Bluebirdbaby

mother's day weekend

this weekend was so special. we celebrate my sister's birthday and mother's day at the same time every year and have a simple gathering full of good food, wine, and music.

this year we hosted and it was just so much fun!

we started the weekend with going next door (yes...next door!) to a fabulous greenhouse and got a bunch of annuals to plant in pots for gifts.

on sunday morning i awoke to a choice of either breakfast in bed, or breakfast upon return from a run. so i chose to run! i ran 6 miles in the pouring rain and returned to my two loves waiting at the door with a towel to dry me off. they had the table all set with a fabulous breakfast (bacon, eggs, and kale) with espresso AND some champagne (wow!). they had the most fabulous gifts for me (how did i get so lucky?!) and both told me i was the best mother ever. aw!

we celebrated all day and into the night...mostly just celebrating being together, because as mark says..."it's what we do best!"

how was your mother's day?

her big night

the little one was so excited to have her very first official "opening" at a gallery space south of us. she painted a 4 foot long horse (that she drew and mark cut out for her) for the show called "Heads or Tails" and it was a total hit!

they hung it in a superb spot and she was so thrilled about the whole thing. we made a special night out of it and some of our very best friends joined us and my mom, and we wined and dined and then went out for gelato after to complete our night of celebrating!

we crawled into bed at a later hour than usual, completely content and a wee bit exhausted with our special night all thanks to the little one!

we are so proud of you my little e!

p.s.  for you locals, the show is here! her piece is for sale too (i hate to see it go though! i may buy it myself!)

home.

our lives have been very full lately. full of this and that, good and bad, easy and hard, fun and work, laughs and tears...all things that remind us that we are human. life is a mix of everything, because it's, well...life. and really, who would want it any other way?

we're so very busy at the moment, and finding a time to just breathe and relax can be challenging. tonight we're working in the studio before a very long day tomorrow (the little one has her first opening at a gallery!) and looking forward to a rainy weekend that may just slow us down a bit.

i captured these images from around the house earlier in the week. somehow just looking at them makes me slow down, take a deep breath, and relax.

what are you up to this weekend, friends?

winner and a weekend.

thanks for all of your sweet comments on the barnaby bright giveaway! i'm so glad i could introduce you to two wonderful musicians! random.org chose #26 and #40!

Sophia said...

Beautiful!
Its a win all around because I have been introduced to lovely new music!

 

Shari said...

Wow! My new favorite! You find the best music.

so sophia and shari...please send me an e-mail at erinlittlephoto(@)gmail(.)com and we'll get you all set up! congrats!

.......................................................................................................................

boy, i've been absent. from everything. have you noticed? it's been a whirlwind of a week and weekend. so much stuff going on. but despite everything, we did manage to enjoy a little bit of relaxation.

 

we made some raised beds for the side yard. super easy and super quick. i can't wait to fill them and get planting. i've so missed gardening. i have plans for expanding the perennial beds, adding lots of fruit trees and berries, a stone patio with pergola and grape vines. the little one is remembering all the gardening we used to do and is just as excited!

we ended the weekend with our sunday roasted chicken and i made a 1-2-3-4 cake for them. now we start vacation week!

we are also gearing up to fly to California on thursday to shoot a wedding, but we'll be gone for about five days, so we're scrambling to tie up loose ends and get everything ready. so much to do!

how was your weekend? are you gardening yet?

saturday

what a busy weekend!

this is what our saturday looked like... (sunday to follow!)

he leaves me love notes. and i always put a note in his lunch. everyday.

gherkin enjoys the sun. these poor cats are now indoor cats and they are struggling...

baked apple pancake. i bake so much for them and i adore it so. recipe here.

and espresso for us.

creative play in the morning.

she loved it. she really requested "pie" upon waking. so this is what i gave her. she approved.
and he can't be more grateful for my baking. he's always so excited when something comes out of the oven!

 

what did your saturday look like? xoxo

a blizzard

well, the blizzard started today. it's hitting us pretty slowly, but school was canceled and mark stayed home from work. so we had a day all together, and we have nothing to complain about a three day weekend!

the winds are picking up (hurricane force, really?!) and we're preparing for the bulk of the snow tonight. tomorrow we will have to shovel out so we can eventually leave the house, and there will likely be snow fort making and snowball fights. then mark and i are headed out someplace fancy for a special night out on the town.

but here's a little glimpse at our snow day...

morning puzzles. she started this before we had the bacon going. she also had her running shoes on. she brought them to our bed, woke us up, and said, "I'm ready to run on the treadmill!" (and she ran...for about 30 minutes...)

morning grinding of the beans. every morning. sometimes i hear it from upstairs and i swear i can smell it too.

morning reads. she still loves some of the same books i read her over and over again as a wee toddler.

it's a blizzard out there. snowy and windy. very pretty. i love watching the snow fall outside of our tall windows. i feel like we're in a snowglobe.

bacon and eggs. he made bacon this morning. i made a "toad in the hole" for her. i had my tea, he had his coffee, she had her tea. we feasted on the best snowday breakfast ever.

him. cutest kitty ever. he also likes to pose for the camera. he likes to sit in my seat in front of the heater and get warm.

horse play in her room.

she learned how to knit in school. she's knitting me a scarf (love!).

we had one of her very best friends over for afternoon play. they filled the living room with toys and adventures. i fed them crackers and cheese and hummus and hot chocolate.

he wore a vest his mama knit him. i told him he looked like charlie brown and was wicked cute. then i kissed him. the little one thinks it's absolutely hilarious when we kiss.

we hung his latest piece. he painted me.

dinner was moose chili (seriously) and a glass of wine. we ate by candlelight and talked about our day.

then, inevitably it's cleanup. sometimes we battle each other over who does the dishes. it's comical. he always says, "you cooked! let me clean!" and i always say, "who cares! i love to cook! go paint! i'll clean up." but he tells me to get lost and cleans up. then i take pictures of him doing it....

now we're painting up in the studio. he's working on a huge piece. i'm finishing up a small one. we'll soon head to bed knowing we'll wake up to even more of a winter wonderland outside. there will be bacon (again) and coffee and tea, and we will settle into another mellow day.

happy weekend, friends! what are your plans?!

sunday.

