy book nook.  New tales are being typed up every evening, many of which include tailors and designers!

Amor Milagre: Storyteller, New Book Releases Soon!
Amor Milagre: Storyteller, New Book Releases Soon!

Here are some stories that I wrote this spring…now to type them is a different story.  I’m recording all of their titles so I can check them off!  So many darlings…

Amor Milagre Poetree, Homeschool Weekly Poetry Vocab Project
Amor Milagre Poetree, Homeschool Weekly Poetry Vocab Project

One of our weekly projects is the Poetree!  It is full of seasonal vocabulary words to inspire nature-loving poems and artwork.  Paint an atmosphere with gorgeous words…

Amor Milagre Poetree, Homeschool Weekly Poetry Vocab Project
Amor Milagre Poetree, Homeschool Weekly Poetry Vocab Project

 

Ah….that feeling once the homeschool portfolio has been sent…  Now, to continue our daily lessons!  Year-round school makes much more sense, especially as curious minds are happiest when learning and using their beautiful senses.

June is just around the corner…  Love to the Fireflies, ~Amor Milagre

 

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B&W Photography, Listening to Ideas

Listening to Ideas, Black and White Photography, Amor Milagre
Listening to Ideas, Black and White Photography, Amor Milagre

Tonight’s story is about a portrait photographer.  I’ll write it, with tea.  Our homeschool photography lessons have reconvened, flooded with location lists.  Photography is magic.  A great love, here.  We love doing family portraits, but haven’t done many.  Too busy for fun?  *Oh, come, let’s do some…  Sometimes, we make short videos into silent films, B&W.  It’s a cute, hilarious result to save and rewatch…with popcorn.  Oh, how we age and grow.  I love laugh lines…crinkle it up!

Cameras are eyes are memories are songs are feathers are tins of papers, with curled edges and splotches of inks of laughter, from that day when we sat on that rock and ate PB sandwiches…

*A gentle reminder:  After you listen to your own idea, and you want to share it, you may need to remind those around you to… “Shh…listen…I want to tell you something.”  (Sometimes, like with dreams, everyone gets too excited and wants to be in on it…the idea…but by pushing yours down into the mud, to be louder, to be heard.  Sillies…why?  Just listen.  Shh…listen.  This idea includes you.  Listen to ideas…to gold..to silver…gelatin…to you.

“Now, I’ll listen to you.  You were saying something lovely about…?”

 

Remember to remember.  Love, ~Amor Milagre

 

 

P.S.  Free idea…really great one…super possible…good-women’s-healthcare.  Let’s do it!  Yesterday…please.  All the world is in a trance.  Despite this designer’s sadness that long ago the fashion industry somehow trapped themselves on top of an old record…spinning on that loop…and the people all drag around in toxic lycra and fleece undergarments…it is imperative that the weary medical world re-awaken, perhaps for the first time.  Work to help, not to widen the gap.  We know you’re tired, but there needs to be a new wave to help you…down to the receptionists.  Every role makes a huge difference.  Make it positive.  Make it work.  Help.  Women and children need help.  Research anything.  Help.  Work.

 

Music of the Moment:  The Calm Before, Matt Elliott

 

 

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Book Illustration: A New Beginning

Amor Milagre Story Illustration Original Books and Art Self-Health Novelettes
Amor Milagre Story Illustration Original Books and Art Self-Health Novelettes

When one book of characters packs up and travels to the printer’s, patient tales then perk up and peek at their faces and trees appearing on new deckled-edge papers on my desk, here in the library at Rose Cottage.

“That’s not what I look like!  I’m a brunette…and I would never wear that!  I’m from twenty years before that style,” they remind me.

“Ah, yes…right.  Sorry.  My hair colour has changed since we bumped into each other that day.”

So bossy, but…correct.  “I’ll look it up.”  They wear me out…

Amor Milagre Story Illustration Original Books and Art Self-Health Novelettes
Amor Milagre Story Illustration Original Books and Art Self-Health Novelettes

For many years now, I’ve been constantly scribbling down stories, day and night.  There are too many to release separately, so several volumes will release as quickly as I can compile them together in the shuffling groups as they were born.  It’s only fair…

Empowering, meandering stories, belonging to my endless Self-Health Novelette book series, will begin to release in the years nearest you now.

I love writing them, then painting them up…but typing?  No!  Anything but typing…so this will take a bit.

Amor Milagre Story Illustration Original Books and Art Self-Health Novelettes
Amor Milagre Story Illustration Original Books and Art Self-Health Novelettes

Not everyone will be displayed, as many of my characters are described in soulful adjectives, allowing the listener to imagine.  I sit and paint with music, my darling husband reading to us…

If I can snag him, he’ll narrate some of my novels and children’s books in future.  At least, I want his voice for roles that he inspired.  After I release the newly illustrated Leona’s Homecoming, I’ll rerecord those four first books.  Some of these watercolours will be available as fine art prints and stationery as well.  Oh, so many joys to enjoy!

Music of the Moment:  The flipping of new-old books from library sales and borrowings.