Hello, friends! And good morning! Today we are celebrating a very special lady, who I and many of you consider a kindred spirit and inspiration– Tasha Tudor! Today she would have been 104 years old.

Before we begin, however, I have a winner to choose for the print giveaway! And so, let’s get to it! The winner of the print is….

Phyllis Leck

Congratulations, Phyllis! Please email me your shipping information and I will send this print on to you!

And now, let’s all continue celebrating, shall we? I loved hearing from all of you how you discovered Tasha and how much she means to you. She was such a special soul, to be able to reach so many different people through several generations with her work and way of life. Many of us are pulled to her for unique reasons. Some of us read her books as children, others are inspired by the life she created for herself.

And although she was, of course, a flawed human being just like the rest of us, I find her flaws make her all the more relateable and her story more interesting. She lived her life the best she knew how, and created beautiful works and a beautiful home around her.

Because of her talent with pencil and brush, we are able to enjoy the world she created as well, through books or photos, and we can be inspired by her ingenuity, talent and vision.

As someone who loves to paint, and also loves history, gardening, animals and cozy homes, I am drawn to Tasha and her work on many different levels. I love all the little things she tucks into her art, and the homeyness she creates in her scenes. She used her own home and her own family as models and inspiration for her work, which I also find fascinating. I love the idea of home as inspiration, and a place of imagination to be built and enjoyed.

In 2015 I was lucky enough to be able to visit her home, to peek inside her sweet little house in Vermont and amble through her garden on a rainy June morning. It was a treasured day I will always remember— and I wrote more about HERE soon after we returned home to Oklahoma.

I was able to visit Tasha’s home with one of my best friends, Patricia and our daughters, which made it even more special! (In the photo above, Patricia is front center, I’m front right, and our girls are seated on the right beside us)

While we were visiting in The Rookery– a house on the property that serves as the family’s gift shop, a woman came in with a very special treasure— she had the dress and the little snow shoes that Tasha’s grand daughter Laura had worn to model for the painting “Laura in the Snow”:

It was so wonderful to be able to see the little dress and the accessories in person, since Laura in the Snow is one of my favorite illustrations by Tasha. It was just one of the wonderful things and experiences we had there at Tasha’s home and at the Rookery.

The little shop in the Rookery was filled with sweet little things, full of Tasha’s art, and beautiful things that Tasha loved and used herself. I felt so glad to be able to be there with people I love, and who also love Tasha.

Today, I hope we can all slow down a bit and enjoy some simple pleasures. I know I will certainly try to ‘take joy’, as Tasha often advised. Perhaps there will even be a little treat tonight in her honor, to celebrate her, her life and work.

If you are also celebrating Tasha today, please comment below and share! If you have a special post about Tasha on social media, please feel free to leave the link in the comments! Perhaps we can all do a little online visit with those who share our love of Tasha and want to celebrate!

I thank you SO much for coming here today, and hope to speak with you more soon! My Autumn Gathering is coming up very quickly, and I have SO much to share with you!

Til then, Take Joy, friends!~

H