Book Review: Fairy Friends by Claire Freedman

Book Review ...

Fairy Friends

Author: Claire Freedman
Illustrator: Gail Yerrill

Published in 2007 by Little Tiger Press London
ISBN 10: 1845064666     13: 9781845064662

"Find a poem for YOUR best friend in this beautiful book about the friendships that fairies share."


This is a storybook about the importance of friendships whether you are a wee faerie or not. Drawn within patchwork borders, each page looks magical and enchanting as Ms. Yerrill has done an excellent job of sketching the cute expressive faces on the faeries as they each seem to be smiling right back at you. Told within the setting of pretty flower garden, Ms. Freedman tells a tale through a series of poems about the love that can be found when sharing with others. Throughout the book the faeries show you how to enjoy the fun days of summer including garden parties, finding fairy dust at the end of a rainbow and the hiding of tiny treasures.  



You can find this book at your library or you can purchase it through your local bookstore or online through both Amazon.ca and Amazon.uk. Ms. Freedman is a successful children's picture book author who resides in Essex, be sure to check out her acclaimed Aliens Love Underpants series too.

When picking out a new book for the Nursery's library, I guess I must be like any other faerie for as I look for the graphics, the colours and of course the uniqueness of a book and in this case who couldn't resist a cover that has purple and silver stars along with sparkly pink faerie dust floating in a bubble. I highly recommend this book to both children and adults as each verse told by Ms. Freedman brings with it a feeling of euphoria when explaining and depicting the beauty of friends and your friendships with them.

Welcome to the Faerie Luna Gardens

The Nursery has opened up yet another Instagram account titled faerielunagardens to showcase what the Faeries have growing in their gardens. So far, during the first few months of living here on Vancouver Island and living with the Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park backing onto our property line, we have been awed by finding different mushrooms, flowers, plants and trees local in this area.

With this new account we will post photos of our old and new Nursery will all of the splendour that nature has to offer.

A bit about the Nursery:

Created/founded in Fort Smith, NT, located just above the 60th parallel in Canada's north. The weather there can swing from -30C in the winter to +30C in the summer.
Fort Smith has a Dry Continental Subarctic climate with very long harsh winters combined with warm but relatively short summers. With this diverse temperature the environment of this area can be both stark and barren in the cold but lush and green in the heat. Most gardens and flowerbeds are raised as the permafrost stills lingers just meters beneath the surface of the ground but this doesn't stop the Faeries from gardening.

Now the Nursery has relocated Qualicum Beach, BC where the climate is classified as a Warm-Summer Mediterranean climate. Meaning that it has cool, wet winters and relatively dry summers allowing it to be considered to have the mildest climate in Canada. The average temperature during the rainy winter hovers around +1-3C and during the heat of summer it reaches to a balmy +25C.  The area is known for its amazing gardens so I can't wait for spring/summer to get here. With this just being the first week of March (2017), the Faeries have been busy preparing for spring planting as the local markets have already held their 'seed sales' and bedding plants can be found outside of shops ready for sale.

Let us celebrate the wonders of the outdoors ... welcome to the faerielunagardens.......

Flying Woodchips

during the last month or so (okay, more like 3 months and a bit?) while we were out for a walk on a cold and crisp afternoon we were hoping that we might spot a faerie or two but instead to our surprise we came across a tree trunk the must have housed some pretty tasty bugs.

with having three resident woodpecker in the neighbourhood and after comparing their beaks to the size of the hole it was quite easy to figure out that a Pileated woodpecker had come to visit us.

after coming home to a cup of steaming hot cocoa we decided even though there was no hide nor hair of a faerie about, we did have a great afternoon of exercising and bird watching.

note:
woodpecker photos curtesy of Cornell Lad of Ornithology - All About Birds website

A light on in the window

"You can do more with a castle in a story than with the best cardboard castle that ever stood on a nursery table."

