Joséphine

The Joséphine Collection was inspired by a bit of glam, a bit rustic, a bit romance and a bit of imagination. Grab a cup of tea, coffee, or whatever you prefer and read and watch as the collection unfolds. 

Short Story : by Tisha M. 

Joséphine

    The rain is slowly trickling down outside. She can hear the drops as they hit the window. She can hear the hustle and bustle of the town. Cars and dogs barking, laughter, and shouting. “I just want to get away for the weekend”, she thought to herself as she sipped a pipping hot mug of tea gazing out the window.

     Suddenly, she thought back to this quaint little cottage that she had seen on a drive while antiquing last fall. She always knew she wanted to return, but never had the chance to. Now was the time to return. It was in the middle of nowhere, a place perfect for relaxing.

    She remembered the cottage fondly because of it’s lovely blue doors, and antique looking wooden gates, and the cutest little white bird cage that hung outside. At this point, she was longing to go, so she started to pack her bag right away.

    She briskly walked to her tiny bathroom with its pink lime washed walls, lacy curtains with her silk scarfs and hand dyed slips that were hanging to dry. She thought of what she could bring on her weekend getaway, so she opened the antique medicine cabinet that had been painted gold for many years.

    She tossed a few items in bag, closed the golden mirror, grabbed her botanically hand dyed scarf and headed up to her bedroom. As she walked up the stairs, she wondered what her relaxing weekend would be. Would she paint? Would she read? She didn’t know what she would be doing, she simply knew she just wanted to get away for a bit. She laid a tote on her bed. Her bed was adorned with a wrinkled old handmade patch quilt.

     She packed her bag, she grabbed her small cotton pouch of jewelry because the pieces are special to her. They remind her of her childhood times where she would dress up in vintage flowy dresses, wear her grandmas jewelry and imagine living in a beautiful rustic cottage, just like the one she was going to! She hopped in her rusty little jeep, which loved despite the flaws and headed out of town.

     The rain continued to fall as she passed shops, and houses in the town, though the rain would soon clear. She passed many trees that gave shelter to a couple of deer and she finally made her way to her destination. She spoke to the cottage owner, a tall woman with fiery red hair, to see if the cottage was available. She should have thought about this earlier!

     It was indeed available because the busy season had just ended. She headed towards the cottage and grabbed the silver key with its white tassel, that was placed upon a bird cage. She opened the rustic blue doors and headed inside. She placed her bag on the bed and looked around the room. Faded watercolor paintings of bouquets of flowers in thin gold frames hung on the white walls. A beaded lamp gave off a soft glow. The room was lovely and perfect.

    She spent a bit of time inside journaling. She had her favorite handmade notebook with her. She had made it a few months back, and now carries it daily. The cover is simple, with green linen fabric holding things in place with the quote “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance” – Oscar Wilde. She jotted down how she was feeling in the moment, about the rainy weather, and doodled a few flowers. She then noticed a small vintage fridge tucked away in the kitchenette area that had a wonderful selection of meats, cheeses, chocolates and a lovely bottle of red wine.

     She wanted to get dressed up for the evening, even if she was going nowhere at all. She slipped on her favorite navy blue dress with her thrifted white wool sweater. Then she placed on her treasured porcelain and pearl jewelry and headed outside in the cool autumn air. She gingerly sat down on the wrought iron vintage chair to enjoy her treats and flip through the pages of a vintage flower book she had found laying upon the table in the cottage. Each flower had a special meaning, a language of their own. She found that very intriguing. Iris – flower of faith and hope, wisdom and positive change.

    The sky began to grow dark as day faded to night. She lit a candle to illuminate the quaint courtyard while sipping her red wine and admiring the flowers in a delightful vase with the cutest porcelain buffalo tag. The candle light flickered creating dancing shadows upon the vase and the lights glowed above. As the air began to become crisp, and the night grew even darker, she decided to head of to bed, blowing out the candle. What a beautiful evening she enjoyed.

A special thanks to Aaron & Jax for bringing this project to life!