Greetings From The Window Sill...

As of late, our window sill has been lined with tomatoes…(finally, it is almost October after all). We’ve been in a fierce battle against slugs (yuck) that I think enjoy tomatoes perhaps just as much as we do. So we try to pick them before the slugs get to them and put them in the kitchen window to finish ripening. Now it seems we’ll have to battle frost later this week too. (Oh the woes of gardening!) Maybe our plants are in too wet of a spot, hence the slugs, and the only way I know of battling them is with salt. Which is both fascinating and gross so I won’t go into further detail on that. But there is something special about being able to grab a tomato from your kitchen window that you grew yourself to use on a salad or top your veggie burger with.

On another note, I’ve been working on a craft project lately for our home. For quite some time now, I’ve been inspired and fascinated by mixed media artist, Katie Runnels*, who makes (among other things) these fabulous yarn wreaths and beautifully embellishes them with vintage goodies such as birds, deer, millinery flowers, and such. (Visit her blog and her etsy shop for lots of good things. In addition to her own artistic talents, she's introduced me through her blog to many other great artists too.)

So I’ve wanted to try my hand at making my own wreath for a while now using my own stash of yarn and vintage odds & ends. I started with one wreath (as alluded to in this post about felting) and then it soon became 3 because I couldn’t decide where to hang the first wreath.
Why 3 wreaths? Well, for a long time now we’ve really needed something to fill the blank wall above our bed. But hubby has this apprehension about hanging heavy pictures above the bed. I think he worries they’ll fall off the wall and knock us out in the middle of the night. We don’t live in an area particularly known for earthquakes so perhaps he’s really just worried about his picture hanging abilities? (Only teasing, hub…) But for whatever reason, we’ve had this big empty wall space. So a cozy, lightweight, yarn wreath seems like a good fit above the bed and can’t do much damage to us or the bed if it does happen to fall off the wall, right? Hub agreed with me on this. But the space was too large for just one wreath, thereby requiring 2 more odd-sized wreaths to round out this little wall display. I’m pretty happy with the end result too!



(Note...wreath materials include: styrofoam wreaths, yarn, vintage spun cotton bird, twig from my yard, vintage mushrooms, little paper leaves, felted knit balls, and felted knit flower.)

*P.S. Katie has always seemed like such a kind & generous person from her online-persona...and now I know that firsthand as she left me the very sweetest note on Etsy regarding my wreaths. Thanks Katie!

Our "Prized" Maple Tree

Really it is…at least that’s how I refer to it.

When we moved into our new home last year, we learned from our neighbors (who we bought the house from) how the residents on our road worked to save this tree from the City, who sought to remove it when paving the road (from its original gravel condition) just a few years ago. Other neighbors have even used it as a reference point when talking with us. And we’ve even seen the next-door neighbor thoroughly mowing circles around it last summer (although we were going to get around to mowing our lawn soon enough).

So it seems it’s kind of important to our little road. And now I feel it’s our duty to take good care of this pretty Maple tree (or at the very least document it by taking a picture of it in all it's Fall splendor), since it is on our property after all, and it is so lovely…especially at this time of the year, especially today.

Recipe For A Handmade Card

While talking to my Mom on the phone the other day, I asked her for her Applesauce Muffin recipe. She said she’d email it to me later. A couple days later (recipe forgotten about by me), I opened the mailbox to find this little handmade card from her…featuring her Applesauce Muffin recipe on the sweetest old recipe card. She fit it snuggly into photo corners so it can easily be removed. In my family, we are very much into making our own cards. I thought this was quite a clever new idea for a handmade card with a domestic touch! I love the cute cuckoo clock recipe card in particular...Thanks Mum!

Fall Mushrooms

It’s officially that time of year when some of the neatest mushrooms start popping up. I realized this while driving home from the grocery store today, talking to Hub on my cell about a car issue I was having when mid-sentence I shouted “OH MY GOODNESS! OH MY GOODNESS!” And then I didn’t hear a sound and I thought he hung up on me…but he was still there, patiently waiting for me to explain my sudden outburst of excitement. I had just passed by a yard dotted with the biggest, orangiest, puffiest mushrooms. I love those kinds of mushrooms. They’re so bright and cheery. And they look positively pulled from the pages of a children’s book full of fairies and gnomes and other iconic woodland illustrations. I looove this time of year. Happy Fall!

Indulge me, if you will, in viewing (below) a few of my favorite mushroom photos taken (mostly) last Fall. (And you can be certain I’ll be posting some new ones taken in our nearby woods later this Fall.) I'm so lucky Hub understands my fascination with mushrooms. I hope you will too! :)
Note: The above illustration is by Becky Kelly in the book “Dream a Little Dream”…I love her sweet illustrations and I keep this book nearby my desk for inspiration.

