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Happy Birthday! The Gift of Gift Giving

The Gift of Gift Giving at Amor Milagre, Birthday Presents, Gift Shop
The Gift of Gift Giving at Amor Milagre, Birthday Presents, Gift Shop

That special feeling when you’ve found just the right gift for a Dear One…mmm…just delicious!

Sometimes in life you are unable to find dream gifts, or you are unable to afford them.  It’s never too late!  Today, I am wrapping up something that I wish we had found several years ago, but the thrill is still the same in the giving of this gift.  I am very happy that we are finished with our home and garden renovations because now we have time to celebrate every day, every drawer, every plank, and every outlet cover.  Teddy bears, ribbons, and pink!  That sums us up right now.

I provide personalized gifts in my shop, so please take a gander and see what sparks a gifting notion for you.  Happy Birthdays!  Love, ~ Amor Milagre

 

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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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A Gentle Life Collection Spring Sale

Amor Milagre Spring Collection 2025
Amor Milagre Spring Collection 2025

Happy Spring! 

We are loving these healing rains, warm breezes, emerging bulb ear tips, and cosy bunny decor and stories.

Save 15% on all collections with Checkout Code: SPRING25

Sale Ends April 6, 2025

Shop Books, Art, Stationery, Home Gifts, and Custom Presents

Especially Sweet in a May Day Basket:

 

Music of the Moment:  Big Star

 

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Health Awareness: End Clothing Chemical & Scent Pollution

Amor Milagre: Health Awareness: End Clothing Chemical & Scent Pollution
Amor Milagre: Health Awareness: End Clothing Chemical & Scent Pollution

Did you know that clothing companies are making the world sick?  There are hazardous, toxic chemicals in most clothing.  Research products before you buy.  Even the chemical safety certified clothes will often arrive heavily scented.  Look at all aspects of their system to truly know if the garments are non-toxic.

We have given up on clothing companies, even the ones who claim to be organic.  Everyone: We encourage you to tell clothing companies who send perfumed items to stop.  Ask before you buy for clear answers.    Ask:  “Are there harmful chemicals in your products?”  Research the best fabrics for the body.  Demand real transparency and respect for the consumer.  Return items, delete accounts, and send detailed messages requesting process and policy changes.  Prevent illness and chemical run off into nature.  Positive change is needed.  It is dire.  Illness is prevalent.  Illness is preventable.

Most clothing is polluted with PFAS, formaldehyde, pesticides, and other damaging forever chemicals.  Items are then sprayed with perfume to distract you from those chemicals.  It is a toxic mess.  Set boundaries.  We cannot even open the box.  We cannot even try it on to see that the designers are still not doing fit tests or proper colour matches.  Suitable clothing is hard enough to find without adding dangerous chemicals into the mix.  Yes, I worked briefly in fashion as a designer and did everything I could to make sure my designs would be healthy and fit real humans, but the big wigs wouldn’t adapt to my changes so I quit.  They wouldn’t even do one organic fabric!  They dare not order a single swatch.  They feared a health-conscious revolution, and that would cost them.  One must be proud of their work.  The toxic office sensory environment issues and constant sexual harassment also made up my obvious decision to leave.  The inhumane conditions and lack of pay/benefits for those making the products is a crime.  Children should not be the work force behind our daily outfits.  All of the industries need to be examined, held internationally accountable, and redesigned to benefit all involved.

The fashion industry is a foe.  They are quite terrible.  Research it.  The messages are unhealthy.  The warehouses are a dump.  The waste is expansive.  The lack of care is disgusting.  The human form, and how we move and live, is rarely taken into account.  The off-gassing from a roomful of unboxed shoes or outerwear is instantly damaging to the body.  Even the poison exuding from one box of shoes or one coat causes immediate issues.  Health is not usually even mentioned.  They take no pride in their products.  Department store shopping is like wading in a cheaply made sea of strings and tags.  Boutiques and designer shops overcharge for the same bad quality sewing and continue to pollute their items.  French companies lash out when you ask them to simply not perfume the items before sending, claiming that everyone loves their signature scent.   We don’t.  They don’t care.  We don’t count in their view of everyone.  They only count positive feedback and imaginary ideal customers.  Even the well known organic companies pollute their clothes.  They have sold out and have lost control.  Fast or slow fashion, it’s all the same junk if you don’t take care to not pollute your designs.  Storage is key as well.  What scents and toxins do products absorb in storage?  Every step in the process is important.  The packaging materials also need to be non-toxic and unscented.  Think of a shirt like a pear.  Are they grown organically?  How does it get from here to there?  Is it intact?  Is it still good when it reaches the customer?  We are absorbing our surroundings…and we do not want to ingest pollution.

