After that it's all leaf raking, gourds, baking and, of course, Thanksgiving. I can't decide which I like better. Both parts evoke such strong feelings and memories.
What better way to celebrate this, our second phase of autumn, than with a little turkey and some pumpkin pie?
Made from fat silver wire, it was hammered flat so it fits snugly into a book without hurting the binding. In typical AG Ambroult fashion, they were hammered and otherwise abused, then oxidized for a rustic feel. 
The hook fits over the binding, keeping your place secure. Slip it in your book and pick right up where you left off.
This excellent set of blank cards from Weehah! were much too tempting for me. As you may already know, I gravitate towards all things chicken nowadays.
...then did a few touch ups to her own makeup for good measureThere are so many social obligations—birthday parties, games, seasonal events, and school functions, that sometimes it gets overwhelming. We try to keep a balance between life at home and our social lives but we just can't do it all, so at times we pick and choose. I must concede that this is probably going to become more of a challenge as the girls grow older. For now, I'll get away with what I can and keep my "babies" close to home. And use smoke and mirrors—or glow sticks and face paint—when desperation calls for it.
I have to warn you that the face paint is greasy. The girls put it on using cotton swabs and it went on in globs (as you can see above). Later, we applied it with a paint brush and it went on much smoother.
Socks: making and mastering them will be my winter project
The (very) rough start of a soon-to-be gift
more amigurumi (I think it is safe to say that these days, there is always a little crocheted friend in the works)
...and I have a feeling many of you have some variation of this scene in your home now, too.
It started with this giant board of Royal Cedar, 22" wide by 10' long
After cutting and planing the boards much of it was reduced to these shavings on his workshop floor (the kids love playing with those thin curls of wood, and so do I. A craft project just waiting to happen!).
cutting the dovetails
the separate pieces ready to be assembled
And here's a shot of the box with the finish applied. I love how the dovetails pop in contrast. "A" is working on the lid now, and once the whole things is complete I'll share some pics of that, too.
If you'd like to browse some more of A's work, here's his portfolio.
I was glad to recreate what she described. I made them unique by giving the charms a rustic feel. They were blackened just a tad and I (happily!) skipped the polishing. She was thrilled with the finished product, and I just might make a few more as gifts.
...and, has anyone ever attempted a photo shoot with a playful kitten in the house? The shiny dangling chains proved to be too tempting for Pepper. He's lucky he's so adorable.
The blue, white, and green ones are Soulemama's Favorite Hat , and the black one was knit without a pattern—a simple knit 2, purl 2 rib. (A new and fantastic use for pumpkins: hat models!)
With the hasty arrival of cold weather, I pulled out all our winter gear and was reminded that we are in desperate need of new place to store our hats and mittens. The dig-through-the-giant-bin method we have used in the past was just not going to work anymore. In previous winters, finding that one missing glove was like finding a needle in a haystack. I set out to find a shelf or small dresser, but my trip to the used furniture store turned up this cute little night stand:
It's perfect for the tiny space by the front door. Hats in the top drawer, mittens in the bottom drawer. It's easy, organized, and uncluttered. Best of all, means not sifting through that old bottomless pit of head and hand wear.
Today it'll be proper autumn weather again, so winter cold has not yet settled in for the duration. I may even have time to learn how to knit mittens before snow and ice become the norm. If I do, I know I have a great place to keep them.
This year, I am thankful for farmers markets. I'm grateful for the fact that our survival doesn't completely rely on what we produce in our back yard because, looking at this handful of miniature veggies, we would surely go hungry.
Things are starting to happen on the wholesale side again (yay!) so for the next few days, I'll be spending lots of time creating in the workshop. Hat, scarf, cuppa tea, NPR—check!
Our visit to Nihtila Farm was a filled with all things fall: pumpkins (of course!), corn stalks, apples, gourds, hay bales, and plenty of great photo opportunities.
