So Miss Tamera Verhext is one of the best parcel-senders in the universe,
but this magic box of goodies procured on her recent trip to Paris really
was just beyond… I got so excited that I forgot to take pictures of the
beautifully wrapped cadeaux – Greedy Gretel, me! Well, they were
wrapped in rosy vintage wallpaper, and in the music for “Sur le pont
d’Avignon“, which I have fond memories of singing in French class.
I about peed my britches when I saw what she had sent me:
a beautiful bottle of L’Artisan Parfumeur Coeur de Vétiver Sacré,
which is my new signature scent, and is not even available here in the
States until September! Double-fancy! It is truly glorious, and I feel like
the luckiest duck ever. Tamera spoils me rotten! Here’s the fragrance
breakdown: sparkling, peppery and vibrant-smoky. Notes include:
bergamot black tea, date, dried fruits, saffron, ginger, pink berries,
vanilla, incense, musks. Exquisite! Also, the Leone pastilles, in my
favorite color! I collect the tins, and I love the mint flavored ones
especially. It’s wonderful that the company has existed since 1857,
and has kept their distinctive art nouveau packaging intact! So good.

Inside the golden box was also my very favorite brand of tea, (Kusmi!) in a violet flavor
that I reckon would be divine iced, little gilt die-cut leaves and a postcard designed by
Miss Amy Earles with a little lady tumbling out of a hollow tree. She’s tacked up on my
wall now, with many of her sisters, all made by Amy. You’ll meet another one below!

Miss Oola was visiting recently, and brought me a stack of wondrous gifts,
including this amazing film Ma-ma, a Soviet-French-Romanian musical film
from 1976 about a family of goats being persecuted by a heavy metal big bad
wolf-man with flowing lavender locks. It’s basically the best movie ever made.

Oola also gifted me some books, which look very absorbing – Ashe of Rings by Mary Butts
and Asylum Piece by Anna Kavan. I’d never heard of either, so I’m excited to delve into
unknown waters at her recommendation. Apparently Miss Butts was a student of Aleister
Crowley’s and “about twelve weeks in mid-1921 at Crowley’s Abbey of Thelema in Sicily;
she found the practices there shocking, and came away with a drug habit.” Oh dear!
Miss Earles also sent me this lovely lady, which you can see in greater detail here and here:
Cellophane over the ocean beds, seashells & glass eggs…
I need to find some nice vintage frames and put her under glass!

Another surprise: this rather large spider decided to make her web right over the kitchen table!
It was suspended from cut-out star streamers that I’ve left up since my birthday (ha!) and the entire
things was quite a work of art – spanning three feet high and two feet wide! The bottom anchor
thread went through a loop of ribbon on a little gift box. We managed not to disturb her too much
while going about our daily business, but at one point I forgot, and tossed some keys across the
table. The very irate spider had packed up every thread and vanished to another part of the
kitchen within the hour. Photographing her in such low light wasn’t easy, as you can see from
my blurry attempt. I also spritzed her web with some water to make it show up better. How rude!

Yesterday, I woke to find that the postman had left two parcels on my doorstep: one was from
our puppeteer friend Libby’s mama Sue. When all the Mudlarks were roosting in the backyard
and putting on puppetshows, Libby’s folks came down from Kansas to see her performances.
I love meeting my friends parents, and seeing where they came from, and where they got their
features. Sue sent me a lovely letter, and great picture of Libby and I, and a beautiful print of
a Victorian lady having tea with a flock of blackbirds. Sue is also the spokes-model for a brand
of goat-food! If you happen to raise goats, keep an eye out for her on you bag of goat chow!

My dear friend Raven was down in Bolivia recently, having joined the circus there…
Years ago, she had brought me a mummified llama fetus back as a gift. It was one of my
most treasured possessions. I named her Galadriel, and loved her enormously until one day
she was stolen from my altar by a very bad someone. Raven had also given one to our
friend Francesca, who framed it in a domed glass frame with dried roses. She was much
chagrined to discover that her mother had tossed it out one day on a cleaning spree.
When I opened the box, and caught a whiff of something slightly rank, my heart soared!
Once again, I would have my very own little llamita! Alas, the box was empty. The two
tiny llamas Raven sent as replacements for the ones Francesca and I had taken from us
had been confiscated by the authorities! Bastards! They were destroyed, alas. I love how
the customs agents referred to them as “dried meat”. I suppose that’s fairly accurate.

