Bluebirdbaby

firsts

we went for our first dip in not only a pond, but the ocean too.

it was chilly, but so wonderful. the sun on our faces, the cool water reminding us that the summer is yet to begin, and we have months of this to enjoy.

then we headed to a big BBQ at a friend's house. their first BBQ there. and it was just perfect.

oh yes, we are most certainly ready for summer.

i've been working so hard...trying to make ends meet. every second of my days are nights are taken up by some kind of work. i like to think of it as a creative challenge.

but it means there really are no rest days; no weekends. just days mixed with fun and play and work and a wee bit of sleep thrown in there too.

it's all worth it-this life we're living. we are happy and having fun and hard workers and able to enjoy all of it. that's all that really matters.

happy monday, friends. hope you're enjoying this long, lovely weekend. xoxo

Polarn O. Pyret Giveaway!

With the little one attending a nature based school, proper outerwear is very important. I'm always on the hunt for warm enough jackets and snowpants, raingear that actually keeps her dry, and everything in between. Polarn O. Pyret always has the greatest clothing...the quality is remarkable, the sizing is always just right and fits for two seasons, and the most important thing is the little one absolutely adores the colors, fit, and designs.

Polarn O. Pyret was kind enough to send us a set of rain gear which we immediately put to good use. Today it was overcast and drizzly, so we put on our new rain gear and headed out into our new backyard (yup...that's our backyard!!) and played on the shore.

What lucky girls we are, eh? The ocean in our backyard and awesome new rain gear! Polarn O. Pyret is also offering one lucky reader a $50 gift certificate. Just leave a comment and tell us what your little one's favorite season is. I'll draw a reader Monday at 10 a.m. EST. Good luck!

An Unusual Apple Picking Day

Well, each year about this time we head to the orchards for some apple picking. On this particular day, the temperatures were in the mid-80's, which surprised us all. We wondered through the orchards in our shorts and sandals, feeling like it should be fall, but knowing that it felt more like summer. We go to this orchard every year. I love the memories it brings back. I feel like somehow it marks the growth of the little one each and every year. The first year she was on Sasa's shoulders most of the time, reaching high for apples, but mostly just running as fast as she could down the hills, with one of us chasing after her. This year, she picked a whole basket, plus loaded up another bag. It always surprises me just how helpful she is.

At 2:

At 3:

At 4:

And today (at 5!):

After gathering our apples, we went home to drop them off and then headed out on a canoe ride and for the last swim of the season. It was the perfect day. I have so many pictures from that, but they are all on my film camera, along with the fair pictures and so much else. 3 rolls of 36 exposures...that's going to be good! Hence my absence here.

But after our canoe ride and swim, we headed home to make applesauce and apple pie. I see much canning in our future! (We also canned 36 jars of pesto, with many more to go...) The next morning I made my favorite apple pancake for breakfast. And even though the temperatures outside still hover in the high 70's, it now officially feels like fall to me!

And looking back, I'm not sure how we managed to squeeze all of this into one day, but we made a fall banner for the front door. I love coming home to it everyday. It's very cheery! No sewing required...just strips of fabric with raw edges, and some fabric markers! We had a blast making it...

 

How are you spending the start of the fall season?!

the fair

 

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

Blueberry Hill

Another year, another day of hiking, picnicing, watching, playing, laughing, and enjoying. We love this spot. Year after year...it's amazing to remember the past visits and it's remarkable how much the little one has grown. She made it all the way up (and down) at full speed. Of course, this year there was a puppy to coax her along.

We missed the blueberries this year, but the chamomile was still there and we do have a big plant in our garden that we brought home from last year. So fun to think of it being a part of our life here in town.

Today we tried to soak up as much summer as we could. School starts soon, and with it, we find that everyday freedom we've had for so long is quickly coming to a close. The little one is growing literally before our eyes. Her long, lean legs can carry her on a hike no problem now. Last year, she rode up on Sasa's shoulders. It's bittersweet to see it all happen so soon. I'm loving this age and all the fun we are having, but also miss the little hands dropping the berries in the basket, and clasping mine for a little help along the stone wall.

This is my favorite part about traditions: marking the growth all around us against something that is constant and steady. Blueberry Hill will always be there for us, and so will we...however big, small, old or young we may be.

at the lake

where you will find us most hot days. the echo here is amazing...

raspberries in the rain

two mamas. three girls. a rainy afternoon. a beautiful patch. a whole lot of berries.

what have you been picking lately? happy weekend!

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.

the sea

This is one of the many perks of living where we live...the ocean. It's right there at our doorstep. Today I left hours and hours of work behind (aah!) to go on an impromptu coastal cruise with some friends. I snapped these with my phone. We were out on the water for 6 hours. I am sitting here hours later still feeling the room sway back and forth! Sasa got a killer sunburn, and I have to admit that even with my sunscreen application, I'm red too.

