Life’s Joys

Welcome!

All kaleidoscopes by inkspired 

What a beautiful day today has been!

Sitting in the sun with a light breeze,
chatting with friends
and petting a dog head...
...makes me very happy!

What makes you happy?

Beading also makes me happy.
There’s something very addictive about running 
my hand through a pile of beads...
...picking out the beads I will use
in my next project.

What projects are you working on?

To relax, have a little laugh and unwind...
...I watch (mostly Korean) dramadys.
What is a dramady?
It is a combination drama + comedy!
Perhaps it is written ‘dramedy’ instead?

This Korean ‘dramedy’ was a fun one!

What do you do to relax,
laugh a little and unwind?

There are so many things that I enjoy:

Drawing Zentangles,
Writing a blog,
Painting with watercolors or acrylics,
Cutting out paper,
Making paper collages from junk mail,
Paper dolls,
My dog Riva,
Creating cards and card backgrounds,
Baking (especially muffins!),
Playing piano,
Jigsaw puzzles,
Watching Korean dramedies,
Fairies and Mermaids,
Vintage art,
Vintage fashions...

Oh the list goes on and on!

Why not make a list of things you love to do
Or that make you feel happy
and place it on your bathroom mirror?

Every morning choose at least one item 
and do it!

A paper cutting I finished a long time ago,
and then I played with my photo apps!

My wish for you is that you find some time
to enjoy life...every day.

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Truth, usually experienced before 10am or coffee-

“When squeezing a bottle of glue or ink, or?

it is always a very good idea 

to take the lid off first.”

Tea Party with WOES

Welcome

Teacups, private collection

‘It’s always time for tea.’

- anonymous 

Watercolor by Judith Stein


I am in love with the teacup.
Each cup has its’ own personality.
I find the older the teacup,
the more it has to say.

Well,
Blogger.com is at it again.
Absolutely will not let me post any photos,
Unless
they are all bunched up at the top.
I am tired.
Stressed.
I wanted to share a nice blog about teacups
And edible flowers
And recipes
And a pretty dress or two.

I have sent requests in for help.

Nothing.

Searched the internet for answers.

Nothing.

I need to go have a cup of tea,

And Relax.

Ponder.

Maybe read a book.

Thanks for checking in.

Please do check back later.

Someone must know what’s going on 

And fix it.

‘Til next time

(Hopefully sooner than later),

inkspired

Here a whine, there a whine, blogging woes

Well, feeling not so welcome.

I have been trying to write a new post for several days.

Blogger is switching over to a ‘new & improved’ version.

The version I have always used, and am using now

is called ‘legacy’.

Why do you care?

I cannot get the new version to even start.

No text size options, no color of text

And it won’t let me center the text.

Gahhhh....

Oh, there are the buttons to do those things.

I set it just so.

Go to type the first letter and POOF!

It all reverts to small text size in black, left margin only.

I have tried adding spaces and starting again

No Go.

In my frustration I suppose I am being cathartic 

in whining like this. 

If I just wanted to talk the new version might be ok.

BUT

I have always shared photos and tutorials and illustrations.

Those are a big part of my blogging.

If I can’t do that,

why am I blogging?

I will work on my patience.

I will read more useless ‘help’ threads

that use language I don’t have a clue what is meant.

Perhaps I might even get a real blog out,

who knows?

Anything can happen, right?

Thanks for lending an ear.

‘Til next time,

Inkspired

Tea is always nice

Welcome!

Eclectically Mine To Share, Pinterest

‘There is nothing quite like
a freshly brewed pot of tea
to get you going in the morning.’

- Phyllis Logan

Vintage advertisement, High Society Tea, Pinterest

“Rainy days should be spent at home
with a cup of tea and a good book.”

- Bill Watterson

Unknown artist, Pinterest

Vintage Japanese teacup


“There is something in the nature
of tea that leads us into a world
of quiet contemplation of life.”

