lamby & the willow wand

a little lady named helen sold me this willow wand for one pound.

she has a tiny antique store at the end of my road
it is filled with wooden stools & globe lamps.
she never gets anything new, but sometimes
i stop in just to say hello. i saw this staff
with the curly vines and my face lit up.
"oh that old thing, you can have that
for a pound." she said. yay.
lamby got in the picture
can you tell what a
bastard he is?
maybe you cant cause he looks kind of cute.

ps. nanowrimo is my bitch
im at 33,000 and ticking like a clock.
and thanks everyone for your encouragement!
it really really helps. i hope nano is your bitch too.

swallow & owl feathers

i have been completely and utterly swallowed by my book!
im trapped in the belly of the mama whale.
i have bought some white carnations
they are sitting on my writing desk.
my book wakes me up at night
like a screaming baby. i am
on schedule though with
25,000 words. ♥

thanks for everyone who wished me well with
nanowrimo! i am still punching it in the face!

also. these are my owls. they are each the size
of a loaf of bread! i bought them at a thrift
store in wisconsin and then painted them
with pearl paint so they glowed. thats
the trick with brown owls. you can
just paint them pearly white and
they dont mind ♥

little cousin i love you so

this is a sketch done by my cousin *kimberanne*

she is in art school in wisconsin & here we are ♥

here is the original. shes such a talented little otter!
she cheers me up when im pulling my hair out.
she sends me links to video games when im
about to die of pure bordeom.. and writes
the darkest and best little comic about
a penguin named chester. there are
lots of years between us but our
family blood makes us cut from
the same exact cloth. id be
absolutely lost without her ♥

ps. ive only got 7881 words for
nanowrimo so far!!!! i must
write write write write write!

sea glass & tiny pots

ive started to collect bits of pale sea glass.
the magic charity shop is swimming in it ♥

they also have lots of tiny little pots. i cant resist them.

i found some white roving and made little snowballs.

feeling a bit better but my novel is suffering!
with a swimmy head all i want to do is rest and knit.
im going to give myself an extension on the deadline heh heh nAUGHTY.
its just that,
i have lots of knitting patterns just sitting around that
need desperately to be written up and posted on ravelry.
ah me. you must get to work you lazy little sausage!

little kitten basket & the tour lag

aw i made this little basket. it took forEVER to felt
because i have to do all of my felting by hand these days.
if i was a very very tiny kitten i would get inside of it.
*ive posted the free pattern on my knitting site*

so. i am neck deep in national novel writing month!
i am writing my first novel ♥
the goal is to write 2000 words a day
and by the end have over 50,000 words.
i know that math is a bit dodgy... but
with editing and all that... it works.
its funny how fast it all comes out
once you start. its so much easier
than writing songs... because
with songs you dont have
that much room to say
everything you want.
to make every hint
totally understood.

plus im knitting a gigantic afghan and watching
episodes of ghost whisperer online. i am such a nerd.

mostly all of this bed-ridden activity is due to the fact
that i am tour-lagged and have picked up some sort
of hideous cold that has me seeing stars. the only
super cool thing is that i MAY have gotten the
cold from emily saliers! my songwriting guru
gave me a cold. what if joni mitchell gave you
a cold? well, emily is my joni. she had one
on tour and since we were all crammed on
a tiny bus i am guessing that is why im
feeling like a giant marshmallow.

ps.
at first i spelled marshmallow marshmEllow.
i thought that was the right way my whole life.
i guess they just arent as laid back as i thought.

pps.
im not saying that im saving my kleenex or anything
just because i got my cold from emily!!!!! ha ha ha :)
its just that... i mean.. if you have to get a cold
you may as well get it from someone really cool.