(Photo by Christina Cooke)
In Bolivia, you can buy a mummifed llama fetus of your very own at the Witches’ Market.
They are used for house blessings. You burn them as offerings to Pachamama, or Mother
Earth, according to Inca tradition. It’s also traditional to bury them under the doorstep of your
home, and many construction workers will refuse to work on a building unless there is a
“sullus” buried under the front step. Maybe it’s okay to have them on your altar too.

There’s an interesting piece from Monique Mizrahi
on Inside Out, which I excerpted portions from below:

A visit to the Witches’ Market is a must for any curious explorer.
One finds all sorts of combinations of turtles, little frogs and serpents,
which respectively bring health, money and protection from the evil spirits.
These three elements can be found on the figurines of Pacha Mama,
as she is represented with three heads, a turtle on her front, a frog on
her back and a snake around her legs. These make wonderful blessed
gifts to bring home to family and friends. Not only are there Pacha Mama
figurines of all sizes at the Witches’ Market but there are also a wide selection
of dried llama fetuses, known as “sullus.” I had been forewarned about this
practice by my friend from La Paz yet I was taken aback when I saw so many
of them heaped into a pile, staring up at me. The llamas’ legs are tied together
and the smaller fetuses look strikingly like little birds, due to their undeveloped
jawbones resembling beaks. Before a fetus is sold, it is blessed by a witch and
wrapped with some dyed “lana de llama,” a multi-colored llama wool.
The impression I got was that the blessing was contained in the colored
wool and that it was not to be removed.

“Are you a witch?” I asked.
She and her friend laughed and she replied “No, I’m still training to become a witch.”
“Ah, and how do you get these llama fetuses? Are they killed?”
“No,” she said, “llamas often give birth to two babies at the same time,
often one lives and one dies … we don’t kill the babies.”
The answer left me a bit perplexed and to this day I have not discovered
exactly how the fetuses are acquired. Many of the fetuses sold still have their white hair intact
and you can choose the size you like. At New Year’s, special plates are made as offerings,
which include a dried llama fetus and sweets. They are to be buried to ensure a prosperous,
healthy and happy New Year. I bought one but did not bury it and what followed was a stream
of bad luck. Upon returning to Los Angeles, I lost my job, my upcoming photography exhibit
was indefinitely postponed and I nearly got married to Mr. Wrong. So take heed of what the
witches say and beware of their potent magical powers.
- Monique Mizrahi

My dear friend Janette, confectioner extraordinaire created for me
this incredible birthday cake. I wish I could explain to you how delicious
it was, but honestly it left me bereft of words adequate to convey the
marvel of that perfect icing, those triple layers, the plump berries!
Totally divine. Janette is (well, partly) responsible for my calipygian
rump, as she has some amazing home-baked cookies or cakes
almost every time I see her! They are totally impossible to resist.

This fancy duckie was one of my very first birthday surprises, from my
friend Charity. I’m going to somehow attach her to my head for Easter!

Colin made me this sweet gumdrop tree, got me those gorgeous flowers
and both Tam Dao and Passage D’enfer! Can you believe it? He’s the best.

Sur le birthdee table: gorgeous roses from Steve + Emily and branch
shaped beeswax candles I bought last year at Tale of the Yak in Berkeley.

Pandora created this heartbreakingly beautiful St. Agnes doll for me
(better pictures soon, promise!) She carries a sword and a lamb,
and wears a glorious halo. Her tender breastplate can be lifted to reveal…

Her gorgeous innards! A sacred, saintly heart – and the tinest, most perfect
doll uterus and ovaries you’ll ever see! Before I received her, I had the
strangest dream: that my incisions had re-opened, the scars and stitches
dissolved, and my belly lay flayed open. I could see my uterus winking
at me through the opening: a grey pearl of dread at being so vulnerable.
I thought, “I had better call my doctor and tell him what’s happened..”

