happy halloween

For the first time in many years, I will not walk the streets with my children this halloween. My youngest is almost 13 and decided last minute, that trick-or-treating just is not for him anymore... He went out in style last year dressed up as Mr. Bean. A brilliant costume, but unfortunately a bit too sophisticated for the audience, many were unaware of the British comedy character so popular in our house.  So this year we are instead happily decorating our yard with creepy creatures and gleeful pumpkins, and we are planning to hand out scary goodies to hordes of other young trick-or-treaters. 

I did not intend to be away from the blog for almost two weeks. My sincere apologies. The schedule is looking better now, and I have much to share, so posts will be more frequent in the next few weeks.

a while longer

I am swamped with projects this week, and as my deadlines pile up I will be away from the blog for a little while longer. I'll return soon with updates about all the exciting things that are in the works. Warm wishes for a wonderful week!

pale purple pining

This weekend was spent indoors, mostly in front of the computer, finishing up many small projects and tasks that had reach the end of the deadline rope. I should be grateful for busyness. Our lives are uncertain and knowing that so many people still want my work and my help is reassuring. But I long for a few more moments in the garden, zooming in on the smallest of details; the smell of the moist dirt, the lingering morning dew, and the vivid hues of summer's last flowers. There should be a time for everything.

tooting ones own horn

A bit late, but I have to celebrate that my geranium patchwork zip purse was featured in the body + soul October issue. Thank you to the magazine editors who picked my purse for the planet-friendly handbag feature, along with work from prestigious designers such as Helen E. Riegle and Liz Saintsing. A big thank you as well to my friend Reena Kazmann and her cool, and environmentally conscious on-line store eco-artware, for providing the samples. I am honored!

And this week my doublefile viburnum sachets made it to etsy's front page in equally impressive company. Thank you Shay for including them in your beautiful treasury!

gifts in times of stress

I try to focus on the little things. The dogwood tree's bright berries and mauve tinted leaves. The big smile on my son's face after a couple of saves in the soccer goal. The cool fresh air during early morning runs... But it is difficult to ignore the stress these days. The markets are crashing and those precious college funds, needed in just a few years, are dwindling. Inleaf sales are meager as well, and lets not get started on the cost of groceries...

In the midst of anxiety and distress my newfound Swedish blogger friend and artist Eva-Lena Rehnmark is promoting a world wide movement called the 29-day giving challenge, in which you pledge to give something every day for 29 days. Eva-Lena will donate an original painting (see above) to a giver who is willing to comment about their giving experience on her blog. The deadline is November 4th, and you don't have to finish the full 29 days to enter. The daily gift can be anything from a kind word to a stranger, a pile of old sweaters to a homeless shelter, a cooked meal to someone in need, or a monetary contribution to a charity. It is the spirit that counts.