 

our sunday was full of

good food,

breakfast in bed,

lots of photos from lots of different cameras,

a really cold walk,

swinging in the snow,

more picture hanging,

and a really lovely evening with candle light, a yummy dinner, and a nice bottle of wine.

 

how was your weekend?!

xoxo

e, m, and e

a weekend

"it begins with an unmistakable thump, or is that a bump? no, rather the thunderous stomping of a child heading towards our bedroom. OMG! cover up, nah, too late for that. on the stroke of eight, e heads our way. full steam ahead.

our weekends are filled with art making. not the crafty stuff but rather full-blown, certifiable art making. mostly we steal each other's ideas. painting, yep, that's the thing for us. we have wonderful meals during our days fueling not only our bodies but our minds, crowded with new ideas.

we dance, we listen to not only the music of our hearts but also a myriad of recorded stuff.

evening comes far too soon. stories, puppetry, odd behavior on everyone's part ushers in e's sleep.

after her sleep is assured it is now the adult entertainment zone. studio time and creative dialogue between us ensues. we anticipate our time together in bed. the end of some things. the beginning of others.

then, without a sense of time, the thundering steps are heard again." -Mark's words on our weekends together.

man, we live for our weekends. time together. no rushing, no plans. we wake up late, eat lots of good food, make art, take photographs, go on adventures. it's all very lovely.

we've made it a habit to do a meal plan for the week every saturday morning, then we all head to town for a big shop. it makes the week so much easier. we also visit the laundromat (which is always an adventure in itself) and often stop for a cup of coffee and some baked goods at our favorite place.

this weekend we enjoyed lots...here's a peek!

saturday morning play. for some reason she insists on dragging all her toys out into the dining room. it creates quite the mess, but she certainly enjoys herself!

we picked up the fedco catalog yesterday at the co-op. i've been dreaming about the gardens we will put in this spring. lots of raised beds, a lot of crazy giant unique perennials, fruit trees, chickens, and more! i am so excited!

one of my favorite views is looking from the dining room table into her room. she has the most magical room ever.

the little one is learning to read and it's so much fun hearing her sound out words.

while i cooked dinner on saturday night, these two were busy at the table doing projects.

dinner. shrimp (the little one's favorite) with pesto and pasta and chard.

saturday morning pre-breakfast.

we always have sunday morning pancakes. my secret ingredient? cinnamon. they are always a hit.

sunday morning play.

hanging the little one and mark's collaborative work in the dining room.

snowman making and cutting homosote for more paintings.

 

and now, i've got a chicken to roast in the oven and brussel sprouts to fry and a glass of wine waiting for me and two people i love more than i could possibly say ready to play a game.

happy weekend, friends.

xoxo

 

 

scenes from december

images i shot in december and never had a change to upload until now.

enjoy!

 

have a happy weekend and i'll be back with this year's challenge early next week! xo

ring it in

we rang in the new year with our first official party at the new place. it was mellow and just what we were hoping for.

good friends, good food, good drinks, good music.

we followed it with an annual brunch in town, a long walk, then back home to snuggle in and read while m painted the door.

the snow is piled high outside and it officially feels like winter, although we are already itching for spring and garden plans.

now we're up in the studio. he's working on his latest painting, i'm editing photos. we'll open another bottle of champagne in a bit, sit down at the table and write our plans for the new year. we have many. hopes, dreams, goals...lots of things to manifest. we'll make a big poster of it all for above each of our work desks.

this year has been one of the hardest and one of the best in my entire life. i lost a love that was so dear to me, i lost a home, i gained a love, i gained a home. it's been a wild ride. it took me from a home i so lovingly created to a two room studio with no shower or bathtub (that's right...that galvanized tub was more than just for kicks), a make-shift kitchen with hot water that lasted only 4 minutes at a time, a hot plate and toaster oven, a mini fridge that couldn't even fit a full sized bottle of orange juice. i sold many valuable possessions, some for the money and some just because i had no room for them. i learned the difference between what is important and what really doesn't matter. and the things that are important are few. they are the ones you love. possessions mean nothing.

i found the man i will now marry and a love blossomed in that crazy little place on the river. i showed the little one that in the face of adversary, if you work hard enough and push through the things that could get you down, you can do anything. i started with nothing at the beginning of this year. no money, no home. i worked so hard. she would always say, "Mama, do you remember when this was just an office? And now look...you made it a home."

m is constantly in awe of how i could go from nothing to this. he is always telling me that what i did verged on impossible. i mean, really...how did i do this? how did i go from nothing to buying a church all by myself? but that's what 2012 has been for me. full of hard work that has paid off. in every area of my life.

i'm sad to see it go, but i'm excited for this coming year. the hard work is somewhat behind us. we've arrived. now the fun work begins.

which leads me to my newest project for the year to share with you all. more on that in a bit. we've had 30 days of beauty, a year of choice, and now i've got something else up my sleeve. stay tuned.

happy new year, my friends! xoxo

before the season passes us by...

our christmas tree hunt. on film. 35mm.

 

our christmas

our first christmas here in the church.

it was perfect. the little one was with her papa this christmas, so we celebrated together a bit early.

that meant that we had all the gifts and celebrating over and done with by christmas eve, so mark and i spent all of christmas day sleeping late, drinking champagne, painting in the studio, taking photos, and generally just relaxing and laughing.

it was marvelous. we both decided it was the best christmas ever!

i hope you had a fabulous holiday too! what was your favorite part?

