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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!)
mark and i try to have a real, honest to goodness date night once a week. whether it's just drinks someplace special, a picnic as the sun sets, or a fancy dinner at a great restaurant, we have found it's just really nice to step outside our home life and experience something different as a couple.
he wears his fancy jeans and shoes, and i'll throw on a dress or silk shirt and apply more than just mascara. it feels good to really put some effort into how we look for each other!
this week we headed to a new place in rockland called 3 Crow. i was fortunate enough to do some of their photography, which was just a dream because the place couldn't be more beautiful. and to top it off, our friends tara and josh started it all up! and guess what? tara is one of the state's top pastry chefs.
i wasn't planning on even sharing on here that i took some photos for them, because i already did here, but our dinner last night was just unbelievable. it was so good that i really wanted to tell everyone i bumped into today that i had the most fabulous dining experience of my life at 3 Crow.
because you see, there is a gluten-free option for just about everything. i had gluten-free fancy fried onions, mark had a gluten-free baguette, we shared a shaved brussel sprout and bacon salad, ordered more fried onions, then had the quail main dish wrapped in bacon and served over grits with a side of spring radishes. and then...oh then...we had our choice of anything we wanted from the dessert menu, because guess what? it was ALL gluten-free. all of it. we ordered the coconut cream puffs covered in chocolate and butterscotch pudding.
sometimes you just have to NOT be paleo. and this was so amazing.
i think for people who are not gluten-free, maybe you will not completely appreciate my enthusiasm and, quite possibly...shock, about my experience last night at dinner. you see, having celiac's basically means that anytime i eat outside of my own home i am risking a reaction. and my reactions are not pleasant. and it's more often than not that it happens when we go out.
last night i didn't have to worry. i simply enjoyed my dining experience with amazing food that was the best i've ever had. and my belly had never felt better!
so thank you, tara and josh, for creating a fabulous restaurant with amazing food and a beautiful environment!
and to all you mainer's...get out to 3 Crow! you won't be disappointed!
we had our first spring beach visit this past weekend. we went down to a favorite little beach of ours and met some friends. despite the cold, wind, and frigid atlantic ocean temperatures, the girls promptly requested their swimsuits and headed for the water.
we all said they were nuts, but it didn't matter. they found a warm tidepool and hopped right in.
they ran in the sand, explored a driftwood fort, and made a sand cafe where they served us all kinds of yummy creations!
the car is still filled with sand, as it will be all summer long. it's a nice little reminder that the warmth is returning and the short, cold days are coming to an end. we are so ready...
how was your weekend? what adventures did you go on?
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!
saturday late afternoon we headed down to portsmouth, nh. we walked around, grabbed some espresso and ventured into galleries and stores.
then sunday we prepared for a dinner party with some fabulous friends.
now it's monday. we settle into the work week and our time away. we look forward to coming together each night, celebrating with a lovely dinner and glass of wine. then we work in the studio, creating work inspired by one another.
well, we had a full and fabulous weekend here. we got a lot done around the house, but also managed to get out exploring both days. we went to some thrift shops saturday where i scored some great clothes and even found my heels for the wedding. we walked around one of our favorite towns and explored some new shops we fell in love with. ended our adventure with stopping for a treat (an affagato) at the best little gelato place.
then a lovely sunday morning complete with sleeping in, a 6 mile run, then bacon and espresso (our new morning favorite!). we re-painted the kitchen floor and headed out for drinks and apps at our favorite place while it dried, made our guest list for our wedding and started brainstorming our save the dates.
Liked,
shared, and grateful for the opportunity to win one of these! I have a
fidgety kid and she could really use something to help her focus all
that energy! =)
Ali...congrats! Please e-mail me (erinlittlephoto(@)gmail.com) and I'll get your info to Open Ended Creations! YAY!
And for the rest, don't forget: Open Ended Creations is also offering a 15% discount to Bluebirdbaby readers with coupon code: "BlueBirdBaby"
we left early saturday morning and headed out for a full day of adventures: coffee shops (many), galleries (many), leather bracelet making, bumping into Bluebirdbaby readers (hi Rachael!), meeting up with friends, trying out new cameras, taking photos, openings with some talented friends, meeting up with my mama, dinner out, and a lovely drive back home.
we woke up sunday morning, looked at each other, and all said how much fun yesterday had been. that's when you know it was really good.
registration will be open until monday! sign up here!! this is already such an amazing, inspiring, exciting group! come join us!
this week has been...
insanely busy
full of work outside of the home
cold and windy and rainy and dark
i've been so busy this week. busier than normal. and this space here has been on my mind. i was asked to write an article about bluebirdbaby for a magazine and the deadline was this week. i packed up my notebook, some pens, my glasses, and headed south for a cozy little bar. i sat overlooking the river rushing by with a glass of wine and my thoughts. i wrote the article, which was supposed to be about some aspect of what i do here in this space. and you know what? i wrote all about YOU; my readers. i can't wait to share it with you...you really do mean so much to me.
these photos are from a day that m and i had meetings. so he took off from work and we were luckily headed in the same direction, so we went together. we stopped for some galleries and a cup of coffee and walked hand in hand down the side streets. there was a bookshop visit where we looked for poetry and photography books.
we're excited to settle into the weekend. it will be a busy one, but it will be wonderful. what are your weekend plans?
