a tale of gypsy dreams

Hello gypsy sisters and friends!

I'm so excited to see everyone's wagon around the campfire. Thank you so much to Celia for putting this great party together.

I hope you don't mind that I brought everything with me, including my Luna of course who did not want to miss out on all the fun. I have never been one to pack lightly, especially for a journey as magical as this. I'll just park my wagon right here.

**You can click on each image for a larger view.**

The candles and lanterns are ready. Fading autumn roses perfume the woodland air and fireflies will light your way to my front door.

Join me inside for a spot of tea. A special blend that came all the way from my gypsy sisters in the Vieux Carre. Mildly spicy and wickedly sweet.

They say the old fortune tellers indulged in a cup or two before gazing into their crystal ball.

Here is a favorite card to remind us to always nurture our gypsy souls. I found it a few years ago, it's from Duirwaigh Studios, a most amazing band of artisan gypsies I might add. It still inspires me everyday.

Today I get to be that Gypsy Soul so curl up on a pillow and I will share with you my little gypsy tale.

I fell in love with the idea of gypsy life and their fascinating wagons when I was very young. Not from Disney stories or fairy tales but from a visit to my grandmother who lived in a far away country.

Her house was an old Spanish colonial filled with hand carved wood, windows with dainty shell panes and a mysterious fern garden that grew wild in the shadow of a great stone staircase.

It was at my "lola's" house (grandmother)  that I learned to love old beautiful things.

She lived on the main street of a small town and one day a caravan of  covered wagons rolled into town passing right in front of her house. They were not fancy wagons like the colorful romantic vardos we're all familiar with. Just simple wood carts with plain cloth shells and small horses pulling each one along (or maybe they were cattle).

The people walking alongside the wagons were also dressed in simple hot weather clothing. They were merchants on their way to sell their wares at the next town.

The wagons were stuffed with baskets and boxes of every size, textiles and cloth hung from the wooden frame and I think I remember seeing an assortment of handmade brooms peeking out from under the cloth cover. I remember the people calling out to the curious townsfolk, inviting us to buy their goods.

There was the sound of bells that came from either the horses, the wagons or maybe the travelers themselves. I don't remember really,  but the sight and sound of that caravan stayed with me forever.

I do remember being very excited and asking my lola all about them.

I wanted to see what else was in those wagons. How much could they possibly fit in there and what it was like to live in one of them, traveling from one place to another?

I wanted to run down the stone steps and go away with them.

Later on I would learn about other gypsy cultures. I would fall in love with the intricately carved vardos, the layers of rich fabrics, faded tapestries and delicate lace adorning the interiors.

I would dream of traveling in one of my own, a modern one maybe, like a vintage Airstream trailer, such as this amazing one from Magnolia Pearl. I would fill it with my favorite things and lots of goodies for making art and I would travel to my favorite cities, sleepy Big Sur on our rugged California coast and the decadent and artsy French Quarter in New Orleans.

Then I would make my way to a forest of towering redwood trees and camp deep in the heart of the woods under a waning autumn moon.

For now my gypsy wagon exists in my heart. A place I go to for solace, inspiration and dreams. But with a little imagination I can create that space in a cozy corner of my house, surround myself with favorite things and dream of traveling to such far away places.

Oh are you enjoying your tea? Forgive me, I also prepared wonderful fairy cakes for you but it seems the fey have already helped themselves to it. Well it's time for us to go and see all the other wonderful wagons.

I hope you enjoyed your visit and I thank you for listening

to the tale of my gypsy dreams.

Thank you again to the lovely Celia from Adventures of the Striped Stockings for putting this all together. Her blog name makes me smile whenever I read it. Wearing striped stockings always promises new adventures.

Please leave a comment and let me know you stopped by. I have a little gift to giveaway which I will craft especially for the winner. I'll choose a name from the comments next Friday night, September 16.

The mini wagon is on it's way to another gypsy soul.

It's a surprise so I hope she likes it!

Please remember to go back to the Gypsy Dreams page for the list of all the participants. Have a beautiful weekend and I will see many of you again at my Practical Magic party very soon!