Until adding heat to fabrics stops conjuring up clouds of toxic pollution, this is not a pleasure to help your clothes look and feel smooth.  It can only be an occasional thing to do with proper ventilation and a mask.  The fabrics, iron-steamer-dryer, detergent and packaging all need to be safe and healthy to use.  The iron itself emits toxins.  The production of these machines is toxic as well.  Remove the chemical coatings and replace plastic pollution with earth-friendly simple routines.  The amount of toxins in a fabric is obvious by the instant headache and difficulty breathing. Prevent illness and redesign the world to be a healthy life cycle.

This poison and poisonous mindset does not listen to those of us who sense danger immediately.  Personal safety is attacked by merely ordering a sweater.  Chemical and perfume allergies are real and painful.  Their products instantly cause sharp blinding migraines, an inability to breathe, and various painful long-term illnesses solely caused by air and chemical pollution.  Asthma, cancer, baby issues, and skin conditions are directly caused by these chemicals.  Highly sensitive people benefit the world.  We are the truth tellers.  Listen to us to prevent catastrophes.  The stores won’t change anything and do not tell the vendors of the customer’s concerns or returns.  Reviews online are false.  The truth is deleted.  You are wearing toxins.  It’s back to sewing for us, but really…where do we get the fabric, as all of this is true of the textiles industry as well?  They go hand in hand…spreading pollution as they ship poison around the world.

Redesign the world to be healthy.  We deserve clean unpolluted fabrics and clothing.

Dare to Care.  Love, ~Amor Milagre

 

 

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New Children’s Book “The ABC’s of Hoppy Bunny & Nursery Friends”

Amor Milagre The ABC's of Hoppy Bunny & Nursery Friends children's book 101

New Children’s Book “The ABC’s of Hoppy Bunny & Nursery Friends”

Shop A Gentle Life Bookshop by Amor Milagre

Shop the Hoppy Bunny Collection

Print Books, Audiobook, Nursery Illustration Art Prints, & Greeting Cards

Hoppy Bunny gently teaches little readers how to use alphabet letters to invent nursery games and tell loving, kind stories with friends.  Enjoy these sweet watercolour illustrations for a cozy feeling every time you snuggle up to read.  Each letter of the alphabet is highlighted in a custom colour for that page.

A classic tale of the beloved toy friends in our Rose Cottage nursery makes for a favourite bedtime comfort.  One of the infinite lovely things about children is the way they leave hilarious and darling scenes and surprises around the home.  These pages capture a few of those precious moments when I happened upon a nursery story unfolding. 

Hoppy Bunny practices mindfulness and shows how to take respectful care of all you have and love.  This book was designed for all children, and it is especially inspiring for homeschool students who can use their surroundings and imagination to invent a story land of peaceful messages.  Positive self-care practices are included as a loving guide to lead the self on a healthy path for a beautiful life.

 

I wrote and illustrated this sweet book earlier this year to promote peace for all and to help our empathic family cope with the preventable tragedies in the world.  Life is precious and all need to be respected.  I hope these pages grow sweetness for you, too.

 

*A special thank you to my Baby Bunny author/illustrator who helped brainstorm fun ideas, stage, and dress these lovely friends as you see them in the illustrations.

All of my books are for you, my Heart.

Choose Peace.  Give Peace.  Love,  Amor Milagre

 

 

Music of the Moment:  Baby Lullabies for Toy Friends