Author: C.S. Lewis,
'Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life'

A Clean Mess

i think that the nursery is finally starting to look clean although a few things just might need a bit tending to yet so i do believe that it's list time ~

• the cobwebs have new cobwebs spun upon them with again new ones again on top of that with another whole layer on top of that although i will say that it's a good thing spiders like to spin their silk in different shades of paint as it certainly does add splash of colour ~ blicky ~ but then colour none the less
• the dirt pile that was once swept into the corner has upped and managed to find the dustpan itself
• or how about the ivy that was in such a knotted jumbled mess that it figured out how to actually dance the twist
• what about trying to erase the pretty pictures that have been drawn on the scattered note pads
• and then who could forget the tumbleweeds mixed in with the beads that roll aimlessly across the floor ~ i will note though that i have absolutely no idea where tumbleweeds might have come from here in the nursery
• oh yeah ~ and what about the ball of yarn that had turned itself inside out only to find another knot on the end that was in a different colour
• then there was that really really really really long purple thread that somehow came across spools of green and pink and yellow threads and the wrapped them so tightly together that they will never be able to be separated 
• how do water the silk flowers that have taken root on the floor
• what about the coloured markers that have long since dried up but are still so extremely smelly that we use them as incense to keep the nursery smelling fruity
• and how on earth do you pour the food colouring dyes back into their own matching coloured bottles

that's quite the list and i do know that it will only grow longer and longer as how do you expect to get anything done with a nursery full of faeries?

When it's too cold to shovel

with the temperature dropping to -33.8 here at the nursery not only is it too cold to work but you can't even here a peep! i'm thinking that it might be that they can't un-clump the frozen sparkle dust in order to play.

on the those days where it isn't quite so frosty out that i do still try to keep myself busy whether it be in where it is toasty or when it is so nippy that the tip of my nose starts to turn red. but when i do venture through the glass doors one must remember that to awaken a faerie let a lone a whole nursery full of them, well, its just not something that i or even for that matter that you would do. speaking from past experiences it is best to just tiptoe around instead of stomping your boots to shake off the snow, and i know, who would of thunk? but when i do start to think back even (as long as to when my noggin starts to hurt) i really can't seem to recall exactly what it is that i have must have been doing or even to pinpoint to any one thing but surely i must have been doing something that i or at least i hope i have been. 

with the sun still shining on these very cold days and the snow is so beautiful and sparkling that it really is a shame to not dress up snuggly warm and take a few pictures outside. when out and about on these frozen trips i have come across magical doors hiding in amongst the tree branches and bunny holes. you certainly can see where the there has been some activity where someone has been busy shovelling out the doorway but on most of them the snow hasn't been disturbed as the faeries must be hiding away in what must be a forever time for them. i have heard (well when i have been eavesdropping) from their tiny whispers that that when the snow is blowing or the mosquitoes are so thick that even they can't out fly them that this is definitely the time to be comfortable and to warm their tootsies in front of the flickering fireplace. i have wondered though that where or what they would they find enough food to keep their plates full on the dining room table. after what has seemed to be forever and a day i have decided that they must stash away munchables just like the squirrels do which in turn would make perfectly sense that they are really leary as to not let any of the neighbouring critters come to visit just incase their hiding places be found. 

today i decided to sneak on in to just catch up on a few of my terribly tardiness chores with the hope that i don't disturb their slumber. please don't forget to visit our Instagram account where at least i can post some lovely photos without being caught. 

someone must have come
and shovelled out the walkway

best to stay put for the rest of the day

Dishwasher Bubbles

and here we go again.. (i'm starting to think that i just might be lost, as i could have sworn that this idea/thought has be done way toooooooo many times) ..

a new business name .. (on Facebook that is so it shows up in the search bar).

a new business name .. (here on Google that is .. thinking that i might try to see what i can do about the actual Google link for the company being changed .. any help would be appreciated .. as i'm one that can see exactly what it is that i need to do, and i'm the one that can exactly what not to do, and yes, the latter seems to be the on-going favourite).

a new feel (haven't figured out exactly what this means yet .. but it will come to me eventually).

a new look (same as above .. no wait .. that's not true).

a new ?? (face it .. there is always something new that one just can't think of when trying to think of something new).

disclaimer .. okay .. perhaps all of or any of the 'a new' stuff listed above might or might not happen as quickly as the pop of a soapy bubble .. but they will happen long before all of the dishes are done).

captured in a silent voice and a blurred lens

Instagram...communication through random snapshots of the moment and the story behind it.

