Poppies and Milk

october :: early autumn goodness

drying these seeds.  saving some for next spring, leaving some for the birds...

inchworm-tiedye-camouflage 

this sage smells AMAZING...

harvesting some in hopes of figuring out how to carry this scent into candles or an essential oil.  (anyone have any good suggestions on how to do this?)

indian summer waterslide

"jewels" from the apricot tree

about half of the tree harvest

the late bloomers... 

reminds me of old timey outdoor downtown christmas lights... (perhaps the influence of boardwalk empire...)

making use of the 90mm macro...

in love with this shallow depth of field.

pushing the limits of the season- new squash starts. we shall see...

i'm pretty sure this is where the garden fairies live...

ripening.

the original fixie

abandoned for some fort play...

the tiny chamomile harvest (and some marigolds).  my chamomile plant took off when we went to kauai and i neglected to harvest the 5000 flowers that were blooming when we came back... this was all that remained when i got around to it.  trying again. 

a great day of fall arts with friends! 

leaf rubbings, wax dipped leaves and little wooly ghost making with my best girl kerri and "the other mary".  we had SUCH a great time with kerri, mary and sweet little fern.  i think i may have to arrange a marriage for my boy with that cutie. ha! seriously, though... i was so busy and caught in the mix of the day that i literally only took these 3 photos!  and while i was cleaning up a bit, mary just "whipped me up" the best apple crumble pie i have EVER had!  she is magical... 

sticks for ghosts...

there are more where this one came from... 

july :: since we last met...

i have to be honest.  i have become so backed up on the organization of the documentation of life around here that i just stopped trying to catch up.  that worked for a bit, but now is time... (i might add that the sign of my absence from this space here can only mean that i am having too much of an amazing time in life to stop and write about it ;) so, here is a snapshot (or many) of what life has looked like around here since we last met (which was in late spring, if you actually remembered...) 

the may festival at the redwood lodge...

in the workshop of the redwood lodge... such a great space for the children.

late spring thrifting treasures...

early summertime backyard...

painting...

planting... (this particular sunflower is now 6 feet tall!)

water play

more painting...

more planting... (the scent of marigolds will forever remind me of my grandma)

and this is the kale, tiny then, which i harvested in abundance last weekend for a huge raw kale salad.  

maybe tomorrow i will get caught up on my knitting posts! ;) 

 

january :: these winter days...

might not be that cold for many of you, but it was frosty on the bridge this week, my morning ride to school showed some snow of sorts on my tires, and some days i just cant get warm to the core.  i love it. i wish we had actual snow.  i would need more wool leggings.  the ladies below, however, are still laying well despite the cold and rainy weather of the last month.  and they do love to play in the rain...

beatrice. so friendly and bold.  she walks right into the house when we open the back door!

posing.

cassidy.  she reminds me of the eagle guy on the muppet show.  so serious. 

my favorite things to find are signs of life still going on despite the stormy wet cold weather.  life keeps moving forward.  webs are still spun and respun. and the wet and cold makes some things look so much more beautiful around here.

the apple tree asleep...

the detail of the bench in the weather...

she is growing some nasturtium which i had forgotten i planted...

the bridge cloaked in a blanket of chilly goodness...

the pile in front.  we rake it sometimes.  they play in it sometimes. i photograph it sometimes.

cold and rain does not stop us from pedaling on...

and exploring... (a tiny skull she found) 

and noticing changes.  little bright jewels of color appear everywhere...

::::::::

so, in this time of inward reflection, lots of knitting is happening (though less than i would like... i always find myself busy with taking care of things of the day or find my hands tired at the end of the day...) nonetheless, i have been diligently and daily getting at least a few rows in, sometimes a bit more... these are toasty's that i started a couple weeks ago.  knit the first one up quickly and am lagging on the second (typical). they are my spin on toasty, though, as they go all the way up to my shoulder!  the idea is to create a layer that i could shed when biking (or just around town when the sun comes out) and wear in the spring with a t-shirt.  I just wanted something cozy cozy.  the yarn was originally purchased for something else i had in mind, but using it for these instead worked out great for me!  i love the one which is done and i will share both when the set is complete!  and the book is an old favorite which resurfaced at our last library visit...

