mamaroots

check

Here's to you all you crafty mamas that might be joining me tonight in finishing up some late night touches on Halloween costumes tonight.  I am getting ready to turn in to bed but my check list is looking good!

1-make new trick or treat bags because boys have outgrown the little pumpkins they have had since they were babies- check

2-make Silas' vampire cape to go with his vampire rabbit- aka Bunnicula costume- red on the inside black on the outside please mama- check

3-extra costume made for Jasper's school that chooses not to have werewolves in the third grade but a theme of "super foods"  oh yes we can make an apple out of a cardboard box and felt- check

4- ceremonial reading of a couple fun books from the library to help the boys get in character- double check!

Cheers to everyone working hard tonight and the next couple of nights preparing all the boys and ghouls for tricks and treats- to dreamland I go!

cowslip yellow

I always forget to take before and after dramatic pictures but I re-did one of our bathrooms this past weekend in between the homecoming hubbub.  The very neutral linen color that was painted in many rooms when we bought our house a few years ago is really starting to drive me batty.  I have changed most of the rooms, but there are a couple left in this color.  So I opted for a bright yellow for the bathroom and also will be using it for the dining room.  I fell in-love with the name- Cowslip- how could you not love a color with that name!  The picture does not quite do it justice- it is a lovely bright yellow!

It led me to google Cowslips look at some lovely pictures, then when I was reading some of my autumn books I came across this fun poem to share with you today- just in time for Halloween- what do you think that witch is going to do with those cowslips?

THE WITCH

 

I saw her plucking cowslips,

And marked her where she stood:

She never knew I watched her

While hiding in the wood

 

Her skirt was brightest crimson,

And black her steeple hat,

Her broomstick lay beside her -

I'm positive of that.

 

Her chin was sharp and pointed,

Her eyes were -  I don't know -

For, when she turned towards me -

I thought it best -  to go!

                                   Percy H. Ilott

 

Bats and Tigers and Raccoons Oh My!

We are settling down after a crazy fun homecoming weekend in my hometown.  I have to give a big disclaimer that is not unknown- I am not really a sports fan of any sort except for the Olympics- especially not a fan of football.  But . . . this is my alma mata and a huge homecoming tradition- in fact they claim to have started the tradition of homecoming now in its 99th year.  I had to host some key author events on Friday night for the homecoming festivities for my day job, Saturday we went to the annual parade, and then the boys and I settled in for some pizza and gameday action on the tube while we kept a window open to list the the roar coming from the Stadium.

Roar as in Tiger Roar!  The mascot is a tiger and I never saw so much gold this weekend.  I have to admit the game itself was a pretty awesome win.  I enjoyed watch and of course working on some toys at the same time!  So now that town has settled in to this big win we are one the homestretch before Halloween.  One of our small spots of tea time we discovered a fantastic Bengal Spice tea that we love and talked about tigers and their qualities that we like.

We also talked Herbs and now it is that fantastic time of the month for the monthly giveaway!  Just in time for Halloween you can visit Kristine's Herbal Roots Zine site for a chance to win a wee little wood bat freshly made by yours truely!  She is a really kind little bat that would love to come live with you.  Her sister bat is so excited to be going to live with Kristine- she said she bet she will have never felt so herbally good her whole life!  Fly on over and leave a comment!

 
Starting today I am giving away a copy of the November issue of Herbal Roots Zine- check out that sweet cover Kristine did- sweet little sage raccoon!  Leave a comment here before Friday at midnight- I will draw a winner and e-mail you the November issue on Saturday.  Bonus entry points for becoming a fan of:

Herbal Roots Zine

mamaroots

Best of luck and be sure to check back often this week, I have two Day of the Dead family crafts to do with your kiddos this week!

To Dos

My To Do lists have been ebbing and flowing lately.  I am finishing up my submission for the Winter Issue for Rhythm of the Home which I decided is a very funny place to be in the middle of my Halloween prep lists!  One side of my brain the winter holidays and the other side fall!  Kind of like frosty leaves!  But I am doing some of the last pictures this afternoon for the Winter Submission and hunkering down on that Halloween list!

