October Heat

We have been enjoying the most amazing weather, especially the past three days! The temperature has been in the mid-20’s and our evenings are so beautiful and warm that you are tempted to sleep outdoors. Well, at least I am.

There are still lots of flowers in the window boxes and pots, and tomatoes are still growing in the heat of the day.

I would really like it to stay like this all year round.....please......

A little project

In the few minutes I find here and there, I made a cover for the new sketchbook my friend, Nancy picked up for me at Barnes and Noble on our recent trip to Maine.

Since I had all these stamped bits and pieces to chose from, I decided to incorporate one of my stamped raspberries with some of my hand dyed fabrics. I wanted to embellish the cover a bit more, so I used Shiva Paintsticks to rub a leaf design on both back and front.

I made a pocket on each side for the covers to slip over and know they will stay put.

I also painted a one inch wide strip and fused and stitched it to the front for more interest. I used some shiny thread I had and finisheded by adding a charm and a bead.  And there would be no chance I would be sewing those on! I used my handy dandy E-6000 to glue them in place!

There won’t be any awards given out for my design and execution, but I like it and I think it adds some class to my stack of sketchbooks and moleskins.

And in our “Tomato Talk” corner, because I know everyone is simply itching to know how mine are doing, don’t these look yummy!

Basil. How do I love thee.

I was a slow convert to computers. As I began to realize the wealth of information available, I was quick to jump on board the blog bandwagon! As a fabric dyer, surface design person - a person of fibre - there was not a lot of info readily available in my immediate neighbourhood. As I found more blogs written with my fabric needs in mind, I gathered my favorites and either followed along, signed up for email updates, or in a lot of cases, just stalked. In a good way, of course.

Not everyone stays on topic all the time. That is the great thing about these online journals; many are written for a variety of reasons. Some authors are building a business and using all avenues of social media; some are kept so family living everywhere and anywhere can keep up; some simply like documenting their daily/weekly lives. Many turn their blogs into photo books! I would have loved this when my kids were small. Keeping a hand written journal just wasn’t for me I discovered, but the instant gratification of writing an entry and posting a photo or two of my growing kids and their daily antics would have been gold in my books! 

One of the bonuses I have discovered is that a lot of blog writers share their successes. All kinds of successes. Like recipe successes!

A couple of years ago I while reading a blog called Tommy the Material Girl, I was very interested in her yearly pesto making. I was intrigued that anyone who purposely work pesto making (in quantity!) into their summer schedule. So intrigued, in fact, that I never forgot. This year I decided the time had come to follow suit!

I have basil growing on my deck every summer and add it to just about anything and everything. I have eaten some this morning and will have it again in whatever I concoct for supper(...basil with eggs, add it to salad, margarita pizza, basil biscuits.....). This year however, I had a more formulated plan. I bought two plants already started and then started about 30 or 40 plants from seed. 

This morning I made my first pesto!! And it is delicious.....

I am freezing some and have kept a bit out to share with my hubby tonight. Maybe. Depends what time he gets home..

I won’t lie. I cleaned the inside of the blender with some bits of rosemary bread to get the last drops. And think what you will, I licked the blender blades clean. It’s that good.

So, thanks, Tommy! I really appreciate you sharing of your recipe. And I am so glad I gave blogs a chance.

Summer Stamping

I keep some sheets of Soft-Kut and my Speedball carving tools next to my ironing board. My iron takes no time to heat up, but I like to pretend it does and in the time I have decided it takes to get hot, I work on hand carving stamps. So, every time I iron a shirt for work, I spend 5 minutes or so working on a stamp. 

This weekend my daughter spent the night with us on her way to her next placement. She came to say good morning to me and saw the materials near the board. As I sat at my sewing machine fixing a blouse for her, she carved a stamp. She hasn’t had much free time in the last 7 years for anything not directly related to school, so it was fun to watch her sit and focus on a random act of creativity.

So, today I decided it was time to collect all the stamps scattered over my work table and try them out. I gathered up some of my hand dyed fabrics and some bottles of fabric paint and headed to the deck.

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy my outdoor studio space?

