Summer Solstice

Tomorrow (June 21) marks the Summer Solstice which is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It is also known as Litha or Midsummer, a celebration of sunlight, abundance, growth, and the height of summer. The flowers are blooming and everything feels full of possibility. It’s also a reminder that hours of daylight will slowly begin to shorten between now and December. So I hope you can take time to enjoy the extra daylight and the magic of this season! 🌸

Once Upon a Nursery Rhyme

I recently had some fun creating artwork from a collection of vintage images that survived a nursery rhyme book or game (I’m not sure which). We've got Little Bo Peep with her sheep, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and Jack and Jill tumbling down the hill with their bucket of water.

 

One of my favorite things about working with old ephemera is wondering where it came from and how it survived. This book (or game) may have disappeared years ago, but a few images lived on long enough to find their way into a new piece of art. It's fun to give these forgotten items another chapter in their story. 📖

Inspiration Everywhere

This weekend, I am missing what may be the most Strange Farm Girl event imaginable: the World Nettle Eating Championship in England. For one hour, competitors race to consume the leaves from as many stinging nettles as possible. Yes, those are the same nettles that make you painfully rethink your choice to adventure off the path into the woods. I have no desire to compete, but I absolutely would have loved to watch. 🌿

 

I recently finished reading A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari. Set in 1920s London, it follows Saffron Everleigh, one of the first women working as a research assistant in botany, who becomes entangled in a murder investigation involving a mysterious poison. As someone with a soft spot for wicked plants, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Bonus points for the scene where the main characters scrabble through a mysterious garden at night. 💀  

 

Click here to watch a summary of Christine McConnell creating a 500-pound gingerbread replica of the Winchester Mystery House on YouTube. There are no shortcuts in Christine's world. This gingerbread house build is completely over the top. If you enjoy seeing someone pursue an idea far beyond the point where most people would say "good enough," this one's worth a look. 🛖

I'd love to hear about it and include it in a future update. 

 

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Drop me an e-mail at Carmen@StrangeFarmGirl.com.

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Until next time, all the best to you!