We went swimming in 62 degree water (I have a picture to prove it!), ate lunch with gulls and seals nearby, and enjoyed a snooze on the deck during the ride home. It was a fabulous (and much better than working) way to spend a Sunday! Hope yours was sweet too!

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!

it was hot

It was a hot one. A really hot one. And yesterday was hot too.

I swam in the ocean three times yesterday (mind you, we live in Maine and ocean water is freezing) and today we packed up dinner and headed to the lake for a picnic and a dip.

We spent the day in our bathing suits, going between the shade in the backyard with glasses of iced tea and inside where the air seemed just a little bit cooler. The little one plucked away on her ukulele, serenading me during my snack time clean up. We picked fresh herbs from the garden to make a frittata for lunch, served over our greens and some homemade dressing. We ate outside on the picnic table under the shade of the umbrella.

Tonight we retreated to the lake, with my bag packed full of bucheron, salmon, and peas from the garden. The little one almost learned to swim, we played water tag, and watched the clouds roll in.

We returned home for an ice cream cone and the excitement of a thunderstorm. I rushed to get the laundry in, the chickens settled, and the yard toys picked up from a day of play. The little one fell asleep in an exhausted, hot heap on the bed with the lightning flickering around her.

It was a good day. Tomorrow another adventure will be underway! How was your Wednesday?

Oh, and if any of you are wondering how to get the shape of the giant beach bag, just go to my tutorial page here and follow the corner directions for the "everything bag". Easy peasy!

Puddles

<

Last night we experienced a crazy thundestorm. It was so wonderful. We loved every minute of it. I've always told the little one that thunder is just the cloud's talking to one another, and the lightning is the flash from their camera. Ha!

So she's not scared a bit. We played board games and ate chocolate chip cookies.

Then the sun came out and we just had to go puddle stomping! (An after-storm tradition.) So on went the rain boots and off we went!

We discovered a giant puddle down the street at our friend's house and we ran back to get our boat to do some sailing. What a fun sweet night.

We came back home to the power returning, some snuggling in bed with a good book, and some sweet dream-filled sleep.

Happy weekend to you! xoxo

 

On Wednesday

On Wednesday...

she twirled in her new mama made skirt! (This one was her favorite, with pockets big enough for all the crystals she's been finding everywhere!)

we made a delicious lunch.

we found a real horse saddle at the thrift shop. It, of course, came home with us and entertained a certain someone for the rest of the day. Now we need to make a horse! No problem...

I made sun tea. I can't wait for my morning iced tea tomorrow!

we found a bird's egg on the sidewalk on our walk. We both spotted it at the same time and squealed with delight!

we enjoyed the blooming clematis on the porch.

I checked on the garden, did a little weeding, wondered just how late the spring peas were going to be.

I did the third load of dishes under my summer window. I love how it shifts so organically with the seasons.

 

We are enjoying some relaxed days lately. I am loving just being home, gardening, sitting in the sun with my girl and a good book. It's oh so needed right now. Pretty soon I'll be in full swing with the wedding season, so I'm soaking all this relaxing in while I can!

What did you do this Wednesday?

thunderstorms

it was hot today.

so hot that it made everyone (especially the wee folk) a bit cranky.

we cooled off in the lake (heavenly) and went for ice cream after with friends.

we returned home to find the sky darken, the wind start blowing, and the thunder rumbling in the distance.

a marathon sprint was made to collect the odds and ends left outside from a morning of play; blankets, toys, towels, laundry on the line, and remnants of today's breakfast on the outside table.

 

the thunder and rain came and went. it was perfect timing really; the garden needed it so very much. as the threat of lightening passed, we put on our rainboots and coats and went out dancing in the rain and stomping through puddles. the perfect way to end the 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!

an evening walk

We often go out walking in the evenings.

With the warmer weather it has been even more lovely. We've been fighting off a thunderstorm all day. The winds were whipping through the trees and tall grasses, so much so that the bugs were not out.

The little one has been riding her bike everywhere these days. Such a big, independent girl she is.

 

These are my favorite moments. The ones where we are all together, all laughing and giggling, racing down the fields and breathing the fresh air. There is just so much love here. So much gratitude, respect, kindness, and peace. It's lucky if you find that in your life, and to be surrounded by it day after day with the ones you love is so very special.

Peek-A-Boo

Playing hide and seek in the woods. Sheer joy. I love this photo. Just love love love. Last woods post, promise. Tomorrow there will be a giveaway! Yay!

And we had a brief break from the rain today...just long enough for me to get a killer sunburn on my back from weeding. Now it's back to raining.

Monday I'll have a garden tour post! I finally got out there when the rain stopped and took some pictures. See you then!

in the field

We took another walk in the woods today. The little one ran for a good two hours. I told her she probably ran over 3 miles today, through the woods and the fields. She was proud of herself and I was too.

