6 posts tagged “fall”
I've woken up to fall being here with the new colors in the trees. The reds and golds shimmering in the late sun have been tickling at the edges of my vision, cajoling me to like fall. The birds must have flown south. Their nest was unoccupied by the little cottage.
We've found that the apple trees each have their own ripening date, one after the other. The last two trees are ready now, crisp and sweet. They've been feeding the deer for the last week, as I didn't know that they would continue to ripen. We thought they were crabapples. I may not get to them even so. They do look so beautiful out my window.
I found the most ingenious box handles today. They looked like faux crystals and when you opened the box, they were attached with a screw. I immediately thought of drawer pulls. Can you envision cute little boxes with all different kinds of drawer pulls for lid handles? What about on the sides of your boxes?
Have you seen this perfume display? I thought it was just adorable, and lends itself for so many different uses. It would be lovely on a dresser, holding your special items, or in a larger version, to hold cups with silverware and napkins for a party.
Some beautiful colors were showing in the blackberry patch, but alas, they will never sweeten in this chill. I think it's time for cocoa and candlelight.
I've been hosting my mother this week. Not by our choice,but delightful all the same. She fell down a flight of stairs and fractured her ankle, so we've been working on projects with her leg elevated. All of my current art is in a "middle" stage right now. It looks halfway done with pieces here and there.
Here's one I haven't started yet, but feel I'm going to have to. Today one of my students asked me a question I've been wondering myself. "Have you actually done this project we're doing right now?" Um, no. I had to admit. I'm teaching you, and I know how to teach you, but I haven't actually done it myself. I know that sounds strange, but as I've taught the class before and my student's paintings received rave reviews, I'd only let it nibble at the corner of my mind. I think I'm going to have to do a copy of the painting I'm teaching...
As I'm not really crazy about any holiday that includes freaking people out, Halloween and April fools Day are pretty low on my favorites list. However, I do enjoy a good fall party and I found these delightful little cakes.
You'll need to record the recipe right away though. They are on the Cookie magazine site and I just got a notice that they are closing the magazine.
I've been teaching my students the good habit of daily sketching, including making a list of things for them to sketch.
This site caught my eye as they are trying to follow the "sketch-a-day" practice. One magazine that isn't disapearing (yet) is my Bon Appetit. It came in the mail yesterday and after looking at those yummy photos of Thanksgiving, I know you're going to be drooling on your keyboard.
Just you wait.
I've started artwork in the first fabric book, and I really like it! I had actually been struggling with how to cut a canvas without having it being pulled apart by the tension required to keep it stretched. By creating a canvas book, it eliminates the whole issue of tension caused by canvas being pulled around the frame. So, look for some holes to be showing up in subsequent pages.
The theme of this first book is "traveling around the world and through time with art". I know that's pretty broad, but I'm choosing one city/state and time period per page. This first one is of Kansas in the 1930's - 40's. The artwork in the book will be moving around the world as though someone was taking a plane trip.
It's the end of the season for peaches and blackberries. I'd gone picking with my mother on the day after peaches were done, so once again we picked nectarines instead. However, the growers had a few boxes of my favorite variety (Canadian Harmony) in the cooler, so I paid the price and came home with a beautiful box. Mom and I also went up to
the cemetary where my brother is buried. I love the path up there, it leads to this tree, and a tranquil view over the countryside.
I was cajolled, as I am once a year, to sleep outside. We went camping at a friend's place, complete with roasting marshmellows over a campfire to create s'mores. More marshmellows than usual succumed to the flames. I think the age of the campers had increased just enough to make them brave roasting their own, but not old enough to know what they were doing.
Scampy has braved cancer surgery for a second time and is doing fine. My dad couldn't help but fund one more doctor's visit. She's such a sweet dog, and so full of life. I love her expressive eyes, greying muzzle, and gentle spirit.
There's a natural salad out my dining room window, thrown together by the wild winds whipping around the house. Blue fescue pots have leaves in their hair. The "bird berries" wave in masses, clinging to their stems as their leaves die off.
The hydrangeas turn their final deep shades of violet before the frosts come to coat them.
Inside, my fetish with houses builds up and feverish fingers make a mini village. Stirrings of Christmasy castles lurk in the background. I have yet to find a perfect gingerbread castle pattern. This year I'll just have to create a huge one myself...
It's happening! Hurrah! Hurrah! Dh and I are finally going away on a munchkins free weekend! We don't care to waste one minute on tickets or travel, so we stay right here in Portland. There is sooo much to see and do right in our own backyard. I'll take you on a photo tour next week. I can't wait! (Can you tell?)
To celebrate, I made these sweet mini bags, his and hers. I knew you'd love them too.
I can make one to celebrate your trip too. Just send me a note with colors you like, and I can whip it up. I can make one any size you'd like and can even fit mini tickets (such fun to make) proclaiming the place you are going with your travel mate(s)!
Last weekend we walked the street in downtown Portland and saw something from my college days. I recall strolling the streets in a tiny town in Nebraska and having hundreds of these crunch under foot. One of my munchkins was delighted with them and their "hats". He stuffed his pockets, determined to take them back to the squirrels at Deer Haven.
It was a lovely night. Strains from the classical station followed me from the house as I walked out on our deck and looked up at the night sky. We'd been having warm weather and windless evenings, and no humidity at the end of summer in the northern hemisphere.
It's a pity that it's so hard to catch the deer in the darkness, for that's the time they love Deer Haven the most. Two nights ago they settled down under the apple trees while we were eating dinner on the deck. Our trees are mature enough (and wild enough) to withstand their feedings.
There are too many apples for either of us to finish, and we didn't get to all of the plums either. The golden globes are still hanging, spiked as champagne, on the branches.
I started teaching art history at a school in the area, so my art is coming more slowly than I thought it would. (I always think I can do everything at once!) The drawings are coming, but not as soon as I'd thought.
