in which october comes to a close.

 “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” 
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

of late // watching the weather turn from cold to warm all in one week, the cracking of a new journal spine, tear stained cheeks, birthday wishes, re-living memories all over again, multiple cups of creamed tea, antiquing, tying gifts in pumpkin-colored strings, stringing dainty purple cosmos into a wreath, lessons in learning to let go, savoring every bit of pomegranate goodness that one can come by, brown paper packages arriving at my doorstep, afternoon readings, and packing my suit case full of memories once more. 

>>--------->

i suppose, I was reminded yet again of the lessons of imperfection that life, no matter how much one might want to make perfect, life plainly just isn't...and won't be for a very very long time still {that is of course, if Romney doesn't get elected in November. *gasp* did I just loose a follower by saying that? :P} . how over-thinking is most definitely never the best solution, and how growing up isn't as everyone romanticizes it to be. and yet, it amazes me how much love, everyone can extend from every corner of the world, just because I celebrated my sixteen year...just one undeserving little goose {this special girl will explain this nickname} celebrating a bittersweet sixteen. 

I do indeed believe life starts all over again when another year goes by. how fresh starts become either a gift or a curse, and only the person presented with the gift, can make the decision to be such. I choose this year to be a blessing, a cherished gift that can only be given so many times.

con tanto amour,
the sixteen-year-old girl in the garden. 

     

oro de octubre.

when it comes to some specific things that press at my mind, it seems like I cannot bring such feeble talent under command to portray the simplest of the vivid descriptions that I hold most dear. like how I like to watch the world toss and turn outside my window whilst I nestled cozily under my quilts, enveloped within the safety my side of the glass provides. like how much I relish the first breath after the storm, the petrichor {the smell of the rain on dry leaf-scattered earth} that has diffused through the autumny crispness. how much my spirit flutters when I watch the meandering wind tug at the tips of the only richly-hued tree which turns into an autumny piece of abstract art. how I sigh with pure bliss as I gulp the thoroughly chilled air and listen to the *thudding* of my brown uggs, muffled by the *crunch* of the leaves. how it's like everything changes and "starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall"* and it seems like anything - even my faraway dreams - are possible to come true.
   

xoxo,
the girl in an autumny garden. 

  *quote from The Great Gasby.

|| read || tuck away || savor || live ||

{^^inspired by my dear friend Katie's amazing blog 

that is basically soul food and that you really need to check out like right NOW!} 

shop feature | a sweet lil' sixteen giveaway

I believe one of the most precious joys one can experience is the joy of giving. now, 'twould be a lie to say that I do not relish receiving a gift from a dear friend, but there is something about giving a gift to a special someone, that I love just as much - if not more. with my sweet sixteen approaching quite rapidly, I wanted to bless another one of my faithful readers by hosting a little giveaway. I, in turn, was blessed by the opportunity when Amy kindly agreed to contribute a sweet little something from her beautiful shop as a giveaway prize. before we dive into the giveaway, though, let us take a peek into her darling etsy shop...   

esty shop || profile || facebook || pinterest || 

…a peek into the shop…

Amy's whimsical shop, is filled to the brim with a lovely arrangement of "simple n' sweet" jewelry to add a little touch of pretty for simple everyday life. from bracelets to sweet earrings to her layered necklaces, each delicate piece of jewelry is unique and reflects the love and time that went into each delicate piece of art.

long  feather necklace

rope bracelet 

mini leaf cluster earrings

sweet pea beaded bracelet

whistle at me necklace 

tiny silver anchor necklace

________________________________________

...the giveaway…

This cute n' dainty gold-plated pinwheel is strung on a delictate 14k gold chain. and Amy has generously contributed this darling little  pinwheel necklace for this giveaway!!! 

special special thanks to the very sweet Amy for the quick and friendly customer service and for contributing this beautiful necklace from your darling shop. 

...how to enter...

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

I may or may not be jealous of the winner of this darling little lovely. *cough, cough* but then, I am ever so glad for the young lady who I hope, will be blessed by receiving this darling necklace. *smile* good luck, darlings! xoxo,
Grace 

saturday morning tea.

take out mother's old tablecloth or one you found on a vintage excursion a few months past. smooth out the wrinkles as best you can as you place it atop the table, but leave a few to evoke the nostalgic memories stitched into the cloth. carefully procure a porcelain tea cup from the cupboard, while the kettle searches for her song. place a bit of cinnamon bread on a plate - a mismatched piece of china will do. butter is always a good companion for toast. smear a generous bit on the thoroughly toasted bread whilst it is still warm. by the time the toast is ready, the kettle will have found her song and will be singing it loudly for all to hear; you won't mind as the familiar tune that has been imprinted within your heart for a very long time - not in a bad way as some catchy tunes can be. as you pour the dark liquid into your chosen cup, let the little wisps of steam kiss you gently. 

take a breath of the lovely scent of the atmosphere all stirred into one simple cup. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

weekend mornings in this house are like black and white - sunday mornings are usually composed of a chaotic frenzy sharing the hairspray, putting the right curl in place, makeup check - oh, where's my shoe? - whereas saturday floats leisurely throughout the house, pajamas are still called an outfit until the clock strikes one.  

I judge what time of the morning it is roughly by the way the eastern sunlight filters through my blinds. this past saturday morning, little pieces of the sunlight danced on the wall opposite my bed, and I immediately knew I had slept longer than usual - not that I'm complaining, but it was a rather nice change for once to be buried lazily under a mound of quilts rather than forcing myself to relax. I lingered into the kitchen, took a slice of bread and toasted it, being in the mood for a creamy cup of tea on a most beautiful morning, snapping a few photographs of a rare jewel in a busy life. 

what do you enjoy on a Saturday morning? 

a bouquet of xx's, 

la chica sipping tea en su jardin. 

   

the dawning.

there is a certain calmness that overwhelms me, when I see the swells in the distance flame all golden and flicker when the branches filter the sunrise flames. these are such rare moments in a busy life to just stand still and watch the sleeping world awake. 

it makes me glad to be alert in the wee hours of the morning, to see the sun seep through the branches at the earliest stages of daylight - something so many sleeping heads never behold. 

there is a richness in the very name of October as it rings of celebrations and thankfulness and all types of autumny delight. even the chill which seeps through the cracks of this home, seems to carry warm wishes rather than cold tidings like that of winter's. I wish I could capture the essence of this beautiful month into a jar and tuck it away for those blue days that come upon us so very often during the winter months. 

October only comes calling once a year. and I want this October to be the best month ever lived. 

hullo, autumn! you're going to be just splendid, verdad? 

lots of love,

the girl in the garden. 

starting from scratch.

I wanted a change. I knew I had to change. I wanted a blank slate to erase all my doubts, all my taunting failures, and begin to embrace the life I had. the world with which God blessed me. I knew if I kept running through the motions not measuring up to what I thought I was capable of, it would put me in a frustrating place in life where I have now found myself to be in now.

so. I'm starting from scratch. new blog design + new posts that I'm too excited to share.
sneak peek includes :: photographs, lookbooks {inspirational entries}, craft menus, fashion, journaling, so much more to come! 

perfect time to start during my favorite month of the year. 

xxx's,

the girl in the garden.  

postscript :: thoughts on the new autumn look?