mating birds and gnome chones

it was a fun filled week...finally felt normal after a surprise jaunt up to oregon in search of hot springs. I caught some poison oak using the forrest as a loo...met samson the amazing t-rex at OMSI, fell in love with noodles on the streets of portland, gave a weather report on tv (for real), went to the zoo and saw an amazingly colorful bird (was too spaced out to catch the name) running around crazy with spring fever, got some handmade love in the mail from batik bum, sewed a new cover for my omen quest cards, found something to make me laugh until i pee here, attended an alter ego party and met some great artists, made some new hair and dress for matilda, and probably missed out on some good ole fashioned sleep! last nights dinner: chicken curry soup with coconut lime risotto....yummy!

bike about

we had a great bike about today...which is my new term for when you know you gotta get the kids in the car, go send some mail, go to the bank, get loads of groceries, and play at the park...but normally we get in the car to do this...but not today...we biked it...it was great! too bad i dont have any pics of the cute littles in the bike trailer...all snuggly and dry while mamas legs burned up that hill to get to union street, which leads to the park...oh my!

wed, again!

yay for wednesdays! we love going to hands on craft and being surprised by the craft activity and enjoying an hour or so of fun creative energy. Its really different than crafting at home. It seems like it would be the same...but instead of creating the concept for my kids, then setting up and cleaning up...we get to just show up and its all ready to go! So nice. And i love all of the cute ideas Mia comes up with, shes so inspirational and whimsical...very elvin! So this week we made necklaces with found objects and some felt heart cut outs. cute...easy...india mostly tries to color on herself or eat things. good fun. then after we went on a short walk through the redwoods...got enchanted by a shower of rain and spied teeny tiny mushrooms. it was a great morning!

bulking up

Happy Imbolc! I dont really care if winter stays for another month or so, or if Spring comes early. I do care, however, that its about that time to start mapping out the summer festival circuit...and now that my youngest tiny will be 2 this summer...the face of our summer touring and travel has significantly changed. I think it will be easier now that they can both dance and run around...thank goodness I have that double stroller! (i love you BOB)
Our little family is on a bit of a routine now that Scarlett is attending gymnastics, ballet and fairy school. While some things are the same, having to be someplace at a specific time is really different for us. So far so good...and I am diligently working on the website...bulking up supplies and products for the spring/summer launch. I also seem to have many side art projects going on, which is great for me as long as i can remember to take some time out for a walk or workout. Yoga in the livingroom usually means i get a knee in my back while my hair is being raked with a fork. good fun. Fiber batt workshop went well last night. see:

tilly? where are you?

i was imagining a forest landscape laden with fog and lush with dew...when i suddenly realized that i haven't seen matilda in months! How could this happen? she rode along to santa barbara with us...which was fun because she always thinks to stop and smell the flowers in the best places! After we got home I wrapped her up in her tiny home and there she hibernated. supposedly safe. reassuringly sound...and now shes missing!
there are only two possible explanations: #1- she got up and walked away. Although this seems like the most unlikely of the two scenarios, its the most logical, i like it. #2- she went home with someone else. not that i can recall lending her out..she may have stowed away in some childs bag or pocket, seeking another lifetime of adventure. whichever the reason, nothing changes the fact that shes just plain missing. and im missing her. so...matilda, if you are out there...come back!

beets beat it pink for free

dipping the wool

and chased her until she caught him

he understands about bills and charge accounts...tries to be on hand to help in an emergency

cooking beets? why not dye some wool while you enjoy each tender bite of root candy? sure, why not! Nothing beats the pretty pinkish, slightly fleshy...maybe a hint of white peach, but so skin pink of the beet juice! beet juice loves wool anyhow, so let them kiss! And while I get all giddy, pink and fleshy for the upcoming heart holiday, let me share my tiny thrift store score. A beautiful gift book with illustrations that please the eyes as much as they warm the heart. enjoy!