We made two fairy houses, saw oyster shell middens that are over a thousand years old, played in the water, visisted the gnomes in the trees, and ran through the fields. Then we came back home to find yummy fiddleheads on our doorstep. Thank you friends!

I think this field series just about says it all!

I hope you enjoyed your Wednesday too. xoxo.

woods and ferns

It was a rainy day today. In fact, it's going to be a rainy week I hear. I'm pushing myself out of my comfort zone and going out for a walk no matter how wet. I've never liked the rain...even as a kid. But I've been putting on my boots and raincoat and bringing the little one out no matter how wet or misty.

It feels nice to be out in the rain. It's almost as if the forest is asleep and we are intruding on its quiet time. We enjoyed a nice long walk today. The woods looked so magical with the glistening spring ferns and greens. In the end, we didn't mind the rain one bit and I'm sure that it won't stop us the rest of the week either.

And there are plenty of things I'm loving this week, but here are just a few...

• once again i seem to be addicted to her live in Paris performances
• also loving this
• i received two of the most beautiful screenprints i've ever seen today from here. you really, really need to check out her work. i can't wait to hang them!!
• have you noticed some new sponsors in the sidebar?! what wonderful artists!!
• if anyone ever finds mounted framed butterflies at a thrift shop/antique store, please let me know! i'm in search of some!
• seriously cool travel mug
• can i live here please?
• can't fav this enough

What are you loving this Monday?!!

magic.

absolutely love this every year.

we wait and wait and when it happens it's magic.

i love how every spring there is magic.

For The Garden

It was a dreary, rainy day today. We spent the better half of it doing indoor things like violin lessons and a trip to the library for more books. But this afternoon the rain let up and we found ourselves outside on a mission: to find rocks for our garden. The raised beds are looking a little bleak right now and I wanted to add some color. Our wooden plant markers never make it through the season, so I wanted something that would last. So we went around the yard collecting the best rocks we could find.

We scrubbed them, dried them, and set them on the back porch. Then we collected the acrylics and paint brushes and set to work. The little one had such fun painting the rocks that we had to go back out three more times for more! We have enough to mark all the veggies in the raised beds and I love the fun and color they will add.

I'm so excited to get back outside and dig in the dirt. It's amazing to watch our yard transform every year. I never realized how much of my soul was connected to gardening. I have grand plans of sunflower huts, herb window boxes, potted plants all over the yard, succulents in the backyard, beds of flowers, creeping vines up and around her tree fort, a handmade stick fence, and more. So much more. I want to spend every second outside. Every single second with my hands in the dirt.

I'm loving finding garden inspiration out there in blogland. I love wild, crazy gardens that just look like magic. Would you care to share some with me?!

Here's some gardening music for you :)

Happy Tuesday everyone!!

Happy Earth Day!

What a perfect day for Earth Day! We spent the morning at nature-based program the little one attends on Fridays where we felted eggs, made houses in the woods, cleaned up the grounds a bit, and enjoyed the sun for a full four hours. Then we came home and gardened! It felt so amazing to have my hands in the dirt again. We had added compost last fall, so the beds were pretty much all ready to go.

We direct-seeded beets, carrots (4 fun varieties!), lettuce, kale, chard, beans, and peas and some annuals. The little one is my handy waterer, so she gave all the seeds "a nice drink so they will grow big and strong." She kept taking videos with her camera while we were planting the carrots. I loved the narration..."And here we have the carrots we will soon pick and eat for our dinners." Super sweet, she is. I love that she is getting more and more involved in the gardening process as she gets older. You can definitely tell she remembers doing a lot of this last year.

Then we came in and dyed eggs! Sasa made some natural dyes while we were gone this morning. He used turmeric (yellow), beets (pink), purple cabbage (robin's egg blue), yellow onion skins (orange), and then we mixed them all to make one fun color! We're leaving them in overnight so they get pretty dark. With 24 eggs in all, I think we're going to have a pretty crazy egg hunt on our hands this Sunday!

Happy Earth Day and Happy Easter! I'll be back at the beginning of the week to share some of our Easter fun!

Getting Ready

Lettuce. Kale. Chard. Beets. Carrots. Peas. Beans. Tomatillos. Tomatoes. Leeks. Winter squash. Pie pumpkins. Basil. Basil. Basil. Nasturtiums. Zinnias. Sunflowers...

Those are just some of the things we are planting this year. We're expanding the garden this year to accomodate more winter storage veggies to last us further through the winter season. And our chicken fence will be the support for tons of pole beans. And then there are the sunflower forts we hope to plant. And the climbing vines and flowers all over her tree house. And the potted herb garden for the front steps. And the flowers for the window boxes. And the extra pear tree so our lonely one will start to bear fruit. And hopefully a couple of apple trees. And the extra medicinal herbs for the herb garden.

