We spent thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle's lovely home in Delaware. Can you believe they bought this house for a dollar? I'm not joking. It's true. They just had to move it to another plot of land and renovate it. (I say that a little sarcastically because it took years and years of hard work.) It's such a comfortable place to be. A home with tons of character and function. Spending time with my cousins was great. Jake's 18th birthday. So many stories about our childhood were exchanged. Hilarious ones at that! Yummy food, a trip to my grandma's antique shop. Acquired a trunk-full of second-hand goodies (pasta maker, ice cream maker, knitting needles, and surprise socks too!) Went away with inspiration. Today was spent rearranging the house, painting furniture, organizing the kitchen, and color-coding books. :)

first Maryland alpaca fiber festival

Mmmmm... ham-bone and bean soup is simmering, spinach quiche is in the oven. It's nice to use the food we've stored up all summer. I feel like a squirrel. This lifestyle is a content one. I used to become apathetic during the winter, but that's a thing of the past. Growing food is hard work, and come winter,  I'm ready to sit by the fire and relax. Eat. Sleep. Sew. Draw. Repeat. It's a nice feeling, being in-tune with this rhythm of life. 

Went to the Alpaca Fiber Festival this weekend. Inspirational. Jamie's also making good use of his winter away from the farm. He has nearly completed the shed, is chopping firewood daily, and is repairing things like our wood stove and this really old miniature sewing machine. Can you believe it actually works?! I remember using it when I was little.

Sorry for the nonsensical rambling. No time to edit. Soup is calling!

the woods

if only rugs could move like this

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mint . almond . chestnut . fern . ecru

Do you see all that lovely yarn? The farm we live on is selling it at the alpaca festival this weekend. My landlords recruited me to make tags for all of the skeins. I have to admit, I totally enjoy mindless tasks like this. When my parents owned the cafe/deli/whatchamacallitshop I did many of the displays and drew lots of signs for our products. There's just something meditative about stacking jelly jars a mile high and writing tags until the words don't look like English (or even human!) Sometimes I wish I had a little shop to make all darling (and pretteh) but then reality hits and I realize I like the freedom of having only the occasional marketing gig. Everything in moderation, right?

p.s. Homemade spiced chai (or something like it) is best drunk in large quantities and not in moderation. ;)

p.s.s. I used to be hopeless at raising indoor plants, but now I think I might be able to do it. (Especially if my collection goes like: African Violet-hardy, succulents-hardy, Christmas Cactus-hardy...) 

pittsburgh

Who would have thought we'd walk into the cathedral on the day of the Polish Festival?! Mmmmm sauerkraut and kielbasa.

That's a two pound carrot if you couldn't tell... and a hot air balloon that came dangerously close to the road we were driving on.