My sweet sweet Chad (aka. Mon Petit Fantome!)
sent me an incredible parcel filled with the very best loot
(details later!) Isn’t that doll the prettiest? You must go check
out Chad’s new Big Cartel shop – I want every single thing in it!

I’m crazy busy getting ready for the last Gadjo Disko, so action may be sparse
’round these parts for a short spell – but then! Mardi Gras glory will be upon us!
Mercy! Thank you to everyone for the sweet birthday wishes, I am humbled
by all the love and abundance in my life. I’m grateful for what you add to it.

Jewels from the shop. Sometimes I cannot resist the sparkle.
Okay, I admit that I have a problem- my bijoux collection is getting a bit out of hand!

Also from Uncommon Objects- this man is made of wax.
He looked sad, so I gave him a skunk-skin to wear, and a silver acorn collar.
He seemed more hopeful after I styled him. I think he’s looking for love.

The other day, I came to work only to discover that gremlins had been cavorting
in the night and knocked my shelf down, thus destroying pretty much everything
that could be broken in my booth. Total bricolage carnage. Glass everywhere.
The universe is being a little heavy-handed in hinting to me that maybe I need
to be a little more zen with the material objects. Trying to learn that lesson.
Between the hurricane, the renovation, and the destructo-dog, I think I’m
getting the picture! Breathe, and let it all go. Yes, it has memories and magic.
Yes, it is just stuff. Oh, and by the by- to everyone who recommended a crate
for Grrizelda: You were all totally right, and I wished I listened sooner!

I loved this freaky nekko-cat vase from guess where.
It barfs flowers at you. I find a bouquet brightens a room, don’t you?
Especially when upchucked by a tiny ceramic kitty.

This is just wrong. It’s a chocolate covered Twinkie from Big Top Candy Shop.
You know you want it. I ate half, and I thought I was going to die. Crazy.

My sweetie cleaned out his closet and discovered all these punk shirts he
silkscreened when he was a kid. I’ve been feeling like dressing like I did when
I was 14, so I adopted his handmade Wind Chill Factor shirt. We went to see
Inglourious Basterds that night, so I felt I had dressed very appropriately.
Holy crap, it was so amazing. It affected me much more than I could have
ever predicted. Absolutely Tarantino’s masterpiece. So many good films out
this year! For the first time in forever, I feel like I might actually watch the Oscars.

All of the attention to detail in the film was impeccable. The rhinestones studded
shoes and fabulous hats, and the women all wore the same shade of red lipstick.
Pretty damn certain it was my own favorite, M.A.C.’s Ruby Woo. So perfect!

I love this embroidered flamenca. A gift for one of my favorite ladies!

This is my summer drink of choice lately. Redcurrant + rose syrup + soda.
It’s from Poland. If you ever see another bottle, please send one to me!

There’s been a brutal drought here, and our garden is torched.
The guardian of the succulents is protecting these hardy babies, though.

My beloved Grampa told me recently that he wanted to go shopping for a new
wardrobe. He asked to go to Banana Bay, inexplicably, which is a military supply
store. We found him a new Greek Fisherman’s cap, in dove-gray, very dapper.
He was into the camo, so I picked out this jacket for him. The print was the best,
but I don’t know what it’s camo for, exactly. Night-hunting? My Grampa is 95
years old, and he has mad style. Incidentally, he is also the least military kind of guy
ever, (he’s an intellectual!) so who knows- he said he liked the look! Tough!

Admiral Fox is also sporting the mode de guerre!
Spiked helmets are the new black, didn’t you hear?

- velvet + silver filigree hat from Uncommon Objects
- metal twig earrings from Parts + Labor
- antler lady necklace, gift from Mlle. Verhext, made by Element Lux
- watch chains necklace from Lux Revival
- gold vest from Goodie Two Shoes
- disco top, thrifted
- grey jeans, thrifted
- black cowboy boots, Uncommon Objects

Just realized this outfit is nearly 100% found
(& photographed) on South Congress! Haha.