Boy, do we have plans. We have plans and plans and more plans. And I'm started to wonder with all the traveling and work I'm doing this summer if I can make it all fit in! But there's nothing that I love more than being out in the sunshine with my hands in the dirt, growing our own food. I'm hoping we can freeze more, can more, and store more to last us longer this next winter.

The little one and I started some seedlings. I won't lie...our budget is extremely tight right now. Trying to stay home with a little one with a mostly seasonal job means winter is tight. Even purchasing seedling containers seemed a little extravagant. We had a stack of egg cartons and it gave me an idea. We always plant a bunch of seedlings in egg shell halves that we save that the little one is in charge of, but why not use some of our millions of egg cartons for the rest?! So we did. And it is working! I only planted things like lettuce, kale, chard, and basil in them because they are so shallow and I know don't need to grow that big before we can transplant outdoors. For the the tomatillos, I purchased deeper containers. (I think I started about 30 plants...we do love our salsa verde!).

The little one is in charge of the flowers and her basil on the windowsill. She checks them daily and waters them. It's the cutest! It's exciting to watch them grow. We spent a day earlier in the week turning the soil in our raised beds and talking about planting the beets and carrots and beans and sunflowers. The little one ended up rolling for hours in the dirt...she clearly missed that feeling after this long winter! I know I did.

So yea...we are super excited about gardening season here. Super excited. I think I may just spend every spare second outside digging in the dirt. It's a nice thing having this little urban homestead. We can do so much on our land, yet still walk to everything we need. What a sweet little life!

What are you planting this year??! I would love to see pictures of your gardens!! Leave some in the comments...

Cooking With My Girl

Cooking with my girl is one of my favorite moments of the day. She is really loving helping me with dinner, and is often in charge of the chard or kale. She's also becomming a master at making pasta sauce with all her herb additions. It's so fun to watch! That first picture? I asked her to "Look normal" and that's what she gave me. Ha! And she took the one of me with the chard. She was very proud of that one!

Today we made a simple play kitchen in the backyard for making mudpies and other delicious goodies from nature. Right now it's just a simple board, but soon we will make something more elaborate. We all took a trip after lunch down to the thrift store to get metal pots, pans, and spoons. We had so much fun! We invited some other kids from the neighborhood over for a mudpie making party. They were thoroughly enjoying digging in the mud!

What did you do today?!

54 in March

Today I ran in a sleeveless shirt and what felt like too-short shorts (these pasty white legs felt a little modest after a long winter). It felt so good. I think my body had forgotten what it was like to run without my lungs practically freezing.

We spent the day mostly outdoors, but this morning we opened windows, mopped every hard floor in the house, put the blankets to air out on the line, then we sat on the back porch letting the sun hit our faces and make us feel alive again.

The world is changing around us...snow is melting and we are seeing bulbs pop up out of the muddy soil. Birds are chirping in the threes above, and the air smells like life again. We talk a lot about the root children waking up below the ground and how they are polishing all the beetles, mending their spring clothes, and helping to push up all the flowers right now. The little one is changing right along with it. Her bleached blonde summer hair has been too long out of the sun and is darker. Freckles started popping up on her nose today, reminding me of my sister. She's growing so fast and I'm constantly amazed by her maturity and sweet presence.

This afternoon we mended the chicken fence, then sat down in the sun to read more of our favorite spring books. "To Market, To Market" inspired a hunt in the stream for salmon which we caught and then "smoked" in some birch trees. We then headed to the farm (the local market) to pick some lettuce, an avocado from the tree, and dig up some garlic from the dirt. On our way home we collected our smoked salmon and headed home with our loot to make a delicious spring-inspired dinner. So much fun!

This evening we did some more fishing in the river. Fly got his feet wet in the cold salt water and we all walked home by the light of the almost full moon.

What a beautiful 54 degree day in March. It was surely enough joy to last a long time!

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.

It's Coming

The back porch was a good 55 degrees yesterday afternoon. My friend and I sat out there, bare arms, faces in the sun, trying to soak up as much as possible. The girls were running around in the snow with no coats on. We heard birds overhead and looked up to see about twenty resting in the tree above us. They hung around for a while. Their songs reminded us that spring is on its way.

 

Hers and a Heavenly Day

Well, I started the little one's cowl yesterday and finished it at the breakfast table this morning. I used leftovers from her sweaters. It came off the needles and she exclaimed, "Mama! It only took you two days to knit me this!" And she put it right on. She was very excited about the idea of having warm cheeks on our walks. So we headed right out to put it to good use.

Perhaps this wasn't the best day for cowl wearing because it warmed up to a marvelous 48 degrees! I was outside in my t-shirt shoveling snow for the chickens (who went on vacation and hopefully will be back really soon!) and cleaning up the back porch. It was amazing. Regardless of this warming trend, I'm still starting my cowl tomorrow...

