Friday, December 25, 2009

Thoughts on Christmas.

It's my favourite time of the holidays. The precious couple of minutes Christmas morning before everyone else gets up. The house is all quiet and still but there's anticipation in the air.
It's the stillness I like. I think I need that bit of calm to recharge and be able to take on the day.


I had a whole post written about my thoughts on Christmas but it all seems hardly appropriate now, as I wait for the rest of the family to stir. There is a magic to the season, and for me it has to do with gathering and sharing with family.




Well, it seems the quiet is over and the fun is about to begin! So I will tease you with just one picture. This the back of an ornament I gave to my sister. It's called "Home is where the heart is."

Friday, December 18, 2009

Work in Progress!

Here's a work in progress I'm deep in the middle of. And this one will have to be finished soon or else. My baby's got a birthday later this week and this is something special I'm cooking up for her.


This is the back. For some reason my mac won't let me move the photos around so this one is first even though that doesn't make sense.



Cutting up many many leaves. This kid lives in the garden so that's pretty much where the theme comes from.



Many many leaves and lots of stitching. And I love it!






More pictures to come, promise!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

In + spirare

I just posted a new treasury for you all! The theme is inspiration. What inspires you?

Inspiration is breathing in and creating is breathing out. For us creative types we just can't even help it. If you direct your attention to it there is inspiration everywhere, from the way the light hits the trees, a bird's song, the color of the sky and clouds, a phrase you heard once, an idea whose time has come.

gisele

p.s. screen shot to come, as always.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

We have a Winner!!

And we have a winner!


Chosen at random by an impartial third party with eyes closed,


a winner was chosen by the highly precise method of pulling a name from a bowl...
And the winner is:
Deb from Two Cheeky Monkeys has won the giveaway. I am excited to see my package go all the way to Australia - the other side of the earth as I tell the kids. I hope you love it, Deb.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Blog Giveaway!

I finished these 2 ornaments a couple of weeks ago but just managed to get pictures today. And just for fun I'd like to give them away to one lucky blog reader. I've really been enjoying blogging this year and wanted to give back to the community.


They're about an inch and a half across, made and stuffed with reclaimed wool sweater felt. All of the thread is hand-dyed except the blue/red/green variegated thread which is vintage crocheting thread. The ribbon came from a package I ordered from a seller on etsy, so I have no idea what it is. It feels old, though.

But wait, there's more!! I also have a copy of the Handmade Nation book. (I have no affiliation with the Handmade Nation people, I bought this book, and am wanting to pass it on to someone else who wants to read it.) This is chock full of pictures and stories of people who make things. Your fingers will be twitching to go make things after you read this!

OK, so it's really easy to enter. All you have to do is post a comment on my blog and I'll draw randomly next Sunday (Dec 13th) at noon for the winner. But that's not all! You can also enter by twittering or facebooking about it, mentioning it on your blog, stopping random people on the street to tell them, etc. Just be sure to come back here and post a comment for each additional thing you did to get another entry. Got it?

Edited to add: I forgot to mention that Silver Sisters now has a facebook fan page. Become a fan and then leave a comment here for another way to enter.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

I’m in an unreasonably good mood today.
I’ve been reading some lovely posts about creating an enjoyable pace of life.
I’ve been thinking about my shop some, and about my art some. I’m starting to feel less like a newbie on etsy. Like making and selling might actually work for me. I’ve dipped my toes in and the water is warm.

It’s about this time of year that I start to feel a little antsy. I am evaluating things and want to change everything. I’ve been through this cycle enough years in a row to know to be careful, though. The rule is no major changes in November. I hate November. I always want to quit my job, leave my family and move somewhere really far away to start over. But it’s just November whispering in my ear.

(wip, see here.)

December is too busy with holidays to do anything major – but watch out January! In January I usually pick up a gigantic new hobby like jewelery making or painting or quilting. I get supplies for my birthday in February and then sink my teeth in. By April we’re planning and preparing for summer and then summer trips and spending time outside and I fret about not having any time for the things I love to do.


(gosh, this is an old pic now, of the family the summer before last. What a great trip!)



So, my plan this year is to create more art. I don’t quite know what it’ll be, but there’ll be a needle and colored thread involved, probably old felted sweaters and it’ll for sure be something useful. But I think it’ll be more “arty” and less “crafty” which maybe means I’ll be taking more chances.