 

an evening

a cold, wintry evening.

we have a rhythm now. warm food, candlelight, singing and playing, dancing.

the evenings are my favorite.

tonight he and i are in the studio. he finished a painting, now he's working on another. i'm designing new cards and working on a new site.

then i'll sit down and work on my painting and varnish another i just finished.

we are sipping on wine and later, much later, we'll go downstairs and reheat some leftover soup i made last night and sit at the table and chat about our day.

we're feeling thankful for everything we have and everything we have to look forward to.

how is your evening?

 

 

a tree hunt

we went to cut down our tree yesterday. 16 acres of trees to choose from! we ended up with an 8 foot tall one for the living room, and a 4 foot one for e's room.

mark had way too much fun playing with the lights. we made sugar cookies and listened to christmas tunes and drank wine and danced around the place while starting to decorate.

we finished up the decorating tonight. more pics to come soon..

i brought my 35mm with me on the tree hunt, but also snapped these photos with my iPhone.

what did you do this weekend?!

xo

a weekend

a hodge podge of photos from our weekend.

there were many, many trips back and forth to town. picking up this, moving that, forgetting this, remembering that.

there were meals to be cooked and enjoyed. the table seems to be our favorite spot.

there were books unpacked and hours of reading by someone who has just learned how to put letters together to form words.

there was coffee in bed and then more at breakfast.

the garden got its first pruning for the winter ahead while a giggly little butterfly kept us company.

violins were practiced.

kitties finally started venturing downstairs.

and we got really creative with all of the empty boxes lying around.

 

what did you do this weekend?

 

the orchard

So, um  yea...I suppose I forgot to mention earlier that the property i'm buying is a church. a unique church...a church that doesn't really look like a church on the inside. it's really amazing. i can't wait to show you! i'm closing on friday! then we will have a home. so incredibly happy about that...

Well, we finally got out apple picking this year. I wanted to do it as close to the end of the month as possible because I have no storage for bags of apples! But soon we will have a home, so I decided we could make do for now with 3 full bags of apples in the bedroom.

As I have the past four years, here's a picture of the first bite!

And then it was back to make pie! And there will be batches and batches of applesauce, I'm sure.

My other weekend favorite? Carving pumpkins! They came out so cute...

 

More soon, friends...xoxo

a night

some nights the little one isn't here. which means there is no extra meal to be cooked (she's so picky), no after dinner scooter ride, no bedtime stories, no double checking to make sure teeth are brushed and jammies are on, no singing songs and tucking in and rubbing wee backs...

and when she isn't here, it feels odd. like something is missing.

and then there are the moments that feel okay. we make dinner. we brainstorm. we enjoy some of the last g&ts of the year. we laugh (there's always laughter...so much it's nuts). we work. we go between stirring greens and chatting and painting and snuggling.

then there's dinner. candles are lit. table is set. we eat. we clean up together.

it's a good rhythm, what we've got. i like it. i could really get used to it.

 

a trip up the coast

we ventured up the coast yesterday to visit some galleries, get some pizza and ice cream, and walk around with our cameras.

the little one was in a bit of a mood, but i was able to capture these images that pretty much said it all...

 

gathering

We've been talking a lot about strengthening our social community for a year now. 2011 was the year of big bashes, lots of music and dancing, BBQs, bonfires, karaoke, and potlucks. This year, we have grand plans for simple entertaining; shifting the focus from large gatherings to intimate dinners and quiet evenings. I think we're all ready for this shift, and I'm excited to see what this year will bring.

To start, I've spent the week so far painting the new dining room. I'm almost done, which is very exciting...I've never painted for 4 days straight before. It's tough work! After the walls are finally done, the floor is next. Then the table will hopefully be finished and in the house, we'll be on the hunt for mismatched wooden chairs, although ideally I'd love folding chairs like these.

With the new dining room, we can gather with a few other couples, have a simple meal, and maybe follow that with some music making or game playing. We're so excited for this simple shift.

 

For the past couple of months, we've been starting this trend with various friends. Mostly to lighten the load of cooking everyday of the week...we've been spontaneously gathering at various houses to enjoy a meal prepared by everyone, with a single ingredient brought to use. It helps our budgets and we also end up having a good conversation, or delving into some kind of art project. It's always fun, and so mellow with no expectations or grand plans. I love that.

I'm looking forward to a mellow 2012, full of good food, good people, and good conversations! And I can't wait to show you all the finished dining room! I'm off to paint another coat...

xoxo

Hello 2012!!!

We had a rockin' party last night. Stayed up way too late. Drank lots of wine and champagne. Danced. Sang. And had lots of fun in the photo booth...

There were close to 1,000 shots we took with the booth last night. I try to respect people's privacy, so here's a small sampling with most of the people you already know! What a great way to welcome in the year of 2012! Happy New Year!!!!

Some Killer Links

We had the sweetest little photo session with Maria this past weekend. This image she captured was my favorite, but there were so many good ones.

We have been having such a fun time lately. It's hard juggling school, work, afterschool activities, an amazingly social wee one who is always out running around the neighborhood with friends from early morning to sunset, a busy social weekend life, and then we do it all again. Our time to slow down, breathe, and just be together seems to be few and far between, but we do manage to make the best of every moment we have together; no matter how short.

Today marks the third anniversary of living in this house. It's a special day for Sasa and I. I, of course, completely forgot about it because I am still not convinced it's remotely possible for it to be December. And Sasa, being the sweet guy he is, reminded me at dinner. Oops. So what did I do? I turned our kitchen into an after dinner dance party! We put it on a favorite dancing Pandora station and proceeded to boogie and do the twist and slow dance for the next two hours.

