There was a time I was sharing knitting projects here quite often. My knitting the last few years has really slowed down, but I still finish a project here and there. Here’s one I’ve been wanting to share with you- this owl hat I knit for my nephew. Long time readers will probably recognize this pattern because this is at least the fourth time I’ve knit it. I still remember B wearing his owl hat when he was little, and I’ve made a few owl hats for friends over the years. I love this adorable pattern, Chouette by Katy Tricot. The wee buttons are ones Jeff made for me in black walnut wood, and the yarn is Puffin by Quince & Co. It’s a fun pattern to knit, and makes for such a wonderfully squooshy and warm hat!
red cedar & turquoise earrings
Remember the handmade earrings with red cedar wood and turquoise that we posted in the shop for the holidays last year? Well, Jeff made another batch of them! It’s a small batch this time, but we wanted to make more available because they are so loved and we get requests for them. I would have loved to have them listed in the shop early enough for holiday gift giving, BUT at least they are available while we still have our Free Shipping in December sale! (There are a few days left with Free Shipping in our shop! If you’ve been wanting to purchase something in our shop, I hope you have or will take advantage of our biggest discount of the year while it’s still happening. It ends January 1st.)
I know I’ve written about how much I love these earrings before, so I’ll keep it brief this time. These earrings are so unique, Jeff woodburns each one by hand. I love his woodburning, the shape of these earrings, the beautiful turquoise stones, how lightweight they are, and also how wonderful they are for aromatherapy earrings (when you put a drop of essential oil on the back.) They add a bit of fun and joy to my day every time I wear mine, and I hope they’ll do the same for you if you decide to get a pair for yourself. Here is a link to our family’s handmade shop. Every purchase directly supports our family and homestead, thanks so much for your continued support!
snow!
This is the excitement around here… snow! We got snow! Being about twenty minutes from the coast in Oregon, it’s definitely cause for excitement when we get snow. Every winter B wishes for snow, so you can imagine his delight by having a few snow days here. Building snowmen (or rather castles, and a swan this year)… sledding… coming inside to warm up with delicious drinks in mugs… all regular memories from my childhood growing up in the snowy Midwest, but such a special treat for these coastal dwelling kids. The sound of children playing in the snow and having such fun- it has really filled my heart this week. Hope those of you in the Northern Hemisphere have been enjoying some wintry fun where you are!
being present
…On our woodstove a few weeks ago, it smelled so good.
As I’ve been thinking about the holiday season, I thought I’d share something that’s been on my mind, and perhaps you’ve been feeling something similar too. I know kids love opening presents (and who doesn’t enjoy receiving a gift), but I believe that what kids really want from the adults in their lives, is for us to be present with them. For us to set aside the phones and screens, work and distractions, and simply slow down and give them our full attention. Children grow so fast and our time with them is so precious. I feel like it’s a good time of year to be reminded of that, don’t you? I’m holding that in my heart right now, and not just savoring our time with the kids in our lives, but with all those we hold dear.
Wishing you all things merry and cozy my friends!
hardy kiwis
As I went to share these photos and write this post, I was thinking about our kiwi arbor when we first built it and how much the plants have grown since then. (Funny, I wrote that post two years ago today exactly!) I love when the leaves turn yellow in the fall, they look so beautiful. The leaves turning also seem to let us know when the kiwis are ripe. We harvested our kiwis in October. What a blessing to have fresh fruit that time of year, when all things fresh start fading for the season. One of our long time homestead goals has been to have fresh fruit growing for as much of the year as possible, so we were delighted when we discovered hardy kiwis that ripen in October in our area. They’re delicious too, eaten like grapes- skin and all.
It takes so much patience when you’re growing fruit… sometimes many years before you get your first harvest and then longer to get anything than more than a handful. (Hardy kiwis can take 3-4 years before they produce any fruit.) You know what they say, though… good things come to those who wait! It’s true. I know our humble harvest tasted better this year because of how long we waited to try them. Hardy kiwis are easier to grow than the more well known fuzzy-skinned varieties, and they grow in a wider range of garden zones than I expected. You might be surprised to find that they can grow in your area too. It’s worth checking out because they are a wonderful addition to the garden!
winter squash {& candy roaster}
Remember last year when I shared about growing winter squash vertically for the first time? Well, we did that again this year. You would think when you look at the huge, heavy squash hanging from the cattle panel trellis that they would fall to the ground, but magically they do not. We are amazed every time. Those squash vines are incredibly strong. Once again, growing winter squash vertically made it possible for us to grow a lot more squash than we would normally have room for. As I say so often, vertical gardening is such a great way to go!