Turning Green on a Teacup

spinning around on a porcelain teacup (disclaimer .. please do not spin too quickly, as i cannot be responsible for faces turning GREEN). 

squishing your barefoot toes in the grass (disclaimer .. please do not do squish after freshly mowed, as i cannot be responsible for faces turning GREEN). 

climbing on tree branches to reach the highest apple (disclaimer .. please do not eat the fruit that has fallen on the ground, as i cannot not be responsible for faces turning GREEN .  

smelling the pretty coloured flowers (disclaimer .. please do not touch your nose to the petals, as i cannot be responsible for faces turning GREEN).

wishing for an ice cream snack (disclaimer .. please do not eat the coloured dots on a mushroom, as i cannot be responsible for faces turning GREEN).

catching a butterfly in a net (disclaimer .. please do not try to ride on the wings, as i cannot be responsible for faces turning GREEN).

taking off your socks (disclaimer .. please do not smell, as i cannot be responsible for faces turning GREEN).

nibbling on fresh pea pods (disclaimer .. please do not mistake for lima beans, as i cannot be responsible for faces turning GREEN).

cleaning off after a nice warm bath (disclaimer .. please do not mistake cotton for a fern, as i cannot be responsible for faces turning GREEN). 

and after a very long day of playing and your eyes cannot stay open any longer ..

turning down the covers to dream (disclaimer .. please do not nudge the chameleon sleeping in the middle of the bed ...AS THEY ACTUALLY WILL TURN YOU GREEN).

now wouldn't it be fun to live on a teacup!!

Jami

Clare

Button

Hazel

Star

Lucy

Lady Regina

Jemma

Windsor

Vale

Buttercup

The Art of Mis-managing Time

well,

look at this, i just looked back and my last blog posting was done the day after my birthday.  now granted that really isn't such a bad thing.  the bad thing was that, that was mid September.

so, as i will be bold enough to say, that i think the trophy for the  "art of mis-managing"  should go to me (insert smiley face here).  hmmmm, Blogger doesn't seem to have a smiley face option so i will just need to add in a sad face along with the above noted smiley face.     :(    :)

and, well, what really has been happening since September?  with some of you knowing and as others will now know that the nursery is oh so gently being packed away for the big move that the nursery is actually kind of a mess.  and so, i can use this excuse on why you, and me for that fact, can't see the floor, the table, the other table, oh, and don't forget the other table that has the sewing machine and serger sitting on it, and those 4 mini shelves.  i know that i'm missing so many of the places that i could have put things on, but ummm, they seem to be piled full with other stuff so they really can't be counted in as have a spare space or two to actually put anything else on them.  but hey good news, the computer hasn't been lost.  with this news of the whole packing thing, don't think that my time that i have for working here in the nursery is anyway been put aside.  come to think of it, i think i just might be spending even more time in the nursery.  

i will admit to my  "at this time"  be my favourite, of favourites thing to do, is Instagram.  at the beginning i had only started exploring photos from the nursery, the faeries, the steps to make faeries and the such but now, well now, it sure has changed not just the look but the topics and thoughts that i put to the photos.

as, i know a blog or two ago, i had figured that i would try to update this blog with my 'once' 'thought of the day' and Instagram pictures, and as you can see that i have completely missed this whole step.  as with the Instagram program i have the option of sharing with our Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr accounts.  with each posting, i have always chosen all 4 of these venues to showcase the nursery.  now i just need them to create a direct link to this Blogger account and that would be fantabulous.  with Instagram updating all of these sites automatically, i am creating hash tags (and probably completely incorrectly) to try to have them noticeable.  of course, as you can tell, my 'thought of the day' and then my 'thought of the week' and then my 'random thought' has fallen completely by the road side, i was hoping to have my Instagram postings fill this void on our Facebook page.