mountain birthdays

we so love humboldt county! Its so amazingly beautiful here, and on Saturday when the earth rumbled and groaned we were celebrating my dear friend Amy's son Psalm's 3rd birthday! so perfect. so serene. tramploines and confetti rockets. wild gardens and sprawling meadows. circus clowns and painted faces. the big top adorned with streamers. mama hugs and baby kisses. wow...such an awesome experience, and so great to celebrate life amongst such amazing people and vivid landscape. thank you. thank you thank you

super candy willage

tis the season to wig out with holiday cheer! whoopie!

be sick at the beach

our 20 minute jack-o-lantern tiger
tiny tissues lanterns in the window, glowing for the new moon and the meteors

new moon sunset

lanterns drying

so first scarlett got a snotty nose, then me, then india...then scarletts went away then mine then indias...then scarletts came back then mine then indias...and so on and so on...so i decided that we need a little break from all the travel and fun and playing and so we have been going to the beach, just us. crafting and hanging out, just us. I like it...its fun...we dearly miss our friends, but we need to get healthy before we do all the snot and coughs all over again. And in about 12 days we will be travelling to nevada to visit our dear cousins, for Thanksgiving!! I have attempted to see them 3 times so far...and each time have not been able to make it due to someone having a cold or too much snot to be in a car for 12 hours, etc. but im bound. im determined. we will not be sick in 12 days. oh no...we will not. liver sleep? is that it rachel? yes...liver sleep it is :) photos of the beach, our tiny lanterns and some random crafting.

pumpkin time

October was beautified with orange pumpkins and we made our way to the patch, rode on a truck with hay and drank hot cider! It was great to watch the girls just run all around the pumpkin patch. We brought home a few tiny ones and some biggies to carve. They are so pretty i want to keep them around all year!

scarlett found some horses to feed
india was very excited about the huge orange pumpkins

scarlett wanted one of every variety

this is the pumpkin she finally picked!

last days of summer

for the last few days of summer we tripped down south where the beaches are much wider and the sand much finer. where the wind doesnt knock you over and the playgrounds are sandy. just to get some southern style vitamin d before a scarf around the neck is needed to cope with the chill in the air. what fun it was, indeed.

fix and figs

sown snails that saved a paint schmeared dress....scarlett now calls it her slug dress...felt and ribbon slime trails....then figs figs figs...wow! Last week when i saw baskets of figs at the co-op i got so excited because figs, like pomegranates...are a favorite rare treat. i only like fresh, i only like real...and they were sooooo delish! Recent photos of India and Scarlett...little sisters!

the little things

i love...heirloom tomatoes...flowers like paper...ripe juicy (are you kidding me delicious) peaches...brown sugar cubes in cute tiny bowls...tiny succulents, bathing beauties, trashy art, piles of handspun yarn...Russian nesting dolls. just to name a few

let them eat pie, too!

Grandma is visiting us from Oregon. Naturally, we took her to the blueberry farm to pick berries. We made out with 3 lbs in 20 minutes of picking! Plenty for a little pie...and then some! India made a friend, and fed him more blueberries than any one-year-old should eat, while Scarlett picked. Scarlett by far ate the most berries. Funny enough, she was stealing handfuls from my bucket while insisting that hers were "special pie berries, not for eating" ooookay. Pie today, scones tomorrow...grandma is going to gain 10 pounds this week, easy!

let them eat cake

Scarlett really wanted to bake a cake, and who can blame her? Doesn't everyone want to bake a cake...everyday? me too! So we have been driving around California, adventuring the roadmap fantastic, and have not baked cake. boo! But today after the farmers market we came home to bake cake. Simple yellow cake, with millet even, and fresh market berries. We call it confetti cake because there are tiny raspberry and blackberry polka dots all over. For a quick topping we combined creme fraiche and aunt Kathy's (who is actually my cousin, but we decided to call her auntie instead) ohmygosh fantastic (how much sugar??) delicious strawberry jam..garnished with berries. Watch out strawberry shortcake! Did you notice that the photo is blurry? That is because after snapping fifteen shots of Scarlett's hand grabbing the cake, i settled for this photo in which India is pulling on me making it impossible to focus. ha!