- Lin Yutang

Vintage Japanese teacup with Lithopane geisha


‘Wouldn’t it be dreadful
to live in a country
where they didn’t have tea?’

- Noel Coward

Well, I did have more to share, but
blogspot just got all weird and won’t post my photos...so...

‘Til next time,inkspired 

Some places I found tea quotes:goodreads.comwiseoldsayings.comtealovers.com

Yellow going, going, gone

Welcome

All kaleidoscopes by inkspired and KaleidoCam 

Hawaii became the 50th state of
the United States of America in August, 1959.
It is the only island state.

Kauai
In fact, Hawaii is made up of over 135 islands!
Originally found on all of the main islands,
the yellow hibiscus flower is the State Flower and is found only in Hawaii.

When Hawaii was still a territory in 1923
the hibiscus was chosen as Hawaii’s flower.
No color was specified, and people got confused.
Artists started using the red hibiscus in travel posters and advertisements. But some used other colors.

It wasn’t until 1988 that Hawaii designated
the Yellow Hibiscus as their state flower.

Fun Fact:
Each of the islands that make up Hawaii have
an official designated  flower!

There are over 200 different colors of hibiscus now!
Hibiscus can be grown in common gardens and is a favorite with its’ showy 4 - 6 inch blooms.
Even though it is called a bush, 
it can grow up to 30 feet high!

Unfortunately 
the Yellow variety is almost extinct.
It is extremely rare to see one growing wild.

Of the 3 subspecies of yellow hibiscus,
all 3 are listed as critically endangered.

Artist Wendy Hollkuder

In 2007 there was a large fire on the island of
Oahu, which destroyed 85% of the yellow hibiscus growing there.
Other contributing factors are cattle, pigs and goats; alien plants* and urban development that destroy the flowers and their habitat.

*not ‘alien’ like green with 3 eyes and 7 arms alien,
but plants that have NOT come to the islands
by a natural way - 
think seeds in bird droppings, the wind, etc.

Usually alien plants, animals, bugs, etc. become established because of something humankind did.
Sometimes we think we can improve the balance of Nature, and make things ‘better’.
Sometimes we are just careless, 
such as when a Captain would let his ship get dirty, and sick rats would jump onboard.
When the ship stops at a different port
the rats jump off, thinking this may be better
than riding around in storms!
Now the new port has sick rats with a 
new disease to the people.
Those rats are ‘alien’ disease carriers.

Thinking back to the 1860’s the yellow hibiscus 
was an exotic flower from an exotic land far away!
I have no idea how available they were to be included 
in a small posy of flowers that was full of hidden messages and secret meanings.
 However the Victorians did have a sentiment attached to it-

Delicate Beauty

What a huge compliment that would have been to a young lady of the times.

Women were to be treasured, and placed on pedestals of purity and virtue and...
Being Delicate and Helpless and Beautiful
were ideal traits!

Antique illustration of a fainted woman with smelling salts being applied

Have you ever heard of “fainting couches”?
This is what they were originally for!

Using a ‘fainting’ type couch for a Hollywoodland glamour shot.

And THAT is the 
Language of the Flower Hibiscus.

If you were a Victorian Young Lady
you could swoon about now,
but check to make sure there is a soft place 
to land before you swoon!

As always when I write a blog
I have learned several things
new-to-me.
Thanks for riding along and 
sharing the adventure with me!

Here are some of the places I visited for information: Kapinalansdale.com
Wikipedia
Pinterest with multiple authors/artists
USA-facts-for-kids.com

Language of Flowers/ illustrated by Kate Greenaway
Originally 1884, London
Then by Dover Publications, unabridged edition, 1990, USA

‘Til next time,
inkspired

The Language of Flowers

WELCOME!

All kaleidoscopes by inkspired and KaleidoCam 

Back several years ago I started doing blogs

with flower themes.

The Language of Flowers

is what Victorian era people called it.

The Flower Language has been with us since,

with a few modifications to make it current.

