Not Much to Report

Just hanging out in the studio mixing up a new batch of Halloween.

I'll post some pictures of some of my finished pieces in a day or so.

Until then, if you have great fall weather like we do...ENJOY!

Hats Off to Julia!

Hey everybody, have you seen the October issue of Romantic Homes magazine?  I just picked up my copy and who should I see... none other than our sweet and very talented friend Julia of Vintage with Laces.  Her blog is featured in we love/site seeing, pg. 13, and I'm pretty sure that one of the photos is a close-up of the embellishment she made for the black velvet purse she created for Jodie over at Everything Vintage.

Congratulations Julia!

A New Season and A New Start

I've never been a sun worshipper.  Which is odd since I was born in August, making me a Leo ruled by the sun and fire.  If you follow astrology you'd think that I would be basking in the heat of the dog days of summer.  But no, I start counting the days until the first frost along about the end of June. 

Autumn is my favorite time of year.  I love just about everything about it... the cool air carrying the smell of burning leaves; smoke rising from chimnies; wet ground covered in red, yellow and orange leaves; hay rolls and grain corn left in the fields to dry; pumpkins on doorsteps and in pies in my oven; acorns falling from old oak trees and squirrels scurring to stash them away. 

Autumn ushers in a sense of nostalgia with its celebrations of Halloween and Thanksgiving; then we're quickly onto Christmas.  Its the season for long walks in frosty air, comfort food shared with family and friends, and remembering holidays gone bye as we pull on sweaters and thick socks.

So thanks, but "No Thanks."  You can keep the long, hot and humid days of summer with its scortching white-hot sun.  I'll take the crisp, cool days of autumn and a bright orange harvest moon. 

A Forested Fairy Land

Iargo Springs is an historic Native American site.  The waters that flow from the river embankment were believed to have healing powers, and so, the area became the site of important pow-wows for the regions earliest inhabitants.  I can personally attest to the sense of calm and serenity of this place, and yes, I do believe in its power to heal.

Iargo means "many waters."

Water, and moss, and ferns, oh my!

The air is so wet it feels difficult to take a deep breath,

and you almost feel like you're in a temperate rain forest.

It feels ancient, and I suppose it is.

Then you arrive at the river.

Can you see those two white dots out there on the water?

Those are either Mute Swans or Trumpeters.  I hope they are

are Mute Swans, they are rare and endangered. 

If there is any place they could survive,

I have to believe it would be Iargo.

Now, to give you a little perspective about how far you descend into this

otherworldly place,  you can climb back out with me...

here we go!

First rest stop...

Second rest stop...

 

One more to go...

Nearly 200 steps in all, whew!

Notice this last photo is a little blurry, 200 steps will do that to you.

Ha Ha!  But I made it out, and would do it again in a heartbeat.

I hope you've enjoyed your tour, dear friends.  If you are ever in the area,

be sure to stop and explore Iagro for yourself.  I promise you won't be disappointed.

Going Nowhere Fast!

Have you ever felt like you're going a hundred miles an hour, but standing still at the same time because it looks like nothing is getting done?  You're sure you've been working hard because your exhausted at the end of the day?  Well that's been me since we came back from our mini vacation. 

I won't bore you with most of the details, because really its been mostly everyday "stuff" just hitting the fan all at the same time.  Stuff like the washing machine electrocuting itself with a load of jeans sitting in the rinse cycle and needing to run a grocery shopping marathon.  (I forgot to warm up first and pulled a cramp half-way through!)

However, all the "stuff" pales in comparison to the decision to move my studio from the converted garage space to our walkout basement, currently used as an office.  The basement is completely finished with a bathroom, separate storage and laundry rooms, and a walkout onto a small, walled patio.  All good, right?  The move will also get my artwork away from the dirtier aspects of cleaning and refurbishing some of our more "distressed" vintage finds.

The part that's got me a little consumed, okay obsessed, is the need to redecorate.  I'm talking replacing carpet that still looks dirty even after you clean it, and walls that haven't been painted in several years, editing furniture to make room for more important furniture.  You get the picture?

So I've been running around choosing paint and fabric for new drapes, ordering carpet and trying to figure out where everything is going to fit, etc., etc., etc.  This would all probably be really fun if I didn't need to have it done, like yesterday.  Actually, choosing the fabric for the drapes was really fun and I LOVE it.

Tomorrow we're off to an auction, so a break in the redecorating frenzy.  Hopefully I'll have lots of treasures to show you.  In the meantime...vacation!

This is the view of Tawas Bay from our room,

beyond the pier is Lake Huron and beyond that is Canada.

 

The morning we checked out, so did the sun...

but not for long.

This is the Ausable River Valley, land that I love.

More than 100 miles long, the Ausable

 stretches half-way across Michigan's northern, lower peninsula.

This is one of six dam ponds, big lakes actually.  At one time the river

provided all the electricity for the northern region of the state. 

The dams are all still in operation.

A little drift wood at Loud Dam. 

This tree root is actually about 4 feet in diameter.

A narrow little bend in the river, but so charming.

This place is the overlook at Iargo Springs,

a truly magical place, and I don't use that word lightly.

Iargo Springs deserves a post all its own,

so come back tomorrow for a trip into fairyland