Photos by Don Weir.
We had fun trying to work with the strange light.
This one’s so pinky! I like it.

My hair is driving me very bonkers lately,
hence the hats, various head-scarves, mantillas, etc.
Getting a bit hot for all that though.
Very tempted to shave half my head.
Not to succumb to all the 1990′s hoo-ha,
but I’ve been feelin’ the urge to reach for
the clippers lately. A drastic change
that I will try to resist, as I know I’d be sick
of it quickly- but I like the idea of keeping
my long hair, and not. Best of both worlds?
Probably not, but I sure do like it on these ladies:

Naughty Miss Alice Dellal

The lovely Cassie.

Y’all talk me out of it now, okay?
Thanks in advance.

I received a surprise parcel this week from my long-lost friend Herr von der Goltz-
it contained a disc- Music of the Tatar People and a book from 1903,
German Wit and Humor. I love the nouveau cover! So sweet- I am cheered.

I can’t describe the joy I feel at wandering around the garden,
having a craving for blueberry- and then plucking them right off the bush!
They are perfect. If only I could wait until they’re fully ripe- a greedy Gretel am I!

Drosera kenneallyi from my sweetheart’s collection of carnivores.

I’ve trained this Aristolochia up on trellises on the porch for years,
but this is the first time I’ve ever seen it bloom! It truly took my breath away-
and the fragrance is so indescribable. Citrus, and earth and fireflies.
We also have an Aristolochia fimbriata that is wee, but smells much stronger-
like coffee, and rot and the devil’s sexy librarian mistress. Basically.

So, I think I’m developing a pretty serious obsession with these.
Can you see why they call it Calico Flower?
(aka. Aristolochia littoralis, sometimes called A. elegans)
Collectively known as birthworts, pipevines or Dutchman’s pipes-
these flowers are some of the strangest I’ve ever seen.
A really tantalizing collection of insane species can be found at
Sunshine Seeds- it’s taking all my willpower to not order most of them.

Between the Calico Flower Vines and the jasmine tangles, our bedroom windows
are nearly completely obscured. I love it- much better than curtains!

There’s a great article on Bitch Magazine about Fairuz-
the Legendary Chanteuse of Lebanon (aka. Ambassador to the Stars,
Neighbor to the Moon and the Poet of the Voice.)

Also, I just discovered that CBS has Twin Peaks archived for watching online!
Thank you Mlle. Lau for the tip- I’m a goner now that I know..
It’s owls, blue roses and cherry pie for the rest of the summer!

Follow for more birthday adventures in the black forest..!

I bought this lovely Surprise Shell at Tail of the Yak
when I was in San Francisco, and had been faithfully saving it
until my birthday morning! I would tell you what was in it,
but that would ruin the surprise- so you’ll just have to go get one of your own!

Birthday mornings in particular are very sacred to me,
and should be as blissful as possible- sleeping late and then
a luxurious bath and magical breakfast with two of my most
favorite people! The sun was shining, alighting on flowers and
tea steaming up and so many sweet treasures from dear friends!
Above are some from Mlle. Verhext, wonderful music mixes,
the most beautiful necklaces (a mysterious abalone pendant
and the coveted antler woman necklace from Theatre of Dreams!)
So amazing. Also the Fairy Wood flavored pastilles from Leone-
one of my favorite candies, and the best chai from Crixa Cakes
and gorgeous jackets of cerulean silk velvet and emerald rose brocade!
I was blessed with so many kind and generous gifts from my sweetlings
that it really requires a separate post to do them justice. Seriously.

We stayed up until 6am the night before transforming our crazy, crumbling
renovation project palace into a magical black forest! It’s amazing what you
can accomplish in a few hours with the help of friends- we strew twigs
and branches hither and thither and decked the walls with frost flecked
red currants and fairytale dollies and forest creatures..

My love found these tossed out christmas trees on the road
and hung them from the rafters- it’s incredible how much it changed
the space. The acoustics, the delicious pine smell, the shape of the room..
Needless to say, they’re still up there. I think when we finish the house,
we must absolutely have a forest room- it’s so peaceful and lovely!