i'm thinking that i need to do a few alarms and notices and, and, and the such to remind myself that i need to do a blog write up.  maybe that might help.  or, then again, you could just remind me every once in awhile.

well, before i really start my day, i will do 2 Instagram photos right now under the 'photo' tab.

i hope you enjoy your day.  oh, and with the cold weather just around the bend please, please, please don't catch the sniffles as i've heard that sneezing, sniffles and/or coughing kinda kicks up and creates a whole cloud like shape of faerie dust.  and no, it just doesn't gently fall down to the ground, no it goes everywhere.  and like i just don't mean everywhere as in everywhere, i mean in like EVERYWHERE!

love,
me

it's all about me & you, nah, it's all about me

as there always comes a time, when eventually you have to crater, to the questions and requests to see who i am...well okay, as me as the owner of The Enchanted Pathways Faerie Nursery, that you realize that perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after all.

i'll will chalk this whole hesitation thing up to, well thinking about it, for, that for some unknown reason that i just haven't been able to put a face on my company, on me. (yes, that reason being shyness. yeah, that excuse will work... but, okay, but those who know me, will tell you quite blatantly that i am anything but shy)

i will admit though that i have gotten better at talking about the company over the past bit instead of squirrelling away busy as a bee and keeping to myself.

has this hampered my business, YES, i can tell you that without a doubt that if you want to be noticed then it is a pretty hard sell when nobody has actually heard about or seen or met you!

with being a wife, a mom, a grandma (to 4 and currently counting) that i've always told myself that i am just being protect of those that i love but ummmm how is anyone going to know that type of personal information when i haven't even told you about it?

okay fine, i must admit, deductive reasoning makes sense when spoken (okay, typed) out loud and yes, that even shouting out from the rooftops, this type of noise can only help.

after much thought, a few cookies (a whole box to be exactly honest), a cup of tea or two (possibly more), i have come up with a history of this, this being the company and then this, this being me.

i really love what i put together but i really put a lot of hard work into it. (yeah, you can stop reading here...like i work hard...my job is in a faerie nursery how much harder can a job get?).

so all of this painstakingly work can be found on the website under the tab named 'about' (yeah, yeah, yeah, i know, how original is that for a tab name).

oh, and,

p.s. ..... it is amazing that how easy it becomes once you start talking about you, that it just becomes easier and easier to do so. (um, but then again who doesn't like to listen to themselves talk about themselves?)

the photograph that i have put on my website was taken in this same photo-op. a massive thank you goes out to Chris who took the time in the sweltering heat to help me out.

so yeah, here i am!

this is me!

this is me....hard at work!

Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles everywhere!

Yes, the Nursery really does feel like it is drowning. Oh, please do not get the wrong idea. I do realize that with spring breakup it is not uncommon to have flooding. In fact with living in the north for ummm I have no idea how long (hiding the actual age of this faerie)...I know that flooding every spring is not an abnormal thing to happen. Where the nursery is currently situated this is the first year that I have seen any type of flooding (I think that the current Nursery's location is going onto its 6th year anniversary this fall). Unfortunately our neighbours have seen the wrath of earth's.. 'don't forget, you are here but I was here first'... Mind you when I think back to even this past summer, it has been one of those in-the-book to remember fire season. I will admit that I really do not know the size of the Belgium but from what I have heard (hint .... I know personally because of hubby's job)..that the NWT burnt almost that whole land mass size... but in case you would like to know yourself...their official website is http://www.belgium.be/en/

Onto the whole drowning part of this update...

You know how you start a project and you KNOW that it will take more than one moon to complete, actually a few moons to complete, okay lots of those moons to complete, okay now, shall I just be honest...so many moons that I lost count of moons?