We found a bird's next on our walk home. A teensy tiny one that I placed on our window sill looking out into the backyard. I like to think of it as a reminder that spring is on its way. Our seed order has been placed, our garden will expand slightly to accomodate more winter storage veggies, I'm looking into my bees (!!!!!! So excited and just wanted to thank you all again for the marvelous links you sent me last summer after my bee lust post. I really hope it happens this year!), and we're about ready to tap the trees. I can't wait to taste the cool, clear sap again. Spring tonic. This full moon (Friday!) will start the Sap Moon, which means spring is definitely on its way! (Check out this book...I adore it.)

I hung my first line of laundry in about four months. I'm pretty sure this is one of the first day in months above 30 degrees. And 30 degrees was a rarity this winter. We were mostly dealing with subzero temps. Killer. I can take the snow, but the cold I would rather leave behind.

The little one played outside all day. We went on bike rides, stomped in puddles, let Mr. Pickles (who decided today was much too nice to sleep away) explore the barn a little, and tried to teach Pepper to fetch. Then it was more walks, a little acupuncture, more soaking in the sunshine, and a lovely dinner full of greens.

And it looks like tomorrow might be a repeat which makes me very, very happy indeed.

What are you loving about late February??

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.

a snow day.

I love days like these. Over a foot of snow in less than 12 hours. We were housebound, and I loved every minute of it. All three of us (well, five including the indoor animals) warm and snug in our wee house. There was dancing (The Nutcracker, of course), granola making, bread baking, shoveling (lots and lots), many many many rounds of wet snowpants, hats, mittens, scarves, coats, and boots, book reading, sewing for Purple Violet and her new horse, and an evening sitting around the table joking and laughing while knitting and sipping wine by candlelight.

I love how snow, especially lots, will completely calm a town. You walk out your door and there is...silence. All around, silence. There are no cars, no sounds of chatter. It is silent. Like you are the only one in the world marveling at the white wonderland before you. It's magical and my favorite part of winter.

Tomorrow we're prepared for more sledding, more snow fort making, more baking, and more snuggling. I can't wait.

 

King Winter

King Winter finally decided to listen to a certain little person's pleas and graced us with over a foot of snow today. And it's still snowing. Hooray! The town pretty much shut down and everyone was cozied up inside their homes. We made hot chocolate, shoveled, played with neighbors, read books, started a new knitting project, drank lots of tea, watched the snow fall, made muffins and butter and whipped cream, and constructed snow forts.

This storm was so perfectly timed; following the bustle of the holiday and forcing everyone to slow down just a little bit more. I loved having nowhere to go and nothing to do. The ease of just being is so very wonderful.

The wind is whipping through our old window panes right now. The house is as cozy as it will be, and the cool outside air that is slowly seeping in is nice to breathe.

I hope you all enjoyed your Monday. I'll be back with more film photos to show you soon. In the meantime, enjoy the new banner! xoxo.

Winners and Sleigh Rides

Thanks to all who entered my giveaway! It was so sweet reading all of your holiday traditions. So many awesome ideas in there!!

Random.org chose commenter #60 ::

Erin said...

I love this giveaway! My favorite tradition is lighting the advent wreath every night at dinner. I spend all week looking forward to Sunday so we can light the next candle.

 

So congrats Erin!! pPease e-mail me with your mailing address at ewallacephoto@gmail.com and I will send your package out ASAP! 

Here's a little glimpse of our magical sleigh ride on our friend's farm where we went to find the perfect Christmas tree...

 

It was so very sweet and magical. The perfect memory for a little one to have around the holidays. We feel very lucky for friends, for the simple things, for such special moments that make life so wonderful. xoxo.

And just a little note I need to add...our amazingly loved Fly Dog is very sick. He's old and was diagnosed with canine lymphoma. He's in kidney failure and we're not sure if he has days or a couple of weeks. It hit fast (just a few days ago) and very hard. The news has been particularly hard after all the losses we've had these last few months. And the holidays coming up...oh, I'm so teary just writing this. I feel sick to my stomach and am finding it hard to digest the news. Fly is a local celebrity. He is so loved. Please, if you can, keep him in your thoughts. Wish him an easy road to the next life.

Depending on what happens and when, I may be sparse here. I'm just having a hard time with this news. Thanks for your support, my sweet friends. xoxo.

film

 

What a weekend.

Sleigh rides. Christmas trees. Blessing Ways. Visits from family. Latkes. Tree trimming. Christmas music. Crafting.

Oh, it was all so marvelous.

I'm loving my film camera, although I do believe I need to get the lens adjusted. The focus is a wee bit off, but I still love the results. These photos were taken in November on a hike. The colors make me happy.

I'm finally back on flickr (yay!), so I'll be around sharing more soon!

