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Posted by Kimmy Sophia Brown
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From the little pink cells of the mind of Lesley Austin
comes another journey into the beautiful and feminine - a website designed for
women who long for domesticity and grace -- a place foreshadowed by the
philosophy of William Morris, where all is beautiful and useful. Wisteria and Sunshine is what was promised in the advertisement to
rent the Italian villa, San Salvatore, in the wonderful book and movie,
Enchanted April -- (a movie disparaged I might add, by Quentin Tarantino! So if
you like his point of view, you definitely won’t feel at home here!)
I have known Lesley Austin for twelve years, and she is the
most beauty and peace-centered individual I have ever met. With the inception
of her delightful business, Small Meadow Press, Lesley produced papery wonders
for the people lucky enough to find her either online or at art shows in
Virginia. She created greeting cards and stationery, journals and all kinds of
wonderful paper inventions, combining the loveliest images of the early 20th
and late 19th centuries with quotes from all sorts of authors and people of
note. Who else would think to make a Christmas card using a quote from
Longfellow referencing ‘Wild Sweet Peace’?
Everything Lesley touches turns to muslin and
firelight. Arriving at Lesley’s house for a visit is like stepping into an
Edwardian English novel. From her furniture and books to the curtains in the
windows, the dishes and every day household items thoughtfully set in exactly
the right place, her home is an enchanted kingdom. All who enter feel the
spell. I miss it when I leave her and it falls over me again when I return. I’ve
never heard Lesley use a swear word, raise her voice or create chaos of any
kind since I’ve known her. Her idea of a curse word is, “Drat!”
She is a loving wife and mother and a true friend. I wish
her every blessing with her new enterprise, and I know for a fact that any
woman who decides to enter into the world she has created will gain a greater
sense of their place on this planet and how they can do more to follow their
bliss in little or large ways. The
pittance of a membership fee she charges to be a member of Wisteria and
Sunshine is the price of a frozen pizza! Such a tiny price for such a great
bounty!
http://wisteriasunshine.com/membership-options-page/
Here is a quote from the membership page of Wisteria and
Sunshine that so sums up the spirit of the site as well as the demeanor and
philosophy of Lesley Austin:
“As I watch the stars of evening, and in the
morning open my window toward the east, I shall observe the Ceremonial of
quietness of heart, of simplicity, and poise of spirit, that I may keep my soul
and the souls of others free from entanglements in the machinery of the day.”
- Ceremonials of
Common Days, Abbie Graham, 1923
I ask you, who can resist such a beckoning?
