It begins...

Blogger is still eating my photos, but what's a blog without a photo?

It was a wonderful weekend.  Friday night found us at the Settler's Village Festival of Trees.  The highlight of the night was definitely when the roaming men's choir dressed in top hats performed a private concert for the kids.  Poppy spent the rest of the evening following them from one cabin to the next.  Finally she found the tiny church where their voices floated out onto the cool night air.  She walked  in without hesitation and found a pew as though she had done it a hundred times before.  The church was dimly lit by lanterns and smelled of kerosene oil.  I can't quite describe what happened next, but it was a magical moment of sorts.  She gazed up at the choir in their top hats and her face became full of awe and purpose as she suddenly began "singing" with her whole heart.  Her mouth opened wide and her little voice went up and down just as the choir's did.   Now she enjoys the odd song and loves to dance, but will often become annoyed when I sing.  It was like an ancient memory had enveloped her in that sweet little church filled with lamp light and song; as though she was remembering so many Christmases of past.  When it was time to leave, instead of heading for the door, she walked to the front of the church and one the gentlemen gave her some bells to jingle.  She turned to me and exclaimed "Santa's coming!" so they sang Santa Claus is Coming to Town while she rang the bells.  She then said thank you and waved goodbye; we were off to see the rest of the village.

The rest of the weekend was spent at home moving wood, organizing, and cleaning until we ventured into our woods to collect some pine boughs.  With sticky, pine scented hands we attached pine boughs to our front porch and then strung some white twinkle lights into the tangled branches.  As I thought of how it might look with some soft snow falling I was filled with the electric warmth of the season.    I thought about how sweet it is to go into our own backyard to collect everything we need to do our winter decorating.  I thought about how we will celebrate this Winter Solstice as it has never been a tradition in either of our families.  I thought about tobogganing down our gentle slopes with bellies full of warm oats and cinnamon.

Yes, our most favourite season has begun.

go gently + be wonderful

e.

Blerg Blogger!

Listening to the Amelie Soundtrack feeling weepy and nostalgic.  

Caught in a hollow place of looking back and looking forward.  

Limbo.  

Not quite present.  

Not quite absent.

Tired.

Determined.

Hopeful.

Blogger hasn't let me upload a photograph for weeks now.

That being said,

Mike and I (mostly Mike) have been working on my Christmas present.

My very own website; 

A place to streamline and combine my online presences into one...

photos

shop

blog

archives from my most recent blogs "apples for poppy anne" + "apples with honey"

links to facebook + pinterest

Details to come.

I create for two reasons:

1.) I love the ever elusive challenge of creating something pretty

2.) To make money

Some days it doesn't feel like I accomplish either of those.  The truth is that becoming homesteaders costs money.  There is always something to buy; tree felling, fixing wood stoves, trailer hitches, feed, building supplies, tools, books in addition to all the requirements of daily life; organic food, organic meat, clothing, winter boots.  Of course, it is short term pain for long term gain, but our one income household has taken a beating in the last 6 months.

There are days I wonder why I try to do so many things.  There are days I wish I could just concentrate on being a great, present mama.  There are days I just can't take another second of the one sided conversations and boredom.  There are days I wish I could find the nerve to start a little family photography business to take the pressure off Mike who uses his vacation days to do side work.  There are days when oatmeal and toys are enough.  There are days when I need to feel productive.  There are days I wish I could forget about making money and find ways to save it instead.

There are days I feel like my full time job is doing laundry and peeling clementines.

I am so glad to be home snuggling with my little squishy faces and watching them grow everyday, but my, oh my it is one intense gig.  I put the question out to you lovely readers: How do you crafty mama bloggers manage your time?  What do you sacrifice in order to make it work?  Please share your time management secrets with this weary mama.

go gently + be wonderful

e.

ketchup.

I get lost when I let my writing lapse.

I miss having the record of our days.

I forget how to inspire myself.

Right now...

I have much to do, but can't seem to find the space or time.

We are following a wheat free diet and enjoy eating even more made from scratch food.