We grew Candy Roaster, from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, for the first time this year. It gave us an abundance of delicious, large squash, and we plan to grow them again next year. We also grew some mini Butternuts and a few Thelma Sander’s Sweet Potato (a winter squash that tastes similar to sweet potato, thus the name.) I love to put winter squash in muffins when I bake them. Yum! Jeff has also been making winter squash casseroles lately for the boy because B loves winter squash so much. Winter squash is so wonderful in that you can still enjoy homegrown vegetables when the garden has wrapped up for the season. What are your favorite winter squash varieties to eat or grow?
P.S. It has become a tradition to take a picture of each year’s winter squash harvest in a wheelbarrow.
sunflowers
These were my favorite pictures of the sunflowers in our garden this year. Some of the sunflowers that Jeff planted were maybe 12 feet tall or more, like bright bursts of sunshine towering over the garden. He also planted some smaller varieties and grew those in pots, they were adorable. If you’ve read this blog for any amount of time, you know our family loves flowers. I take so many pictures of flowers in the garden each year, and share so many here. I don’t think I could ever pick one single type of flower that I love most, I love them each for different reasons- some for their scent or color, all for their beauty. Sunflowers, though, are at the top of my list, one of my very favorites. There is something so bright and happy and beautiful about sunflowers… they simply make me smile every time I see them and bring joy to my heart. It’s been a very stormy weekend here and some bright sunflowers are a welcome sight- whatever the weather is where you are, I thought you might enjoy a little sunshine -in the form of sunflowers- for your day too.
P.S. Yes, it’s December and I’m still posting pictures from the fall garden. 🙂
our biggest discount of the year!
*Our biggest discount of the year and shop update!* We have been so busy getting ready for this and are so excited to finally announce it. Jeff and I wanted to express our gratitude to our customers and offer the largest discount possible- we could have given a coupon code with a percentage off, but saw that the best deal we could give is free shipping- you save the most money that way. We decided to offer FREE SHIPPING in the U.S. for the entire month of December!! Normally we offer Free Shipping on orders over $75, we don’t plan to offer Free Shipping on ALL orders again, this is a one time offer so we hope you will take advantage of this deal! I’ve just done the largest shop update we’ve had in quite some time and will continue to add new things throughout the month (it takes time to photograph everything, sort photos, write listings), but the great thing is that if you order and then find more later- you get free shipping for the whole month! The shop is full of our handmade artisan buttons and toggle buttons in a variety of woods, and some in shed deer antler. Our buttons are great for finishing up holiday gifts or for gifting to a maker in your life who would appreciate lovingly handmade buttons. We also have a beautiful variety of handmade earrings in all shapes and sizes- they make such wonderful gifts! I have a few favorite pairs I wear all the time. Our tree pendants have been selling quickly, but we still have some in stock. They are such a favorite. We hope you’ll find some things you love in the shop and we want to thank you for your support and for shopping handmade!
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P.S. I just heard from someone outside the U.S. who was disappointed they wouldn’t also have a discount. We truly wish we could offer Free Shipping to everyone everywhere, but international shipping rates are too high for that to be an option for us. Instead, please contact us here if you are outside the U.S., and we’d be happy to make a special discount code for you!
thankful for you
We have a lot to be grateful for right now. Each other, family, friends, an abundant harvest season, homestead projects that we find so fulfilling, a working sink (there’s always something to fix around here), and running our family business we love, among so many other things. We work hard and I’m reminded that it’s a blessing to be able to do so.
…While thinking about what I’ve been feeling grateful for lately, I wanted to take the time to tell you that we are grateful for you. We’re grateful for each of you who come here and read what I have to say. Some of you have been reading for nearly as long as I’ve been writing and I started this blog in 2009! We are grateful every time you leave us a comment and give us support and encouragement, or simply check in and let us know what you’re up to, and tell us a blog post that made your day. Seriously, Jeff and I enjoy your comments so much. We are grateful every time you make a purchase from our family’s handmade shop, directly supporting our family, this blog, our homestead, and making it all possible. Thanks for joining us on this journey!