In past blogs I have featured -

Pansy

Lilac

Columbine

Chrysanthemum

Cosmos

Aster

Morning Glory

Poppy

Water Lily

Gladiolus

Bird of Paradise

Delphinium

Red Rose

Wild Prairie Rose

Rose

Apple Blossom

Lily of the Valley

Lily

Cherry Blossoms,

both Japanese and Chinese varieties

Whew! Quite a list!

The blogs are found in the years 2011-2012 mostly.

Posted by Urban Farmer

So just what is the Language of Flowers?

 Vintage book, one of many on the topic of “The Language of Flowers”
From the Victorian period

Kate Greenaway was a very popular artist 

and author from Victorian England.

Each flower was assigned a meaning, anywhere from 1 - 4 meanings per flower, but usually just 1 or 2.

Not sure which antique book this was taken from.
Just briefly scanning a few I found publishing dates of 1852, 1864, etc.

In the Victorian Era there were a LOT of rules everyone had to follow. Each ‘class’ of people had their own specific roles with rules and punishments.

Vintage advertising card
Courtesy: Rhapsody in Books Weblog

There were many things that just
‘were not talked about’.
Hush-hush secrets that left many in the dark as to life’s
normal, regular happenings, events and changes.

Romance was made into a Big Secret
where common communication was not allowed.
Don’t ask me why.
I guess ignorance and lack of knowledge was...
ummm, attractive? Romantic?
So
if a young man wanted to let his current crush know his feelings for her, or arrange a meeting
he had to be subtle.
There were guardians and parents and even big brothers
and uncles to get past to leave a love note.

All I could find out about this page is it is from

a Chase and Sanborn ad leaflet

This is where flower language comes in to play!
By simply giving a small bunch of flowers to his lady love
the suitor was able to reveal his feelings -

(I love you! You are a delicate flower
Keeping me from sleep at nights!
Shall we meet at the library at 1 o’clock?)

She could reply right then by tossing the flowers aside,
Or fussing with them, placing them in water,
Or untie the ribbons and casually drop them on the floor.

Each action meant something different,
all without a single word being spoken.

Published in Baltimore, USA, c.1855

Of course the adults knew all about 
the Language of Flowers,
but by pretending to not know,
and looking the other way, it was socially acceptable.
If a parent did not want undesirable suitors
it was also easy to discourage them
because the ‘secret language’ was in fact
not secret!
and they knew which suitors to weed out.

Vintage song sheet cover
Courtesy Indiana Music Library

This language of flowers became so popular that
companies started using it in their ad campaigns.
Flyers and song sheets,
playing cards, postcards, cigarette wrappers -
anything might be used for flower illustrations
complete with its’ meanings.

Victorianquiltdesigns.com

Antique greeting card

Notice the different flowers the sweet
Birthday girl is both wearing, and carrying.
Let’s try to decipher what she is really saying!

Red Rose - fidelity, loyal support, love
Yellow Chrysanthemum  - fidelity
Or Yellow Dahlia - dignity
(I can’t tell which flower it is)
Basket of Lilacs - first emotions of love

My interpretation might be:
You are my first love; 
I give you my sincere loyal support & love.

German, anonymous, 20th century

Courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art

What do you think?
Want to try your hand at another?
Check out the charts and lists I have already posted.
Here are a few more:

Courtesy of World Of Flowering Plants

Here you go!

Fun? Here’s another one!

I’m not sure if blogger is updating,
Or my iPad is being super-fussy
But I’ve been working on this blog for 
Days!!

Let’s call it complete,
and perhaps the fussy bits giving me a headache
will resolve themselves!
Hey, so I’m optimistic, okay?
😁
‘Til next time,
inkspired

Truth
(usually discovered before 10 am or before coffee)-

Ignoring the new Dog
Who wants to Play at 7:30am
Every day
Will not Deter Her.
She will continue pestering you
Until Her Will is Done.
Woof.

She Who Must Be Obeyed...