One of my goals is to refine my process for listing on etsy. I am hoping that with my new camera I’ll spend less time editing photos – that takes the most time when listing. I am working on a copy and paste kind of description for at least part of the descriptions, so that I am editing instead of writing new copy each time. Listing takes a lot of time, and is the bottleneck, I find.

So I guess I’ve decided I’m here for the long haul and I can’t wait to get creating.

(last winter at a Christmas party touring the horse barns. This is the first batch of photos with the dreaded green line that prompted my getting a new camera a whole year later. )

Sunday, November 29, 2009

The post with everything in it.

This is what I've been up to lately:

:: Picture take by Ailsa (5)
See the green line? (you might not if it's small) That's why I have the new camera in my hands. I realized I've been dealing with that problem for over a year now. That means editing just about every picture I take. Time for a change.
And I think Ailsa is ready for a real camera of her own - a lighter one than my old one, though!

:: Home news
1. Superglue fixes cuts. But it's not pretty, and blood always makes a story more dramatic. Even when it's not really. And I realize once again how calm my kids are compared to other kids. She took it all in stride and was more annoyed about having to wait at the walk-in clinic than anything.
2. I love walking. So when the bus got stuck I was sure happy to be on foot. 18 blocks in crisp weather is just where I wanted to be. Funny story, though, we ended up eating out in the city and mom ended up at our house with the kids because we were all stuck in different places because of weather.
3. Getting up early means you get to see the amazing colour combinations mother nature comes up with. Orange and blue and pink and yellow today. Magnificent. Perk #2 is getting some thinking time in while it's really quiet in the house. Precious.


:: Store News
You already know about the sale going on right now in my store. I just added a free gift with the next purchase (or two, maybe). I got crafty yesterday and have an extra little something for you.

Also, thank you to Dawn at Doe Studio for the long blog post about the swap stuff I sent her (remember her from this post?). It's always fun to see how someone else photographs the same thing as you.


:: PS I am looking for a good home for a camera. Has bleeding hot pixel problem, but if you tend to shoot in good light it's not a big deal. Can possibly be fixed (remapped?), but I don't know for how much.


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

My crazy quilt treasury

Here is the screen shot of the treasury I mentioned below. Just think of all the projects you could make.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

News and Soft Blocks

NEWS: Sale in the shop. free shipping for a limited time only.

Need a gift for a baby shower, or for your favourite one year old? I've had a lot of fun making these soft blocks lately. They're so easy and customizable for whatever you're good at. I know some people crochet them, and some people quilt them, and, of course, I use felted wool sweaters and embroider 'em.

The idea is from one of Amanda Soule's books. Check out the thread in the pic above. It's hand-dyes from this shop. I just love the colors. It's called moonlit sky.

The stitches above are one of my new favourite combinations borrowed from crazy quilters. Herringbone, zig zag daisy and french knots. I think french knots improve just about any project, and now I'm remembering where all the blue thread I was looking for went...

So, this one I sewed and then turned inside out and stuffed with polyfill. It's very light and more "ballish" than "blockish".

The next one I made was sewn on the outside and again stuffed with polyfill. I really like the sewing on the outside better as you get crisper corners.

Check out the little hidden pocket that I made. It's just small enough for a baby to stick their finger in. I tried it out on my almost 2 yr old and she thought the pocket was a riot. I wish I'd gotten better pictures of this guy. My eldest daughter embroidered a happy face onto the green side in glow in the dark thread.

The third try had sewing on the outside again and was stuffed with wool scraps. It's much weightier and more square - doesn't bulge out on the sides like above. I think I like that the best, but I'm not sure what other people would like. It would definitely take longer to dry if you washed it. The last one's a gift that hasn't been given yet, so no pictures. I like to play with colors as well as textures. These are for babies and that's what they are interested in. There are lots of bumpy bits, ribs, flaps and extra soft wool.

For everyone who keeps asking, no, I won't be offering these in my shop anytime soon. I would have to price them too high for anyone to afford because of the work involved. You'll just have to have a baby and I'll make one for you. Or make one yourself, cause they're oodles of fun.

blog swap - Doe Studio

I was so excited to get this package in the mail the other day! It's from Dawn at Doe Studio, an etsy artist from Keswick, Ontario. We swapped, so I like to think she was ripping the wrapping at the same time I was.

