The red and the gold and the grasses

These days when the sun hangs low for long hours - the picture taking is easy. Lots of golden glowing light, and you notice things now that were shrouded in greenery before - praying mantis cases, red fruits... old tires and french fry containers, of course, but for the sake of poetry we just won't mention those. Oops, I couldn't help it. Me, always with the if-you-can't-say-anything-nice-then-don't... well-darn-I-already-did.

We've taken a long morning walk the last two days, in between coffee-and-email and getting-down-to-the-real-work-of-the-day, and it's been so nice. We talk house design and tally up the number of things there are to do, then attempt to compress and compact and contort those things into a manageable plan for the next year. It can't be done, I tell you! Oh well, forge ahead anyhoo.

It's fun times, the planning and plotting. If anyone cares to share an idea for something they'd include in their dream house... I'd love to hear it! It can be outlandish and unaffordable - sometimes dreams are. Or totally practical - they can be that, too.

Gift tags! With chickadees!

You might not think you need something cute to decorate your holiday packages with, but then, have you really thought about it? Maybe you do! Or maybe you don't! But should you decide a bunny or a chickadee would come in handy when it comes time to get festive, here's where you can get it.

Now through November 30, this set of downloadable, print-at-home gift tags is free with any purchase in my etsy shop! You'll automatically receive a link to download after checkout. Then you can print your own and get crafty with your packages. This is just a suggestion to get your creative juices flowing: you could get out your glitter and your gluestick, and give the squirrel a jewel-encrusted stocking cap! For HIS TAIL!

Happy Holidays Woodland Animal Gift Tags

Happy Monday

We had a fun weekend off, beginning with cranberry-picking in the bog with Ellen and Mark. I met Ellen through blogging, which is very cool, and what is even cooler is getting to hang out with her, because that's just plain fun, but also educational: she knows a lot about foraging and cooking. Her new book, Backyard Foraging, has become a resource in our house... and this ties into the next thing I want to talk about, which is...

Has my husband turned into a squirrel?! No, he has not, but I can understand why you might think so. There are heaps of nuts in our house, and I do mean HEAPS. Black walnuts, English walnuts, and acorns. Matt has been collecting and shelling these, and also putting up other food for the winter - grand proportions of other food. There are things fermenting (curtido, kimchi, sauerkraut, salsa, cider, mead, and more) in pretty much every corner of the kitchen. This means there are little crocks and jars and tubs and bottles, each shrouded in its own kitchen towel, bubbling and burbling and keeping me company. So thank you, Matt, for keeping us fed and happy!

There have also been divine things stewing on the stove top. I get to eat them when I come in from the cold, where I have been cutting parts out for my shed. My shed! I can't wait to show it to you. But it will be awhile. I can't put it together until we take the parts to Vermont, because how would I get it there, if it were already put together? I have to keep reminding myself of this, because I do prefer instant gratification to wait-four-months-till-you-get-to-nail-your-shed-together.

That's all, folks, except: Happy Monday, from me and Otto!

Butterflies and an interview

Working on butterflies this week. Plus hopefully an Otto-the-cat or two. He's surely up to no good. And! My fabulous friend Cadyn, the artist behind these gorgeous beaded accessories and the owner/curator of this delightful shop called gathered, interviewed me recently. She asked good questions and I had fun answering them. Thanks, Cadyn!

My favorite door

The Virginia creeper might actually be helping to hold up our garage, which is kind of a falling down heap of crap. We're planning to level it this winter, and I have grand visions of turning the scraps into an adorable little shed that will fit in the back of the truck, so we can haul it to Vermont and throw our tools in it. This will likely not happen, on account of having ten thousand other things to do, but I REALLY WANT TO BUILD SOME SHIT. So maybe I'll get to it.

Doings

The craft fair life, it's an up and down affair, I'm learning. It's exhausting for me (at home I have just me, my imaginary cat, and Matt to talk to, but when I go to a craft fair, I have to talk to people all day!). But I've got a system down, and an excellent assistant (that's Matt), and lots of help from my dad with pre-fair printing and other prep. So it seems more doable than it did at first. And yesterday's Clover Market in Chestnut Hill was actually quite fun! Friends we hardly ever get to see stopped by, plus other great folks I haven't seen in years. Sales were good, the sun shone, we had a little celebratory dinner in a nice restaurant and I ate the best seafood risotto of my life, and the truck did not break down even a little bit. Thanks to everyone who came out! Thanks for buying art, and also being an all-around fun crowd.

That picture up there is Otto on a night like no other. He is available as a print in my etsy shop.

Back from Vermont

We spent two glorious fall days on our land in Vermont. What fun! I am at my happiest outside on a crisp morning, sitting on a stump, with a giant fishbowl-size mug of coffee clutched in my paws. My disposition is also at its least disagreeable level then. The picture above proves this. While on our land, we planted one pear tree, a few pots of ramps (wild leeks), and some garlic. We investigated what we hope is a viable spring, dug it out a bit, and then promptly befouled it with balsam resin, which does indeed (as we had read) do wondrous and entertaining things when dropped in water. Easily amused, yes we are. Can't wait to get back up there.