P.S. We know it’s that time of year when a lot of businesses offer discounts. We do have a shop update and sale coming up soon to express our gratitude, so stay tuned.
why grow organic flowers?
Does it really matter if you grow flowers organically? I mean, after all, you aren’t eating them. My answer is Yes! It does matter! I wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned and why it’s important. (Also, there are some flowers our family actually do eat, but that’s just one reason of many to choose organic.) Our family loves flowers. We love growing them and even when we feel limited for space in the sunny parts of our garden and want to grow as much food there as possible, we always prioritize planting flowers everywhere we can. We also feel that the garden we grow is not just for us.
Flowers are such a blessing in the garden, we enjoy their beauty (and sometimes scent), and they add so much joy to the yard, but they are also are a blessing for the bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators. For us, happy bees buzzing around and hummingbirds visiting regularly are a vital part of the magic of the garden, but they also pollinate our plants and make our garden more productive and abundant. The more pollinators you have, the more fruit and vegetables you will have to enjoy.
Most are aware of the plight of bees. From The Bee Conservancy: “Bees lie at the heart of our survival. They pollinate 1 in 3 bites of food we eat and are essential to the health and prosperity of countless ecosystems. However, bees are in peril. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, more than half of North America’s 4,000 native bee species are in decline, with 1 in 4 species at risk of extinction.” Pollinators are one of those magical things in life to be appreciated, and held with the highest reverence, and not to be taken for granted. Whatever we can do to help them and protect them is so important, and making sanctuaries in our own yards is a good place to start.
Most of the time our family plants flowers in our garden from seeds or from bulbs. Jeff used to love picking up flower starts at local nurseries, but in recent years we’ve been more cautious about where we buy them because we learned that many flowers for sale are sprayed with Neonicotinoids, among other pesticides. When I first learned about Neonicotinoids and how toxic they are to insect life, I was so horrified. There are many other toxic pesticides used also, though, and as toxic as they are separately, they are even more toxic when added together. Some accumulate over time, and can get into waterways, killing not only insects and birds, but many other creatures as well.
There are a lot of good articles out there about the different pesticides and why to avoid them, and things we can do to help save bees and other pollinators. As a busy mom, I’m not writing this post to be a full resource of information, but simply to let others know that the flower starts they buy for their gardens could be harming the very pollinators they were seeking to attract.
The next time you go to buy flower starts, please vote with your dollars. Ask about what the flowers are sprayed with and request organic. The more of us who request organic flowers, the more will be available in the future. Our family has sold flowers from time to time over the years and I always label them “organic”, not as a hip marketing scheme, but so that people will know that planting those flowers in their yards will be safe for the bees and pollinators there. The more of us that grow organic flowers in our gardens, the more safe space we will provide in our world for pollinators!
dahlia love
bathtub turned garden planter
We love repurposing things in the garden. Do you remember this post where I wrote all about that very thing? Over the years we’ve repurposed wheelbarrows, old sinks, wagons, teacups, teapots… the list goes on and on. One of my favorites is the old metal bathtub that we turned into a garden bed over the summer. Jeff put some drainage holes in the bottom, filled it with soil, and it made the perfect planter. (The hardest part was getting it moved to where we wanted it because the thing was so darn heavy. Jeff saw me attempting to move it one day and told me to be careful, afraid I would hurt myself, as he hurried over to where I was. I said something along the lines of “Don’t you know your wife is stubborn as an old goat?” I was determined to move it where I wanted it and figured out a way to do it, bit by bit, without injuring myself.)
Our happiest zucchini plant we had this year was grown in that bathtub. It grew to a massive size and kept producing squash longer than any of our other plants. I know I’ve written here many times before about the challenge we have with moles in our yard. (To keep from repeating myself again and again (and boring you), I’ll simply link to this post about the raised beds we built with hardware cloth and the other things we’ve done to work around that.) The bathtub is mole-proof, hooray! I may have fantasized about buying lots of bathtubs and putting them all around the garden… 🙂
I thought I would share this with you in case you had a bathtub lying around and wanted an instant mole-proof raised bed in your garden- perhaps you’ll see the discarded old thing in a whole new light!