And so because of those missing moons it has come to my attention that I have forgotten some things along the way! Now, as I have not been paying attention to those other projects, I am really not up-to-date with that production area of the nursery..yes, I can and do multi-task quite well..but this project isn't one of those that you can concentrate or at least give it your all (which is not how I work).

So, I will resume my 'Thought of the Day' postings but for now I think that I will have to rename it to be the 'Random Thought of the This Week'..

ps....this whole project thingy...well it will effect the nursery across all departments...it's a really big whole project thingy.

So without further ado...please stay tuned for the 'Random Thought of the Week' quote and graphic.

How to change a look - a step by step guide

Well, after much consideration and thunking....well, okay it really was just by she/her/me that had be doing the consideration that thunking part...that I had decided that it be best to start this message on a pleasant tone.

So this is were I thunk I am going to try to figure out a way how to put on the 'Thought of the Day' and 'The Photo of the Day' titled tabs (which are located just above you right now onto this main Blogger page... are you confused yet..cause I sure am?

I know...what on earth is she/her/me going to do now?

And....guess what...not only does she/her/me not know what she/her/me is talking and mumbling about, and not only does she/her/me know what to do with it once she/her/me gets ahold of it,  but to that inevitably thingy that she/her/me starts to figure that possibly (and this is where the insert of the 'yeah...she/her/me know anything?') she/her/me has no idea if it can even be done!

Now, how does that sound....I know...so typical of she/her/me that you are already use to the silliness that goes on behind the scenes....and yes, she/her/me does work, well kinda...who wants to work in a Faerie Nursery? Now, come on...you do know that even you wouldn't be able to concentrate enough to get anything done.

Now, as you far as you can see, you'd think that I am full of poop, well let's not go there shall we.

Well this next project has taken she/her/me over 3 months to finish and yes, has she/her/me done that to give you even just a smidgen of hope ...to being ever so closely to be completed.

And, now you will ask....and?? and?? and??

No, I am not ready to unveil it right now and this is why she/her/me going to try to figure out (you know that I really meant that our guru will try to figure it out,,,and this where you plunk in the 'and remember this is where she/her/me...was the one who put the Mac OSx hard drive into the trash bin as she/her/me really didn't the ugly look of the icon....so she/he/me gives a massive thank you to her my son and the Apple smart guys) how to keep you entertained all the while she/her/me is really doing something that she/her/mer just might be doing that something productive behind this web page.

Now...let's see if I make a complete mess of this prior to call my guru...who will of course not only get frustrated but will try to give she/her/me instructions on who to do it...and then realizes that as in previous cases there is no point with this step.

The Expedition of a Faerie Prince!

It is always such a privilege when I find out that one of my wee faeries has been picked for an Etsy Treasury.

I was sent an email yesterday informing me that Faerie Prince Cameron has made the front page! Such exciting news for such a wee little guy.

This is his story...

Faerie Prince Cameron is somewhat of a mystery here in the nursery. he showed up on a clear and sunny day this winter, which really isn't a strange occurrence but it is when he had brought with him that leaves us all wondering how on earth he found this far-away northern nursery. In his acorn basket, Prince Cameron is carrying an Amber Drop Cone which after doing our homework, we found out comes from the Pacific Northwest of the United States? He has flown a long long long way to arrive here in our nursery.

He is sporting a soft silver coloured body with a rich olive green coloured cotton floss. Matching silvery translucent wings, an acorn cap and basket made from an acorn top with an amber drop cone nestled inside.

I would like to thank Annafaerie for her Treasury of True Fairy #940. Interesting gifts for different occasions. 

Erosion can only bring the old to new light

As there are always things that are evolving here at the nursery...perhaps not actually evolving...more like...I love change. Well, that should be rephrased....I love change on my terms. Example...when growing up, I was the one that would change the bedroom around at least once a week. Why you ask? Because I could! This habit in a way has never left me. I love to change and move furniture, decor and well pretty much all of a room to this day. And, isn't it strange that both of my children, particularly my son, do the same?