{getting back to participating in ginny's yarn along!}

so here is the first post of the new year (how has it been this many days in without a post?!) 

another project i have been focusing on lately is a 365 on flickr.  it is more of a challenge than i had imagined some days, but i really really love it!  a way to look at a day, each day, and what little gems and afterthoughts and otherwise missed moments i can capture and record.  i like the discipline of it also.  it is a daily meditation of sorts for me.  so, click on over to my flickr to look if you like :)

november :: infusions of color in the autumnal glow...

{i dont know, i just liked that title...}

we have all been so busy... not in a hectic-busy way, but in an inspired-busy way.  each and every day this week has been filled with vibrance, warmth, freshness, melody and vitality.  here are some snapshots of our days in the glow of autumn...

the last of the season... 

what she made.

giving it a try.

better with help from his sister... 

what am i and how do you use me?  (don't laugh, it came from our CSA and i just don't know...)

we have been doing this a lot lately together.

he is the best co-pilot!

eden decided she hasn't taken enough photos lately... here are some of her shots of us (and his monster face)

and his other face... 

treasures from point reyes... 

lots of crafting for the winter faire.  thanks, erin, for the lantern idea! 

lots of little things brewing... 

so many tiny things to sew, paint and knit...

golden eggs for the rainbow nests i am felting...

remember this?  I never posted an update on that... some vintage spools and patience time made for a nice and tidy ribbon rack... 

vintage hankie collection- keep thinking of doing a set of flags for eden's room with these, but it is really hard to not just leave them untouched, they are all so beautiful and delicate...

more eden photos of our jam session last night.  {thanks to nana for the tiny guitar for the recent birthday boy.  he really really loves it!}

tuning the tiny guitar... it actually sounds pretty good.

:::::

this is really the most loving little guy i have ever met.  what a sweetie.

and this morning, a tiny friend joined me for tea.  

then had to be on his way...

{hope you are relishing in the glimmer and warmth of autumn...} 

 

october :: energetic, eventful, industrious, purposeful, lively and engaged

These are the words that came up when I looked up "busy" in the thesaurus.  Much more colorful of a description of what is going on at our house that simply saying "busy" in my opinion! This post is an eclectic mix of what life looks like (and feels like!) over here right now...

evidence of the late autumn flower burst in the garden

her inquisitive nature: exploring plant colors all on her own... 

all from the garden (except for the carrot on which she was snacking at the time...)

SO many great seasonal books from the library!  

yet another impromptu apple harvest.  our tree is very productive this year and they actually taste good!

big WIP pile- stocking up my shop in preparation for the holidays.  thinking about sharing a table at our school's winter faire... 

new shoes!  love.

made 24 comets for the michaelmas play...

made some extra for super-charged backyard shenanigans...

those colors... these are so fun to make and to play with!

(used Cindy's tutorial.  thanks!)

a sweet little trade...

she deemed this to be the "longest fingerknit ever"

and played with it for a good hour straight. (it works perfectly as a jumprope!)

finally using this amazing handspun... 

(and finally using the handknit holidays book I have checked out from the library 3 times now!)

Autumn is in the air... so good. 

 

summer scrapbook :: beach adventures and late summer at home...

SO, I realize that this is the autumnal equinox... that said, I am still sharing just one more last day of summer scrapbook photos.  I am so excited to share some of the new autumn-y things that we have been making, doing, etc. but need to say farewell to summer.  What better way than at the beach...

{of course the knitting comes along as well...}

{the crab they found.}

{those bird-arms he always seems to make}

:::::::::::::

And during the lazy days of summer, there were a lot of fun and silly backyard moments as well... 

watermelon for everyone! 

even for tucker!

georgia won for "biggest feet" of all of our hens. 

... so her prize was to have a turn on the swing. ha! 

Frida, trying not to show her jealousy... 

In case you wonder where the kids get their "wierd" from... (no, certainly not from me, hee hee!- sorry T, I couldn't resist...) *no pugs were harmed in the making of this photo.  