Then the little one put the wicker laundry basket on her back and pretended to be a turtle, which Mama and Sasa bear had to try to eat. But she was a good turtle and curled right up into her shell where she was safe. We ended the night with some drawing before bed. That girl...I swear...she is never NOT drawing. It's insane. I buy her art journals every other day, and they are full before I can get back to the art store. And pens. And pencils. And anything she can draw with. They all get so much use. Her drawings are amazing too. Unbelievable, actually. She's on a horse kick, but she has just started drawing mama with her camera. Cool stuff. She's goooood.

And that's my update. We're all in a silly mood tonight. Dancing does that to us. So here's some pretty sweet links:

• i wanna be your man (how freakin' cool is that dude?!)
• absolutely A-mazing 
• i got inspired and painted my nails this color today
• made this into a necklace. i love it.
• love these tumblers
• enjoying her blog
• this series is gorgeous. she makes everyday beautiful.
• mmmm....for brunch with friends
• i have a horrible addiction to mugs (and tea)
• have you seen melissa's new book?! she was also on the macy's day parade AND martha stewart!! woohoo! go melissa!
• loving his artwork
• one more video. i'm going to style a shoot inspired by it.
• looking forward to this tomorrow night

Happy December! What are you loving right now?!

our day

 

every year it's the same.

and that's a good thing.

30 people, tons of food, more pies than 30 people could ever finish (which means there's half a pumpkin pie in our fridge that i'm looking forward to later), a walk to the ocean after dinner, an early evening with a good movie, and collapsing into bed early.

we have so much to be grateful for this year. i love that there is a whole day that reminds us to be grateful.

what are you grateful for this year?

the most important thing

 

08 Across the Sea

 

i held a dying man's hand for over four hours yesterday. it felt like the most important thing i've ever done in my life.

we've been living in a state of altered reality for days. the quick decline of sasa's father, the way his family cared for him in his own home, the way we were all there for him...they are things that can put all of life into prespective.

my sleep has been in and out. so aware of where he is in this process. i would wake up in another world all through the night, in my own bed, but somehow him right by my side telling me what he needed and when he was going.

there was something about the ending of his life that awakened ours. the hours spent holding his hand were the most peaceful hours i've ever felt before. all i needed to do was be there, hold is hand, and put every ounce of peace and strength i had in me out for him. the presence was remarkable and seemed like magic.

i will miss him. i will miss his love of the ocean, the way he poked fun at me, how he used to love getting me tipsy on his favorite wine, how he was someone who would always take care of us, the joy he felt to have elisabeth in his life, the way he mowed his lawn "just so", and mostly, the love for his family.

it was an honor and a pleasure to have him be a part of my life. it was an honor and a pleasure helping him move on to what's next. it has changed my life forever. he changed my life forever. thank you, grandpa.

 

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering;
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

 

And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,

 

and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,

 

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth
tending as all music does, toward silence,

 

and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.

 

When it's over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

 

When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened
or full of argument.

 

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.

 

~ Mary Oliver ~

 

pumpkins

We went on our annual pumpkin hunt this weekend. We take our wagon up the street to the local farm stand and choose three big pumpkins to take home and carve.

This year we added a little something extra...the little one and Sasa made homemade pumpkin pie using pumpkins from our garden! It was so sweet watching them cooking all afternoon in the kitchen. The little one has been wanting to bake and cook and do anything and everything she can in the kitchen. She even requested to wash the dishes the other night. Um, okay...!

Our trip up to the farm stand was shot all on film and Polaroids, but I did manage to capture some of the carving fun with my digital camera! The little one wanted me to carve a horse in mine, she made a funny face (a super cute one I think!), and Sasa wanted to make a gnome house.

We finished the evening with pie, ice cream, and our favorite pumpkin book!

I finally finished her costume yesterday and she is very pleased. Looks like the real deal, if I do say so myself. Pictures to follow...

What are you or your wee ones being for Halloween?!

the fair

 

At the Common Ground Fair. It's officially autumn! Many more photos on film to come...

5 years old

I am the mama of a 5 year old. It seems so crazy that 5 years have passed since she was first born. I never realized why mothers would still call their grown children their "babies" but now I do. I look at her and still see the one year old toddling off on those little pudgy legs. She will always be my baby.

But 5...wow. 5 is BIG! She was so proud of herself too. We spent Friday celebrating with our birthday breakfast table tradition, a walk in the woods with friends and picnic by the river, and a dinner out complete with chocolate cake and the best french fries ever, then followed it all with a fantastic concert where we heard a fiddle player not only play the most amazing fiddle music ever, but also dance while doing it!

Then Saturday we had the big party. She requested a "giant potluck party" like we often have throughout the summer. Wasn't too hard to round up a bunch of friends last minute to make it all happen. But it all came together nicely. Instead of gifts, she asked for donations to bring to the animal shelter. We got a giant basket full, plus bags of food, and two big dog beds! People were so awesome! So that sparked an animal themed party, complete with "pin the tail on Pepper" (not the real Pepper...), a photo booth, face painting and animal ear making, and the best dog bone cake ever made!

It was a blast (we are all still recovering) and I think we heard the phrase "you throw the best parties!" about twenty times. But all that really matters is that my big 5 year old enjoyed herself, and that she did. See for yourself...

And the photo booth, which was hilarious and filled with way more adults than children...

 A big thanks to all the sweet friends who made this night so special!! You are all the best. We love you guys. xoxo

the swing of things

It's funny having a different rhythm all of a sudden. Waking early to get things prepared for the day, driving the little one off to school, coming back to work until the moment I go back to pick her up, picking her up and coming home to have a snack, resting, going for a walk, dinner prep and eating, clean up and outside play before bedtime. There's something comforting in the rhythm that we've already formed, just in a mere three days. I like knowing what to expect. I like having things consistent, but with enough flexibility to make the day feel spontaneous and free.