Childhood Treasures: The Jewelry Box

Over the past several months, for whatever reason, I’ve been finding myself drawn to objects from my childhood. I only just recently came to notice this pattern. Like with this old drawing table, or this little girl figurine, and now with my newest childhood treasure that I’ve brought back into my repertoire of treasures in our home: my old jewelry box that I loved when I was a little girl. It actually first belonged to my Mum when she was a little girl and then she gave it to me.

Perhaps this phenomenon has to do with moving away this past year and wanting to hold onto things from the past. Or perhaps I’m just getting older and realizing the value of sentiment and the beauty in well-worn, well-loved things. Or maybe I’m just unconsciously reminded of sweet, innocent times whenever I gaze upon these things from my past. No matter the reason, I’m just glad I’ve hung onto some of these things rather than getting rid of them during a time in my life when perhaps I wasn’t so sentimental. I would be deeply saddened now if I had.

I recently pulled my pretty box out of the closet and found it filled with old jewelry (circa the 90s...lots of gold!) and beaded necklaces I had made as a child. All the while on my dresser sat a much smaller, rather boring and traditional, green leather jewelry box that was bursting with the few pieces of jewelry I do wear. This made no sense. So I made the switch and am loving the change...The jewelry box’s exterior is a dusty, rosy pinkish color with an embossed-like pretty pattern that rims the outside edges. I love the soft, worn look of it sitting upon and contrasting with our sleek maple dresser.
The interior's top is covered in a silky fabric with gold, swirly designs printed every so often. The bottom sections are filled with a velvety pink fabric…perfect for nestling my favorite little pieces of jewelry.

I’m not the kind of girl who wears a lot of jewelry, but I do have a few special pieces that I love and wear often. Now it's a simple pleasure every time I go to open my “new” (or "old" rather) jewelry box.

Felting Fun

As the weather turns cooler, I find myself picking up my knitting needles more often and drawn to soft, fuzzy yarns. As a novice knitter, I’ve been intrigued by felting and have desired to try it for quite awhile. Some time last winter I purchased the necessary 100% wool yarn after gleaning some tips from a gal at Michael’s about felting. She said items felt best when the yarn is mostly wool. Then I even knit some things specifically for felting. When I started looking into the felting process and how to do it in a front-loading washing machine, the advice online on this topic didn’t sound too promising (for front-loaders). So I was a bit discouraged and like many things, I just never got around to it, especially once the weather got warmer.

But last weekend I was working on a new project and I really wanted my little knit balls to be felted to use them in my project. So I threw caution to the wind and thought I’d just give it a go in my front-loader, with a pair of Hub’s work jeans (for friction), hot water, and a bit of detergent. I was amazed at how they came out. It was so fun to pull out my tiny knit pieces and see how they were transformed. It’s like magic! I understand the felting fascination now. And I can’t wait to try more!

The Gravel Road

Would you like to a take a little walk, in the last rays of summer sunshine, when the late afternoon shadows are cast long?

This is the gravel road that Hub and I walk down nearly every day. These are some images from our glorious Friday afternoon walk (before the weather turned foul for the entire rest of the weekend).

Lately we’ve been noticing this gorgeous crab apple tree just bursting with ruby red apples. We usually view it in the late afternoon when the sun is catching it just right, the tiny red apples appearing almost to glow. When we first noticed it, it instantly reminded me of a childhood memory. It made me recall the beautiful, clear red crab apple jelly that my Grandma would make every year from the crab apple tree in her yard. I hadn’t thought about that in a very long time. But I remember biting into those tiny tart apples that for some reason were so irresistible, regardless of their immense tartness. And I remember the joy and simple pleasure I felt when she would send our family home with some of her special jelly. Eventually the tree grew old and needed to be cut down. I remember that day in particular and feeling a little sad about it. Oh I miss that jelly.

This healthy looking tree is now loaded with bright apples that I think no one picks. Would they mind if we picked them, I wonder... I’d just like a little taste of that tartness again.

Above is the bold, yellow "Common Tansy"...a wildflower true to its name if its abundance everywhere we look along roads and fields is any indication. It has been blooming for several weeks now and doesn't seem to be giving in just yet to the cooler weather...a sturdy little thing...no doubt which must play into its proliferation.

Finally, a sweet pair of deer greeted us where the gravel road ends. And that is where our little walk ends...thanks for coming along!

Pink With Buttons (& not the crafting kind)

So I’m a little reluctant to share this, but in (partial) blog disclosure, look what came in the mail for me, ordered by my funny Hub:Yes, this is a very PINK XBox 360 remote. I said he ordered it for me, but truthfully, its more for him really. He wants to be able to play tennis against me or partner up with me to shoot little alien spaceships and such. But because it is pink, it is definitely mine which means I must give it a little loving from time to time. I’ll have to summon up my old Tetris and Super Mario Brothers skills. Although this thing has a lot more buttons and triggers than its past counterparts. So now I think you know what we’ll be doing this weekend. ;)

Back to the Drawing Table

I recently had another project for Hub (because he did SO well on this last one). Since our move into our new home (a little over a year now), we’ve had this empty corner in our family room that I just wasn’t sure what to do with. I’ve had ideas to fill it with book shelves, a little desk, or perhaps 2 little chairs to make for a nice, cozy arrangement. I usually don’t rush these home decorating things because the right thing always seems to come along…eventually...as was the case with this empty corner.

