Welcome to Lydia McCauley's Garden of Simples Blog

The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get from it, but what they become by it. - John Ruskin



Lydia McCauley and Kurt Scherer are owners of STONEHOUSE ARTIFACTS, offering Treasures from Colonial India. Online Here.

Our shop is located in Bellingham, Washington. We welcome you to come and visit our small estate, enjoy the grounds and share a cup of Chai.



Tuesday, November 15, 2011

  

Last November I opened a shop at http://Etsy.com to sell my GARDEN OF SIMPLES soap and lotion.  This summer I added in Vintage items for sale.  My shop is full of white plates and damask napkins, silver plated bowls and trays, and other things that I love having in my own home.

GARDEN OF SIMPLES is featured in a new online catalog/magazine called STYLISH HOMES.  To view this Winter Issue #1 click here:  http://www.stylishhome.com/sites/default/files/StylishHome%20Winter%20Collection%20Catalog.pdf

GARDEN OF SIMPLES antique Steubenville Plates are featured on page 10.
Ivory coloured American made semi-porcelain from Steubenville Pottery. 
This elegant embossed dinnerware was created in the 1930's - 1950's.

You'll find them here as well:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/83381962/adam-antique-steubenville-pottery-set-of
Please feel free to share this link with your friends, especially if you enjoy handmade items and vintage collectibles.

And please visit my shop where you will find hand poured soap and lotion and lovely vintage items for your home:  http://gardenofsimples.etsy.com


Here's a Garden of Simples 10% OFF COUPON, good until Dec. 27, 2011:
Use this Code at checkout:   LYDIAMCCAULEYBLOG11







                                      Music by Lydia McCauley will be available soon at Etsy!
                      
                                       Find Lydia McCauley's music at http://lydiamccauley.com

   

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Lydia McCauley and Band in Concert

Lydia McCauley and Band
The Moon of Wintertime Candlelight Reunion Concert

Sunday, December 4, 2011   7 pm
Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church
2117 Walnut Street, Bellingham, WA  98225

Celebrate this Season of Mirth with Lydia McCauley and her Band as they reunite for one special evening!  McCauley and her talented touring and recording band will be playing music from Lydia’s best selling album THE MOON OF WINTERTIME - music from The British Isles and Europe, plus new original and traditional songs.

This is an exciting reunion for Lydia and her band.  Each member contributes in a special way, helping to create their sound, which is a combination of Folk, New Age, and Americana.  It’s been several years since they have played together in this setting.  “Saint Paul’s is a perfect place to share the season’s music.  We love playing by candlelight and the sanctuary has wonderful acoustics,” says Lydia.

Lydia McCauley is a vocalist and composer who performs original and traditional music.  She has six albums to her name, and is included on several compilations, including an upcoming Putamayo Records world release which will feature her rendition of “Shenandoah”.  Her music is included on Jet Blue, Frontier Airlines, Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius, XM, Pandora and NPR.

Musicians include:
Lydia McCauley – vocals, keyboards, harmonium
Phil Heaven – viola
Frank Jackson – woodwinds
Brian Cunningham – guitar
Lynne Givler – bass and vocals
Jason Darling – percussion
Keith Carpenter – mandolin
Kurt Scherer – sound production

Tickets: $20.00 General, $16.00 Seniors (65+)
Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/210167
Tickets available at Village Books in Fairhaven, The Community Food Co-op (downtown location) and at the door

Venue is wheelchair accessible.



More information:  http://lydiamccauley.com

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Squalicum Valley Artisans Faire, Saturday, September 24, The Rome Grange




SQUALICUM VALLEY ARTISANS FAIRE Fine Quality Art, Handmade Crafts, Vintage Collectibles and Live Music
Saturday, September 24, 2011 from 10 am – 4 pm
The Rome Grange, 2821 Mount Baker Highway, Bellingham, WA

Squalicum Valley Artisans Faire celebrates the Art, Craft, and Music of Whatcom County. Specially created by Squalicum Valley residents and their invited friends! The event will take place at the historical Rome Grange, just six miles east of Bellingham.

