happy halloween weekend!!!

a few nights ago, ceej very appropriately noticed that we had not yet
carved ourselves a jack-o-lantern for the coming weekend...
so we promptly visited our little local market,
picked out the perfect round pumpkin,
along with a handful of caramels for munching on.
as we carved away we entertained ourselves with a little
magic of the harry potter type.
{well, truth be told, cj did most of the work...i cheered and directed}.

so now that we have our jack-o-lantern,
let the festivities begin!!!

we start our weekend with a little visit up to apple hill,
followed by visiting our dear friend's new yoga studio,
followed by a dinner that hopefully involves butternut squash
and apple cider.
dressing up?
alas, nowhere for us to go on this hallow'd eve.
i might put on my little-red-riding-hood cape just for the heck of it.
and just to make myself feel better,
we'll read poe by candlelight.

birthday money well-spent : how to give back to friends who are oh so creative

i know how hard it can be sometimes to choose
out gifts for people...which often results in cash gifts.
i received a few such gifts a couple weeks ago for my birthday...
and i knew exactly what to do with that richness:
purchase beautiful jewelry made my creative friends.

i bought this necklace from marie at le voyage creatif {her etsy store here}.
i have worn this necklace just about every day since it
arrived so prettily in my mailbox...
i admit that i have another one on the way, all the way from norway
{you really should see marie's posts about her home...i sure wish i was brought up in norway!}

anyway, i like supporting friends who make such wonderful things.
don't you?

project film & hoping a good hope

today i am dreaming of good things,
i am hoping a good hope:
the kind of hoping that has no ounce of dread
attached to it;
the kind of hoping that lifts a burdened, unknowing heart;
the kind of hoping that makes you envision the simplest of futures
no matter the specifics;
the kind of hoping that reminds you that life is a fairytale
with both dragons and faeries;
the kind of hoping that takes no planning,
just your best foot forward.

i like this kind of hope.

born this autumn day wise years ago

my mom has a twinkle of life in her eyes,
always happy and hopeful no matter what comes her way.
she teaches me day in and day out to be grateful for today:
to be grateful for family, for food on the table, and a roof overhead...
and oh how easy it is to laugh with her, even at the hard things in life.
i'm pretty sure her dreams consist of gardening, music, her family, and faeries.
i love this about her.

happy birthday, mom!

point reyes weekend : farmers market in the barn & i'm in love with year-round fresh produce

i have definitely been spoiled here by
year-round fresh fruits and veggies...
and all the incredible local dairy products.
this is what i love most about this state.

this was my first visit to the
point reyes station market.
it's a bit pricier than others as it
caters to us tourists...
so we just looked and drooled over every table there:
squash in every color and shape, yarn spun from local wool,
rainbow radishes, chocolate mousse, cheese so creamy it makes my jaw tingle.

and, for icing on the cake, it was raining.

love.

for the duration of this post i plan to be homesick as i've heard news of snow back home

it's snowing in utah...where i grew up.
i always look for snow to tell me that
halloween is upon us.
this year it has totally snuck up on me,
i had no idea that october was so close to its end.
the first snow.
i miss it.
terribly.

the end of my complaining for the day.

{photos taken last year during one of my visits home at this same time of year}

point reyes weekend : bed & breakfast

we stayed in a little home in inverness, ca
that's almost 100-years-old...
out our front window was tomales bay {the tide was out},
and the yard was a beautiful garden
with a chicken coop to boot.
every morning was fresh fruit, fresh eggs, toast, and juice.

our hostess had a wonderful quirk for keeping everything:
magazines from 1983, books of vinyl records, cassette tapes,
sea shells were everywhere.
our eyes were never want of something to gaze at.

and did i mention the rain?
it didn't stop.
i loved it...it poured down heavy drops...
so heavy i couldn't manage a photo of the front of our
cute yellow side-board b&b.
and film was out of the question as the film residing in my cameras
at this moment was too slow of a speed for the dark lighting brought
on by the clouds and rain.

but i still love the rain.
always.

still thinking about the rain & the sea...

the rain never let up this weekend...
it was beautiful.
i'm still in a sort of trance from the
perfect weather.


once i get myself gathered up a bit
i'll be back here...probably tomorrow.

hope you all had wonderful weekends...what did you do?

project film & weekend

just a quick hello before ceej & i take off
with his parents for the coast this weekend...
can't wait, especially since it should be raining most of the time
{which means wellies, jackets, umbrellas, and soup!}

hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead of you!

the results of a quiet weekend alone at home...

i tried very hard to keep myself busy for the weekend
while i was alone at home.
and i think i made good use of every moment.
i read prolific amounts
{going between printed books and my new birthday kindle}.
i practiced the piano, counting aloud and repeating measures over and over and over.


i also knitted this cover for my new kindle.
i finally broke down and got myself this electronic device
for the sake of ceej and those who come to visit my home--
the books at our place are overflowing into every nook and cranny.
of course, i'm not completely giving up on printed books {never!},
but this will cut down on the clutter significantly.
anyway, love the little cover i made with its button and ribbon.

note: the way to my heart is with either ginger or pumpkin.
i made myself some giant ginger cookies.
{get the recipe here}
i truly enjoyed sitting in my giant chair reading, knitting, eating cookies,
and, yes, listening to the BBC lord of the rings radio series.
one night i tried listening to edgar allen poe and other scary stories,
but was, well, too scared. i'll have to try again when cj is with me.

project film : "calm as water when the winds are gone"

i am feeling so calm, hopeful, and in love these days.
i'm so incredibly in love with life--
with all of its ups and downs.
i'm in love with this softer heart i seem to be gaining.
i'm in love with being okay when i don't get everything done on the to-do list.
i'm in love with not wanting much.
i'm in love with ceej...so much so that i instantly miss him as soon as he's out the door for work.
i'm in love with a practically empty fridge and simple meals.
i'm in love with simple melodies and words on a page.
i'm in love with water and how it can simultaneously be stormy and calm.
i'm in love with trees and the life they sustain.
i'm in love with a mother who is graceful and siblings who have big hearts.
i'm in love with just breathing.

what are you in love with today?