It looks like my house will be invaded by werewolves and vampire rabbits this year!  The boys have both been practicing their Halloween Trick or Treat walks!  I decided what the heck, I might as well embrace one of my biggest fear factors and I am officially going to be "Spider Woman"- no not the tights and buckles but a spider web skirt and spiders in my hair type of "spider woman"!  I splurged and am having a fellow Etsian make my skirt modeled off the much desired out of stock Martha Stewart style skirts.  I got a bag of spiders from the Halloween store and am glueing them to bobby pins.  I might even paint one on my face!

Since I mentioned (and have been most of the summer) spiders I have two stories to share, one is from about a month ago I was helping a friend move and we were taking things from her shop and we found a black widow- one of the first I have seen with my own peepers.  She asked oh should we kill it, and I channeled friends who have done the same and I said yes indeed without hesitation- splat.  Then about a week ago hubby and I were washing and staining our deck and we found this guy hanging out a Marbled Orb Weaver- hubby kindly  moved him to Tanglewood- I am still not that brave to hold them.

How is your Halloween To Do lists coming?  I still need to make Silas' vampire cape to go with the vampire rabbit costume (clever re-use of Easter suit!) and also set up our family altar for Day of the Dead.  My hubby's aunt has been posting some amazing family pics so I think this years altar may have a strong Schomaker influence!  Just for fun here is one of the family homestead- I think this would be the boys great-great grandparents house but I need to double check!

Enjoy your Thursday and marking those To Dos off your lists!  And if you would like a postitively wonderful spider book to share from days of old is The Spider and the Fly- based on poem in the late 1800's by Mary Howitt- we particularly enjoy the version illustrated by Tony DeTerlizzi- check for the download options for the downloadable paper dolls! 

trolling

Well after many days and nights of reading stories and books about trolls, talking about the troll behavior, studying Norway trolls, drawing trolls that it culminated with a little trolling Sunday night. What is trolling?  Well here is the recipe:

Read lots of stories, mix in some lanterns and flashlights, sprinkle in a smidge of rock candy.  Mix all together and take a walk on a lovely fall night- try to find those old trolls that have become trees or smashed into rock pieces!

We had a great walk around the neighborhood- we found lots of old tree trolls.  You may wonder why we settled in on trolls.  I guess there has always been a little something fun about those old trolls, but I was compelled in the forward of a book of Norway troll tales about the value of providing stories to our children, particularly troll stories.  It feeds their souls.  It lets them explore their own wild side, and lets them relate to their physical surroundings with their imaginations.  Let the sit around the fire- let them pretend to be trolls, let them hear the stories.

I am sure those tricky trolls will keep popping up here and there for us.  We put together a little list of some of our favorite reads that we enjoyed to share with you.  And in case you are curious that adorable troll was made by Copper Mouse- now the boys know it is time to go trolling when this guy comes out.

Hope you enjoy and welcome some trolls into your home this fall!

Download Troll Reads

let me have cake

Okay so I really can't say this most of the time, but . . .the apple cake I made for the boys from our apple picking adventure was awesome!

I say that in all seriousness- I am not a good cook at all.  Good cooks really do run in the family, my mama and sisters are amazing.  I have one sis that is a chef by trade in NYC and will be opening her own restaurant soon.  My husband is also a chef by trade.  Maybe that is it- my subconscious cooking self just knows that I am taken care of and no need to be good at it- um maybe not, maybe just a bad cook.

But I stray- sometimes, like I would say 2-4 times a year I nail it and this was one.  So I thought I would share the recipe I used in case it was due to the recipe, not me.  Or maybe it was due to the killer bundt pan I found at the antique mall?  