Beautiful and unique items will be available for purchase including jewelry, handmade cards, fused glass, paper collage, fine art photography, silk scarves and prayer flags, Chinese calligraphy, handspun yarn, knitted items, hand poured soap, vintage collectibles and much more.

Musicians Lydia McCauley, Brian Cunningham, Tina Thomsen-Park and Linda Scoboria will perform at intervals throughout the day.

Musicians Schedule:
11:00 - 12:00  Brian Cunningham - acoustic guitar
12:30 - 1:30    Tina Thomsen-Park - vocals, acoustic guitar with Linda Scoboria - banjo
1:30 - 2:30      Lydia McCauley - vocals, keyboard, harmonium


The event is Free and open to the public. Parking available, wheelchair accessible.
Information telephone: 360-647-0152



SQUALICUM VALLEY ARTISANS FAIRE PARTICIPANTS

Janet Lewalder - Moonlight Silks
Shell Jewelry, Silk Scarves
Silk Classes Available. Special Faire prices. Explore the simple, yet exquisite technique of painting on silk in a one-day, six-hour workshop. Simple enough for absolute beginners, this is also an exciting way for more experienced painters to transfer their talents to fabric.







Erica Dean-Crawford - For The Birds
My jewelry is crafty, handmade of glass, chains and charms. Each piece is one-of-kind and unique. You'll be sure to find something for every gal on your shopping list and even yourself! Making jewelry is something I find relaxing and fun - which is the most important thing!






Tina Thomsen-Park - Marietta Shetlands
Ewenique 4 You Creations offers a variety of handspun wool and wool blend yarns, one of a kind hand crocheted items and Shetland wool roving from the award winning fleeces at Marietta Shetlands.
Tina Thomsen-Park has been spinning wool into yarn for about five years. She learned how to crochet sitting around the kitchen table with her grandmother. The wool roving comes from her husband John’s small flock of Shetland sheep that live on their farm north of Belllingham.
Marietta Shetlands / Ewenique 4 You Creations
John Park & Tina Thomsen-Park Ph: 360-671-4562
Email: marietta_shetlands@hotmail.com










Donna Holmes - Whatcom County Photo Cards
Donna Holmes recently retired after working for 34 years in the Mt. Baker, Bellingham and Meridian School Districts as a regular & special education teacher & middle school counselor. She is currently working part-time in a women's clothing consignment shop giving her time to enjoy hobbies including floral design, photography & preparing for her first Bellingham Bay 1/2 marathon. 



Donna's cowboy boots flower arrangement/book ends win the Novice category in the 2010 NW WA Fair




K. L. Espeland Studio
Natures sights, sounds and patterns influence the work that I have shaped using fire. In nature, fire transforms our environment in many ways. I use this fire (or controlled heat), creating unique pieces of jewelry, ornaments and plates through the fused glass, metal smithing, and PMC mediums.

Creating art has been a life long passion. My flame ignited in 2000 when I began fusing glass. Since then I have looked for new & unique ways to present fused glass and this has led me to combine old & new art & craft techniques.

In the past, my work has been shown in Whatcom County at:
Roeder Home Arts Show – Kale House Art Show - Artwood
And a yearly open house at my private studio.






David Eisenhower - Swift Current Studios
David Eisenhower is a Photographer. He specializes in travel and landscapes photography. His inspiration comes from encounters with people and places, and those moments when light and color come together to awaken a special feeling. "Photography is a way of telling what you feel about what you see." - Ansel Adams







Jan Willing - Wool Dryer balls - cut drying time by 30% and reduce static cling! Hand painted silk flower flags and fans! Felted dolls with unique and individual stories!
All from Jan Willing at the Squalicum Valley Artisans Faire.
To read a little more about Jan Willing's art click here: http://lydiamccauley-quieting.blogspot.com/2008/10/quietingjan-willingheart-home.html








Pat Padden - Zen-influenced Art, Jewelry, Cards, Books,
Semi-Precious Stone and Recycled Necklaces

