Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Tasha Tudor Day

A view of the top of my refrigerator...

Happy Birthday, Tasha!  She is among the women who have inspired me greatly who are not professed women of Faith.  As I pondered what to share that would be Tasha-esque, I thought of my love for all things vintage and handmade... worn by use... Velveteen Bunny real. 

Have you ever walked through Colonial Williamsburg and felt you could leave behind the 21st Century and move into one of the homes then and there?  I have.  Throw in electricity and indoor plumbing and one can remove the For Sale sign out front... I will take it.

Now, I understand that daily life was demanding in the old days but what a sense of tranquility these homes bring to me in their simplicity, where one can look around and enjoy true art created by craftsmen (and women).  

Few of us (if any) would go to the extremes Tasha did to live in the old ways.  But what can we take away to merge into our own life, into our surroundings?  What would mesh with our needs and preferences towards home and all things domestic?

I realized long ago that my home should be a refuge in the storms of circumstance.  I saw it as a blank canvas on which to paint the background of my days... and that of my family.  Only in the four walls of my house and on our property can I truly create the atmosphere desired... not that of another century such as Tasha but perhaps a time when the home arts were desired and craftsmen appreciated.

Not only are old things on display (such as the vintage items on the top of my refrigerator shown above) but the vintage and antique items are actually used and not set aside for a future generation to pull out of a drawer or off a shelf to be dusted.

As I tie an old apron around my waist, pull out the modern but vintage looking stoneware bowl, and assemble ingredients for the soup my mother made and her mother before her... life returns to Due North and all is well.

To wrap it all up, I think Tasha's best inspiration for my life was just the simple fact that one can change their life simply by deciding to live in their desired surroundings.  Not what others like or what glossy magazine pages demand... no, what brings peace to my soul.  That is a good legacy for anyone to pass on.  :)


For more information on what others are doing on Tasha Tudor Day, hop on over to Clarice's lovely Storybook Woods blog... here.

7 comments:

Simply Shelley said...

Well said...I agree. I too shared a Tasha post today. Maybe you would like to visit :)Blessings friend

http://shelleysvintagevariety.blogspot.com/2013/08/tasha-tudor-day-2013.html

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

A beautiful tribute to Miss Tasha. I so admire her too for having the courage to live her desired life style.

When you talk about your own realization that your home should be a refuge in the storms of circumstance, I believe from all that you've shared over the years that you have made that a reality in your own life. Your own example is an inspiration to so many.

Enjoyed your post very much.

Happy Birthday, Tasha!

Linda said...

That's what we all love about her, her independence.

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

PS... Brenda, in case you aren't aware of this Tasha Tudor giveaway:

http://www.rookeryramblings.com/2013/08/tasha-tudor-day-giveaway.html

Anonymous said...

Just visiting you from Brenda at It's a Beautiful Life and I am following you, milady - kindred spirits we are! Hope you'll drop by my place at The Writer's Reverie! I love all the cozy you've got happening here - the sanctuary you have built - it is my passion, too. That my home and surroundings bring glory to God in all things good and beauty. I look forward to more visits!
Joy!
Kathy

Vee said...

Every time I would settle in to read your post yesterday, something came up. Why that happens, and quite often, I'm not sure. Anyway, just wanted you to know that I really did enjoy reading this post. I have now finally read to the end in fits and spurts and now will return to read from beginning to end and the phone can ring and the knock at the door can go away. I also really liked what I think could be a subtext or subtitle here because it fits this blog so well: Creating a Home That is a Refuge in the Storms of Circumstance. (Hope that I have remembered the code.)

HeatherMavis said...

So ,today I learn that yesterday was Tasha Tudor day! I wish I had known. Now I know - save it for next year.