Right now we are settling into this new rhythm. We are a bit tired, a bit excited, a bit relieved (to have more time to get work done!). But mostly, we are just happy to be doing it all together. Lucky us!

today

today we rode our bikes all over town.

today we ran through a field, skipped rocks in a river, and picked wildflowers.

today we baked bread, picked blackberries, made a pie, baked kale chips, and roasted beets and garlic.

today we felt the cooler breeze that came through the open doors and windows. a reminder that fall is slowly creeping in.

today we made exciting plans for tomorrow.

today we talked about school starting.

today we marveled at just how gigantic our sunflowers are. nearly 14 feet high at this point...

tonight we used the leftover 4th of July sparklers.

tonight we are snuggled in, with the cool air outside, and a warm cup of tea in our hands.

 

what did you do today?!

fairy woods

It's been a funny weekend. Probably others would call it a weekend full of unfortunate events. I've been meaning to post about "a year of choice" for a while now...letting you know more about how this affects my days and what it looks like. And I can honestly say that this space is all about choice. What you read here are snippets of our days. The things I love, the things that make life go round, the things that make us smile, the things that fill our hearts with love. It doesn't mean that there isn't a whole lot of struggle and, ahem, bad luck too. (Sometimes I think I'm jinxed!) But it's easy to get through it with this fabulous guy and amazing little girl by my side.

This past weekend was indeed a series of unfortunate events. It got to the comical level after two days, and when we finally sat down on the couch late last night to breathe, we looked at each other and giggled, joking that maybe the roof would fall through on our heads. But in the end, we caught something just in the knick of time and our cat will live, we still have another way to get around and we did get home finally, there are friends and family always willing to help, after hours of research I finally fixed my camera, and we are safe and happy and together. Which really...is all that matters.

So what does all this have to do with fairy woods?! Well, in the midst of all the unfortunate events, we all took a beautiful walk on an island with my mama and the two dogs. We flew kites, we walked through the forest, waded in the water, and came to the spot where there are hundreds and hundreds of fairy houses. We built a fabulous one. And I remember in that moment, looking at the absolute certainty on the little one's face that fairies would be moving in to our little fairy house that very night, I knew that this was the only moment that really mattered. And, to be honest, I'm not sure if it's from the sheer exhaustion or the hilariously poor memory I have, but really...it's all that I really remember. That one moment was so full of joy and love that it's going to be completely and totally stuck in my heart forever. Love that.

And yes, the little one got her first haircut. She loves it. We do too.

xoxo.

Morning, Noon, and Night

This morning was spent in the kitchen and the garden. It's funny how with all our dietary restrictions going on we have three separate breakfasts most mornings. Sasa sticks with quinoa and greens, the little one loves her eggs and toast, and I'm on a goat yogurt kick. After the dishes were cleaned and the laundry was hung, we headed out into the garden before the sun got too hot to do some weeding. I'm enjoying checking on the strawberries daily, and the bee balm (my favorite) bloomed late last week.

Mid-day found us walking to the library to return some books. I grabbed my outting essentials (back pack and sunglasses) and we set off for new books and to pick up Sasa for lunch. On the way back, we stopped in the garden to pick some chard for lunch and basil for pesto. During the lunch prep, the little one kept running outside to feed the chickens some veggie scraps.

The evening approached quickly after an afternoon full of reading and games in front of the fans. We kept checking on the popscicles we made earlier, drank almost all the cold beverages in the house and used up all the ice. As I was prepping dinner, I grabbed the only cold beverage left. The little one helped wash the potatoes while I picked squash from the garden. I made a summer squash and potato torte roughly based on this recipe (except I use rosemary, ommitted the flour, and added minced garlic instead of green onions). It was delicious. We ate outside on the porch, watching the sun slowly going down, and ended the evening with a final game.

And that, my friends, makes a day. It's fun to look back on it all. How the ordinary things can go by without notice, but when you really stop to make notice of them, you realize exactly how marvelous they all are!

So...what was your "morning, noon, and night" like?!

hello

Well, I just had an entire post written about how I really didn't have much to say at all, and how wedding season is in full swing and I've got so much work (thankfully!) on my plate that there's not much time for anything else, but then Firefox messed up and it was all lost! Ha...guess I didn't really need to say all that anyway!

My thoughts have been here. I've wanted to pop in and say "hello" and had every intention of sharing a Monday link list with you this week. But well...after 10 hours on the computer editing, I was pretty done.

The heat has been unbearable lately. We've managed to keep cool with many swims in the ocean and lake, Popsicles and ice cold drinks, and sitting in front of the fan during the day. Today the heat finally broke with a lengthy downpour. It cooled everything off and gave us an excuse to scurry inside to make a delicious dinner and settle in for an evening game.

These are the only shots I took today. My poor camera needs a break after the weddings, but I've become completely addicted to using my iPhone camera. Not so sure I'm ready to switch the photos here over to that though. But it's so handy...

I'm needing some super link love this week! What are you all loving around the web??!

Strawberry Fields Forever

Yesterday, we braved the heat and headed out for an adventure to some organic strawberry fields. The little one has been begging me to make her a strawberry pie for weeks now. And part of our summer routine each year is to pick and store as many berries as we can to last us all winter long. It's fun to watch as the older she gets, the more involved she wants to be. Last year I remember carrying her through the blueberry fields, keeping her in the Ergo on my back as I picked. This year? She was picking for almost two hours right along with us. She was incredibly excited about the whole process and beamed with pride with each bucket she poured into the larger box.