Here's the package as I'm about to rip all the packaging off! I tell you, I like gifts as much as anyone, and it was hard to stop and take a picture first.

Dawn's store features beautiful crocheted scarves, hats and blankets as well as tile pendants and original photography. This scarf is what she sent me. I had to put it on right away - for pictures, you know...

It's a long tendrilly thing, and anyone who knows me well knows it suits me perfectly. In fact I am wearing it at the office today as I type this... with the same outfit even.
It's soft and perfect, and I love it.

I had the opportunity to ask Dawn a couple of questions, and here's what she had to say:
A bit about yourself : I am a wife and mother of one very busy 4 year old boy. I am an Office Administrator by day and fiber addict by night! I love to crochet, take pictures and basically keep my hands busy with all kinds of crafts! More personally, I recently finished chemotherapy to treat a pregnancy related cancer called GTD and have been cancer free since June (yaaay). I am currently training to participate in my first half marathon in Toronto in May 2010. I enjoy being active and love mountain biking with my hubby!
( I read about the cancer on her blog, and can't imagine what that must be like to go through. Good for you for pulling through, Dawn)
What you get most out of having your own business: I love meeting new people, some of whom are customers, others are mentors and even more are fellow artisans. It’s such a wonderful community to be a part of. I love when a customer receives my items and is genuinely impressed and loves it! I really get a kick out of it!
(I answered this question almost identically, I just realized. I think Auntie Dawn and I would get along well in real life.)
re: Inspiration: When I crochet, I am inspired by the fiber that I am working with. I imagine someone actually wearing the piece or sitting by the fire wrapped up in it! And when it comes to taking photography, well I just go outside and let Mother Nature do the talking!
Really it all began when I was a kid. Seeing my grandmother with the knitting needles and crochet hooks were awe inspiring. Seeing what she could do with them and what she could create was even cooler! My Mom also crocheted and taught me when I was about 10. I loved the feeling of making something with my hands, something tangible from tangled bits of yarn. It was freeing!!
Is it craft or art? For me, this is art. I create something from a strand of yarn and turn it into a fashion statement or a warm blanket to snuggle your new baby with. It's not just something that you cut and paste together. It's something that I pour my heart into.
Dawn has a giveaway going on on her blog right now! You could win a scarf, a necklace and glass tile pendant or an 8x10 print - yes, 3 chances to win.
She is also currently planning a Christmas Open House in early December - I wonder how much a plane ticket would be....

Thank you, Auntie Dawn for the lovely gift! I am very much appreciating it. I hope you will all check out Dawn's beautiful store. It's the people like this that make shopping handmade so worth it.
gisele

Friday, November 20, 2009

ok, I admit it, I am such a geek!

I need a new quilt for me. I've got this big huge idea to make a crazy quilt in 4 sections and each section is a different season. So there I was, geeking on etsy for supplies and then treasury opened, and voila:

I want to make a crazy quilt.

The thing is that I know that this is the kind of project I'm not good at. It's big. How am I going to finish this before I go completely crazy and start something else? Does anyone else have this problem? I was born in the sign of the butterfly. I flit from project to project collecting ideas. I get distracted easily by the next great idea. I'm a great idea person, not so good with the follow through. Anyone else out there have the same problem? How do you deal with it? I betcha all artists have a bit of this.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Pass the Peas II - Shawl Pin

This is what I've been up to this weekend:


This was a special request for someone who bought a peas pendant from my store.

It's made of peridot beads, reclaimed sweater felt and sterling silver.

The pin has been hammered to harden it.
Of course, I had to try it out on a shawl.

And the end of the pin is curled like a tendril from a pea plant.

I do hope the intended recipient likes it, and it finds a good home somewhere where it is used and loved.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Household Bookshelf


The Household Bookshelf
1936

I picked up this priceless book at an antique store this summer and have been itching to tell you about it since then. I feel like I’ve met a new friend and her name is “Housewife”. She’s earnest to care for her family the best way she can. She’s grounded in old-fashioned found-on-on-the-farm goodness but she’s busy and responsible for a lot so she has to take shortcuts when she can.

