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!

matilda

benbow

we rocked out at benbow. it was really fun...saturday we listened to music and enjoyed the sun...and DID NOT get anywhere near the kids zone...thank goodness me oh my...but Sunday Scarlett jumped in the bounce house, got her face painted, floated down a waterfall with clowns, hula hooped, became a real forrest fairy, and ran naked in the river....while I listened to great music, drank lots of water, ate yummy indian food, conversed with other mamas and danced with India. We camped and were spoiled with real bathrooms and a water spout.

humboldt hack

yes its back...been a full year since i had the cough that wouldnt stop...no its not whooping cough, thank you very much...but i have these lovely herbs helping me thru it...and its almost gone...lucky me

whats going on

today

i put my bed frame together, finally. Ive had it for months, but with India being so small, I didnt want her to fall out, so I rigged a small platform and put our bed on top. Now she is so great at getting off and on, I decided to take it higher...so much nicer for me. Scarlett likes it...India is going to have to learn to get up and down. Only the strong survive muahahaha!

yesterday

Our sweet baby friend had her first birthday (and India is right around the corner), we celebrated with friends, the babies had fun eating dinner together, that was super cute, and the older children ran around like banshees.

day before

I watched the pilot of "glee" its hilarious...cant wait to see an episode to see if it will be watch-worthy.

last week

had a great time visiting family and friends in the bay area, Sacramento and hangtown. it was hot, and i was loving it! Scarlett played so much with her friends that shes had since she was super wee, while i visited with old friends as well...that was the best! I got to meet my first cousin Mark, for the first time, that was amazing and very enjoyable...love connecting with family!

Cant wait till Jessie gets back, I want to make some mean mama lovin carnitas for everyone to celebrate the babies turning ONE and the arrival of more sunny days under the Humboldt fog.
looking for

an art cabinet...forget the baskets and bins...im going 8th grade art room! something that locks...something where all the paper, pencils, clay, pens, wax, fabric dye, silk screens, fabric, linoleum, thread, stamps, crayons, pipe cleaners, stencils, paints, brushes, wool, felt and everything else we craft with can go in and live....forever...waiting for its fame, when its gathered for our daily crafting sessions.

today, scarlet insisted (sweetly even) on getting into the Christmas bin. This should probably drive me nuts...(but I "om") because she want to check her stocking....to see if there might be a prize inside. She is 3 1/2 (almost!!) and so she asked me like a kazillion times, so sweetly and quietly "mama, can i please look into the christmas box, my stocking is in there, it has prizes in it" riiiiight...prizes....hm the bin is clear.(if it were opaque this wouldnt be happening) ..so she sees all the sparkle gold fluffy wonderment that is Christmas. same thing happens with the art supplies...opened, spilled, agh blue paint everywhere...really my job as a mom is fun and exciting and full of art and reading and singing dancing making food, etc...but do i really need to be cleaning up paint spills and glitter hurricanes because all the art supplies are within reach? in clean $#?!* bins!! ummm im thinking the locking art cabinet...like miss murry had in 8th grade art class is the best! There will still be playdoh, crayons, paper and pens available at the easel...chalk at the chalkboard, etc...but im thinking a little more structure, less free for all with the art supplies. EXHALE...okay that was about enough of that.

much love xoxoxo