indigo girls tour diary

ya all ya all ya all ♥ .................................. thats me! ^
this is the indigo girls tour diary.
at 2:40 i am there! and we are all 3 singing together..
one of the coolest moments probably in my entire life.
of course.. it was the first show i sang with them
so its a little iffy.. and i miss some words on stage!
but its getting better night by night... now im also
singing "closer to fine" and "galeleo" with them!
we play dublin tomorrow and then
its back home and back to normal ♥

ps. if you think you cant see emily
well enough.. you can see her in
the mirror :) heh heh heh

fringe & wings

ive been a busy sewing bee for the past 2 days
i wanted to make some new fairy skirts for tour.. like you do.
ill post some pictures when the light is better.
and tonight i cut my bangs a little bit
so they are a little shorter... like you
can even tell in this photo.. but
you can see my weird freckle
which is on my nose. which
i would like to ask
about when i
die.

and then i was getting something out of my closet when
somehow a feather embedded itself into my arm-warmer.
i stuck one in the other side too
& thought they looked a bit like wings...
i sort of flapped around my room after that ♥

even if alice ate 100 current cakes

she would still look up to gatsby

because he is so great.
at least thats what they say.

today i had a long chat with ciara
we talked a lot about *one time one meeting*
really.. its silly to waste these moments thinking
about it all too much... or worrying with nervousness.
its best just to let time roll and appreciate every tick and tock.

id like to have a grandfather clock.
i think the ticking and tocking would be reassuring.
it wouldnt stop. or pause. ever.
you can really count on a clock.

the white fairy and hare

♥ this week i was lucky enough to drift near one
of the lovely joanne may's enchanted drawings!
she captures all sorts of magic in her work.
check it out *here*
and thanks jo ♥

we had some freaky moments too!
when i was in france, i was visited
by so many white moths it became
absurd... all the while it seems jo
was busy in her studio putting
white moths in the drawing.
plus.. i have a wand just
the same size and look
as the one she drew!
ill post pictures soon ♥

when we carve pumpkins

i get really excited about the fact
that alllll that seedy orange pulp is
growing in secret darkness...
and i get to be the one to expose
it to the light for the very first time.

right now... the inside
of your pumpkin isnt even orange... its black.
just like your blood and your heart.
things only turn colors when light
is shed on them and they are seen.
really and truly seen.

have to believe we are magic

here she is walking down the aisles of my heart in 1980.

when doctors found out that there was a little tiny olivia
dancing in shorts and white cowboy boots inside of me
they just sort of shrugged... "it is very rare." they said,
"but to try to remove it now would be very dangerous."
so they just shot a quick video and left her inside me ♥
no, ive never minded one bit.
its a very good thing
to believe indeed.

if i had a castle i would paint it powder blue

and add glitter on the doors.
then everyone who came in
would get glitter on their
hands.. and when they
rubbed their noses,
their faces would
sparkle in the
candlelight.

wellllllll... its back on the bus y'all for me.
!!! *** im going! *** ♥ ♥ ♥ !!! ***
i've been invited on the bus!
i really cant fathom it.
i hope i can be myself
and still be fun to be
around... i want to
bring my joy with
me and give it to
everyone for a
good tour.

THIS TIME... im going to live INSIDE of life instead of on top.
THIS TIME... im going to allow everything... let moments be.
THIS TIME... im going to remember that im just a human.
THIS TIME... i wont try to be perfect... nobody is perfect.
THIS TIME... im going to relax... a bit... thats if i can :)
THIS TIME...

by candlelight & cobweb you lure the bats

we got the midlake album today
its like a labyrinth at midnight.
ive been wading through it
lit by candlelight only.
it comes out in
a little bit ♥

(i sang on one of the songs)
so this is the picture that
will be inside of the book.
i know i should play it cool
and not be excited to be
inside the book.. but i
reeeeeeeealllllly am.

ps.
simon took the picture ♥

pps. ive been invited to go on tour with the indigo girls
but as i dont really have a tour manager right now im
not sure if i can do it.. seeing as i would have to
get myself to all the gigs.. and basically tour
alone. as much as i adore them.. if i went
on tour alone i would probably get so
lonely that i would collapse inside
of myself and drown in despair.
i wouldnt know this for sure
unless id already been
there..... and i have.
its horrid. alone.

starfish in a jar

yesterday we went to brighton and sat on the beach.

the water was pale teal and the wind was cold.