Here’s the preface:
“This cookbook is planned to meet the needs of the average homemaker if today who does not wish to spend her time and energy in preparation of food that she can buy easily and find satisfactory.”…

This excerpt on canned soups illustrates the mood of the book rather well.:
p. 367
"Canned Soups: Naturally these cost more in money than the same soup made at home, but the cost in time is much less. Canned soups are of course seasoned, but to an average taste, so that further seasoning to the family taste makes them more savory, and combining two soups often produces a new one."

It is, ironically, followed for recipes for soups made from scratch. There is such a sense of the struggle to strike a balance between modern conveniences and old fashioned values. A struggle which I think we can still relate to today.


My book was well loved. There are several hand-written recipes on scraps of paper, recipes cut from newspapers and even an old shopping list tucked in throughout the book. Most of the writing is difficult to decipher, but obviously it was treasured by someone. One thing that amazes me is how clean the book is. There is absolutely no evidence of it having actually being used for cooking, though I'm sure it was. It smells old, and I love that.

My mother would enjoy the recipe for Welsh Rabbit on page 33. I remember her making this when I was little. There is a 2 page discussion of the history and fundamentals of this cheesy dish served “on the soft side of half-toast with the crusts removed”, which, if followed, apparently “nobody could fail”.

I know this dish as “Welsh Rarebit”, but, apparently, I am wrong.

“ Even the name is a matter of discussion. “Rabbit” is really what it should be called, “rarebit” being a sophistication of the original jesting name. A scoffer thinking to make fun of Dr. Wiley’s food decisions once asked him “As a Welsh Rabbit is neither Welsh nor a rabbit, why not seize them all as misbranded?” And the Doctor genially responded, “Yes, if it went into interstate commerce, being eaten in New York and the consumer going over into New Jersey to sleep, it would be misbranded unless it were eaten by a Welshman and a hair (hare) put in the dish.”

I have no idea what that means, but I love it!

On the back of one recipe cut from the newspaper was this news article of a harbour fire. I wish I knew more about it.


And I'll leave you with one last piece of advice, which I think is as relevant today as ever. At least I'm sure my children would agree:
“Also the mother who, thinking to be clever, mixed the hated spinach with the beloved mashed potato, and found her small son weeping over the mess, trying to pick out the spinach and sobbing out, “She’s spoiled my nice tater,” is an example of how not to do it.” P.105

Friday, November 6, 2009

C is for Cookie!

I can't tell you how much fun this treasury was to make! Here's the screen shot I promised.
Unfortunatly I didn't get one of the 'fresh shops' treasury.... was too busy setting up a facebook page for silver sisters and jumping for joy over selling the peas pendant. But don't worry, I took a good look at the construction and made a pattern so I can do another one if someone wants one.



And one more treasury...

click here.

New Kid On The Block

Go HERE to find out why I'm doing a happy dance right now...

My Pass the Peas Please pendant is attached to an article on etsy about undiscovered shops which is linked to the etsy finds email newsletter (see below) as well as a gift guide.



This is a big deal for little shops like mine because we need all the extra exposure we can get while we're still undiscovered. That's what it means to be undiscovered. I have to thank Cindy for the nomination. Be sure to check out her shop and see what the big deal is about blurple. And of course, I wasn't kidding when I said you should go see the original article. You would truly make somebody's day (you have no idea) if you purchased from them. And, then you can say you knew them when...

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Me Want Cookie!

Click here for my new Cookie Monster treasury. Just for silliness.
Did you know it is the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street? Wow, that show has staying power. Now I'm pretty against most kids' TV out of principle and because it's just plain annoying to watch but Sesame Street has a soft spot in my heart. It's wholesome, it's funny, kids get it, adults don't mind it.

My favourite episode is one where Oscar the grouch (my fav character and alter ego) gets confused.
It goes something like this:
He's grumpy about something.
But he likes being grumpy so that makes him happy.
But he doesn't like being happy so that makes him grumpy.
and around and around.

It speaks to me on a metaphorical level but I haven't quite figured out the message yet.

What's your favourite Sesame Street episode? What really happened to Bert? and is it wrong to hate elmo? Life's big questions. Leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

all who wander are not lost.

And the screen shot that I promised.