We got home and settled into the numerous hours' work facing us. The 20+ pounds of berries needed to be washed, the tops cut off, most frozen for later use, two pies needed to be baked (one galette for her and one semi-Paleo almond flour crust for Sasa and I), and a batch of freezer jam needed to be made. We opted for freezer jam because we wanted to make a small batch of strawberry jam, since we don't use jam too often.

We sat on the back porch on our new patio furniture (thanks to Sasa for my early birthday present!) all afternoon and got covered in red juice. Lots went in our mouths, but most went in the freezer. The little one was so excited by the idea of eating strawberries in winter!

We ended the night with our strawberry pies and reading books on the porch. It was the perfect ending to an even more perfect day!

the weekend

This weekend was so full of everything! Playdates with wee friends, gardening, three more raised beds (!!) and three more to go, practicing for a violin concert tomorrow night, stories, ice cream trips, Sunday morning pancakes, bike ride after bike ride, long walks with the dogs, fishing, watching sunsets, barbecues, first smores of the season (we found yummy organic marshmallows! ha!), reading on the porch, sitting in the sun, adoring my new Lisa Leonard magnets, pizza parties with family, and late night viewings of this (which had Sasa and I feeling so nostalgic for the 80's and all it's fashion no-no's!).

What did you do this weekend?! Happy start of the week to you!

a weekend in pictures

It was all too perfect and lovely.

We had a sweet little visit from my mama, BBQs with friends and family, fresh flowers inside, running through the sprinkler, back porch songs, lots of sunshine and time in the garden, cooking and baking, just born baby goats, dreaming up new ideas and plans, and had a wonderful time all being together.

and thank you all for entering the sweet giveaway over the weekend! Random.org chose #20...

angie said...

what a great shop, thanks for introducing me! As for summer, my dream is simple, outside fun with lots of camping trips with the family!

 

Angie...send me an e-mail (ewallacephoto@gmail.com) and we'll get your cape out! Yay! Congrats!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Cheers!

our days

the sun came out. it finally came out.

so we've been outside all day, everyday.

there are flowers to pick, vases to fill, sidewalks to play hopscotch on, bikes to ride, friends to have over, picnics to have, and the sun to enjoy.

and boy, are we enjoying it.

 

hope you all have sun too!

After It All

I woke up with a pinched nerve.

I can't turn my head in either direction.

I can't really use my right arm.

And the pain is excrutiating.

BUT...it's pizza night. And it was so, so good. (Next time I'll add rosemary and olives.)

And the rain keeps coming, which is good for the garden and gives me an excuse to "take it easy" as the doctor says.

We're gearing up for bedtime here...the little one just went on one last walk with Sasa and the dogs. Then it's stories and a long night of rest.

Tomorrow is a new day. A brand new day. So much is possible.

And I know that despite the pain, the challenges, and the things that seem impossible, I thank my lucky stars for these two amazing beings I get to spend my life with.

Easter and Scones

Easter started an early 5:30 a.m. The little one was so super excited about a bunny hopping throughout the house that she woke up much ealier than usual! The night before we left the Easter bunny a letter, some carrots and spinach, and a basket full of eggs for him to hide. Our eggs came out so beautifully. We will definitely be using vegetable dyes again. The sweet little yellow egg basket I found on Etsy weeks ago and had it shipped all the way from Canada. It arrived just in time! 

We enjoyed some chocolate (a bit too much), two egg hunts, a delicious sushi lunch made by Sasa and enjoyed with friends and Baba (my mama!), many hours drawing chalk on the sidewalk and riding our bikes, and a lovely early bedtime to finish the day.

Today we enjoyed the warm air, even though the sun didn't want to come out. I spent three hours on the front porch watching the little one ride her bike back and forth in barefeet and her pajamas. Then we came inside and made delicious scones after visiting our chickens for some eggs.

I hope your Easter weekend was terrific!!

 

In the Kitchen :: Ma Style

We just finished reading our first Little House book. The little one is absolutely smitten with Mary. She insists we call her Mary all day. Her trusty sidekick doll is now Laura. She and "Pa" went out hunting for bear today in the swamp. I couldn't believe it, but they got one! Not only that, but they dug up some potatoes, cabbage, and onions from the root cellar. We were going to have a feast "Little House" style.

So I set to work, cooking up the bear meat (it was really beef, but shhh!) and making a cabbage dish that everyone would love. Mary and Pa did have to run to the nearest store for some ketchup, but they went on foot. Then we set down to dinner, grateful for this meal we all worked so hard for (even if only in our hearts) and enjoyed every bit of it.

Mary is now asleep, after a special made up Little House story. I'm sure we'll wake up tomorrow and do it all again. I just love where imagination can take us!

Late Winter Beach

It was sunny.

It was windy.

We felt the sand in our toes.

Found heart rocks and sea glass.

Uncle Max turned into a hungry beach monster and made the kids run and giggle.

We closed our eyes and pictured beach blankets and picnics and swim suits and sandcastles.

It won't be long before those are all real.

And we all can't wait.

xoxo.

Around the House

We've been busy the last few days. Snow, cooking, baking, visits with friends, sledding, cozy fires, and so much more. Here's a little glimpse from some scenes around the house...

Started my day with a cup of tea and a peek at the Fedco catalog. Making lists and dreaming of more raised beds for more greens next year. So much fun to think of summer while buried in snow.

This print reminds me of our home...always people coming and going. Always food to share and soup on the stove.

The little one requested her art corner back, which was prompted by a move of her play kitchen setup to enlarge her new "home" (the playstands). She's been drawing, and painting, and creating, and displaying it for all to see.

I've been baking bread weekly. It's nice to have an official bread baking day again and makes soup days that much yummier.

Mr. Pickles is hanging in there with all the canine commotion. He surfaces every now and then for some cuddles and sunlight. He makes me happy.

When we had yet another snow day this week which pretty much shut down town, we get around via sled. It's fun to use the roads as our own personal sledding path.

