Hello November!

theurchiness.etsy.com

While October is definitely my favorite month (Indian summer, pumpkin seeds, changing leaves), I love November with a passion.

I love you, November.

I love your...
crunchy leaves
needless turkey murder day
family
'friendsgiving' (Saturday after Thanksgiving, people. Mark your calendars.)
cold weather
fog
rain and icy pine needles
national blog posting month (nablopomo.com... I challenge YOU.)
getting ready for holiday craft fairs
frantically knitting
putting up Christmas trees

And I love you, dear blog readers. I updated my shop today and had two sales! Thank you thank you thank you! I've so loved this process of getting my shop up and running well enough to support my fiber addiction and make a contribution to my favorite charities. Way to keep my spirits up, my loves! I'll see you tomorrow for day two of November Blogging Madness!

Hello October. (And Best Shot Monday)

Hi you.

October, I must admit, I'd leave my current month for you, any time of the year.

With your delicious apples,
your costumes and celebrations of dead,
your fog,
tea,
warm pants,
sweatshirts that feel like hugs,
pumpkin patches,
root vegetables,
knitted socks,
scarves,
slouchy hats,
Harry Potter,
cinnamon candles,
and crunchy leaves.

October, you're lovely.

This month is a month of reinvention in many ways for me. With the seasons change comes a different rhythm in the days.

Mornings were once spent taking care of business and afternoons were for closing the curtains and beating the heat. Warm weather means e-mails on the patio and iced tea, long walks with the pups, and trips to the beach in tank tops and sarongs. Warm weather is knitting light and airy shawls, lacy slouchy hats, and getting ready to leave in ten minutes flat.

October, you bring me layers that feel like hugs, socktoberfest (in which I'll knit my first pair of socks), Uggs and hot tea, mornings spent huddled by the fire and evenings filled with soup and checkers (because it's too cold and windy for the oceanside). Cooler weather means brisker walks and worrying about putting a sweater on the dog. Crispy leaves and crunching pine needles under my feet. And rain, oh glorious rain! There is nothing like rain falling in the forest... And luckily, I live in the forest.

October, I've been waiting for you since March.

P.S. I couldn't pick just one snapshot for BSM, so here you have four.

Hello Autumnal Equinox

This season will be:

ceramics class
apple chai
knitting warm things
root vegetables
dyeing roving
christmas shopping/making
pumpkin soup
anticipation
evening strolls
painting the living room (red)
handspun
yoga
writing novels
renewal/reinvention

And you?

Renewal

There's nothing like getting up early to catch the perfect light on your front porch. This one is named "Wanda" and is worsted weight merino, 198 yards of yummy squishiness. Keep an eye out for it in the shop on October 1st!

Yesterday I was feeling a bit bored of life... You know the feeling. "Where do I go from here? Why hasn't anything new happened? Why doesn't home feel comfortable? Is this really it?" It was a difficult day spent spinning on my mother's couch.

So last night after an obligatory stop at the pool hall to hang with the boyfriend and friends (did you know I can be somewhat of a hermit? And a flake? But I showed up for a drink and a laugh... That's love.) I came home and did a little renewal ritual. A hot shower was in order, then a tiny little clean up of my bedroom (as in put away the piles of clean clothes and packing materials). How can I sleep comfortably with a big pile of 'to do' staring at me from the corner of the room? I lit a candle for a new day, a little aromatherapy (spearmint and eucalyptus for clarity of mind), some craft supply organization, a moment to write in my journal, and a deep sleep.

And you know what? Today feels good. Mr. Lobster is still sleeping soundly (he didn't get in quite as early as I did) and I got up early to use these moments of quiet to do a little revamping. The etsy shop is all ready for its first scheduled update, there's a new blog banner, my roving is organized, and the morning gave me some great pictures of the yarn I finished yesterday. I love the light on our front porch at 8:00am. It's just perfect in every way.


Our camping trip was lovely. It was really really cold and rainy, but so nice to get away for a couple of days. We did a lot of sitting by the fire trying to keep warm, we climbed some rocks, walked around the lake, and spent time talking and focusing on ourselves. Even though we were freezing, I wouldn't trade a view like this for the world.


I think the dogs had a good time, too.


And now, Lobster is awake and I'm going to try to convince him that we have a serious lack of eggs benedict (hold the ham, substitute avocado, please) in this house. See you tomorrow!

Sunday: Things I Love.

1... My Daddy. He's a rock star.


2... The idea of dreads. I love these journeys and one day I want to have my own. Step one: Don't get frustrated with growing out hair!


