My sister taught me to knit last year and I haven't tried it again since. Unlike her, I'm not exactly a natural in the sewing arts, nor am I as patient. I've been thinking about my little knitting basket, though, and wondering if I should give it another go. So... Continue reading

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Extra blankets. Peppermint tea. Dew on the trees. Butternut squash. Painting, drawing, thinking. Birds singing. Clock ticking. Heater humming. A gentle stirring. October. Continue reading

It seems that the garden came and went this summer without a trace. Before I knew it things were already dying, going to seed, and covered in spider webs. Sort of pretty in its own right, I guess. This little painting was inspired by my now dark and spidery garden. Continue reading

Well, hello, Autumn. It's sort of nice to see you again. It has been quite some time. It's true, I'm a summer girl through and through but aesthetically speaking, you're my favorite season. I love your unapologetic earthiness and your muted color palette. I love your quiet, soft spokenness and... Continue reading

New printable recipe cards in the shop. Continue reading

A few weeks ago it occurred to me that with all of the painting I've done over the years, I've never painted anything for Michael. Ever. That just didn't seem right. He, on the other hand, has made lots of art for me over the years and is tremendously talented... Continue reading

I sat down to draw these spider mums for the millionth time in two days and ended up painting the tablecloth instead. That's just the way it goes sometimes. Continue reading

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New printable gift tags available in the shop. Continue reading

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What is it about monograms? I’ve always had a soft spot for them. Must do the whole alphabet some day. Soon. Continue reading

A little bowl of sunshine on my counter. Continue reading

Two weeks ago I had no intention of starting a new blog. I was more certain that I wouldn't be blogging at all than I was about starting something new. But some little light turned on and suddenly I was inspired. So last week I started a new blog. Maybe it's because I turn 40 today. Maybe it's because I'm not the same person I was a year ago. Maybe it's because I'm not the same person I was even a few months ago. And when I came back to this space after being gone so long, I realized I... Continue reading

How in the world did that happen? I turned around and the next thing I knew it was July. But I wanted to stop in and say "hi" and tell you that all is well. Things are just busy and summery, and I hope to get back to this space very soon. Until then, I hope you are enjoying the sunshine and pretty days. Continue reading

I pay attention to what I eat. A lot of attention. I try to do the normal things like eat seasonally/locally/organically but I also do a bit more than that. I pay attention to how foods make me feel (which is a lot, good or bad) (sugar, I'm talking to you!) and I thought I kinda had it down. I thought I was staying away from the things that didn't treat me kindly but it turns out I was a little right and a lot wrong. Turns out my body is allergic (or intolerant) to almost everything I eat every... Continue reading

Old shingle houses on the way to the shore. Paned-glass windows and white trim. Little rivers in the sand. Beach grass and black hills. And sky that never ends. Conversations in the wind. A beach house kitchen. And handmade milkshakes. Games by the fireplace. And bittersweet goodbyes. ANY Continue reading

Thank you dearly for your tips for getting through the hard seasons. It seems that for some it's the heat, for some it's the sun, for some it's the stifling humidity, and for some it's the cold, dark gray. The most difficult part seems to be the unrelenting sameness of it all. The day in and the day out of waking up to the same, tiring thing. I guess I'm a Midwestern girl at heart so I need at least some semblance of four seasons, however short or minimal they may be. But my people are here. And my people... Continue reading

I know, it's a tired complaint. Really tired. I complain about it all the time. I can't help it. I do try to love it; I try to make it work for me. Every year I'm hopeful it will get better. But it hasn't gotten better in 18 years. In fact, after 18 years I think it's gotten worse. What if you spent three months out of every year waiting for them to be over? What if you spent six? What about eight? What if you spent eight months out of every year wanting to skip them? That seems like... Continue reading

I know, tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day so why a Hungarian dish today? I don't have a good answer for that. But I happened upon Hungarian Beef Goulash at Dinner with Julie the other day and I was totally interested. And totally motivated! When I saw the beef with the paprika I was like, yummm. When I saw the little dumplings I was like, ohhhh. When I saw the bacon I was like, Do we need bacon on top of all that? But then I told myself not to argue with the bacon and oh my heavens was it delish!... Continue reading

I don't know if it's the weather, the time change, or just the general blah-ness in the air but I am feeling completely unmotivated in the kitchen. My old dinner standbys just aren't cutting the mustard anymore. Yesterday, though, I made it super easy on myself and just mixed a bunch of different containers together. I had very low expectations for this dish but was quite surprised by the results. I'm not sure it requires a written recipe but here it is in all its simpleness: Rice Penne with Chicken, Pesto, and Ricotta 1 cup cooked chicken breast (I used... Continue reading

Like I've said before, Miss A may no longer be obsessed with real horses but her love of model horses (and what she can do with them) is still alive and well. This horse is from a Breyer Custom Horse Kit and she researched different ways to paint it so that it looked as realistic as possible. Here's what it looked like before--bald, pale, and slightly alien-like. To paint it, she ground up different colors of chalk pastels and dabbed them onto the horse with a dry paint brush. Between each layer of pastels, she sprayed it with a matte... Continue reading