Friday, October 5, 2012

A Tasha Tudor Apron and Autumn Frivolity

 Dear Friends,

A special friend gifted us with this beautiful apron that she copied from one Tasha Tudor wore. The fabric goes perfectly with the dress we recently finished (well, almost finished; the waistband wants tweaking)!

 We wore our creamy yellow dress to church with a sweet thrifted collar and belt (Never mind that the collar is askew and the belt has slid up~ Seven-year old photographers don't notice these things!)~

And had a funny-face contest with Rebecca, completed by a collard-leaf-hat fashion show~




 
 





(Although she is not wearing a collard leaf, Evangeline still looks lovely with her "O" hairstyle)


Kaffeen gives a big cheer for all the participants!

 We love the sounds of autumn. Airplanes flying by have a quality of tone that is unnoticed in summer; the atmosphere sounds more hollow, with a mystical, nostalgic quality to it.


 Even Rebecca notices!


The hens are enjoying the cooler weather, since it means slower insects~ 



~And autumn's sunsets are brighter than they were last month (when they're not steel grey, cloudy ones).

 

We hope that you are enjoying your autumn, dear friends. Be sure to take some time to explore nature, just soaking in the last of this year's warm days.

Love,

Marqueta
(((((((((((())))))))))))))

      October's Bright Blue Weather

    O SUNS and skies and clouds of June,
        And flowers of June together,
    Ye cannot rival for one hour
        October's bright blue weather; 

    When loud the bumble-bee makes haste,
        Belated, thriftless vagrant,
    And Golden-Rod is dying fast,
        And lanes with grapes are fragrant; 

    When Gentians roll their fringes tight
        To save them for the morning,
    And chestnuts fall from satin burrs
        Without a sound of warning; 

    When on the ground red apples lie
        In piles like jewels shining,
    And redder still on old stone walls
        Are leaves of woodbine twining; 

    When all the lovely wayside things
        Their white-winged seeds are sowing,
    And in the fields, still green and fair,
        Late aftermaths are growing; 

    When springs run low, and on the brooks,
        In idle golden freighting,
    Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush
        Of woods, for winter waiting; 

    When comrades seek sweet country haunts,
        By twos and twos together,
    And count like misers, hour by hour,
        October's bright blue weather. 

    O suns and skies and flowers of June,
        Count all your boasts together,
    Love loveth best of all the year
        October's bright blue weather.

  Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)











Saturday, September 29, 2012

We Are Grateful

 Dear Friends,

As the weather cools, little by little, we are grateful for the little things that are still feeding us from the garden. Our fall garden is coming along nicely, and we hope to see some kale popping up in our hoop house, so we can have an overwintering crop of it. Gardening is always a surprise and a gamble.


This is the time of year when we are often surprised by visitors of various shapes and sizes, who are beautiful in their own right. We are always amazed by the variety of God's creation! 

Surely He enjoyed Himself when He created these~


 The mints that we grew in pots have thrived in the wet soil around our outdoor faucet, and we love to snack on them when playing or working in the yard. They also make a lovely addition to salads and pesto!

Rebecca has taken it on herself to rescue the stuffed bears that Kaffeen the dog likes to chew on (note the missing eye on the right)~

And we finally got around to finishing the quilt top that my grandmother started back in the 1950s! This was quite a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Only one more star top to finish, and then the two that I inherited can finally be real quilts.































My great-grandmother's old button box has been put to good use as we've been mending clothing and sewing on buttons for new gowns (photos forthcoming), and we're also working on sewing the patches of a future quilt that we found at our favorite thrift store.











Evangeline found a little time to model our latest fascinator, as well as trying on the bonnet that we're trying to finish up by tomorrow. Don't you just love her freckled face?





Last but not least, our Cousin Hettie has arrived safe and sound in Liverpool, 1911 at our By a Lady blog!

Thank you, dear friends, for following along with our family adventures as we live our simple life. The internet has been a great blessing, in being able to meet all sorts of kindred spirits, from all over the world. Bless you all!

Love,

Marqueta

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Happy Autumn

Dear Friends,

Audrey has been busy with her camera again, photographing some of the simple pleasures of home.

A nice piece of willow, a pointy stick, plus a piece of string can mean lots of fun!



It almost makes up for all the bites and scratches of fall!


Our washer decided it needs a vacation, so we thought we'd wash laundry the old-fashioned way. I'm so grateful I found a nice wringer at the local antique store!





The herbs are almost ready to come inside for their winter vacation~


~And the collards are still going strong!

 We have been outside enjoying the cooler weather each and every day, and our daily smoothie routine has changed to tea, toast, and honey for a treat. We hope that you are having a lovely fall, as well!



Love,

Marqueta

Friday, September 21, 2012

A Case for Creamy Yellow

Dear Friends,

It seems that everything has a bit of yellow in it this time of year! Don't you love the long-horned beetle in the photograph above? Yellow and black, in a very snazzy pattern!

Kaffeen is sporting a bit of yellow eyeshadow~


~And Little Red Hen's legs are a comely pinky-yellow.

There are yellow mushrooms growing on logs in the yard~


(These oysters were especially tasty!)


We thought that we might as well join the crowd, and made ourselves a dress of creamy yellow. The fabric has been languishing in the fabric stash for a good ten years now, and since it is very heavy, fall is the perfect time for it!


Now to get that housework done. . . 

 
Love,
Marqueta


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"I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people know more.  . . though I know that is the noblest ambition. . . but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me. . . to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born."                 
~L.M. Montgomery, "Anne of Avonlea"

Friday, September 14, 2012

Meet Hettie

Dear Friends,

I'd like to introduce you to Hettie, a sweet girl of 16 who has graciously allowed me to share the letters that she wrote back in 1911 and 1912 (Actually, she is a product of my imagination, and this photo is from the antique store, but I still hope you will love her!). She is embarking on a tour of Europe, and writing all about it to her cousin Caroline, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Just follow this link to "By a Lady," and read her first postcard home.

Love,

Marqueta