So much to be thankful for.

Not in the least the splendor of autumn in Ottawa.

And the health and happiness of my loves.

Happy thanksgiving, fellow Canucks!

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I had to include one of the (still) luscious green grass along the Ottawa Rideau Canal.

{this moment} inspired by Soulemama – A Friday ritual of a photo  capturing a moment from the week.  If you’re inspired to do the same, please leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.

p.s. you can still enter to win a $120 custom book in which to archive your childrens’ art!

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I guess the last few weeks have been very exciting around here, because I completely forgot to post these fall-in-Vermont photos from a little bit ago.

We were lucky to be in Northern Vermont just as the seasons were turning, and our walks in the huge meadows were filled with hints of summer, and growing hints of cooler times.

I’ll have a feast for your retinas soon with photos of the foliage color explosion happening right now. This afternoon the multi-day rain let up, the skies cleared, and nature walks are on the menu again.

How are the seasons changing where you are?

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With autumn fast approaching, we decided to prepare a beautiful watercolor paper-wrapped glass jar lantern to shed some warm light on our family suppers. As the season progresses, some of these dinners will be had in our new back room, full of windows, when it’s dark outside. This is a beautiful art activity for a wee one.

First she painted a watercolor, trying to fill up most of the white space.

Here’s the finished painting. This was 8 1/2 x 11 sized watercolor paper. We left the painting to dry,

Next, using a brush, we covered it in oil (we used olive as that’s all we had around) until it was saturated. We left that to dry too.

Then we put a candle at the bottom of a big Mason jar, and measured the bottom of the jar,

We wanted to make a series of cuts that were approximately as wide as the jar and as high.

Here’s what we did.

Then we folded the bottom in like a fan, layering some glue in between the layers, and glued along the overlapping side, securing the whole lantern with a few rubber bands for drying.

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Some new pieces for the shop. The chevron navy and rust picnic blanket is a new favorite. Sometimes we collect vintage pieces of fabric and odds and ends that we’re not sure about – and sometimes they turn out so beautifully when they are properly sewn up.

This bag is made with soft, textured organic beige canvas, It’s an ode to Johnny Appleseed.

Haven’t listed this last picnic blanket yet – it’s Marimekko, a reprint from 1965 we bought from Finland. So very gender neutral (refreshing!) and just right for an autumn picnic.

What are your favorite autumn picnic foods?

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This weekend my feet took me to the trees, the mighty oaks at our nearby woods, to collect acorn caps and witness the first signs of autumn.

The acorns were incredibly plentiful – I almost got knocked on the head half a dozen times by a falling nut. I wouldn’t have minded one bit.

The best part? Hearing the joy in my daughter’s voice as she ran through the trees, finding shade filled with mottled, glinting bits of sun peeking through the still-plentiful foliage.

 

A little sun, a little fresh air, some woods. One satisfied family.

This post was inspired by the Wandering Wednesday series over at GardenMama.
Last week life got in the way of participating, so I did this week’s post even though her photo series is over (a new one is coming up I hear!)

Where will your feet take you this week?

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Our trip to the local organic orchard is always one of the sweetest days of the season. I’m not sure how many bushels or pecks we brought home, but I know we’ll have delicious pear and apple sauce all through the winter. 

Just under an hour away is Ferme Dagenais- a biodynamic farm in Embrun. Biodynamic farming is a more holistic approach to organic farming – you can read more about it here.

With apples & pears high up on the list of fruits & vegetables with the highest pesticides residues, making them the most toxic if bought conventionally)… we feel so fortunate to have a local, organic, pick your own option.  Apples are usually grown with the use of poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. And scrubbing and peeling doesn’t eliminate chemical residue completely. Similarly, conventional pears often have dozens of different types of poisons on them (and in them). Other fruits & vegetables on the list? Potatoes, strawberries, blueberries, kale, leafy greens, spinach and peaches. Scary stuff.

The farm also grows a wide variety of organic medicinal herbs and plants. We saw a huge, sweeping field of clover.

And saw lots of hints of fall…

Now does anyone have a wholesome apple pie recipe? Or should I dispense with my “wholesome” requirements for this pie and just make it?

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