Etsy Weekends: Hand painted Shoes

I have problematic feet - so wearing shoes is not as fun as it could be. But window shopping for shoes is a fantastic hobby :)

Hand Painted Shoes from Painted Peacock Shop

Sunny Sunday

 Some weeks I have no idea where the time went. This is one of those! Most weeks when I sit down to write these I have to pick and choose from all the things I've done with my time, and then there are some weeks where I stare at the screen and think, "Gosh, what did I do this week?" The fires in the West (and still smoldering on the other side of the Bridgers) meant that our air quality has been pretty rough all week, so my energy levels were pretty low. Yesterday we had rain, and it has brought our area back down to a green/yellow dot, so hopefully we can get out and do more now! Friday I had the day off and worked in the backyard, clearing the deck so our landlord can paint, and then working on clearing bulbs and sod from my back flower bed. Yesterday I ordered new bulbs to plant, and picked up some bricks for the edging :) 

Pink Snow Crocus

As far as knitting and jewelry making is concerned, I had zero output for the week. But I did manage to organize my jewelry photos, so I know what needs to be photographed and how. 

Iolite and Labradorite Bracelet 

Most of my free time this week was spent practicing Japanese (Matt had his first test on Friday) and reading. I got my hands on an Agatha Christie, and time sort of melted away. I love her books - they are fun little romps most of the time, easy to read, and a nice diversion from life (and smoke!)

はじめまして、よろしく おねがいします。(How do you do, pleased to meet you.)

Hope you all have wonderful weeks and we'll chat next week :)

Etsy Weekends: Wall Hanging Season

Doesn't it feel like the time of year to hang up new wall decorations? Just me? :) This is something I really struggle with, so I'm thinking it should be hung somewhere obvious - where I will see it often - like the kitchen or the wall above our TV 😂 Where would you hang a sign like this?

Wall Hanging from Native Vermont

Fall Weekend

 Hello!

Sorry I haven't posted the last two weeks. We have hit the time of year where I have more work than time! Last weekend we had a pretty nasty fire in the Bridger mountains, and on Monday we had snow fall and a killing temperatures. Matt and I spent all day last Sunday moving plants and picking everything that was even close to ripe. We managed to save the majority of our bucket tomatoes, but a lot of the plants in the raised beds didn't make it. We did manage to make some stuff and do some canning, and we now have about 16 jars of salsa sitting on the shelf! 

With the weather turning cooler, I have been driven to do more knitting. I've made about five hats in the last two weeks, and a pair of mittens! I have a lot more yarn just waiting to be turned into something warm for the winter. I try to keep my crafting area clean - but right now it's a bit of a mess, with yarn recently finished and waiting to be put away and yarn waiting in skeins, the ball winder has been out and in use for a little over a week straight. I figure the knitting fever will slow soon and I can get all my needles and notions and yarns all organized and put away.

 

Since I've been doing so much knitting, I haven't done much for jewelry making, but I have a few things on the back burner. Matt's mom has sent us some findings for jewelry making, and I'm excited to turn those into necklaces and earrings. I have two more commissioned malas to make as well, and I've been turning those over in my mind, what stones and what design I want to use. 

I am taking a day off this coming week and I'm hoping to get some good work done in the garden - I need to trim things back, dig up annual bulbs, and set down some cardboard to prep new beds for next spring. I wish you all luck with your fall efforts, and hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day weekend last weekend :) See you next Sunday!

  

Etsy Weekends: Happy Birthday Mom!

My mom is a pretty amazing person, and there are a lot of things that remind me of her - things I want to buy and give her, things that make me happy. Growing up we had a wall of iron trivets, and recently they moved into a smaller house, where they don't have room for all the trivets they did in the past. When they went to hang them up in June, they found a small trivet that Mom said reminded her of me and Matt. She shipped it to us, and I hung it up on our wall to remind me of her and her wall of trivets. I came across this one on Etsy the other day - and even though it is very different from the style mom traditionally picks out, it reminded me of her. :) Happy Birthday Mom!

Scrollwork Iron Trivet from Forge and Flower

Etsy Weekends: Coffee Table

This coffee table would certainly not work in our tiny living room, but I can't stop dreaming of a large living room with this as the centerpiece. I could fit so much knitting on there! 😂

Large Copper Coffee Table from Nature Inspired Crafts