Pat Padden was a corporate diamond and colored stone buyer for 25 years. When Pat retired to Bellingham she changed her art focus and began creating unusual pieces of jewelry. These incorporate recycled materials whenever possible, and Chinese Calligraphy, which she has studied for five years.
Pat also makes books using these same techniques, which result in unusual one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Her jewelry has been sold at MONA in LaConner, New Jersey and Manhattan, and several venues in Bellingham, including the Whatcom Museum.
To read a little more about Pat Padden's art click here: http://lydiamccauley-quieting.blogspot.com/2008/12/chinese-calligraphy-study-in-softness.html










Margo Graf - Handmade Greeting Cards

I am Margo Graf and I love to create greeting cards. I have enjoyed working with rubber stamps, paper folding, and fabric since I was a child. These cards have been a perfect outlet for that interest.







Jennie Bosch - Glen Echo Gardens
Jennie makes jeans pocket hot pads, scrubbies, and molten chocolate
cake-in-a-mug.








Martha Music - A swallow tail scarf, felted entrelac bag, felted shetland wool bag, wool hat with button are pictured as examples of the lovely hand knitted items. Other knitted items wonderfully crafted by Martha and friends will also be for sale at reasonable prices. Perhaps you will find the perfect gift for someone or something for yourself!









Lydia McCauley - Garden of Simples
Hand-poured soap, lotions, salves, herbs.
Recordings from Brimstone Music.

I have been hand-pouring soap for several years and I really enjoy working with essential oils and herbs. In Medieval times people had a "garden of simples" where one grew herbs and plants to create healing medicines. I carry on that tradition at my own home called MeadowHouse. I feel a close connection to the natural world and enjoy sharing that inspiration with others.
Garden of Simples combines the simplest of Earth-friendly, healthful ingredients in body enriching products. Compositions include vegetable sourced cleansers, extra virgin olive oil, shea butter, pure aloe vera, essential oils, and infused oils. Also - Postcards from Provence, soap from Provence, and lovely woven shawls from India.







Linda Scoboria - paper collage landscape art prints and greeting cards






Nancy Rumbel - Vintage Collectibles, Ocarinas, Music





Heather Borland - Homemade barbeque spices and rubs












Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Italian Concert - Bella Notte





Lydia McCauley, Nancy Rumbel and Phil Heaven performed a Sold Out Italian Concert last weekend. It was held at IL Caffe Rifugio in Deming, WA on a beautiful summer night. Food was great, the view was lovely, and a good time was had by most everyone we hope!

Music selections for the concert included Bella Notte, Funiculi, Tarantella, O Sole Mio, Mattinatta, That's Amore and so much a- more!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Italian Concert and Dinner



Italian Dinner and Concert
Lydia McCauley, Nancy Rumbel, and Phil Heaven

Saturday, July 30, 2011 at Caffe IL Rifugio in Deming, WA
Seating at 6:30 pm

Come for an Italian meal in the countryside and hear three well known Pacific Northwest musicians present a concert of Italian music. The program features Traditional and original Italian songs such as “O Sole Mio,” “Tarantella,” and other favorites. Piano and woodwinds, vocals, ocarina, viola and harmonium combine into a program that is at once entertaining, soul-rendering and delightful.

The event will take place outdoors at IL Caffe Rifugio in Deming, WA. Dinner will be served Italian Family Style and will include light appetizers, main course and dessert.

$35.00 Reservations Required. Tel: (360) 592-2888
$15.00 for Concert Only without dinner, beverages available for purchase
Caffe IL Rifugio – 5415 Mount Baker Highway, Deming, WA 98244

For more information visit: http://lydiamccauley.com, http://nancyrumbel.com, and http://ilcafferifugio.com



LYDIA MCCAULEY performs original and traditional music inspired by her travels around the globe. She is a passionate singer, composer and pianist whose music style ranges from Folk to New Age to Pop. Independent from the start, Lydia’s recordings have made their way onto some prestigious worldwide radio playlists that feature Norah Jones, Enya, Diana Krall, Loreena McKennitt, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, and Sting. Now that’s good company. Lydia’s six recordings are a mixture of original music, Traditional songs from the British Isles and the Appalachian Mountains of the U.S., and instrumental compositions. Her writing style is influenced by medieval music, hymnody, Classical and Folk music genres. Instruments include voice, piano, keyboard, Appalachian dulcimer and the harmonium.