On the subject of forest creatures- I just can’t resist showing off my wonderful
prize from my friends and colleagues Mr. Garbs and Mme. Cornelius
who bestowed upon me my dearest wish- a taxidermied fox!
I have been half-heartedly trying to build it back up-
with little success. It has become so expensive, even for the old
rotty pieces that I favor. I have been wishing for a fox for so long-
I couldn’t believe my eyes. His name is Alavester, and he is half albino.

Eeeee! Thar be foxees in those trees!

Despite my dour glower, I am truly filled with glee in this photograph-
because though it took an hour to wrangle with my headdress,
I am finally dressed fittingly and thus the party can begin!

These two ladies, however, were truly the belles of the ball!
Amelia and Linda were both so gloriously beautiful and antler bedecked
that there was an audible gasp from the assembled guests when this
photograph was taken- such savage elegance, ooh-la!

Everyone’s costumes were so outstanding- every little detail
coaxed from their bits and bobs into miracles of millinery,
folktales turned into fabric and feathers!
Above is a detail from Mlle. Coffey’s Firebird ensemble..

Her date for the evening, Mr. Yates cames dressed as Little Otik!
He made a perfect Otesánek, telling tales in the leaves
around a roaring fire underneath the bare branches..

I nearly died however, when I saw the gingerbread man!
He made this a few hours before the party- and wore it all night long.
His mouth fell off at one point, so it’s stuck on with one of
my bobby pins he found on the floor- which makes it even better-
Gingerbread genius, MacGyver style!

This is the red-headed huntress who pierced
my heart with a thousand flame-tipped arrows.
Please note that her bodice is made from the skin
of a wee spotted fawn- ah! I swoon.

This fabulous piñata was created by Miss Katinka Pinka and her beau Lee-
it is the terrible bear with the severed head of Goldilocks!
I slew the bear (singlehandedly!) to avenge her, and delectable
green tea candies spewed out from his body!

My dearest Francesca was the ideal Tyrolean mädchen!

She and darling Annie created this work of art disguised as a piñata.
His/her name is Sissel (Or Cecil) and was so gorgeous that I could not
bring myself to destroy it! Instead we performed ritual surgery with giant scissors
and found that the chest cavities were stuffed with all manner of booty!

Including myrrh, firecrackers, cute barrettes, feathers,
fortune cookies, fancy chocolates and saint medals!

Not to mention roses of Jericho (aka Selaginella lepidophylla) with hand lettered instructions!

If you don’t already have one, I highly recommend one of these strange
and wonderous plants for your amusement and spiritual cleansing needs!

One of the best surprised of the evening was all of my sweet relatives
that appeared amongst the branches- my parents and wee nieces,
my aunt and uncle and no less than five cousins! It was so great
to have them there, family and lots of tiny little girls!
My dear papa played songs about crows on his banjo, much to our delight!

This is my cousin Luke, dressed as Gretel..
He came with Hansel and the Gingerbread man in tow,
and their little fairytale trio were the life of the party!

This was taken around the fire, about 6am.
It makes me burst into cackles every time-
Faith Delphi laughing at the Gingerbread Man
passed out in the leaves- he had gotten a hold
of a bottle of Night-Train (don’t ask!)
and well…

Dare I say it was the best birthday yet? Yes, I do!
I had no less than three birthday cakes- and all
were insanely delicious and attractive, as you can see..
The one above was made by Miss Nicoletta,
and another made by Miss Patience, and a sumptuous
german chocolate cake from Miss Evelyn! Hot damn, ladies!
There were impromptu performances and surprises
galore, so many wonderul people and music,
and all my wishes were granted, simultaneously!
Did I mention that it was a full moon that night?
I feel incredibly loved and lucky, and I thank everyone
in my life who has made it so! Besos, besos, besos!