we found some shells and starfish at a little shop by the water.
then we rode on the carousel... my horses name was lydia.
she showed her teeth to the sea as we went round & round.

i came home and put the biggest starfish in a glass vase.
i like this glass vase because it looks like water...
you can almost hear it rushing ♥

the swans in hampton court

today at hampton court palace
i found a swan feather by the river.
the swans may belong to the queen,
but now this feather belongs to me.
thanks swan ♥

i hung it above my favourite chair
along with some white pom poms
and a little lost ghost in lace.

a midsummer night's tricks & pardons

♥ oh mia farrow is still absolutely perfect ♥

we have been on a woody allen kick..... so far
deSPITE what i find to be a gruesome title,
i think midsummer night's sex comedy
has been my favourite! so lovely!
is hazy 70's victorian hilarity..
its been a long time since
ive watched a movie for
the first time and then
immediately pressed
play again ♥

milk moth neverland

the most pale.

when you see your very own lace
in your very own waiting window,
you know that a cup of tea in
your very own fluffy chair
is just around the corner.

i am staying up late tonight and working
on a sweater that i have been knitting
for quite some time. size 3 needles
are the essence of slowness.

little owls and faces in the rocks

i may have been lost to the sea and the wind this week
but my heart remains in the prairie, forest and wood.

these were my holiday sounds and reads.
i needed them to keep me grounded!
the sea air can have such a dizzying
effect on me....water so changeable
and wind so free....they seem to be
able to dissolve my earth essence.

water wears down rock and wood
wind makes waves in the sand.
and me... with my home at the
base of a great sequoia tree,

my cheeks tingle and i have
to think on roots and stones.

i will be home soon.

la vache qui rit et too much candy

we have a cheese in england called "the laughing cow"
here we bought it and its called "la vache qui rit"
so thats all we are saying. turns out you can
just say "la vache qui rit" and it means
absolutely anything you want it to.

we have also been watching
french cartoons all day!
and speaking horrible
french about la vache
et how he makes his
fromage. and why
he would be
laughing.
heh heh MOOoo hea ha ha ha ha moooooo!

Too much candy from Capucha on Vimeo.

isnt this little petal the funniest & cutest ever ♥

to see the sea & the purple rose of cairo

we are in corsica

ive been looking for dolphins all day long

the rug in this house is made of a million tiny ropes.
there are big windows that open into the walls all around
so the breeze is coming in and the curtains are moving which
is my very favourite thing. we put all of the mattresses from all
of the rooms in the middle of the floor so we can watch them better.
and jump around like total idiots ♥

little baby on the acorn moon

i like when people put little baby heads inside of wool
and then top it with an acorn. thats just something i like.
you arent really born knowing that you like that sort of thing.
its something that occurs to you over time. or when you see one.

we are leaving for corsica at 3 in the morning.
i really want to get some rest.. but im all buzzy
and cant wait to get to the villa and do just nothing.
lamby and roo have a lovely cat-sitter. so i wont worry.
much. i hope to be able to chat from there.. but im not sure yet.

charlotte & stars

i found these little jars in my shed. i painted the corks white.

i dusted them off and put charlotte inside with some stars.
the littlest jar has a knitted white mouse inside.
i made him in australia. he has nylon
whiskers and silver eyes.
all the better to see
you with my dear.

i just found out petal and i are going to whitby
again this year! im so excited because halloween
is the very best most favouritest holiday there is ♥

all of these underwater conversations

i used to talk too much. now i like other people to talk.

lately i have been surrounded by very quiet people.

i wonder about the silence.

about what is being thought.

about the things people are saying that i cant hear.

im putting rabbit ears on invisible friends for better reception.

listening to what is not being said... i suspect im getting it all wrong.

the truth is... i cant control what anyone else thinks.
i can only control me.. and what i do with the silence.
its a strange lesson... for a violin string unstrung like me.

totem animals: dolphin, lion & robert smith

last night i had a dream that i had a
tiny tiny mouse the size of a dime.
i kept it in my make-up case.
for some reason though
there were other girls
there, and they told
me my mouse
was generic.

