Three Decades

I never thought that thirty would feel and look like this. I guess I never really thought of thirty as something that I would be, and yet here I am. 10,950, give or take a few days, old.

I can't say that I am super thrilled about getting older, but I can say that I am really blessed to be where I am.

Random little wonderful things were dropped at our house throughout the day bringing a huge smile to my face.


I feel incredibly loved by the good people that surround me.

I'm looking forward to actually putting to use the things that I've learned in the past 30 years. Teaching and learning with my girls, growing old and cranky with Rodney, puttering around my kitchen and my yard, and just being who I am.

Here's to gray hair and short-term memory loss.

xoxox

Dirty Haiku

Dirt under my nails
Worms, egg shells, orange peels, coffee
Wet grass between toes

I am really enjoying this time outside puttering around. Sophie cannot wait to get outside either. It's her first request after breakfast. She loves exploring all the new bugs and blooms. She'll pick up a spider, but run screaming from a grub. I love it.

Herbs are in the ground.



As a side note, I took some photos of my neighbor's yard... because it's a bit of a tourist attraction in Kent. This is pre-bloom. Everything is about to go insane. I'll post some post-blooms in the next week or so.

Blank Slates

Every tiny little second I can grab, I am putting myself outside. So much tilling and composting and raking and weeding and now I am gleefully staring at multiple blank slates.

The garden has been tilled up and most of the big grass clumps have been tossed into the compost. We're planning on tossing the vermincompost and a whole other bin of food scraps on top and till that in as well.



The front yard now has one giant flower bed ready to be planted and both sides of the sidewalk have been tilled and cleared.



I am slightly overwhelmed with the all the work that still needs to be done... but as I sit here with fresh cut lilacs filling the room I know it will be worth it.

Ohio Love

Hartville Ohio


Brandywine Falls







working, working, working and enjoying a moment whenever we can.

Weather Changes and Field Trips

We visited Cleveland Zoo this past week. It was the best weather. So much time had passed we didn't even realize the zoo had closed while we were still walking around.



Next Tuesday is the first Tuesday in April, which means the Akron Art Museum is free! We went once last summer and it was awesome. I think it's time to revisit. Also, the Akron Film Fest begins today for anyone interested. $6 for individual film or $24 for the full festival.


Field Trips 2009!
Stan Hywet
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
McKinley Museum
West Side Market
Malabar Farm
Heini's

Firelilies Scarf Now Available through Maggie's!

Maggie's Organics is one of those companies that I love. I love everything about what they do. I am completely honored to have one of my designs available in their shop.

The scarves are printed through VGKids. Read their about page if you ever need some inspiration.

The first time I printed this design I printed it in light green on a purple hooded sweatshirt for my mom. The beautiful thing is that the design is the tattoo on my right arm... the tattoo my mom doesn't exactly love.

Spring

As the days get warmer the more I am away from my computer. It feels good to breath crisp air again.



Sophie and I made some soaps this morning. She picked the colors and the smells, so if you smell something that is similar to a sandalwood peppermint, that would be me.



As I was digging out the soap cutter, I ran across a brand new template from Sublime Stitching that I never opened. Who knew?!


In other news, we lost our little firebelly toad, Bravey. We buried him in an egg carton behind the garage, Sophie said some nice words and then ran around the yard looking for her red shovel. I think she might have just been interested in the digging and burying part, not so much the death of a pet. So, Banjo has returned to his post as king of the kitchen since Mr. Bravelstein's tank now sits empty on the bookcase.