where dreams come true and memories begin.

Once upon a time… as the sky bent low against a sober city backdrop on that special morning, cascades of rain poured in sheets from the heavens above. I breathed a sigh as I looked upon the bleak skyline. rain or shine this day was going to be a beautiful day. an enchanting day brimming with smiles and laughter but most importantly... memories.

with such happy thoughts in mind, the day began as usual, yet my heart stirred restlessly with excitement which could not be contained. {my dear parents endured patiently many a day filled with light chatter about this blissful day. ;)} thus after making preparations for the rainy weather, we made our way to {as you probably have already guessed} disneyland. 

once we arrived, we quickly huddled under the shelter of the Rain Forest Cafe {a very appropriate name at the time}. the minutes which elapsed slowly went by like hours. but alas! amidst the deluge that fell from the heavens, the sweet familiar face under a purple umbrella rounded the corner, beaming with excitement. after six long months the miles that separated us simply melted as though the rain was washing them away.
and we were finally together at last...

for the most part of the day, rain drizzled from the cloudy skies above thus the afternoon passed by leisurely as two dear friends lingered within the shops. finally, we settled down in the quaint little coffee shop on the corner of main street where it seemed so long ago I had been standing in the doorway of that place in August, scanning the sea of people for the dear face. the familiar, enticing aroma of old coffee surrounded us, whilst we sipped hot cocoa and nibbled on a sweet snickerdoodle, opening gifts found from antique shops and made from our hands. the latter part of the afternoon was spent peeking in shops throughout the park {purchasing a few lovelies here and there ;)}, and taking photographs to remember the wintry day at the magic kingdom...

being tangled fans of course, we had to stop by Rapunzel's little corner of the world to meet the princess herself...

{and flynn as well ;)}

overall, the day was magical as Johanna and I frolicked in the rain hand-in-hand {like Dianna and Anne}. the day of course passed by much too quickly, but we were comforted to know that Wednesday held an event we were all very excited to attend. 

>>---to my dear, sweet old-fashion girl --->

only a week has passed since seeing you, yet I am already saddened that our time together has already slipped away. 'twill be a comfort to know that I shall see you again very soon {which is a promise, mind you}. you are such an amazing young lady and godly example that I am truly blessed - and honored - to call my friend, my true  friend and sister in Christ. how immensely blessed I was to see you again and in one of our favorite places. smile. it has been such a joy to watch our friendship strengthen {through thick and thin} even though we live so far away, and 'twill continue to be. everyday I am amazed - and thankful - of how under ordinary circumstances the Lord crossed our paths to form an extraordinary friendship. but know I am more happy to call you not only my friend, but my very dear sister.  

know you will always hold a very special place in my heart - you and your family - and I think of you often {and talk about you often...I think my family is sick of it. smile.} 

love you always m'dear, 

your lavender girl.   

be quite sure to visit dear Miss Johanna's lovely parlor of hers for a spot o' tea as well as her account of our magical day together. I know she shall be expecting you. wink.  

And they all lived happily ever after...

I hope in the near future I will have the blessed opportunity to meet one of you in person, dear reader! 

love, 

the girl who is happy to have returned to her garden.  

>>--- postscript ---> 

be sure to visit my garden on the morrow as I am revealing a very special event. wink. 

wintry ramblings.

I'm home. those words are bittersweet to me as I love my home dearly but on the other hand, there is so much to be accomplished when one returns from a week-long vacation and things add up so quickly that it can become extremely overwhelming. thankfully overall, things have been going fairly smoothly, and once a daily routine has been reestablished, all will go about as it does to winter's beat. {please do forgive my tardiness if I do not return your comments and e-mails right away}.

my friend and I are busying ourselves by editing photographs and videos to tell the story of my little trip this past week, thus I am still not revealing where I had gone or the company I had the pleasure of being with {although, I'm quite certain all of you know. ;)}. more on my mystery trip shall be posting very soon, but just to keep you guessing here's a hint...

 

{bokeh, yes, that's very helpful. *smile*} 

well, to-day, the sky has determined not to be sunny and warm {as a good amount of Californian wintry days are}, but to be in the middle ground of grey; thus I shall go about my afternoon busying myself with crafts {for birthdays and Valentine's day} and other things of that sort. 

praying you are all experiencing a lovely day! 

love as always,

the girl in the garden. 

>>---postscript---> special thanks to my dear friends Camille, Sarah, and Gabby for sending the sweet notes and goodies to greet me when I returned. and of course the warmest of welcomes to my newest visitors to my garden walk! I am delighted to see you here, and pray you are inspired, refreshed, and encouraged by your visits amongst the flowers.  
>>---side note---> be sure to enter a delightful giveaway here @ unsinkable. 

of rainy afternoons and tea.

~ the rainy day ~ 

the day is cold, and dark, and dreary;

it rains, and the wind is never weary;

the vine still clings to the mouldering wall,

but at every gust the dead leaves fall,

and the day is dark and dreary.

my life is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

my thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,

but the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,

and the days are dark and dreary.

be still, sad heart! and cease repining;

behind the clouds is a sun still shining;

thy fate is the common fate of all,

into each life some rain must fall,

some days must be dark and dreary.

 >> henry wadsworth longfellow 

xoxo,
the keeper of the garden. 

{images via pinterest}

waiting for the call.

from the desk drawer of a young dreamer...