Two months after breaking ground, the chicken coop is finally complete and home to 6 happy, organic chickens from Ellenberger Organic Farm.

We lost a giant pine beside the house.

In her honour, we have begun laying cardboard and leaves for a new garden where her branches once cast shade.

Silas is sleeping through the night and weaned.

I have been wearing sweatpants far too often and washing my hair not often enough.

I moved my "studio" into the loft and the kid's playroom into the room off the kitchen.

I have yet to organize it, but when I do it will be great.

I made some super simple laundry detergent and love it. {will share recipe soon}

Trying to eradicate the annual flea frenzy with vacuuming, bathing pets and diatomaceous earth because I got scammed by True North Pets.com for $150 of non existent flea meds.  300 bites later{they only bite me}and still no resolution.

Glad to have nothing standing between me and the Christmas Season.

Thinking and talking about what we would name a third child should we decide to have one after thinking we were ready to stop at two...I plead insanity and amnesia.

Feeling a little restless and buried, yet still grateful for the amazing life I have been given to live.  Just need to pull out of the fog of strewn about toys, put another load of laundry on, and keep moving forward.

go gently + be wonderful

e.

The shop is open and I am slowly stocking shelves. 

 I have grand plans for holiday themed Story Girl Earrings and will be venturing into soy candles and perfume oils with lovely natural scents like campfire, early grey tea, pipe smoke, grass, hay, Christmas tree, apple cider and so many more!

Check back often and be sure to like "twenty six mermaids" on facebook for updates and promotions!

go gently + be wonderful

e.

Still Trying...

Where do I start?

Still trying to figure it out.
Still trying to make some extra money.
Still trying to find a rhythm.
Still building the chicken coop.
Still eating bad food.
Still striving to be better.

go gently + be wonderful

e.

Silas' Birthday Picnic

Lots of rain and even more last minute cancellations, but Silas' first birthday was a success!  I had envisioned us on quilts beneath the trees and lots of outdoor games, but we had finally resigned to having it all indoors.  Just as the guests began to arrive the sun peeked out and we only had to dart inside for one little rain cloud, but it was ok, for there were candles to be lit and a cake to be eaten.

All in all, it was a great celebration of our dapper man's first year!

thoughts of autumn

::my gloriously sexy husband preparing the apples for apple butter::

I love autumn.  It's true.

The wind changed; it is scented with wood smoke and leaves.

A comfortable chill climbs over the windowsill in the night and rests on bare skin.

This morning is grey and windy.

The kids and I dug potatoes, picked a few red tomatoes and a few more apples.

I think today is a good day for making potato soup, more apple butter and maybe, just maybe, some apple pie pockets.

This fall seems to hold more comfort than any other for some reason.  We had grand plans for the new house what with gardens and chickens and decorating and painting.  And though we got a small messy garden in, it didn't produce a great deal due to a lot of the nitrogen being used up to break down the sod {so says my farming father}.  I managed to get our whole upstairs painted, but the floor is still covered in a gag me orange carpet.  Oh yes, we got many things done in the midst of a move and settling, but there is so much more we want to do.

We still have not built our chicken coop nor have we acquired our laying ladies, but if you knew how much Miss Poppy loves chickens you'd see it as the tragedy it would be if we were to wait until next spring!  Besides, we'll need something to pull us out of doors when the snow blows and temperatures dip.

Yes, yes, this autumn and winter will be spent dreaming and planning!  How my heart aches to know what these hills will look painted with fall's colours and to feel the hot heat of the wood stove.  We will hunker down with our new books and bellies full of stew to plan our yard and garden.

Our dream is to have a yard full of veggies, fruits, herbs, and wildflowers.  We will plan what we need to make it through a winter eating our own food, make mistakes, and try again the next year.  

It is such a joy to make your own butter.
There seems to be nothing gradual about it; it just turns from frothy cream to a lovely lump of yellow butter.
It's beautiful thing.

::making granola::

::Our chicken girl at Nana + Grampa's:

Plan, plant, dry, preserve + eat.

Indeed.  

Autumn is in the wind.

go gently + be wonderful

e.