I had a little fir tree growing in that pot on the left. When I brought it in late fall it didn't make it, but up popped a dandelion and some clovers. I love love love it. We have yellow dandelions blooming just about every other week. Such a fun reminder of summer.

The little one...she is getting SO big and her hair is so very long and beautiful. She wanted to cut it last week, but then realized that it wouldn't be long for a while again, so she opted to keep it the way it is. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Snow snow snow. This is the scene from my computer desk. I love looking out at the snow falling against the windows, with me cozy and warm inside.

Happy weekend everyone! I hope you enjoy every minute of it!

The Winter Beach

The beach is equally as fun during the winter as the summer (although swimming is a wee bit chillier). We visit the beach pretty often in the winter. It's a nice place to let the dogs run free.

This was Pepper's first visit to the cold, cold beach. Fly's getting too old to chase the waves like he used to and Pepper was way more interested in finding decaying sea matter than anything else, but she did enjoy her first beach experience.

Oh, and that face makes me almost forget how absolutely rascally she is. Almost...

xoxo.

Happy Solstice!!

I love the winter Solstice. I love our yearly tradition of visiting a friend's farm for a spectacular bonfire and delicious feast. Despite the sprinkling rain (snow...where ARE you??!) and insanely mild temperatures, we still snuggled in close to the bonfire and had a marvelous night.

I brought materials for the kids to do a Solstice lantern craft. We made our own little jars of sunshine!

Happy Solstice to you all! I'll be back tomorrow with some Solstice knitting and the winner of the giveaway. xoxo.

St. Nicholas and Winter

Happy St. Nicholas Day!! St. Nicholas paid a visit to the little one recently. She was so excited. The night before we polish our shoes, write a letter to St. Nicholas, bake a special treat to leave him, get some hay and a carrot for his horse (apparently his horse's name is Snowflake! Who knew?!), and we leave it outside her bedroom door. In the morning, the little one finds her shoes filled with gold covered chocolate coins, a candy cane, and a special gift with a note left by St. Nicholas.

This year she awoke to find a special horse harness for play made by one of St. Nicholas' elves. Wow. St. Nicholas even told her that the bells on the reins were from his very own horse. She was so excited.

We also began celebrating the first week of Advent on Sunday. We got out our birthday ring which also doubles as an Advent wreath. We sang our candle lighting song for Advent:

"I light the night my candle burns,

I light the night my candle burns.

First one, then two, then three, then four,

my heart is shining like a star."

Next we read the words for the first week of Advent:

"The first light of Advent is the light of stones.

Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones."

We placed some special crystals the little one got for her birthday, some seashells we found on the beach this summer, and some beachstones as well.

And there wasn't really a better day to celebrate, because we got our very first winter snowstorm today! It was SO much fun. I was very satisfied with our snow activities...we made chili (for a chilly day!), cornbread, apple crisp, shoveled the driveway and the porch, went grocery shopping, took out the fall plantings in our window boxes and put in a variety of winter greens, went sledding, I made a wreath (my first one!!), had three delicious homemade meals, and got some knitting done. Such a good day.

I love that we live in this little town. The little one calls it "our cozy town." It was slippery out there and so very snowy, but we could walk everywhere we needed to go. We trek through our backyard to get to the co-op and I bring this amazing basket Sasa got me for my birthday. It fits all our groceries, usually ends up weighing more than I do, but is so nice to be able to carry our food home on foot.

The wreath making was so exciting and super successful. I cut some berries and vines out back and added them to the greens we got at Sasa's sister's house over the weekend. I think the wreath turned out pretty great and it now hangs on our front door!

So yay for winter and St. Nicholas, and Advent! Tis the season for sure!

Happy Monday y'all! xoxo. Oh, and stay tuned for another awesome giveaway on Wednesday, and more to come next week!!

Making Butter

After our violin lesson this morning (oh, she is getting good!) we returned home to do some baking. I had some heavy whipping cream left over from the soup yesterday and wanted to make butter again. We did it long ago and had such fun. It's such an easy and fun project for little ones.

Simply pour heavy cream into a mason jar, add a little salt, put on the lid, and take turns shaking it. In about 15 minutes you'll have the tastiest butter!

Our recipe today was skillet cornbread. I love this simple and easy recipe from the Waldorf Kindergarten Snack Book. And it is so delicious.

While that was baking, we ate a light lunch. We had the cornbread, homemade butter, and local honey for dessert.

It was so yummy. Tomorrow is apple crisp day! What's happening in your kitchen?!

Meet Mr. Pickles

Well, the little one just couldn't stand not having a cat. Sasa and I are still mourning Kiwi, so I was very unsure of the idea of rushing out to get another one. But when we met Mr. Pickles (he came with the name "Sarge"...), it was love at first sight for the little one. He looks like Kiwi too. I'm pretty sure they could be from the same litter.

Mr. Pickles had been at the shelter for a year, so I couldn't leave him there another day. He came home and has settled in nicely. He even sleeps curled up next to the little one. So, so sweet.

I miss Kiwi so much, but I'm very honored to have the pleasure of being with another furry friend. I'm thinking there may be some Super Cat(s) books in the future. And two cats named after food?! Totally rockin'. Although I would have named him after one of my two favorites :: bacon or mayonnaise. But Sasa just wouldn't go for it. Mr. Pickles it is!!

Happy weekend friends! xoxo

Kiwi

Oh, I'm in tears as I write this. Kiwi, our beloved cat who's time with us was much too short, was killed yesterday. It was pretty tragic. We're pretty sure a fox got her in broad daylight. Somehow she escaped and made it home with only her two front legs working. I spent the afternoon rushing her to the vet for surgery, and even after we decided to spend all our savings to save her, she died on the table. The damage was just too much.

