Nature Table

 

Autumn begins in just a few days. I can already feel our busy summer schedule slowing down. I look forward to the days ahead where we can once more wear layers and enjoy warm bowls of soup. After a summer spent outdoors I felt surprisingly disconnected from nature. Perhaps it was all of the concrete water parks or the many drives to get to our outdoor adventures. Yesterday we slowed things down and took a nature walk. Ethan helped me collect leaves and wild flowers (dandelions and clover) to help decorate our first nature table. This time of year feels so different from years past. Ethan is now almost 17 months and is starting to understand much more about the world around him. I feel intoxicated at the thought of introducing him to autumn!

 

Happy Fall!

Welcome to my long awaited post - a return to inspiration. I decided it was finally time to make a new fall banner - after all winter is almost upon us!

I love to be inspired by the changing seasons - and with a little bit of snow left from our first snow fall, I set out with camera in hand to capture some of the beauty. While crunching atop the leaves and snow I pulled the last of my fall beets from the frozen earth. They are all cleaned up now and will be roasted with tonight's dinner. If you want to see the sprouting of the lovely beets in a blog post click here. We planted a winter crop in our garden beds of barley and wheat to restore nutrients to our soil a few weeks ago and already the seeds are sprouting.

Join me on my journey this afternoon. Pull on some boots and a scarf (it is -3* after all!).

 

  

 

And of course I have to share the photograph that inspired the new banner. 

A perfectly placed leaf atop our first snow fall.  

Have a wonderful Sunday! 

Loves!

 

 p.s. I'm linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop - here. 

Wednesday

I came across this photograph on one of my blog favorites - A Cup of Jo.  For some reason the photo almost took my breath away, I could feel myself letting out a sigh of joy. Cozy sweaters and perhaps a warm mug of tea.

Love, Love.

I keep telling myself I need to get back to posting my own photographs but life has been a shuffle of busyness. I do have some nice pictures stored on my camera that will make it on here. I also need to update the blog banner. All in good time I think.

Have a wonderful Wednesday. Stop to enjoy the little things.

Loves!

Fall Is Coming

Photo via Studded Hearts

Are you ready for fall? My heart is warming to the idea of fall soups and sweaters. My summer garden is blanketed with fall leaves right now - it makes me hard to believe it's still August.

Have a wonderful day!

Little Bit Of Laundry Love

I snapped this picture on my phone earlier today. I had just hung up this load of laundry and the air was filled with the scent of freshness. I make my own laundry soap and it is unscented, but somehow it always produces the sweetest simple scent. My heart sinks at the thought of fall coming as I will be once again forced to use my dryer. This whole summer I've used my dryer twice, and instead dried dozens of loads of laundry outside. I find during the fall months laundry is much more of a chore.

There is something so lovely about gently hanging laundry on the line. Usually the pug and kitty suntan watching me hang it up.

I started with a recipe making my own laundry soap a long time ago, so long I can't remember the source. I've adapted the recipe over the years and the result is this,

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/4 c oxy clean (totally optional, but I do love the addition)
1 cup grated bar soap

I use the oxy clean scoop to measure it out. Just one scoop per load is all you need. I think it works out to roughly 1/8 c or 2 rounded tablespoons.

Mix everything together well. I store this in a container by my washing machine. The borax and washing soda is in the laundry soap isle and you can buy specialty soap bars used for laundry soap. I use my own handmade cold process soap. Buying a box of borax, washing soda and tub of oxy clean will last you months and months. I think I buy a box of each twice a year. It works out to be a very inexpensive way to do laundry, and works out wonderful for sensitive skin.

Happy Thursday!