Finally! I hung a clothesline!  What a crisp clean feeling those sheets had.  Now, if we can just remember to use it regularly... ahem!

the silly in the background... 

what he did immediately after getting the new racket in his hands...

unprompted... I present the air guitar. 

he does his own vocals, too! 

she often wavers back and forth between laughing her tail off at his antics or being annoyed... 

...and georgia is hurrying off to begin the new season of warmth, golden hues, sweet smells and abundance.  happy autumn to you!  

 

summer scrapbook :: summer making...

I started off the summer teaching some sewing workshops at a local fabric and craft store {Once Around for locals} and had a great time with these little girls!  They were so excited to make and sew and do!  The future craftswomen of america! :) 

they chose their own fabric...

we all made a set of napkins for them to use in their lunches in the fall.

busy hands... 

couldn't resist this sweet little shot.  she got some extra fabric to take home to make a doll dress... 

of course, this inspired some spontaneous sewing of my own when I returned home.  

using some of the fabrics I purchased from Molly's store a while back.  

{what she does when I sew - on a good day!} 

{subtle foreshadowing...}

and low and behold- some new shorts for me! {photos by eden}

of course, the pocket goes onto any garment I sew for myself - {sometimes  I add pockets to other clothing as well.  I always need at least one.} 

inspired by erin's post a while back, I knew we needed some of that hula hoopin' action over here! 

so, we got some tape... and some irrigation tubing from our local garden store... 

and got to work! 

eden's is a rainbow... 

even elijah wanted in.  (although I taped his myself, he insisted on cutting everything for everyone!) 

even the girls wanted in on the action... 

eden insisted I include this shot as she thought the shadow was amazing... 

{some gratuitous shots of the rose garden in full bloom...}

{and the double delights!  so fragrant!}

here are a few hoops in progress... somehow I dont have photos of the finished ones, but you get the idea...  And now, to learn how to do this!

summer scrapbook :: early summer

{decided to start a series of summer snapshots... a bit of a retrospective for me as I go through images of our adventures during what seemed like the fastest summer on record for us.  hope you enjoy...}

Remember when I was refinishing furniture and reorganizing the whole and entire house?  I do... This is our porch.  A little reorganization and repurposing of furniture to make things more functional.  This great chair was found next to the dumpster at Redwood High School.  Score! 

This is one of four that I stripped down from many a bad paint job.  A project that took soooo long (and was soooo hard!) I dont see a future for me in stripping furniture.  I did some of this before I had kids.  Somehow it seemed easier and more fun back then... ;)

This one was not stripped down very much, just sanded and re-oiled up with beeswax and olive oil.  This chair was $1 at a garage sale in San Anselmo.  Total score!  It is my favorite chair now... 

Early summer harvesting.  I neglected my vegetable garden a bit this summer in favor of tending to the inside of the house.  Much needed, I might add... Did a huge purge and everything is super functional now.  Took all of the clothing, books, stuff and more stuff that we were not using out.  Went through every drawer, closet, nook and cranny and reorganized every single room.  Feels so great!  Now all that is left to do is to put a little bit of artwork up.  Not too much, but just a bit... 

garden scenes from early summer... 

young kale... 

some of the treasures my children collect...

summer fruit session.  

... Tom calls her "Teacher's Pet" because Eden is always holding her. 

So many apricots this summer!  I had grand intentions for canning and jamming them, but we just ended up eating them all!  

My hardworking chicken farming husband.  Putting the finishing touches on the chicken run and coop.  

Here is the full shot of their area.  We keep them here during the day when we are gone or at work as we have had so many chicken tragedies.  We let them out to free range in the afternoons... We turned the sandbox portion of the play structure into their perch and dirt bath area.  They are always in this spot!  

a race to the strawberry tops... 

I love the way Beatrice (our Speckled Sussex) always has this inquisitive look on her face.  She is the bravest of the bunch, very social and very sweet.  She is sort of the mama of the flock...

 

july :: this moment {community dog washing}

"a friday ritual.

a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. 

a simple, special, extraordinary moment. 

a moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

happy weekending... 

may :: this moment {a spicy garden treat}

"a friday ritual.

a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. 

a simple, special, extraordinary moment. 

a moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

happy weekending...