So to continue on with the original thought...change here in the nursery of course due to space, table, shelving and well everything has really limited and stymied this habit...which isn't a good thing! so instead I have taken this 'need' and funnelled it to my on-line presence instead.

I'm  not sure if some of the last month or two changes here on the blog you will have noticed but this last week in particular has seen some dramatic updates. Of course, the phone call has been put through to Shawn, the nursery's website guru, to just tweak the background, okay, I will admit it...this whole coding part of which I have no clue on how to do....and okay, I will admit it....I'm kinda not allowed to touch as I am the type to do big oooop's that take a few more that just a couple of minutes to fix! Example...just like with everything else to do with the nursery...I do not care for disorder...that even goes towards my iMac's desktop! And ummm.....well, I had decided that there was this really UGLY icon on my desktop that for some reason I was unable to change...so off it went into the trash. So ummm...yeah, that was my hard drive, my operating system, ummm the umph of the computer! And well, this wee little icon movement caused a few phone calls to Apple Helpline and more than a few calls from my son to try to retrieve it. Hence....I am not/do not add or delete any icons from my desktop without permission from my son and ummm....I really doubt it if with this knowledge in hand, would Shawn appreciate me getting behind the scenes into this whole coding changes/updates that he has worked so hard to put into place.

There are still a few small and some quite dramatic changes/updates that will be happening over the next few weeks. I'm hoping that they will improve the look and feel without losing, hampering or compromising the actual look of this blog so it doesn't lose the coherence and flow from one site to another.

The 'Thoughts'

For the week of October 13-17, 2014

'The Thought'

Authors this week include:

Lita Burke, Awwthentic and William Butler Yeats

Topics were kind of all over the place as well!
The sizing up faeries in Ireland, finding faeries, unicorns, dull worlds and beautiful smiles. It seems as well that I doubled up on both Awwthentic and Yeats quotes...I guess that they must have had special meanings this week.

'The Photo'

Well this week was both the final sneak peeks and then finally the introduction of our first Holiday Limited Edition Faerie - Candy Cane. Surprisingly enough, this faerie seems to love the camera? I wished that I had more photos to share but she is still busy in the photo sets? Go figure...this one has a fascination with her candy cane striped dress that she just can't stop spinning around. I sure hope that she doesn't eventually fall over!

The rest of the week, well I tried to capture the happier parts of our northern Nursery and its first snowfall (okay, I will admit that this is not the first one for this winter as we have had snow every month this year!!) but this one I doubt will go away and is now here to stay. We still have wee pansies that are weighted down with so much sticky snow that they are trying their best to still show their colours. The next photo was one from our local bird feeder which wasn't exempt from the warm weather that over night of course plummeted...this left everything with a wonderful icy look to everything (unfortunately that meant the same for our sidewalks and roads turning everything to a pretty sheen of black ice).

I am sure that I will be able to finally the grab the camera or at least the memory card, now wouldn't that be terribly sneaky of me....Candy Cane can continue swirling with the camera pointed at her but there just won't be any 'film' in it....this should give me time to upload the photos that have already been taken and I hope to work on those over the weekend.

On that note...'The Photo' and the 'The Thought' will be back on Monday :)

Introduction of a Lost Clay Potter??

Well it seems that there is an never ending surprises that happen here at the nursery.

Over the weekend there was a wee knock on the door.  Now if this was summer time or even very late spring this would not have been something that doesn't happen on a regular basis...but with it now being nippy outside with even snowflakes falling gracefully from the sky I was actually quite concerned and questioned who on earth could be outside on this wintery day??

Wow! I couldn't believe my eyes...there was a Faerie standing there just a shivering away. I asked her right away to come in to warm up by the pellet stove and then I ran off to make a pot of sweet tea for her.

After she was settled in and rocking away on one of the comfy chairs she began to tell her story all the while emptying her bag of the many treasures that she had collected on her way.

Here she was a Clay Potter that had been swooped up by a westwardly wind and she couldn't find her way back. Thankfully she found a yellow breasted grosbeak that new the way to the nursery...and now here she is!

