Hello friends,
Hurray, we made it to Friday! And not only is it Friday— It’s Tasha Tudor’s birthday! Today she would have been 105 years old. I’ve gathered some summer flowers from the garden and took out my copy of Becky’s Birthday to celebrate the day. I wanted to thank you all for joining me this month as we celebrated Tasha with Tasha Tuesday posts and giveaways. And I’ll tell ya a secret, I’ve got one MORE giveaway….but more on that in a bit…
Your comments, your kinship and your own remembrances of why this artist means so much to you, or your joy in just discovering her have been to wonderful to read and I love hearing how she has inspired you. Tasha Tudor has been an inspiration to me since I first read about her life and really immersed myself in her work, and it is a joy and a privilege for me to get to talk with so many of you about her. Thanks again (SO much!) to Susan Evans McCloud for taking the time to chat with us about her special remembrances of Tasha, and all of you who also shared your own memories and inspiration. She was such a dynamic person, a skilled painted and quite simply, a visionary for creating her own true-to-herself life that I think we can all admire.
I hope these Tasha Tuesday posts have also inspired you to ‘take joy’ and to ‘live the life you have imagined’, (as Tasha was fond of quoting) no matter what that life or joy may be. We are all on our own unique path. The beauty of Tasha, for me anyway, is her unabashed joy and immersion in the things she loved. She created a family, she created a home, she created a garden, she created a career. These are all things that many of us also do, and with Tasha as a guide we can see that we can also take the path less traveled and really create something unique when it comes to our own lives. I find that so exciting, and so freeing. Tasha, in essence, shows us that the greatest joy is to be yourself, and live the life you want.
My wish to you on this day that Tasha celebrated for 92 years on this earth, is that you simply ‘take joy.’ These are uncertain, often scary times in our world. No matter where we look, there is hurt, violence, sickness, sadness and chaos. It can often feel impossible to find the light or the courage to dream our dreams when our hearts are feeling so heavy. But I also believe that this is a time for much growing, changing, improving and hopefully– healing. One of Tasha’s favorite quotes is from Fra Giovanni’s Christmas Letter– a piece we’ve talked about many times here on this blog– but is always worth repeating. The section I’m thinking of right now reads:
“No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present moment. Take peace!
The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. Take joy!”
And so, a very happy birthday to you, Tasha Tudor. Thank you for all the inspiration. Your influence and example have made my life better for many years, and I know will continue for many more.
And thank you all for your visits, and I hope to continue Tasha Tuesdays here on the blog when possible, as I just never seen to tire of writing them, or talking Tasha, or introducing her to new fans or finding a kindred spirit in someone who has also loved her for many years. I hope that if you’re able to, you have a little birthday treat in Tasha’s honor today, to also celebrate her birthday. Even if it’s just a simple cup of tea, I look forward to celebrating with you– and Tasha– in spirit.
And now— for our giveaway! I have another gorgeous scarf from our wonderful friends at Anokhi, this one in amazing indigo shared and a timeless floral pattern:
In celebration of Tasha, and with such generosity from Anokhi, I’d love to give away this scarf to one of YOU for Tasha’s birthday! Like usual, you just have to comment here on the blog to enter to win, and there will also be a chance to enter on instagram, where your comment will double your chances!
Thanks so much for coming by today, and I hope you come again soon! Thanks too for all the comments for Tasha Tuesday this month! I appreciate!
Now— go forth and—
Take Joy!
H
Sleightholm Folk Art 
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