It's odd having such a sweet and cuddly part of your life missing. We picked her up last night and buried her next to a chipmunk she got recently. The little one thought they might like to be friends now. We had a little blessing ceremony for her life, gave her one last pat, and said goodbye.

Kiwi inspired many songs, a book, and another book we completed in August that I'm still getting the video together for. She was our little Super Cat. It will be so bittersweet finishing that video, but it's a tribute she deserves.

It was hard. She was loved. She was loved so, so much. And this was so sudden. I've never been a cat lover. But Kiwi was different. She was awesome and she will be missed so very much.

We love you Kiwi. You were one brave cat and you will never be forgetten. xoxo.

After Birthday Fun

We are still recovering from the 4th birthday bash. It was one of the best nights ever. But Sasa and I are still catching up on sleep. So in an attempt to keep this short and sweet, but to let you all know I'm still here, I would like to share some sweet moments from the last few days..

Applesaucing! We love this tradition. We sat on the porch washing, peeling, chopping, and ended up with a huge pot full of applesauce that we devoured in a single day. Yum! The little one is so helpful. I can't get over it.

Speaking of helpful, she cleaned half of the chicken barn all by herself. We spent one morning last week getting it ready for the winter. She was beyond thrilled to be helping out. She kept setting aside hay for the "goats" (we'll hopefully be getting some soon!). We've come to the conclusion that we need some barn cats. We have mice eating up our chicken feed and we're not too thrilled with that. So we're on the hunt for a couple of barn cats and think we found a source. Yay!

Not only has my girl been washing apples and cleaning barns, but she loves to mop. Loves, loves, loves it. She was so excited when I got the mop out. I may make this a weekly activity instead of monthly, because she just loves it so.

She was so lucky to receive so many thoughtful and handmade gifts. She was playing with this little basket of garlic, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg, along with a miniature grater. It kept her busy for so long. Another favorite was the gluten-free play clay. Hours of entertainment with that (thanks Maria!).

And she got a sweet little tree fort just in time for her birthday! Sasa's sister and her husband have been working on it and it was almost finished over the weekend. The little one and I primed it today to get it ready for our funky colors. I can't wait to show more!

What have you all been up to?! I hope to have a link list tomorrow.

Fall is Coming

It was another weekend of apple picking, sweater weather, applesauce making and apple pie baking. We took a stroll through a favorite orchard and picked up bags and bags of "drops." We get them for free and bring them home to make applesauce....jars and jars of sauce to be canned. The little one had her wee basket of apples she picked from the trees :: the "very special" ones.

We had company over on Saturday night and spent the evening in the brisk air, wrapped in sweaters, eating apple pie and staring up into the clear sky where the bright stars seemed to dance. It was a cozy evening.

The little one got out her winter jammies and we cuddled in bed together to stay warm. I woke up to a puppet show this morning. While drinking my tea I looked at her and thought, "she'll be four in four days." It's insane how quickly these little guys grow. They are amazing at it too.

For now we're shifting gears a bit, getting used to this colder weather. It's nice to slow down and feel the peace that fall brings after a busy summer. All I want to do is curl up on the couch with some knitting and tea. I just love that.

Happy almost fall! I hope your weekend was a fine one!

August Apples

There's a great little walking trail right near our house. We haven't used it much, but last week we decided to spend the morning exploring it. We were on the hunt for apples after we heard there was a little orchard down there. So we grabbed our bags and went looking!

(This photo reminds me of this from last year, and this from the year before!)

The center of the trail was just filled with apple trees. Yes, the wormy, spotted kind of apples, but we like them that way. It reminds us that they are there for everyone and everything, and we are lucky enough to get to share! The little one ate as many apples as she picked. I still couldn't believe we were picking apples in August.

We picked and picked, talking about how we were going to make apple crisp, apple butter, and apple pie. Yum! 

We continued on our walk, looking for wild mushrooms as we went. (Found some, but they were too old!) We also found grapes and raspberries. I think a mushroom hunt is next on our list!

So we came home with bags of apples and plan on making so many delicious things this week after this insane 90 degree heat goes away. But for now, that oven is not going to be on at all! Apple popsicles anyone?!

I've got a photo shoot tonight, so I'll have a link list up for you tomorrow!

A Rainy Day

Sometimes I love rainy days. Especially when they are following a hot and sunny summer. Today was chilly, so I bundled up in some corduroys and sweaters. The little one still insisted on shorts and short sleeves. We baked some "surprise muffins" this morning and followed it with lots of creative play.

Then there was reading to Kiwi. (A Curious George book opened to her favorite page...the one that shows how to make a paper boat!)

Then we headed out to have an afternoon of tea and knitting at a friend's house. So fun. On our way home we stopped at a great store to get some nail polish that didn't have acetone and formaldehyde in it. (Why must they put that in it anyway??!) The little one kept asking this morning if I could paint her nails. I have no idea where that idea came from, but it was the perfect rainy afternoon activity and she was so proud. And purple, of course.

After our manicure session, we made some kale and white bean soup and biscuits. Biscuits are my new favorite thing to make, and the little one's new favorite thing to eat! What a yummy dinner.

We ended the day with a late night trip to the store to get Sasa a surprise card. We found the perfect card (with a Border Collie on it) and drew pictures on the inside and hid it upstairs. The little one kept saying, "Sasa, don't peek! Sasa, don't look! Sasa...your surprise rhymes with mard. Sasa...it also rhymes with pard. Okay Sasa...you're getting closer. Don't look under the covers in your bed, because that's where you'll find the surprise that rhymes with mard." She had us in tears we were laughing so hard! He did eventually find his surprise "card" and he said it was the best card ever.

He then told the little one that there would be a yummy surprise for her when she woke up in the morning. He said it would rhyme with "negg"...can you guess what it is?!

Happy rainy day!!