3... So excited about this movie! Notice the soundtrack? Can't wait for that, either!



4... Buddha said "Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart- to give yourself to it." And it has been resonating inside of me lately.


5... This great new project. cheerupnation.com I can't wait to see it take off!

6... This post about basic dignity touched my heart.


7... Old fashioned soda combined with awesome photography? Count me in!


8... She who has filled my stereo and ipod with beauty these past few days. Also check out "Forevermore".




9... It's one of my favorite days today. Do you have any summer solstice traditions to share? I like to write a journal entry that lists everything from the last season that didn't work for me, and then take it to the beach and burn (release) it. A time of cleansing and optimism for the coming months. Celebrate the seasons, the most basic of nature's fancies.


Knitting post coming soon and I hope all the dads out there have a beautiful day today!

Summer Magic

Dinner of summer

Hearing...
Rocky bark like a maniac
My landlord yelling at Rocky barking like a maniac
Then saying "We have to have a talk, Rocky."
"Some Beach" on the stereo
Huck's claws on the deck outside as he chases flies
Marvin's yawns
The buzz of the fish tank
Flowers unfurling
Birds screaming at larger birds

Feeling...
A little warm and a little cold
Like the weather can sometimes bring more than hot and cold
Still
Anticipation
Inspiration

Yesterday seemed like the first day of summer to me. The uncertainty of a season change, the In N' Out Burger for dinner, the drink on the patio of a bar, the sweat on the sheets this morning, and finally walking around barefoot.

What's summer to you?

today

the rain today
a quiet awakening, dreaming of peace
of a new beginning

quietly, tiny cat paws disturbing
only dust

muted light kitchen window
a fairy presence

caterpillars salamanders
long legged
scraped knees

because of droplets caressing leaves and lullabies

Uh oh December... You did it again.

You snuck up on me. Pouncing like a well-meaning kitten on the feet of a stranger. You're lucky I didn't kick you to the curb. I'm not prepared for you, yet. And what the hey is up with your 65 degree weather?? Give me a break! If you're insisting on staying and putting your feet up, at least bring along the appropriate weather!

Now that that's out of the way, I've been working on Christmas presents (because no matter how unwelcome December is, it's staying for 31 days)! This year for Sean's family I'm making everyone scarves. The top one is for Jane, it's lovely and long and skinny and warm with spectacular colors! The second is for Paul, and it's nice and soft and fluffy and grey... They're both perfect!

And this last one is a sneak peak of Jac's gift... it goes hand in hand with another store bought gift, but I think this yarn is just lovely. It's not a scarf, though! Something more fabulous.

Life has been full of ups and downs lately, but at least I don't have idle hands. Anyone have any ideas for what to put up in my shop?

One more thing... I was tagged with this meme, and now I tag Jac and Kayles.

1) What was I doing 5 years ago?

Five years ago I was 18 (18!!) and at this time I was going to school, working at Petroglyph (I think?), and breaking up with my high school boyfriend. It was a good time, and a bad time. It marked the beginning of a very hard year for me.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

1... Try to paint or create something for my shop

2... Figure out what to do with my life

3... Call Kyle

4... Make my bed

5... Work on my knitting projects (learn a new skill)

3) Snacks I enjoy:

Sourdough bread, carrots, apples (<3),>, tea tea tea!

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Forget working, pay my parents back, buy them something nice, pay off all debts, buy a ranch and a house by the sea, buy Sean his sports car, hire a sushi chef to teach me how to make sushi, work at Petroglyph for fun.

5) Places I have lived:

Bertram Rd, San Jose (Old Almaden), CA

Eastside, San Jose, CA

Downtown San Jose, CA

Campbell, CA

Soquel, CA

Corralitos, CA

Felton, CA

6) Jobs I have had:

Worked at a medical lab, worked at a number of vet hospitals, worked at a ceramic lounge, worked at a supplement company, and a restaurant or two.

I'll leave you with this. The life we all want... especially in December.

Road trippin.

I've been MIA for 9 days?? I haven't done much creative, I've been working a lot (which I suppose is sort of creative in a different way) and this weekend has been fairly busy. Sean and I went on a tiny road trip on Friday, to Woodside via 9 and Skyline, and then home by the coast. We live in such a beautiful place.


The pic above is Sean and the kids exploring at our favorite beach. I love my little family!


Playing with the white balance on my camera...

And lastly, pumpkins! I wish they were mine, but they were at Alice's Restaurant (you know, like the song) lined up on the railing of the patio.

I love autumn.