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...
it was a windy day yesterday. really windy. we were supposedly experiencing the tail end of a tropical storm, which resulted in some clouds and a whole lot of wind.
so what did we do? we headed right for the hills for some kite flying. the little one made a kite at summer camp this year, and although we couldn't really get it to fly properly, she was still proud of it. we brought an extra, just in case.
we ran through the fields, giggling at the kites going up and promptly zooming towards the ground. then we finally got one of them flying, and we clapped and cheered and watched it fly through the sky.
we made a quick trip to boston this weekend. after seeing an amazing performance by ingrid michaelson in portland, we headed down to drop off two of mark's paintings that were selected for a juried show. (woohoo!)
we managed to cram in the SOWA market, a visit to the galleries on thayer street, lunch on newbury, and some budget-wise shopping.
i rarely bring my digital camera with me anymore and instead carry around my pentax k1000. the above photos were taken with my iphone.
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.
I wanted to mention that I am accepting new sponsors and offering a 10% discount for the month of June! Contact me at ewallacephoto@gmail.com for more info!
Late last week there was another break in the rain. We got out for a scooter ride through town after dinner. The weekend was gorgeous, although right now it looks like we are right back to rainy weather again. I'm trying to stay motivated, despite the gray skies.
I've been sitting here at my desk, feeling rather chilled from the lack of sun. I'm on my fourth cup of PG Tips (5 is my max...or at least, I try to tell myself that...). The little one was up at an early hour this morning, battling a headache and feeling not so great. I served her breakfast on the couch, curled up under her blanket. And now she's off to her Papa's house for a part of the week. Such a funny thing letting her go...being in Mama mode for so long, then suddenly switching it "off" and putting on my other hat...the business one, the kid-less one where I get to stay out late with friends, and sleep in, and work as much as I can fit into a day. Somehow it all seems rather perfect, even when it's hard. A balance somewhat.
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!
I had the pleasure of finally meeting a local artist I had met on flickr so long ago. We sat down to tea this morning in her lovely home, chatted about photography and art and travel, took some pictures, and then I got a studio tour.
Lari is so incredibly talented. I was inspired by her work and her eye, and I can't wait to meet up again. (In two weeks I'm getting a lesson! So excited!) Check out more of her work here, and see some originals for sale here!
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...
Phew! Sorry for the abense my friends! Life has been, well....life. Busy and full and lovely and crazy and everything in between. Sometimes the weeks fly by and the one simple thing I've been meaning to do gets undone; like posting here. I miss you all! And I miss being in this space.
Life has been very full. Full of good food, get togethers, friends, creating, work (and lots of it), mothering, partnering, and trying to breathe in the midst of it all.
This past weekend, the little one and I had an afternoon in the big city with our friends. My assistant and I are cooking up something goooood with a certain talented someone in the big city after the holidays. So we took a couple of hours to brainstorm and check out some spaces. After we walked around the city taking some shots for a few minutes. Maria snapped these of the little one and I. I adore them. Love them. I hardly ever have photos of us together. It means so much.
And, oh my...how she has grown. I just started photographing her in a very different way. She is no longer this cute little toddler. She's matured. She's got emotions behind those eyes and expressions. It's amazing to witness and even more amazing to capture. She's the best model anyone could ever ask for. She's opening up more to the camera too. I can't wait to see where it takes us....
How are you all? I hope you are all well and enjoying life. I'll be back soon...promise.
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?!
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.
Her first fair with rides. We spent 7 hours (!!) and the joy was just priceless. We spent the day with friends looking at the animals, watching acrobats, and riding the ferris wheel until we could see the "mountains and a grassy field!"
The little one is already asking when next August is so we can do it again...
I hope to pop in tomorrow night one more time before I take off to Vermont for another wedding this weekend! Enjoy your Friday!
We're finally home, unpacking, checking e-mails (all 220 of them), pulling weeds in the garden, planting more fall crops, and really, really, really missing California. We loved it out there. I've decided that even after all the bad rap Oakland gets, the north end near Berkeley is the absolute best. It was actually hard coming home to Maine, which is saying a lot because I love Maine so. We're thinking a second home in California?!!
I have loads of photos to upload. The wedding was breathtaking...couldn't have asked for a better location or better models! We loved every minute of our trip, from the day long drive up the coast through Big Sur (oh my...beautiful!), to taking the Bart to SF, to Chinatown, to hanging out at our favorite coffee bar in the mornings, and to totally cheating on my Paleo diet. (I did pay for it however...I walked around with a tummy ache the whole time, but boy...it was worth it!!)
We seriously can't wait to go back. Sasa's brother and wife were such wonderful hostesses. I hope they don't mind frequent visitors....
Here are some pics I captured with my iPhone...more "real" photos to follow!
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.
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!
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 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!
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.
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!
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.
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...
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...
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!!
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!
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.
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...
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.
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!
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!
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!).
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!
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!
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!
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...
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!