This was the perfect spot to do some stamping - the sun was now on the other side of the house and there was a slight breeze blowing.

Simone’s starfish stamp!

And because I can’t resist......here is the token tomato photo for the day......

Grape tomatos - coming along quite nicely!

Watching tomatoes grow.....

You can’t imagine how much pleasure I get from watching my little pots of tomatoes grow! I am sure I drive everyone right round the bend when I ask repeatedly if they have checked on their growth from day to day! I spend a fair amount of time on the deck, fussing with them. As the sun moves, I move the pots to best advantage and I water, and I fertilize, and I water some more! My joke is that I will have such a huge crop, I will be opening a vegetable stand at the end of my driveway, when the truth is, I just hope I get enough for a couple of lettuce and tomato sandwiches! Ah, that would be bliss!!

I am also enjoying my flowers and although I know I have over crowded my window boxes and pots and beds, I don’t care. They are full of color and fragrance and I simply breathe it all and enjoy the festive atmosphere they create. And the calm.

Dandy pink rise ivy geranium

Pansy in the rain

I love how the rain pools in the petals of the marigolds!

Dandy white rose ivy geranium

I seem to spend entirely too much time taking photos of flowers. But, some days that is all the creativity I have time for. 

Not sure why, but this pansy reminds me of a little man....

Summer

In this part of the world, we take our summers seriously.

The East coast of Canada is a wonderful, spectacular place to live. Ask anyone who has visited and most will tell you that they will return soon, retire here, buy land here so they can retire here. They love the peace, tranquility and slower pace of living. Atlantic Canadians are friendly and welcoming. Proximity to the ocean is a therapeutic thing; ask anyone who grew up near it and then moved away. We all head to the shore as soon as we can and as we breathe in the salt air, we exhale our worries and stresses into the soft ocean breezes. We don’t even have to touch the waves to feel better; the promise of being able to is enough. 

But, not many outsiders visit in the winter.

Winters here can be harsh. And long. And although we try to embrace them, we are really just marking off the days on the calendar until summer arrives.

Summer is here. It arrived overnight, it seems. Although we watched spring carefully for signs summer would come soon, it still took us by surprise when it showed up with a brilliant sun, greens beyond description, blazing temperatures and that smell.....the one that means renewal and peace. 

My simple little flower boxes are blooming. I eat basil daily from pots on my kitchen deck and I have fragrant fresh rosemary in another if I should decide to ever cook again. I have several types of mint growing that I use for making delicious iced tea. This year I am trying to grow three types of tomatoes in pots on the living room deck where the raccoons do not have access. I am not really a gardener although I realize I am gradually learning bits and pieces as I go. I am trying to remember all those tips my Mom offered me over the years. 

I struggle to find time to create, beyond my bits of garden. But, for today, that is enough.

Flowery Eyecandy

Awash in spring pinks!

Spring and summer are hands down my most favorite times of year. I believe I was meant to live under palm trees, but in a garden would probably suffice just as well.

As I age, I enjoy flowers and greenery even more if that is possible. The really ironic thing is that I am a terrible gardener. However, one thing I have learned over the years is that I can take photos of flowers and trees and bushes and have my garden year round.....works for me. 

This past weekend we made a quick dash back and forth to Halifax, Nova Scotia  to spend some time with our daughter. We managed some delicious meals (food at this restaurant is always a favorite!), some birthday cake ala cheese cake, a lovely stroll along the waterfront, and another through the Public Gardens. The park is awash in blooming magnolias and rhododendrons and sharing soul that I am, here are a few shots I took......

These are the delightful blooms of the “double dip rhododendron! 

Beautiful tulips that greet you as you enter the gates!

Signs of spring past....

The only sign we had of spring arriving this year was the winter storm we were experiencing slowed down to a mild bellow. The snowfall gradually tapered off by 9 am after a full night of snowing, blowing and freezing rain. 

Because I am mentally ready for a break and am prepared to welcome spring with open arms, I am sharing some of my favorite spring photos taken in a spring already experienced. Just as a warm up. 

These photos were taken in my yard and at my parents on PEI. Both lovely places to be when spring truly does arrive.....