I wander.

I've got a new treasury - go here.
I'll post a screen shot after it expires.
The caption reads:

It's not true, I do give up sometimes, just not yet!
I keep doing these treasuries that are so personal to me.
What can I say, I'm a thinker.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Progress:

Remember this?
Here are more work in progress shots:



I cut her out of a felted wool sweater using my original drawing as a template. I love the texture of the cables in the sweater. I am playing with texture and detail vs. simplicity and economy. You will see what I mean when I show you the stitching next time.




These pants were my favourite work pants until they had an unfortunate confrontation with the corner of my desk. I tried and tried to figure out a creative way to fix them, but decided against stitches or patches on my butt. So now they're being repurposed for my embroidery projects. Now that I have them on the hoop I think they are perfect for this project. The weave is nice to work with for stitching, the colour is perfect and it has some subtle character I couldn't have planned into the piece if I'd tried.

I think I'm going to go stitch now. The house is quiet like Christmas morning before everyone else gets up and I've got work to do.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Recycled Sweater Treasury

It's amazing what creative people can do with a couple of felted wool sweaters. Here are just a few of the wonderful things I found on etsy this morning. Go here for the real thing. It's worth it to see the comments and take a closer look.
gisele


Monday, October 26, 2009

By the end of the week.

I won't bore you with the details, but the 2 year old with pneumonia is all better now and, after much drama and disappointment and repeat drama and a ridiculous long story with an unhappy ending we're taking our house off the market and hunkering down for the winter.

On a completely unrelated note, I have a work in progress to show you. There were supposed to be several more pictures but I'm having trouble finding them in the abyss of my new computer. Really steep learning curve. seriously.

So here's a teaser. The piece will be called "By the end of the week" and it's about some days when you feel defeated and just want to curl up in a ball in a dark corner somewhere. I'm sure you can relate.


This drawing is just the beginning of the process - the pattern, as it were. It's drawn on a piece of construction paper with a soft pencil. I usually shy away from drawing things that are supposed look like real things, as I have no art training whatsoever and little innate skill with drawing reality (and, frankly, little interest in art that is that analytical for me), but this one just poured itself out of me onto the page. The artists out there will know what I mean.
I promise to post the finished piece when it is done.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

For Angie. Re: food.

Angie (here) is asking questions about how families organize food. Rather than posting a long comment I thought the topic deserved a whole post. (Plus I’m stumped on the signing in thing, sorry, Angie. Techno-Neanderthal)

I have a feeling Angie is more of a linear thinker than I am so I’m not sure how much this will help. The fact that she follows recipes sets us apart to be sure. Meals in our house are very simple. This is the crux of the plan. The simpler the better. If it takes more than 30 minutes to prepare it doesn’t happen. We find excuses to eat out instead, so we plan our menu based on 30 minutes or less. I’d rather spend time with my family on weeknights than in the kitchen. For example, cooking potatoes takes just about exactly 30 minutes so they are just barely acceptable. We don’t eat roasts or casseroles or lasagnas on weeknights. We save them for weekends when we are home longer and have time to play in the kitchen.

Maybe a good place to start would be with this week’s menu. I plan the menu for the week on the weekend when I do shopping. I only shop once a week, no exceptions.

1. spaghetti squash with seafood sauce
2. beef stew
3. pork tenderloin with butternut risotto.
4. chicken stew (Wednesday)
5. something with ground beef. (spaghetti or chilli)

OK, you’ll notice I don’t label the meals by date. This gives us the flexibility of choosing which meal we feel like making usually based on our energy levels that night. Wednesdays we always have company over so I have to plan something specific in order to have enough. I wouldn’t normally plan spaghetti squash during the week but Monday was a holiday so it counts as a weekend meal. I also know that I need to cook some brown rice sometime this week (after supper) so we have it for the pork night. I usually do that on the weekend and have it in the fridge but we got a little carried away making onigiri for the first time ever this weekend (soooo good) and used up all the rice.

After the 30 minute rule, the next guiding principle is season. The menu above is a winter menu. It’s built around warmth and the kinds of food that are available now. A good way to start your meal planning is to think “what’s in season” and plan around that. Guaranteed to be less expensive, healthier for you and easier to find. I don’t buy cucumbers or strawberries in the winter. Right now it’s squash, potatoes, beets, apples and whatever I have in the freezer from the summer. In the summer we eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies either steamed, stir fried or eaten raw and often barbeque our meats. That’s even faster than winter food.