Happy Weekend!

 

Fall Is Here

Glimpses of fall.

Baking. Red, orange, and yellow leaves. Mums. New kitchenware (a big smooch to my sis for those awesome scores!). Zucchini bread and tea parties with neighbors. Finding leaves on our kitchen floor. Wind. Rain. Fall stories. Mugs full of hot tea. Wool sweaters and socks. Blankets on the couch to snuggle under. Cleaning out the gardens of the summer harvest and watching the fall crops grow.

We're enjoying fall so much. I'm amazed at how fast it seems to be flying by.

What are you doing this fall?!

A Fall Hike

I love this weather. I love hats and hot tea. I love the smell of leaves turning and falling to the ground. I love the delicious sights and sounds. I love being with the ones I love in the midst of all this beauty. We are lucky. Very, very lucky to have all this.

Today we took the little one on a hike that my father used to take me when I was her age. We went on a wild mushroom hunt, told fairy stories, spotted and heard many fairies, breathed in that wonderful fall air, and had a sweet little picnic at the very top. I tried to capture some images like the ones my father took way back when. It's nice to see some place that hasn't changed at all in many years. I'm loving showing you my photos straight out of the camera...no editing. It feels good.

Me. At age 4.

 

Me. At the top

Our plans for the week have shifted a bit. Life has a funny way of surprising you when you least expect it. But I'm headed out on my own to NYC for just a day and two nights. The reason, I will reveal when I get back. It's a good one...I promise!

See you all then! Be well, friends.

Learning the Leaves

We've been taking daily nature walks every morning before Sasa heads off to work. Yesterday morning we collected leaves from all different kinds of trees and vines. We also spent the day collecting berries to bring home and identify in our books that we recently got at the library.

I picked up a small drawing journal recently for her to keep throughout the year. I like the idea of having one each year, so when she's older she can look back at how she developed and changed. We started out doing leaf rubbings in this journal. We identified each leaf, wrote the tree it was from, and used our beeswax block crayons to rub over the leaf.

We ended up making lots of pretty prints. Some ended up hanging on the walls around our nature table and others were given to friends. Others stayed in her little book. She loves flipping through it and naming all the leaves.

It's a sweet thing to hear her excitedly point out grape vines growing amongst lilacs, and maple trees that "we will tap in the spring." She's learning so much, so quickly. It's an amazing thing to witness.

And we spent the afternoon out in the yard. Belina (our friendliest chicken) escaped to join us in our play. We ate smiley face toast and played hide and seek with Belina. There was jumping like a monkey and swinging high enough to reach the clothes on the line.

I was really looking at her while editing these pictures tonight and realized she has grown and matured so much in the last six months. It blows my mind!

This is the last day my baby will be three. It's amazing how time flies. It's amazing that only four years on this Earth can result in such a bright, capable, extraordinary being. She rocks my world. I couldn't be more blessed. And now I'm off to finish some birthday gifts that the birthday fairies will leave tomorrow. Happy Wednesday!

A Fall Morning Walk

We decided to take advantage of the cool morning and bundle up in our sweaters and hats. The balance bike is still getting a tremendous amount of use, even though she rides a "big girl bike" now. Purple Violet had to come, so mama rigged up a little baby seat in the front. It worked perfectly.

The little one was so happy about having a passenger. We ended up taking a nice long walk through town (on top of three others today) and ended it with a hot cocoa date with some friends. I can't tell you how excited she was about the whip cream. Mama is usually a tad careful about the sugar consumption. But it was quite a treat.

We spent the afternoon collecting acorns and chestnuts. The little one wants to make chestnut horses, but we need a few more before that. So we're keeping an eye on the tree next door, waiting for some to fall. Although we've talked about saving lots of chestnuts and acorns for the squirrels who need them for the winter.

We also got out some of our fall reads. I've updated the list to the side with some of our favorites. I think I've read "Woody, Hazel, and Little Pip" dozens of times these past few days. She just adores that book, and I do too. I  love how she is pulling all the Elsa Beskow books off the shelves these days. They are such gentle reads inspiring lots of imaginative play long after they've been read.

And, of course, our nature table needed a little lift! What are some fall reads you are loving? Also, I'm craving a good novel about farming. Any ideas? I just can't wait to get some goats (and bees!).

Happy almost Fall!!

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!

Doing Nothing

Sasa and I have been talking a lot lately about doing nothing. Not just sitting around and doing nothing, but being able to enjoy something so very simple and yet have so much fun. Whether going for a walk, watching a meteor shower (Friday night...it was awesome!) in a field, picking wildflowers, dipping our toes in the pond, putting on music and dancing for hours. All of these are pretty simple things that don't involve planning, car rides, and lots of effort. And they are so much fun.

