wings

I was so confident yesterday when I posted  boasted that a simple poncho would be enough for our owl wings. When my daughter got dressed for trick or treating, she clearly felt that her minimalistic owl was lacking something. "Pleeeaaase put a few feathers on my tummy mama!" 

So, there I was in the final hour... sewing on several quick rows of feathers. She was right... it did need it- and I could do it.  Ha!  Whooooo said simplifying was easy!

Simplicity and Flexibility... they are sisters, are they not? Or perhaps they are mother and daughter.
Either way... we are learning, loving and growing. And last night we breathed in the last of October and spread our wings. Together.

Cat Tale

I hope you had a wonderful Halloween... we sure did, but I'm grateful that it's only one night out of the year. However, this girl black cat of mine intends to climb back into her fur as often as possible. Note the mask worn with the heavy coat above. She let me know her intention to wear the cat suit all winter long, before I even started cutting out the fleece. This was good information to factor in, along with the knowledge that it was going to be a chilly trick or treating night.  So, I should tell you the little details about the suit:
-I traced the body of one of her zipper footie pajamas (because it doesn't get much more comfy than that) and kept in mind the need to wear layers underneath, so added a little extra room around the torso. 
-I bought the black fleece on sale when we first moved to the east coast, but hadn't cut into it until now.
-Mitten/paws were decided upon 10 minutes before we left the house- zippity sewing!
-The tail was attached a wee bit low (whoops).
-The mask was made in lieu of face paint because of skin sensitivities.
-The black zipper went missing so we opted for a good ol' button.
-The big brother decided he wasn't too old to go at the last minute, and came up with his final costume 5 minutes before the trick or treating began (traveling salesman!).

It all came together rather quickly once we all got down to it. I was just so relieved that the cat didn't change her mind in the final hour (as so many little ones do). She remained constant. Not sure why I doubted... especially when she shared this story that she wrote while I was sewing on Sunday morning. She declared her "half cat" identity right there on the page.

Here is my interpretation... I corrected some spelling and  added some context just to make it readable to all of you, but truly the original is absolutely priceless and totally perfect for me, as is.

True Story

Once upon a time there was a cat. Its name was Hickory (our tabby). And he has been in my life since I was born I have always been (as if) I was half cat. Maybe because I have always had a cat in my family. He has always understood me. I think now I am six almost seven, he is still the best part of my life and I love to read about them (cat stories) if I can! 

 the end

THE END!!!

YAY

And yes, those are patent leather knee high boots. I know. Amazing!  Big thanks to our hand-me- down-fairy, the Big T! I wouldn't be surprised if I found this black cat romping in the snow with Hickory one day soon. For now, she roams the woods as all good country cats do.

happy halloween!

Hope your day and night are spooktacular!

first snow

As exciting as the first snow is, I wasn't ready emotionally for it yesterday. Too early! Seeing how delighted my children were helped. Having the fire, a pot of soup, and a little last minute sewing also eased my mood... "I do love this time of year, I do," I kept reminding myself. We all went to sleep wondering what winter wonderland we'd wake up to. I was able to slip outside as the sun rose with my camera. It was in that quiet moment, with the stillness of my frozen breath, that I remembered why we chose long ago to make a home in the countryside, deep in a region where the seasons are intense and weather is always an exciting topic of conversation.

The light is so easy to find and capture out here in the wild... and every step offers a new gift...

I'm sure it will all melt as quickly as it fell. This was but a reminder of the magic we have ahead of us.

I am off to finish up a cat costume... because what else would she be, right? Hope your weekend affords you (and me!) all of the time needed to wrap up those last minute Halloween details. Now to find a black zipper!

diy: pumpkin lace vase

 When I went foraging last week for pine cones (more on those next week), I also gathered some amazing dried wild flowers. They had such elegant form and structure, but I couldn't find the right vessel to display them in. Hollowed out pumpkins make delightful temporary vases. I adorned one with a little black lace, a painted doily, for an almost gothic look to compliment the dark and spiky bouquet.

The white bumpy gourd was a mystery squash plant that emerged out of our compost bin.  I love it! I plan to save the seeds to plant some intentionally for next year. Anyways, I dressed it in a lace skirt for fun!

Want to make one, too? They're fast and fun...

How To: Pumpkin Lace Vase

Materials:

• pumpkin
• doily (sized well for your pumpkin)
• black paint
• brush
• scissors
• glue

Make:

1. Fold doily in half and cut out the center.
2. Slip it over your pumpkin top to gauge how large an opening you'll need.
3. Paint doily with black paint. Obviously, you can skip this for a little white lace look.
4. While doily dries, cut off pumpkin top and scrape out pumpkin (as you would for a jack o' lantern).
5. Paint the back of the doily with glue and affix it to your pumpkin. Smooth out bumps and creases.
6. Fill with dried flowers or insert a small container to hold water and a fresh bouquet.

spooky

After writing yesterday's post, I started thinking about how different we all are. What one perceives as scary, another might consider fascinating. I guess spooky is subjective. Black birds, bats, and spiders are all a part of the natural world and very much a part of our every daily living out here. They have made their way into our Halloween/fall  decor over the years.

Spooky? Maybe. One little tool that we've gotten so much pleasure out of is the Martha Stuart spider punch. (This is unsolicited promotion, of course). I find punches to be one of the most useful crafting tools for making the most out of recycled paper (or making plain old construction paper come to life). We have several, but the spider is the most popular and doubles as a great counting/math tool!

In fact, this year they will be incorporated into whatever my daughter's costume will turn into... it's the only decision that's firm so far.
Here's a peek at some afternoon projects we're working on this week:



Sources:
Bat template
Spider punch: available at most crafting supply stores and definitely at Michael's.