As I hadn't even known that there were any more Clay Potters out there she definitely was a beautiful surprise and a wonderful addition to the group.

Once she was all able to get up and bit more back to normal she asked if she could introduce herself to the others. I wasn't too sure what she had in mind but I told her I would do anything to help her out.

Then she ran off with Faerie Bosh to help her in the kitchen. Hmmm what was she up to?

So here is here introduction....please meet Faerie Edie...

Here is a close up of Faerie Edie

What a stunning dress!

And with Faerie Bosh's help...she offered every one a bit of  yummy strawberry shortcake  and a cup of  sweet tea? She then started to sing away with a most beautiful voice that I have ever heard.

Into the KNOWN Wild Blue Yonder

Do you ever get the feeling that you that you have to do something in order to do what you need to do?

I have sat here for almost 3 weeks looking at my work table that is still scattered with stuff that I have either never bother to unpack, display or just plain and simple put away!

But that isn't even the worst of it yet!!

I know that once I clear and clean off my massive 1.2m x 1.2m (4'x4' ) table that I really will have to not only do something productive with both my time and energy but that I will have/need to start getting creating again.

Now, please do not get me wrong by any means!!

I love being creative. It's in my bones. It's in my head. It's in my heart. The difference here is that in essence I have/need to be creative.

Now, please do not get me wrong by any means!!

This next Line of Faeries truly inspires me. Excites me. Is part of me. I have purchased absolutely everything that I require/need to make/create these Faeries. Everything is separated into their own pretty coloured cloth boxes and rubbermaids just waiting for me. Calling to me. Even whispering to me.

Now, please do not get me wrong by any means!!

I so really want to get these Faeries done by the holiday gift giving and craft shows. I think though that I have missed my international shipping time for any of my Faerie creations in order to reach their destination in time to be wrapped and opened. This is such a massive hurt/blow to me as I was really counting on, well let's face it...for more sales.

Now, please do not get me wrong by any means!!

Since I have shut down my Facebook page I know that I have missed out on the largest looking/shopping opportunity. Promoting my website, blog and even my e-commerce pages is way harder than I had expected. Well, actually I know that I was throwing myself under the bus but I needed to take a break.

Now, please do not get me wrong any means!!

I have tried relentlessly to promote my wee company. To get seen. to not fall behind on what I need to do. I do know however that I made these massive changes and transformations since I knew that I would be away from the nursery for almost three and half weeks. Trying to keep up remotely would have both been way too time consuming and well, let's face it....not the type of vacation that I truly needed.

Now, please do not get me wrong by any means!!

I didn't want to be away from the nursery. I needed to be away mentally and physically. Anyone of you that run a small home based business knows that it takes about 7-10 hours a day. Yes, this is way longer than a full time job. These are the sacrifices that need to be done. This in itself takes everything that you have. Everything that you want to do outside of the business. Everything that you want to do socially un-business related. Everything that you call a personal life. These all get interrupted and/or cut short.

Now, please do not get me wrong by any means!!

Since leaving work (and not by choice), loosing your independence (I am no longer cleared to fly or to drive a vehicle), to being in the house all day with only three critters to keep you company and well, to talk to. When I was a Mom at home with two children this scenario was quite different. Yes, I was still home alone (technically), I did have the ability to fly and drive (but I'll admit somedays just wasn't worth the effort) and when I was talking essentially at least I was teaching (hoping) to teach my children a few life experiences.

Now, please do not get me wrong any means!!

I do promise myself (and you) that the cleaning of my table will start. My head has rested. My body has rested. My heart has rested. Everything else can be called my creativeness and it too have been rested. It is time for me to become Faerie Amma once again.

The Unknown Progression

I find it truly amazing how the progression of my ideas have come to this point.

Back in 2010 I had only begun to think of making flower petal faeries. I was doing them to keep myself busy until I could find a full time job in our newly move to the Northwest Territories. Granted I have lived in the north for 14 years already but never in Fort Smith, never married and never for following someone up here (well okay, there was one time but I was only 7 months old, so I don't think that this is a true indication of the point that I am trying to get at).