Leave it to Anthropologie to inspire and remind me of a long forgotten piece of furniture I had stowed away down in a dark corner of my parents’ basement…covered in boxes of my old Barbie dolls, school work, and other such junk. In an Anthro catalogue I received late Spring or so, they had a spread highlighting their beautiful plush sofa, curtains, and a coffee table…but way back in the corner of the room sat a rustic, old drawing table. I HAVE one of those, I thought to myself! And I HAVE an empty corner, just waiting to be filled! So on a visit to Mum & Dad’s, I worked on going through my piles & boxes of junk (a task needing to be done anyhow) to uncover my long lost wooden drawing table. I had spent sooo many hours at this old table as a child…crafting things & painting & playing. (I guess I really haven’t changed much…I’m just sitting at a different desk now.) Eventually Mum & Dad lugged the old table up to my home on one of their visits this summer. Here's my old drawing table...covered in paint and well-distressed...before it got its face-lift:
Hub borrowed my Dad’s super powerful sander and went to work sanding off a thin layer of the table’s very paint covered and scratched up top (photo #1, after sanding). I still wanted it to be a bit rustic and old looking, but just not that rustic...especially since it would be going in our family room. We purchased a natural stain (photo #2) and after 4 coats of a clear, semi-gloss polycrylic protective finish (photo #3)…I’m immensely satisfied! (Thank you, thank you, Hub!) The legs are a dark shade of green with paint missing in spots and a bit worn-looking, but we decided not to touch those. We think they look nifty as is.
I have great plans for this table now…to add a pile of books (since we still have no bookshelves) or a shelf and some pictures on the wall above it… a bell jar with an orchid underneath perhaps…and 1 or 2 very modern-ish stools (perhaps leather-topped) to balance the old and rustic-ness of the table. I want to make this a little multi-purpose spot...to eat a bowl of cereal, peruse a catalogue, jot a little note, or even do a bit of sketching since it is a drawing table after all. Now that the table’s done, I hope we’ll accomplish just that.

P.S. The little middle left photo (above) is of the edge of the table...I love how the wood looks along the edges now...the stain and poly really helped to make the grain pop! :)

Cute Tape

I found this big roll of tape last week while down in the Cities at Pulp Fashion. I thought it was so ridiculously cute. In really small print it says, "I'm looking for my bird." My first attempt at figuring out just what to use it on of course landed itself upon a homemade card...which I promptly sent off to Mum & Dad as a little "hello."
By the way...I googled the name inside the roll of tape "Shinzi Katoh"...and found out he's a pretty hip Japanese designer. Fun!

The Mugshot Line-Up...

Was it one of these little guys above?

(I just can't seem to stop making these little owl guys.

I think I'll have to add one to the shop very soon.)

Or was it this little warbler below?

Or how about this sneaky blue bird?

P.S. I FINALLY finished "Hawaii" last night...and nooo, I'm not that slow of a reader (I don't think!)...its just a really looong book! But it was well worth it. Now I'm ready to read something light & fluffy. I have a stack of books loaned to me by others that has been piling up on my nightstand as I trudged slowly through Hawaii. I like to switch up reading current books with old books. I think its a good way to challenge the mind. Any suggestions?

Almost

The long weekend consisted of quite a few “almosts”. I almost finished reading Hawaii. I almost finished knitting a pretty dishcloth. And I almost finished making a few new sculpture picks.

We did spend a good chunk of time watching the US Open too. Yesterday’s match between Nadal and Querrey was so good. We like the #1 ranked Nadal and were rooting for him. (Remember the great Wimbledon match between him and Federer…who, of course, is a favorite too…earlier this summer?) But we also were really enjoying this new guy (to us), U.S. player Sam Querrey (ranked 55th in the world). He held his own against Nadal and it made for a very interesting match. Anyone else see this? Nadal pulled out the win in the end but Querrey made it a very close, fun match to watch.

We also made Manicotti together (as mentioned in my last post) and it was so yum. This picture does it no justice as it tasted far better than this looks! We ate every single dinner out on the deck, just reveling in the last warm days of Summer, and spotting warblers migrating through our back woods again. I guess that means Fall is definitely on its way.
It is SO dark here right now. Lunchtime really but it looks as dark as night as the rain is pouring down and lightning & thunder threatens to pull the plug on our power. We always seem to lose power here. The slightest breeze, the smallest rain shower. Poof! Our power inevitably goes out. Usually its just very temporary though.

Happy September!