This is the very first time that I’ve ever spent the holiday
in my own home, since I moved out of my folks’ house when I was 15.
I was feeling some trepidation about the prospects of waking up
in the house this morning, for a variety of reasons that are hard to sum up-
but have something to do with the fact that I’ve been
consciously and subconsciously avoiding this for years
by always finding myself out of the country, or staying elsewhere
on the eve and morning of. The responsibility of making holiday
magic happen for yourself and others is big kid stuff-
when you are wee, it just seems to be happening all around you,
for you to enjoy. I discovered this year that doing it for yourself,
and especially for others is pretty amazing.
I know this lesson can be applied to a multitude
of situations with similar results, wouldn’t you say?

We set up our wee little tree with vintage ornaments from my childhood
on a beautiful old O’keefe + Merritt stove we aren’t using for cooking yet.
The stockings were hung from the gas knobs with care
(before being stuffed silly with all manner of goodie and whatsit!)

I ended up working on hexmas eve, which was actually a lot of fun-
(despite my dark circles and glumster face!)

Naturally, I had to dress the part of an alpine candy elf-
it made me feel happy and it seemed to delight all the
frazzled folks I encountered throughout the day.

Last night we had an impromptu birthday gathering for
our friend Faith Delphi, a christmas eve baby.
Songs by the fire, mulled wine, wild buffalo curry
and fresh tamales- with lots of laughter and good company..
The perfect way to ring in the Yule!

Look who I found under the tree this morning!

I found these pictures of awkward russian kids and incredible weird santas
on RiotClitShave today that made my heart spasm with joy:

Also, from Lady Lavona, some wonderful writings on
Krampus and La Befana that are bound to illuminate and delight you-
I hope your hexmas was fantastic, dearies!

It’s strange to think that it has been nearly a year
since I visited San Francisco!
So much has happened in that time, and I’ve been
so busy that I never even got around to writing more
about the people, places and things that I encountered
on that wondrous voyage!

I had never seen the redwoods before,
so sweet Melissa took us on an adventure to Muir Woods..

My fierce and distinguished Grampa loved it there-
he looks like a mighty gnome-king! Sovereign of the forest!

I finally got to make a pilgrimage to Dark Garden
to drool over their delicious corsets- I loved going behind the scenes
to their workshop to see the construction of all sorts of cinchers and such.

I also got to visit with beauteous Lara Eventide
and her sweetheart, Chad. They are such an incredibly sweet and lovely pair.
I’m looking forward to visiting with them again this time!

The Princess Plants (Tibouchina urvilleana) were in bloom!
this picture doesn’t do it justice, really- the purple was so vivid
it almost made your eyes water.. Also, they are huge!

I could have stared at this fabric forever.

Nebula, The Powdered Sugar Princess (Tamara Toumanova) – Joseph Cornell
The Joseph Cornell exhibit at The Museum of Modern Art
was the pinnacle of joy for me- he is my favorite artist,
and someone I feel a deep resonance with.
I spent over 4 hours wandering through the exhibit,
swooning and taking copious notes.
I got prints of Nebula and one of her counter-parts,
two pieces I had never seen before
and fell instantly in love with..

Tail of the Yak is my favorite shop, ever
(besides Uncommon Objects, bien sûr!)

It is such an incredibly magical environment,
filled with santos, olive leaf garlands, french silk ribbon..

Beetle wings, mourning jewelry, ebon fetiches..

All sorts of writing paraphernalia, scented inks and fine papers..

Perfume, taxidermy, treasure galore!

In short, everything I adore!

Another favorite place was Lacis Museum of Lace & Textiles, also in Berkeley..
This lace demon made me so happy..

Fancy faceless lace people!

I returned home bursting with inspiration,
and reading material.. Stack of books from City Lights Bookstore,
and gifts from sweet friends and family..
♥ Edward Gorey’s Fantod Pack
♥ The Maid of Orleans Deck
♥ St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves
♥ The Tenant
♥ Joseph Cornell’s Dreams
♥ The Golden Apples
♥ Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
♥ Joseph Cornell’s Vision of Spiritual Order
♥ Tin House – Fantastic Women

These are places I didn’t get to see last time:
(Thank you, Tamera!)
✸ Wave Organ
✸ Sutro Baths
✸ Botanical Gardens
✸ Rowboats in Stow Lake
✸ Conservatory of Flowers
✸ Bell’occhio
✸ Gypsy Honeymoon
✸ Aria Antiques
✸ Stairways
✸ Martuni’s
✸ Clarion Music
✸ Japantown
✸ Lovejoy’s
✸ Toy Boat Dessert Cafe
✸ Kan Zaman
✸ Asian Art Museum
✸ Cartoon Art Museum
✸ Italian Cemetery
✸ Waziema
✸ Muir Beach
✸ Pelican Inn
✸ Adobe Books
✸ Love at First Bite
✸ Tilden Park

What else? Do tell.