So we did just that over the weekend. Lots of nothing. Our favorite nothing activity was going for a walk in the woods, finding stick people and building them a house and beds. We must have played for two hours in this little spot. We laughed and giggled, dressed up the stick people in acorn hats and leaf dresses, played fetch with Doggy Fly, had a major tickle game (the little one totally won!), and just enjoyed the simplicity of being together with no agenda, in the middle of a beautiful spot.

(taken by the little one! she's so good!)

We definitely plan on doing nothing as much as we can. There's something about these simple moments that stick with me forever; they are the memories that tend to never leave my mind. I guess these are the moments that mean the most to me. They certainly are filled with lots of love.

When is the last time you did nothing? What was it? I'd love to hear!

Happy Monday everyone! I'll hopefully be back with a link list tomorrow...

Blueberry Hill

Our favorite little spot. It's magical. With fields and fields of blueberries, a path up the hill surrounded by clover and blackberries, and the top of the hill covered in chamomile complete with a stone house topped with a sod roof, and you have perfection.

We love this little spot. We picked some berries, some chamomile (it took one smell from the little one for her to identify that this was in her bedtime tea!), some clovers, and had a picnic atop the hill. As we were walking back, the rain started. We climbed into the car and it started to pour. So we nixed the swimming and playground and headed to another special spot for some free sorbet and a little indoor playtime.

We drove home in the pouring rain. By the time we got home, things were dry and the sun was out. We planted some of our chamomile in our herb garden, talking about how some day we would pick it and dry it for our bedtime tea. 

And the afternoon's fun with last in our memories forever. I love this little spot. I love these two beautiful people in my life. We are so very, very lucky!

Happy weekend everyone!

Bees and Summer Nature Table

The little one and I have noticed just how many bees are in our yard this summer. It seems like hundreds! I couldn't pick a flower without one flying out. It has indeed been an amazing year for bees (and honey!!) and we are learning more and more about them everyday.

We set to work making a bee mobile to hang above our new nature table. It's super easy. The wreath was made out of old grape vines, the flowers out of wool felt, and the bees were just black felt that we rolled between our hands to make it into an oblong shape. You then wrap it with some yellow embroidery floss and the wings I made out of tracing paper. I sewed the wings on (with one stitch) leaving a long thread to hang them from the wreath.

The little one and I also went to the library to get books about bees to learn more about them. We weren't exactly sure what happened after they brought the nectar back to the hive, and we were so surprised to read that they have quite the amazing system! I will never look at a bee the same way again. They are smart creatures. It's just fueling my love of beekeeping. I so want to keep bees and have been after Sasa this summer to let me do it. Anyone out there a beekeeper? I'd love to hear your experience!

The table our nature corner sits upon was found thrifting at my favorite little place. We have had a variety of nature tables, but with the rate this house gets changed around, the nature table was always getting pushed aside or taken down altogether. But this place? It won't budge. It's right in our mudroom for all to see. I love seeing it when we walk out the door.

The little one helped a lot putting this together, even finding her two summer picture books and placing them on the table. She's so sweet.

I am in love with this little corner. I think it's my new favorite!

What does your nature table look like right now?!

Raspberry Jam

It all starts with some good friends, a gorgeous farm, two sweet little ones, lots of red ripe raspberries, straw hats and picnic blankets, fields of buckwheat, and ends with...

... jars of raspberry jam. Mmmmm....yummy!

Beach Days

We've been spending oodles of time at the beach. I rarely bring my camera (it's too risky!) but I happened to have it with me a couple of times last month. I've been waiting for just the right day to share these beach photos, and with the busy week we've had, today feels like the perfect day. There's not much else to do at the beach but slow down, relax, and breathe. These photos are nice reminders!

I'll be back tonight with some amazing photos from an absolutely gorgeous shoot with an absolutely gorgeous gal! Yay!

Pressing Flowers

We gathered, prepared, and pressed flowers that we collected around the neighborhood. We thanked them for being so beautiful and for letting us use them for our project.

We waited over a week to check on the flowers. Tonight we pulled the layers out, one by one, carefully taking the pressed flowers off the paper and leaving them to dry in the open air for one more night.

What we might do with them, we're not sure. But I just know we'll find the perfect thing when the time comes.

Oh, I do love summer.

Yard Scenes

We spend a lot of time in the yard. A lot! If we're not at the beach, or the lake, or downtown with friends, we're out back. We're hardly ever inside anymore! So I've taken some yard scene pictures over the last couple of weeks. It's quite the hodgepodge, but here you have it...

So much fun.  Snap pea picking, sprinkler runs, dancing for the chickens, blackberry ice cream smiles, and knitting! And that purple sweater? My FIRST ever sweater? Totally done! The button was put on today. I am so excited to show it and as soon as it's cool enough for the little one to model, it will make an appearance here. That and the three pairs of beach pants I'm working on for her. Oh yes, all I want to do is create! And it's so much fun.

