October Garden

I love gardens in October. The bees become dazed, and the twigs get crispy, but there are still a few defiantly peachy roses hidden in the brambles. Frost wilts the nasturtiums but makes the apples sweeter.

Summer Surface Pattern: Harvest

Here comes a boatload of additions to my surface pattern design shop in this series of Summer Surface Pattern posts! Now in my shop as fabric, wallpaper, and gift wrap: Vine Ripened

Souper

The Artisan Pickle

Decorative Acorns

Why are acorns so darn cute? I've been painting them, covering them in velvet, and stuffing loose caps with colorful felted balls for some seasonal displays. 

Beautyfall

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;

To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells."

--John Keats in "To Autumn"

Those elegant words perfectly introduce the season of bee petting. When the bees curl up all plump and dewy-furred against warm bricks and asphalt, I carefully stroke their soft backs. It is an unusually serene bonding experience! Sometimes they raise a fuzzy leg in weak acknowledgement, and then I leave them alone. When the laborious bees slow their whirling around the flowers I can tell the year is truly shifting into a tranquil yet vibrant phase. It is a rich and rustic time in which I adore the photo opportunities of everyday life.



Vintage Basket Purses

A basket purse is the perfect accessory for a transitional August day. An alternative to typical leather or cloth bags, they are like picnic baskets that hint at the looks of the cool, brown-leaved, preppy days to come.

This is the sturdy purse my great-grandma used nearly daily in the 1960s. Now I use it to hold sewing notions.

This peppy little purse was my mom's in the '60s. The fat raffia flowers and mustard yellow handles add cuteness to the otherwise simple, woven cube.

I bought this $1 vintage purse at a church rummage sale for its slightly scalloped bottom, smooth handles, and crest-like clasp. Vintage basket purses are relatively attainable thrift finds, and they come in a variety of functional but pretty shapes, colors, and sizes! Plus, the fact that they are still kickin' around in such good condition proves their durability! 



Cherry Picking

These photos are a little late considering the cherries have already been picked, pitted, and eaten (the crisp and cupcakes were good, oh my), but I wanted to share the shiny red glory that is this fruit. Since last year we only got two cherries, this was the first year our tree produced enough cherries for an official harvest...'twas delightful!

God must have enjoyed making cherries. They are like bright jewels dripping off each branch.

I can't get over their glossy perfection!

What is your favourite summer fruit?