saving ruby red shoes

not so fantastic mr fox is on our minds, muchly.

you see, i'm currently working on a collection for one SMALL soul aptly inspired by the girls' favourite fairytale books by the fabulous Lauren Child.....

lots of red wool ... capes and wraps with little patch pockets, pointy hoods, snugly hats and cosy scarves, all with wooden buttons and jute ribbons.
it's supposed to be for our autumn/winter 2012/13 collection but there might just be a sneaky peak coming soon since our favourite customers down under have requested warmer but versatile pieces for their baboos now the weather is changing. to be honest after an extremely unusually hot spell, this spring weather here in the uk feels mighty chilly.

along side all this furtive activity, sits Ruby Red Comb propped up on a fleece in a box, recuperating from his close shave with dinner time activities around mrs fox's kitchen table. this once proud but protective (and vicious) cockerel might actually be a cat as i'm sure he's on his fifth or so, life. saved from other close shaves... once after a very long night swimming in the toilet, oh another when he out run a fox and that was post recovery from a broken leg after being attacked by next doors' dog, this mighty fellow is slowly but surely returning to his former glory.

young ruby and family

but we really didn't think he would pull through. found him lying semi conscious in the dark surrounded by our cats sitting in wait. we wrapping him in a blanket. fed him australian bush flower emergency essence and homoeopathic adrenalin and oxygen. tentatively waiting for him to attack us once he come around enough to remember. but he was truly exhausted and having given mr fox a run for his money and a huge mouthful of feathers, was shaking violently.  we sat for a couple of hours secretly hoping he wouldn't suffer, feeling pangs of guilt that we hadn't manged to live up to the levels of responsibility that he set for himself in protecting his family. finally saying our sweet but inevitable goodbyes before climbing the steep stairs to bed.

somehow three days later, still in his bed, he sits besides me shouting to his friends across the way. i know it sounds bizarre but i've found a friend in this beautiful creature in a way i never thought possible. and learnt some powerful lessons in life (yes from a bird!)..... his strength, his will to life, resilience, ability to adapt and except, to understand his limitations, his cooing with both us and his girls outside, his  awesome beauty, a multitude of iridescent red colours, his connection with the ebbing and flowing of the planet and unceasing responsibility to his girls to get them fed, keep them safe and put them to bed, are all insurmountable. he sure sets the bar high.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

yesterday evening, humongous  mr fox returned once more, casually sauntering through the yard without a care in the world. until he almost reached the kitchen door. ruby sitting on one side of the glass peering out and mr fox nonchalantly glazing in. oh the irony. and then i'm afraid to say the gang (my girls) gave him a stiff lesson in not being at all welcome around here and chased him off to timbuktu.

and in between learning to walk, well even stand, again and sleeping, he sits chatting softly. to me. to lose this friend now would be so sad. but i can honestly say i am honoured to have spent these days in this true hero's company. i am so grateful to have known him. and wish him the best what ever that might be.

we are just loving him xxxxxx

to not feel the fear

“To be free, to let go of fear, to be real, to be in integrity, to have fun, to go with the flow, to be sensitive to energy, to have faith in them, to respect them, to listen to them and above all, to love them and ourselves, unconditionally.”

Ann Callaghan of Indigo Essences

Much has been written about the new children we find in our communities that have come to challenge the old and help facilitate the new.

They are very perceptive and sensitive to their surroundings which unfortunately leads them to experience feelings of fear and anxiety, confusion, and insecurity. As a culture, we have been so quick to label these children as problem people, labelling them dyslexic, hyperactive, autistic, over sensitive......... But who’s to say they are the ones with the problem?? Are they merely reflecting back to us our own unresolved issues by acting out their own agendas that no longer fit with our old antiquated ways? Our own operating systems are still tuned into the fear based, self limiting belief system that we imprinted from our parents and it is from this limited perspective that we judge our children’s behaviours.

our homemade creams and gels

As a family, we have found plant, flower and crystal essences extremely helpful in supporting these potential issues. We are big fans of Ian White’s australian bush flower essences and indigo essences made especially for children in Ireland by Ann Callaghan


Laurie is especially sensitive, perceptive, compassionate and empathetic. She has found it very difficult adapting her very creative thought sequencing to understand the more conventional so called logical formats presented in school. Despite being very conscientious, this led her into a state of overwhelming confusion and a decline in self esteem, as she struggled to get her head around the virtues of algebra and playground 'games'. Now 18, she still has little concept of linear time but is begining to bridge the gap between her world and the outside. Her hectic college curriculum stresses her especially when she has to comply, fit in, follow a dictated method or complete a short term task in a given time. Flower and crystal essences have offered her the calming support she needs to focus and centre or ground herself, enabling her to devise her own coping strategies, integrate ideas and information without feeling panicked and hopeless.  Cognis Bush Flower combination of  Bush Fuchsia, Isopogon, Jacaranda, Paw Paw and Sundew, has been especially helpful in balancing the right and left sides of her brain; the intuitive and cognitive processes, and in enhancing all her learning abilities and skills, not just when studying.

The girls, right from being small, insisted in having free reign with our ever growing selection of essences and will independently choose one or two they feel will help or that they are attracted to.

They mix a couple of drops in a small blue glass pot of cream from hamblys herbal dispensary or Forever Living aloe gel. Then stick a hand written and customised label on each individual jar – a perfect cream to rub the hurt and discomfort away, to protect them or heal them. When they were little, there was a tub of magic cream too – a big blue pot of Hambly’s Healing Cream (buy a big tub, you won’t regret it) with a big squirt of Emergency Essence mixed in. This really was the best cream ever and used for everything from nappy rash to itchy bites, bumps and grazes. The fab thing about doing it this way is that these creams are completely safe so the children can apply them at will, whenever they feel the need. You’ll be amazed at how empowering this process is and just how quickly the pain dissolves.

We also used these essences mixed in filtered water and sprayed any and everywhere, especially on a hot day. Great for calming when irritable, over tired and clammy.

Equally, a couple of drops in a small beaker of filtered water or a water bottle, or the bottle just selected and held on to or put under the pillow or next to the bed worked wonders too.

We had a special place where the little coloured bottles of Love, Happy and Shine were spread out in a pretty display with other precious finds – shells, crystals, drift wood, fir cones, and feathers, within easy reach of sticky fingers.

These remedies are particularly good for facilitating communication. The girls all find that after taking a remedy, they feel centred enough to express themselves more clearly without the emotional impact of the hurt or upset. It helps them view the problem from a different perspective or with more compassion and understanding.

I have been concerned whether they use the "correct" remedy as they have always assured me they "just know", and I have always trusted their innate wisdom. 

Plant, flower and crystal essences are extremely useful for the parents too. Often in treating ourselves, our children’s problems miraculously melt away!!!!

Ann Callaghan has the best advice for us.......

“Be Real. Be Authentic. Be Fearless.

Be in your Power.”

Love XXxxxx