What are you currently working on?

Alewives Fishladder Festival

It's a yearly tradition to go see the alewives running. Every year the Fishladder Restoration holds a festival to raise money for the fishladder building project. These little fish make quite a journey from salt water to fresh water where they spawn. The ladder project helps them along the way, but it is tough. Watching those little fish swim against strong currents, inclining all the way is rather miraculous. I felt so helpless staring at them struggling against the strong currents. And, of course, some die of exhaustion because it is just that hard. And others are captured by osprey and seagulls. But those who make it are amazing.

We got some smoked alewives (seems a little counterproductive, doesn't it?!), heard some live music, watched a fabulous puppet show, visited with Rhea-Rhea where the little one got her face painted and I picked up my newly arrived quilt pattern (yay!), played osprey games, rode in a horse-pulled carriage with a tiny white dog named Olive chasing after us, and visited with friends. It was very fun.

We bumped into many Bluebirdbaby readers! It was so nice to meet you all! Thanks for introducing yourself. You guys all rock. We should seriously have a little BBQ or something this summer for anyone local...I am so enjoying getting to know you!

The little one bought a smoked alewife with her dollar. She wanted to bring it home for Kiwi the cat. Apparently, even though it's smoked we still need to cook it. So tonight, as I was laying with her in bed she said, "Mama...please ask Sasa to cook that fish for me tonight. I want to eat for breakfast tomorrow morning." Well, alrighty sweet one. So the fish is in the oven and will be ready for breakfast in the morning. I don't think I ever expected an entire fish, gills and all, on our kitchen table. But with the little one, you never know...

And this afternoon? Well, I'm so excited to show you. We have a new addition to our yard, and I am very, very excited! More on that later...

Happy Weekend!!!

Ten Little Chicks...

Well, our demand of Happy Eggs completely out numbered our actual supply, so we decided to adopt some more chicks. Ten to be exact. We got some from our friend's farm last week that were a couple of weeks old already, then we picked up some more day old chicks today. Oh my, they are so cute! We've named half of them (Happy, Cara, Molly, Delila, and Daisy) and the latest batch of five have yet to be named.

They are currently residing in a cozy corner of our basement until they are old enough to join the big ladies. Even then they will need to be separated until they are full grown. Apparently chickens aren't quite so welcoming when it comes to making new friends...

The little one has had so much fun with them. She loves to check on them, sing them songs, and say good morning and goodnight. Those little chickies sure are loved!

And the big chickens? Well, they don't have a clue what's going on. We did find out they LOVE potato chips (and wooly thyme in my garden!)

I am still super duper busy, and June is going to be an even busier month. I may be a little quite on here while I get caught up on work. Happy Thursday!!!

Summer?

It's certainly starting to feel like summer around here. A day of 80+ degrees meant the pool was out, the hose was on, and we were living in the sun. We spent almost the entire day in the yard washing the car, playing with friends, and going on walks. (Oh, and that is the face of a little someone who got her dress all wet, and then decided that she didn't really want to be wet at all...)

Another thing the little one and I love to do is watch all the flowers bloom. We remember from last year where all the different flowers bloom around the neighborhood. When the lupine field starts to flower, it's just gorgeous. And buttercups! They are everywhere this year! We also have some gorgeous yellow flowers in our backyard, which I think are snapdragons. We love making beautiful bouquets for our dinner table. I think our next project will be to make a map of our neighborhood, drawing in all the flowers where they grow and naming them. Oh yes...that would be fun!

Oh, I think I'm going to enjoy summer this year...extreme heat or not!

Happy May Day!!

My parents had this sweet little tradition with me on May Day when I was little. My dad would ring the doorbell during breakfast and my mother and I would rush to the door to find two little baskets filled with goodies. We'd have to go find him and give him a kiss and say, "Happy May Day!" I told this story to the little one and she was so excited for May Day. So this morning I snuck out the back door while the little one and Sasa were playing and left my goodies for them on the front steps. I rang the bell and quickly hid in our rhododendron bush. They eventually found me, but it did take a couple of fake sneezes!

We followed the surprise with a special breakfast. I've been off eggs since this raw diet thing, but enjoyed an omelet made with fresh chives and basil, tomatoes, and ricotta salata. Oh my. The little one enjoyed the fruit salad made by Sasa. We just love eating in our new kitchen!!

The rest of the day was spent at home gardening, running inside to read and get out of the hot sun, and plenty of walks. My legs are going to enjoy a good rest on the couch tonight.

And the day ended with a surprise picnic from Sasa at our favorite little spot. The sushi was amazing...even Doggie Fly enjoyed some. And to top it all off, Sasa had a raw chocolate cake hiding behind a tree for me. Aw, he just rocks!! The little one was in on it too! They are something special.

What did you do for May Day? I think May Day has to be one of my new favorite celebrations ever!