I sit here... writing this upon my quilted bed. when I wish I was there.

my pen quivers as I write. the outdoor sky weeps. her tears slipping down my window's smooth glass face. I watch and listen in vain, when I wish I was there. drinking the crisp spring air, my heart soaring and breathing in the magic, savoring every breath.

when spring magic touches the earth springing up wildflowers. the trees whispering their secrets in the breeze rustling their boughs.

every time I steal a glance at the window, my heart aches to be there. for the silvery winter that melts into a beautiful spring in your meadows and mountains.

narnia. i breath. someday i will answer the call. i whisper. 

love as always,
the keeper of the garden. 

{images via pinterest}

lovelies.

sometimes there are certain moments in time, where you just breath, "life is beautiful." 

I do not think there is anything quite quite so lovely as...

feeling the ocean laps against bare toes...

spending time in a summer garden...

feeling the wind twirl your tresses of hair...

traveling with pen and camera in hand...

"sit{ting} in the shade and look{ing} upon the verdure is a most refreshment" ~ Jane Austen. 

taking time to "be still" on a hilltop...

having braids in one's hair...

reading in a beautiful place...

capturing life stories...

sitting down and doing something your heart loves...

journaling. 
writing letters.
drinking tea.
being thankful and content.
day-dreaming.
loving. 
laughing.
living.

happy wednesday, dearies!

love,
the keeper of the garden.

in love // quotes.

>> sometimes it's a paragraph or a few mere words with a photograph or in tiny script that touches our hearts and makes the whole world new...

stichin' sunday // a giveaway.

to-day, I have the wonderful pleasure of introducing to you one of the most darling shops that has been a favorite of mine for a very long while....

| etsy profile // shop // pinterest // twitter // blog |

Mollie's sweet little shop is brimming with the sweetest patterns and printables all made from her own designs. let's take a little peek, shall we?

// crafty characters // 

au revoir, auf wiedersehen, hasta luego, farewell dearies!

the sky is low, the clouds are mean. the wind complains and moans of life's unfairness. my heart longs to get away from daily routines but mostly to travel. 

fare thee well, dearies! I shan't be away for long...this video explains most of it. ;) I hope you enjoy!

bon voyage, ma cherie!!! 
the keeper of the garden. 


postscript :: 6 followers away from 300??? wow. you all are a.m.a.z.i.n.g. and really such a huge blessing in my life. *hugs*
side note :: what do you think of my new garden look? it's not dramatic, but I just thought a few "new flowers" would be a nice touch for a wintry day. ;) 

[images via pinterest] 

just a few happy thoughts // and first vlog.

happy are the people who are in such a state; happy are the people whose God is Lord!!! 

{psalms 144:15}

// buttered corn bread and green tea // 

// the scent of oranges that evoke thoughts of summer // 

// simple moments that bring so much joy for years to come //

// cabinets and cubbies brimming with yarn //

// chocolate woolen socks that go up my knee // 

// music and photographs that make my heart sing // 

// dear friends I am blessed [and honored] to call sisters //

// a suit case ready for adventure // 

introducing my first vlog! despite the imperfections {I can't believe after the third attempts of being IN focus this came OUT of focus and ugh, I repeated myself a lot} I still hope you enjoy...

{and yes, this is my first ever Youtube Video. can you tell? *sheepish grin*}

{oh, please excuse the close up at the end. XP} 

have a question you would like to be included in a vlog? leave a note! 

happy monday, dear friends!

lovingly,

the keeper of the garden. 

[images via pinterest]

stationery giveaway + product review.

to-day, I have a simply lovely shop brimming with the most darling stationery from modern to a vintage flair. I am delighted to introduce you to...

shop // etsy profile 

the sweet owner, Naomi, kindly sent me a set of twelve stationery cards in my favorite colors as well as a few other samples from her shop...

a little piece of magic.

the world is thick with ice and dreary. my life is quiet, and in between moments, I ponder. my thoughts turning to dreaming of the future and of the memories in the past. and if I close my eyes and dream hard enough, I am there. 

*listen* I am surrounded by voices excited by the sights they encounter...perhaps for the 100th time or for the first in their life. I hear the train whistle in the background; the familiar classic tunes such as Hello, Dolly's "Put on your Sunday Shoes" and the Happiest Millionaire's toe-tapping "Fortuasity."                 

*blink* I see a blur made up of a million faces - young and old - their eyes lit with amazement and their lips curved into grins, beaming with delight....

le happy

// misty sunrises // 

// jane austen's emma //

// inglenooks //  

// sunshine streaming through my window // 

// pines that sway in the afternoon breeze // 

// this post and this post //

// oh, and this one too // 

// whimsiness // 

// skype // 

an in-between moment.

uninspired. that word haunts me, and unfortunately, describes my life as of late. a few posts line my draft inbox, but words...they just don't fit together to my satisfaction.

I feel like I'm caught in an in-between measure of time. an overwhelming whirlwind of studies, letters, writing, journaling, crafting, devotions - and I find myself often saying, "there just isn't enough time in the day." and then when I have a quiet moment {which are rare these days, as you know ;)}, my mind goes blank and word escape my grasp.  

{rather random picture ^^} 

busyness has a tight grasp on a person's life. my semester is ending in my studies with it a load of tests to study for following close behind, whilst my family and I are preparing to take a little trip somewhere that I hold very dear to my heart. waiting makes the adventure all the more exciting, but this upcoming week cannot pass by any faster. 

so life has been, well, life. an in-between moment. always waiting for the next sun to rise in hopes of a brighter day. 

love from your dull writer,

the keeper of the garden. 

[images via pinterest]

stroll by a winter ocean.

dearest readers,
my eyes gaze upon a dull sapphire landscape. the roar of the majestic and the faraway cries of grave sea gulls echo in my ear while the salty mist lingers upon my lips and ebony lashes. my long hair tangles in the wind's icy grasp...