i would never tell my mouse that they said that.

ruby and the pony

my little neighbor girls ruby and rosie
were having a garage sale today.
i always buy stuff from them.
i come home with sparkly
nail polish, plastic rings
and pink feather pens
about every weekend.

today they had a white pony
for sale. it cost one pound.
because im such a good
customer they threw
in a barbie for free.
ruby likes it.
kind of.

we and our kelpie horses see you as a king

we collect colored taffy and wear birds as rings.

shhhhhh we are behind the curtain. we arent a monster.

some ghosts have tails... i love toddy my angel cat forever.

we and our kelpie horses are going to tokyo i think.

certain stars shot wildly from their spheres at the thought.

these are some pages from an old sketch book
i was making during the recording of my album
*a lily for the spectre* ... they are from 2006.

mojo magazine is re-releasing pink floyd the wall
so i have been busy in the studio working
on ♥ goodbye blue sky ♥ for it.
i have been quite nervous that i wont do
it justice.. because pink floyd is really
one of my favourite bands ever.
im playing the piano on it.
hopefully it will be ok...

magic chalice fairy goblet & holy grail

ooo i found this little fairy goblet... it looks like it has a crown!

its sooooo good when you put cold pear juice in it

and drink it during magic times to bring you back to earth.

i took these pictures yesterday when i was wearing my tablecloth.
today i wore fancy pjs with long stockings. i stayed in bed all day
and drank coffee and read. ooooooooh lazy! shame! sin! glory!

belgian lace and the panserbjørne

ahoy! i am kind of out of bed. kind of!

i am wearing a belgian lace tablecloth as a scarf.

i just got it this week ♥ ebay ♥ its kind of ralph lauren.

today ive been playing with the panserbjørne in the golden compass
video game for playstation 3. its really fun. you get to ride on his
back and travel over the tundra. i love the sound the snow
makes when my panserbjørne crunches it under his paws.
sometimes he slides and causes avalanches on the wolves.

so thats my other secret: im a total video game JUNKIE.
if i can swim, fly or run through castles and snow
in a video game i will buy it and play it all day.
ive saved all of the princesses that
were ever locked up and id do it
again and again and again.

apples, grapes and or paul mccartney

today i spent some time in my secret garden.

they are coming to prune our apple tree this week.

there are two big red apples that just wont fall.. see them?

under the arches past the frog pond its a tea-party place.

if i sit really still, the trees say all sorts of things.

and little grapes hang on for the end of summer.

id like to put them in a big basket and share them.

tonight we watched a beatles documentary.
one time i was in london alone on the rooftop
sitting at a table. a man came up behind me and
started chatting about singing... life and hometowns.
it was paul mccartney. he asked my name... but didnt tell
me his... i guess he figured i knew it. he was really silly and
really sweet. that was one of the most surreal moments in my
whole entire life. im thankful that he said hello. ill never forget it.

some twirling and to celebrate the magic shop

i had the new york ballet work out DVD on
my amazon list. and low and behold i found
it NEW for a pound at my magical charity shop!

i have to talk about this shop. its a holy wonder.
its right down from my house.. and no matter
what im secretly wishing for... they have it.
from my dollhouse to my strand of pearls.
from my ballerina box, to my fairy goblet.
the wings on the back of my door,
most of my crystal balls and
the netting for my fairy
skirts and nearly all
of my fur collars
came from the
magic charity.

its like the place is
aladdins lamp or a birthday candle.
a magic cupboard or a wishing well.
a tooth fairy or a frozen charlotte.

i asked joyce about this phenomenon
am i the only one? (one time i went in
there looking for black and white
striped fabric and a glass head
to make cats & hats for whitby
gothic fair.. and there they were!
BLACK AND WHITE FABRIC
AND A GLASS HEAD!????)

she said im not the only one.
"people just seem to find
exactly what they were
looking for in here.
its almost eerie"

i just wanted to say thanks
to my magic shop.. and
thanks to joyce for the
discounts :) heh heh