The other night Faith and I played an impromptu set
at Art Outside, a fantastic yearly event held
at the very beautiful Enchanted Forest..

This is more what it really looked like-
on a stage in the woods by the babbling creek
and thundering locomotive going by..
Fairy lights and giant glowing umbrellas!

Faith is really amazing- I’m so glad she’s
dwelling in this neck of the woods!
We had never played music together before,
or even practiced our set as Papyrus
(She’s Papaya, I’m Iris- together we are..)
From all the sweet words (and bouquets, oh la!)
we received afterwards, I can only assume
that it went well! They asked us to play
again on the 15th, but you see…

On that weekend, Colin’s Papa (who is a physics professor at A&M)
invited us to attend the annual Physics Festival.
Stephen Hawking will be giving a lecture-
as well as attending barbeque picnic on the lake..
Holy singularity, Batman-
a picnic with Stephen Hawking?
I’m there- and how!

These are my friends The Flaming Fire.
They put on a fantastic show, which you really should see sometime.
Especially if you like weird cults, and the color red.
Also, their cover of Willie Nelson’s “Whiskey River”
may be the best thing ever.

Und these ones are meine freunden und neighbours That Damned Band
who live down the street at That Damned House.
They also put on an incredible show,
and have an authentic Circus Sideshow and Museum..
You can catch them at the Enchanted Forest this month..

Listen, y’all- my dear friend Jay
drummer extraordinaire for
A Particularly Vicious Rumor
and all-around sweetie pie
is headed to Berlin for awhile..
He needs to escape New Orleans,
and is looking for good folks,
a new home, interesting places and things..
Any recommendations for him would be
greatly appreciated!

I spent a whole afternoon picking loquats
from the tree out back, completely loaded
down with ripe fruit it was..
I plucked the seeds out until my hands were
stained from their juices- I put them in
the freezer with buckwheat honey and raw ginger.
They are used to treat sore throats
and bronchial complaints.
Also, they are very tasty.

Magic Summer Birch Juice has been the refreshing
beverage of choice around these parts lately..
Have you ever tried it? It’s surprisingly good!
I’ve also discovered Roasted Coconut Juice-
so much better! It has chunks of coconut
meat in the can, so you kind of get a meal, too.

This is my favorite flavour of ice cream.
It is Purple Yam, or Ube mixed with
Taro root, and Macapuno Coconut.
It is the most magical flavour (and colour!)
I would like to just fill a kiddie pool with it.
You can get it at most Filipino groceries-
here at the wonderful Jegimajo Tea House.

While I’m rhapsodizing about yummy delicacies,
here’s some delightful frog cake for Jack’s birthday!

..as well as a half-eaten Rat Cake that Nicholai made us!

I had to take a picture of this marvelous parcel
I received from my dear friend Elizabeth..
It contained
♥ a sweet stuffed owl
♥ fancy german easter bunny chocolate
♥ this amazing grackle necklace from hotcakes
♥ bay leaves from her mama’s garden
♥ a wee lovely notebook
♥ The Ladies of Grace Adieu
(I’ve been wishing for it- and it is every bit as good as i had hoped..
Gorgeous illustrations!)

Alright, it’s terribly late now
and no longer actually Easter,
though I will bid you adieux
with these two films about rabbits.
The first one is short and very silly
and with make you full of mirth.
The second one is beyond perfect
and I love it the most
and it will make your head explode.
Happy bunny-time!

