I Have a Confession: I've Been Thinking About Christmas Since August...

From Anthropologie (I love their ornaments each year):

 From Pottery Barn:

I love looking through catalogs and getting ideas for what to make myself for this year's holiday season. So many things could easily be made yourself with just a little "empty" time. I'm the first to admit that I also love purchasing a few (I'll most likely grab those stocking holders). Despite myself, sometimes buying things really does make me feel a bit better, or perhaps just a bit easier. It helps me to feel like I'm not constantly thinking about money, about scrimping and saving.

Plus, I absolutely LOVE decorating for the holidays. I'm actually somewhat ashamed at myself for completely letting Halloween go by unnoticed in our home. I'm not really into the spooky decor you see in the shops, though, so I'll have to think of something fitting for next year. Perhaps just a plethora of black cat cut-outs doing different things among a bunch of jack-o-lanterns? We'll see. Here's to planning (most decidedly another favorite thing)!

So, for the next two months, I know what I'll be doing! Searching, planning, and crafting my way to the holidays. If I spot anything super sweet, I'll let you know. Maybe I'll even get in a tutorial or something fancy like that. I'll ask now.. any favorite shops, recipes, activities you especially love during the holidays? Let me know!

p.s. - Believe me, I'm all over Etsy on this one, but didn't have time to pick my favorites for this blog. Plus, Etsy totally deserves its own blog, for sure. :)

Cozying Up to Fall

Fall clothes are my favorite. I know I'm not alone here. Scarves, sweaters, tights, the occasional hat and gloves, and cozy wool pants. I complained about fall, but that was really just my displeasure at losing Birch to the madness that is teaching high school students. Now that I've reconciled myself to it, I'm actually really excited for fall. After much consideration, it's my favorite season. It's beautiful, it signals the coming of pumpkin curry and from-scratch pot pies, the clothes are divine, my long hair will finally be a blessing, it'll be Keats' first ever Halloween (we're thinking The Flying Man complete with cannon), and then (!) Thanksgiving. Um, yum! We'll do some gardening, of course, and with the cooler weather our tropical Olive dog starts to shiver pretty bad so we'll relent and get her a sweater, too. I've already picked one out. I think it's awesome, but it'll have to remain a surprise for you until she's actually wearing it.

So fall clothes...
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Isla New York's amazing, customizable jersey hoodie wrap 


(Okay, I'm having issues with uploading pictures, etc., so the one will have to do for now. Believe me, my wishlist is full of fantastic handmade finds. Another time...)

Fall Rears Its Ugly Head

That's not really fair. Autumn is actually quite a lovely season (not as lovely as the East Coast's autumn, but oh well) and I'll take any excuse to wear tights and scarves, but it came pretty fast this year what with Birch's shorter summer vacation due to the rearranging of semester schedules, California weather being on the general fritz, and my decision to take a few classes this fall which means I'm looking at course catalogs and "applications." There is, however, the great bonus of my sister, Suzie, and her family coming for a visit in late September from their home in northern England that lends the next coming months an air of excitement and extreme anticipation that is, to be honest, starting to become slightly unbearable.

Our garden hit an anticlimactic snag when we discovered that ALL of our tomatoes had been devoured by rats. Yeah, you heard me. Rats. Sick and disgusting. We decided to go all calm on the subject and just shrugged our shoulders and now "know for next year." The tomato plant skeletons still stand in their same delegated spot, however, both Birch and I either unwilling or too traumatized to fully remove them from our garden abundance (which really should be done to make way for the grapes, nasturtiums, and new fall seedlings).

Birch, who starts teaching his fifth year tomorrow, is atypically stressed out which puts me in an altogether strange mood that can only be described as otherworldly. Unfortunately, that is typical. I do, however, have several ideas for projects of my own to make his life this year more organized and more decorative. He needs the first and questions the second, but I'm almost positive he'll be thrilled with the results. Projects: sewing reusable sandwich bags and a thermos holder, decoupaging (that's not a word) magazine folders, making a themed cork board, and decorating several binders all with an Earth and Life Science theme (those are his subjects).

Another reason to celebrate the coming of fall is that We Be Baby Mamas (the group Keats and I participate in) has come together beautifully with very fun mamas and extremely cute babies. Tomorrow we're meeting up at IKEA then coming back to my place for some mac 'n cheese and most likely discussion/gossip. Last week, our men got together, too, for some disc golfing then we all grilled together and ate cheesecake. Yeah, we're awesome. On the to-do list: canning homemade baby food. I made applesauce last week and it smelled and tastes delicious! Keats makes a funny face with each spoonful but always wants more. Way to go, my little man.

Birch has promised me a professional haircut at Cowboys & Angels in San Francisco and a new shirt and I've promised him some new clothes for work (including a few choice ties). Etsy here I come (for the millionth time)! Yep, the next couple months should be pretty grand, but I already miss not having Birch at home with us during the day. Weekends are far too short.