Either way- here is the recipe- enjoy your Saturday!

not a puppy

We did not have a puppy to offer, but our working hands instead!  We have been reading Apple Cake and well it just gets you to wanting some warm Apple Cake.  So I mentioned to hubby that I wish we could find a way to not get apples the conventional store way and low and behold he had seen a Facebook message from another friend that was apple picking at an Intentional Community here in our town and sent out an invite!

Perfect!  I love it when the Universe provides you with exactly what you desire!  So we went and helped pick, gather, sort and store Liberty apples.  We left with a great experience and a basket of apples.  We have since shared some of the apples with our neighbors, storing some to make into sauce, and then this afternoon it will be time to make the cake!  

Does it really get much better during apple season- well maybe a cold hard cider!  I have the notion I just might have to invest in a cider press one of these years!

wish I had seen it

Planning- that is what some field trips take, but eh that is not always my strong suit so on a whim I packed the boys in the car today after lunch on a hunt of an old house to tour in town.  It is located our Historical society.  We got there to find out that tours on Sundays really meant call first and make a reservation.  So we improvised and walked in the museum, talked with a docent who happened to descend from one of the founding families of our county and then take a walk and look at some of the recently acquire houses that are becoming part of what is called a historic village- examples of homes from a variety of styles, and times in our county.  Oh and not to forget to mention geese that always seem to catch my fella's attention!

All and all it was a pretty fun day and we got to see a house that was moved that originally was very close to where my folks currently live.  How fun would that have been to see coming down the road!  It reminded me of this fun story set I have been wanting to make that is about just this subject- saving a Little House- sometimes that means moving it.  

So I only have a couple of outside house pictures to share with you today of a house we will enjoy watching it come back to life and just a teaser of the house we hope to tour once we make that reservation!

doors

A picture from the archives for you this week-end.  October brings up so many great things and of course there are usually the haunted houses too.  It is not the haunted part that draws me to old houses but the sheer beauty of these beautiful old structures that are witness to so so much.  So for fun this October, and to try and hone in my photography skills a little I want to photograph and share some lovely old homes with you. 

I am sure it all started with me being 3 years old and watching my parents remodel this old abandoned farm house that would go to become my family home till I was 20 years old when they sold it.  Oh and yes I will be showing you pictures of that one too. 

So from the archives is this photo of a door.  Doorways to our past I feel are definitely doorways to our future.  I know I can learn so much from my ancestors.  Some doors to the past shut while others are always open.  This door is in a house that my parents first took me into when I was maybe 6 or 7.  I was most recently in it about a year ago with my mama and sister again.  It is just unreal- it is called Ravenswood and is right out in the middle of farm country.  Here are some pictures from that day and a little snapshop of its history here. 

I hope you will not tire of my house adventures this month and also chuckle at the irony of my wee little 60 year old funky ranch house that I currently live in, my old house that I am destined to grow old in has not yet found me!  Happy Friday everyone!

still kind of orangie

Orangie is still the color theme in these parts!  Thanks to all who e-mailed for the postcards.  I will be confirming with everyone within the next day, but all who e-mailed me will be getting postcards. Thanks so much for joining my revolution!

Here is what is left of our persimmon adventures this week.  I just mushed the pulp all up and we smeared it on some wheat bread- it was so sweet no sugar was needed.  The boys turned their noses up at bit at it but I thought it was tasty- not my favorite, not what I would call "food of the gods' but tasty!

Some last bit of orange for today are a few little fall bugs that just arrived at the shop- poor fellas, they were playing hide and seek under the orange leaves and they blended in so well they got left behind.  But they found each other and are the best of friends!

Since we are on the topic of bugs, a new book just hit the shelves this week called The Curious World of Bugs by Daniel Marlos.  Often the boys bring me new bugs to look at and try to identify- now we might have some help.  Oh and by the way- the peace treaty is off with the spiders since the orb weavers have all decided to weave their webs right in every doorway I need to walk out and I have walked through toooo many webs this week- uggggrrrrhowlll- that would be my spider scream!