More fodder for the freezer—this time pumpkin puree
The crew hauling their loads
Roasted pumpkin seeds
And a couple of big ones ready to be carved
Happy Pumpkin Season!
I knit mine with wool, as opposed to the wool/silk blend the pattern calls for. You see, I fell in love with this color and had to make something with it, and quick. The final product is a bit beefier than it was intended to be but, given New England winters, that's not such a bad thing. The scarf/wrap is pretty, and the long ladders of dropped stitches give it interest. Once I got in the rhythm of the pattern, it was a cinch—or so I thought, until it was almost complete and this happened:
The longest drop-stitch ladder of the entire piece stopped dropping (I am sure there's an official term for this but I don't know it) about halfway down. Right smack-dab in the center of the scarf. After I spat out a few expletives, I reminded myself that knitting is just an evil ploy to exercise our patience, then moved past the glaring error. I'm happy to report I'm over it, and today I wear my Clapotis with cozy pride. (But in the interest of full disclosure, I do still have nightmares about it.)
I made this remembery capsule for some friends of mine as a wedding gift and finally gave it to them last night. I say finally because, well, they got married in 2006. I know, it is so far beyond the wedding gift etiquette, I should be ashamed of myself.
This no-longer-newlywed couple is not your average duo. They are hikers, skiers, fishermen, engineers, crafters, marketing gurus, gardeners, business owners, oh—and they just built a house, much of it with their own hands. They truly live life to the fullest, and they have sought experiences in many places around the country and the globe.
It was only fitting that their wedding gift reflect their many adventures together. I chose topo maps for the notable locations where they have spent their time and put each one in a token, with the corresponding date.
Each token fits neatly into the capsule.
The tokens are made from two copper discs, riveted together, with the map sandwiched in between. 
Tiny sterling silver skis were soldered to the top, to make the box more personal for the bride and groom (ok—you're right, maybe I shouldn't call them that three years after the fact). 
The apple peeler/corer/slicer. Seriously, what did we do before this?
I thought a few crocheted apples would help celebrate our abundance. (As you may already know, I'm crazy for these crochet patterns—this one is by Amy Gaines. I have mentioned them a couple times before: here and here). 
And some more of those caramels, because caramels should never be too far from so many apples. 
Mud puddle fun!
A little project I have been working on. I'll show you more, including what's inside, soon. (It's a gift, and I have to give it before I can fully share it)
And, quite possibly, the world's biggest apple. It measures six inches in height and 13 inches in girth (yeah, I really did measure it). Do you think this apple alone could fill an apple pie?
We don't really have one dedicated spot in our home to showcase all our finds from the world outside. Instead, we have bits of nature scattered about the house—artful arrangements here, haphazard piles there. Some are permanent works in our collection, like our shells and sea glass, others come and go, are used to create art, or eventually get tossed back outside to make room for current finds. 
We really love our cache of nature's prizes and seasonal artwork, so we're excited to participate in the Seasons Round Exchange for the first time. It is an exchange of items from our nature corners, centered around an appropriate seasonal theme. The exchange's creator came up with the idea as a way to keep the magic of the nature table alive for her children. The hope is that the exchange will bring the joy of the seasons to our homes and hearts.
A local fountain surrounded by mums.
Butter Caramels to die for (thanks to "A", who made a whole pan of it, but this is all I had to work with just a few minutes later). Recipe from Candy Making Basics.
The birdhouse squash are finally starting to grow.
Art with the art supply leftovers (or, fun with crayon shavings).
A dead tree with lively autumn vines.
I knit this little fishie for him and it quickly became his favorite. The simple pattern, from Teach Me To Knit, came together in no time at all.
Instructions called for tying the fish to a thread and dangling it from a stick but, as you can see, Pepper prefers it no strings attached. More fish are in the works, as this one is already thoroughly abused.
He's so fun, but no matter how wild he gets (clawing up the back of the chair, stalking unsuspecting toes), it's never long before he's fast asleep again.