NANCY RUMBEL is a professional composer, recording artist, performer and teacher. Her primary instruments are oboe, English horn, double wooden ocarinas, clay ocarinas and keyboards. She is well known for her work for the past 25 years with the GRAMMY award-winning duo Tingstad & Rumbel. She has also recorded on several releases with Susan Osborn whose recordings are popular in Japan. She is recently involved with a newly formed trio RIVER, a collaboration with composer/performers Lydia McCauley and Jami Sieber.
In the late 70s/early 80s she toured and recorded extensively with the Paul Winter Consort. Her music career has brought her countless honors including reviews in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Billboard and number one debuts on radio charts. In 1998, Tingstad and Rumbel’s album “American Acoustic” was honored as "Acoustic Instrumental Album of the Year." A Carnegie Hall appearance in 2000. And in 2003 Nancy Rumbel and Eric Tingstad received a Grammy Award for "Acoustic Garden."

PHIL HEAVEN, violist, has been recording and performing with Lydia McCauley for fourteen years. He has a B.A. in music and Audio Recording Technology from Case Western Reserve University. His skills as a musician, engineer, and producer have been invaluable to many different music groups as well as independent music labels on a local and international basis. He currently also performs with Millie and the Mentshn and occasionally appears as a guest with Marion Weston. Phil also manages live sound for The Chuckanut Radio Hour, and The Kulshan Chorus.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Above the town
in fields of green
I first heard
the nightingale sing

What do I hear
in eventide
by waterside
Over the meadow
in a small tree
I can hear a chickadee

A forest glen
where I walked through
above the blue
a raven flew

Best of all
light-hearted friend
red breasted song
the robin
the robin

Here all year
the robin
evening's hush
called by a thrush
and robin

-LM

Thursday, February 10, 2011

At Home in Rome



I must say that I've always wanted to live in Rome. Italy, that is.
But well, I do live in Rome. Whatcom County, that is.



It took me a while to realize this after we sold our last home and moved further into the countryside. With mountains surrounding us (we see Canada from here) and meadows, woodlands, a beautiful lake, a Rome Community Church, The Rome Store, and The Rome Grange, it dawned on me that I did indeed live in Rome. How nice.



Here's a few photos of the area. And one of The Rome Grange where Nancy Rumbel and I will present an evening of music called LIVE IN ROME! We will be sharing Italian classics as well as original pieces that we have composed. Phil Heaven (viola) is joining us, as well as Andy Simmons (bass).



LIVE IN ROME! happens on March 5 at 7 pm. Rome Grange, that is. More information here: http://lydiamccauley.com/performance/

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Dreaming of Italy

Lydia McCauley in Concert March 5




Nancy Rumbel and Lydia McCauley
Live in Rome!
The Rome Grange that is...
Saturday, March 5, 2011 at 7 pm

2821 Mt. Baker Hwy
Bellingham, WA 98226
Only six miles from Bellingham

Special Guests:
Phil Heaven, viola
Andy Simmons, bass

http://lydiamccauley.com/performance/
http://Nancy Rumbel.com


The Rome Grange was built in 1908, one of many Grange Halls throughout Washington State. It's a lovely old building of quiet simplicity set in the Rome area of Whatcom County. Just perfect for an evening concert of Italian music. You'll hear classic and original music from Italy, along with other favorites performed on piano and woodwinds, with vocals and ocarina, harmonium, viola and bass. It promises to be an event that is at once entertaining, soul-rendering, and delightful.

Tickets available on February 5 at Village Books in Fairhaven, and The Community Co-op (downtown location).
Admission: $18.00 General, $40.00 Families, $12.00 Seniors 65 and over.