My wee Enchanted Pathways company was registered in British Columbia and at that time I was just looking to try to make replica doors as shown in the *Hobbit movie. I thought they would be fun to make so there I was with a design in mind, a massive of amount of new tools and even a **Dremel. Alas, this idea never did come to fruition. I did have fun though!

In the process of this whole new experiment I did learn some very valuable information. Shopping, how to get the lowest price and value for the dollar. Shipping, how to get products from the USA without having to pay duty on them. Ideas, how to jot everything and I mean everything. Tools, how not to loose a finger or other appendages. Paperwork, how to document and file. Education, using all that you have learned in the past and trying to adapt it to what you need now. Friendship, the importance of having someone to bounce ideas off. Love, knowing that you are someone believes in you.

I have now gone from the original play of making Hobbit doors and then onto simple flower petal faeries to what my company is today.

1 - Generation 1 Flower Petal Faeries ~~ that have an average of 20 silk flower petals and stand approximately 7.6 cm (3") in height.

2 - Magical Wooden Faerie Doors ~~ these are now actual cutout wooden doors and no longer doll house doors.

3 - Teacup Nurseries ~~ using miniature trees, flowers and dollhouse items that have been made into a small garden area that faeries just might be found.

4 - Seed Pod Babies ~~ using the small roses that I used to take apart for the smallest petals when making the Generation 1 Faeries are now transformed into a full rose head with a curly wired tail and then placed into a tree pod with a bed of moss.

5 - Generation 2 Flower Petal Faeries ~~ using a wooden platform these faeries stand about 12.7 cm (5") and are numbered for collection status. This style is made up into full groups that are meant to be purchased as a full set.

So that is the product end of my company. Now onto the other end of the company!!

I am now quite proficient at the accounting end but still have a hired certified accountant to do the tax filing. I do all of the GST filing on my own currently.

Photography is now done completely be me. I am able to use my ***Photoshop program in order to clean up and adjust the photos as required for website usage. I have a complete shadowbox that allows me to take consistent photos.

Website has now been changed over to a ****Weebly program where I have full control over the pages. I still do have a tons of assistance from Shawn my In-House-Guru that helps me with absolutely everything when it comes to coding.

Extras are now designed by me for all printing purposes this includes cloth bags, sticky notes, magnets, rack cards, tri-fold cards, postcards, business cards, labels and rubber stamps.

Graphics have thankfully been done by both Alyssa and Shona for the icon and main stump photo.

Adverts are now done by myself as well. This is a part of the company that I never thought that I would teach myself to do (with help from Linda). It is amazing how I have been able to create a background and then put all of the company information on it. These adverts are now run in national magazines and local newspapers.

Additions include the new 'Thought of the Day' graphics along with quotes and now Instagram photos that have a wee stories with them.

Wow! Now that is progression!

Here is the advert that will be going into issue #28 of the Faerie Magazine. I am really happy with what I have been able to create and make my own.

On a final note, this all wouldn't have been possible without you!

* The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - WingNut Films
**Dremel Tools - Robert Bosh Tool Corporation
***Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 Editor
****Weebly website and blog site founded by David, Dan and Chris

The Distraction before the Snowflake

So, with absolutely full intentions to get so many things done, it seems that so many more things just happened to skip on up to the top of the list.

How on earth does this happen. Now, it is usually at this time that I start to question how much of this silliness can actually be chalked up to the Faeries playing their games here around the nursery. As with our temperature this morning being a glorious -1C (30F), I'm thinking that to not make my things-to-do less but possibly even more as with this silly weather, the Faeries will definitely be taking their tea and cookies inside today. With that being said, it is that time of year that we will have a few warmer days of autumn before the snowflakes start to fall. So, I think that instead of getting myself all worked up over everything little thing that I will be taking my time to play, play outside, play inside...well just play!