There are probably cheaper ways to eat. I am always amazed at how much we manage to spend at the grocery store. But I think real, whole food is worth it, and am thankful that we have the resources available to choose that.

I manage to skip most of the inner isles of boxed stuff, ducking in only when necessary. My experience has been that that stuff is more expensive anyway (not to mention less healthy). We have a whiteboard on the fridge with a running list of stuff we’re out of. It’s much easier to remember everything if it’s written down when you think of it during the week. On the back side of my grocery list is the first draft of our menu. The grocery list is split into four sections: produce (fresh), meat/milk/protein, other edible (cans, boxes, jars, frozen) and non-edible (soap, dog food). This drives my husband crazy but I do it anyway. I only want to go through the store once. There are often blanks on the menu when I hit the store – then I’ll write “2 more meals” or “2 more fruits” and decide when I get there based on what looks good or is on sale that day. If I’m really organized I’ll find the online flyer for the store I’m going to and see what’s on sale and then plan around that, but I find I suddenly “need” way more stuff that wouldn’t have hit my list if I hadn’t looked. The biggest savings comes when I can leave the kids at home and quickly run through the store getting only what’s on my list. The more focused I am the less I stop and look at things, and the more I stick to the plan. When I get home I rewrite the menu because it has undoubtedly changed, and post it on the fridge. The theory is that that way anyone could then pick something off the menu and cook dinner. I find it useful to have a reminder of what the heck I was thinking when I bought all this stuff when I get home from work bleary-eyed and not wanting to do anything but flop onto the couch and order pizza.

Leftovers. Leftovers usually end up in my lunch, used in the kids’ lunches or reincorporated into another supper. Our fridge is bare by the weekend somehow, no matter how full it was at the beginning of the week. I keep an eye on the leftovers and could tell you any day exactly what is in my fridge. I hate cleaning moldy containers that much. Today I have about a cup of canned pumpkin to use up and I’m really not sure what I’ll do with it (Risotto maybe?). And we really need to eat up the pumpkin puddings from Monday or freeze them.

So, Angie, I don’t know if that helps answer any of your questions. Your issues are probably different than mine. This really works for us so I thought I’d share.
Please, anyone share if you have a comment on how you feed your family.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

I forgot about winter.

I forgot how quiet snow can make the streets.
I forgot how much I like cozy slippers and soft wool sweaters.
and I forgot about the warmth of gathering family and friends together just for the sake of being together.

so, maybe winter's not ALL bad afterall.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

I Heart Handmade!

I snagged another treasury in celebration of our team sale that is happening this week.
Click here for the real thing.

For everyone who appreciates the handmadeness of things. Everyone around us has so many talents - imagine if we bought what we needed from people instead of corporate machines (or better yet, made it ourselves). How might the world be different?

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Turning Points.


First Snow this weekend.
It’s officially winter.
Rainee and I harvested the final bits of swiss chard, mint and spices from the garden as heavy, dark, cold clouds loomed and snow began to fall. Rainee always helps in the garden, she loves being outside and seems most at home in the garden.

I can feel the internal switch from fresh raw vegies and barbecue to warming stews and things roasted in the oven. I can start to feel the pull of Christmas and long for the luxury of time for projects in January, February and March, before spring comes and we switch over to summer mode again. If I was organized I would put the summer shirts and kid’s shorts away instead of just into the laundry bin again. But I’m not. Maybe next weekend.

Instead, I’m making pictures of peacocks with the neighbourhood kids (Did you know they have ugly feet? Me neither. They focus on the bounties in life rather than their shortfalls.)


I’m dreaming up projects – quilts, at least one hat (for me, turns out everyone else is covered but not me.) and baby booties. Several several pairs of baby booties (my almost 2 year old is still a baby, right? Can I keep her close for just a little bit longer?).


Seems appropriate to have a harvest sale in the store as I pull in the last little bits of life from my garden. Take a gander, there are lots great handmade goodies made close to home and only a couple of days left on the sale. I’ve got an eye on a couple for Christmas gifts already. Not telling what.