The Snow Queen was made for my birthday
two years back by Pandora Gastelum, my darling dear-
she is an incredible doll-maker, sculptress et al.

I believe that on one’s birthday,
one should wear a crown
if one wants to.

I had such an incredible birthdee- despite all recent traumas
and the absolutely dreadful weather (the croquet and peacock picnic
was rained out, of course) so instead, we had an impromptu soirée
at our house- a first! I was frantically slinging pastries on a banquet
table my sweetheart made from an old door moments before
when there came a knocking- and who should surprise me
but two of my very dear friends from New Orleans
who drove 8 hours in the rain to appear in my parlour!
I nearly peed myself- I couldn’t believe it..
The Raneys are so amazingly sweet!
Miss Angie is the Birthday-Fairy-Godmother Supreme:
as evidenced here, at the marvelous
bloody tea party she threw for P’s whelping.
In fact, the starry tiara above was gifted to me, by she!
She manages Trashy Diva,
a very dangerous place indeed for ladies
with a predilection for fine corsetry and frippery..

My gift from my love was this amazing gingko jewel.
He created it with his wonderful hands-
from silver and a meteor found in Canyon Diablo
and a piece of Bohemian Moldavite, my new favorite gem.
It’s meteoritic glass, found in the Moldau Valley of the Czech Republic. 
Moldavites were formed about 15 million years ago
when a meteor collided with the Earth with devastating force. 
The kinetic energy transformed into thermal energy within
a fraction of a second and brought about the formation
of hot liquid magma which was then
catapulted back into the atmosphere.
The dispersed mass descended again on the Earth
in the form of molten drops
showering over hundreds of kilometers.
Due to complex geological and tectonic processes,
the vast majority of the moldavite mass
was destroyed by gradual erosion.
Only minor deposits of the original sediments
have been preserved until now. 
As their sculptation can be easily damaged,
the stones have to be mined manually
and the gravel containing moldavite carefully sorted.  
For this reason, Moldavite is a very rare precious stone
to be found only in a few localities in southern Bohemia.
They are never found alone, but rather in a strewn field.
Moldavite is associated with the fabled Stone of the Holy Grail,
which was said to be an emerald that fell from the sky,
out of the crown of an angel. 

And the meteorite’s just what causes the light
And the meteor’s how it’s perceived
And the meteoroid’s a bone thrown
from the void that lies quiet in offering to thee..

I wonder what’s inside…

Gingerbread bloomers!
Lovingly handmade by Violetta-la-la-la!

She also made an adorable wee lady-friend
for Gingie Vitis (notice his little ovary dots- or what are they?)
There can be no doubt regarding the reproductive organs
of the Gingerbread Girl however-
her little gingerbread fetus wiggles joyfully!

This blushing bride boudoir doll was my wish granted from Mme. Angie..

Another shining example of Pandory’s dollmaking-
these beauties winged to me all the way from Thailand
in a fantabulous parcel stuffed with goodies and treasure!
Rama and Sita sit in their bird’s nest perch-
a Thai Hansel and Gretel twined in vines,
hungry children crowned with diamonds.

सीता
Beautiful Sita

Naughty kitty! No cakes for you!

So many lovely cakes..
If you love tasty things as much as I do..

Cake alight and singing!

I was taught a new way to wish:
your knife cuts the cake,
you make your wish-
leaving the knife embedded,
and the friend to your right pulls
the knife out (and licks it!)

Cake carnage!

This delectable feast was devoured almost immediately!
I made deviled eggies and tea-sammiches with
watercress and cucumber and lavender cream cheese..

My friend Dougie took many of these pictures,
including this one of a saucer being washed.
It’s strangely beautiful, though-
as is the fact that he did the dishes!
He is astonishing.

There was lots of dancing, to be sure..

That Damned Band played gypsy music in my bedroom,
including Ederlezi, my most favorite song.

I was showered with such incredible loot from so many splendid people!

¡Mi tesoros!

I’m not sure what this picture is of,
but it mirrors well how sparkly-hearted I felt
that night- many, many thanks to all who made it so,
and for all the sweet birthday wishes!
I am the luckiest girl to have such sweet friends.