Let Me Introduce You To....

...the Witchy Sisters! When I was figuring out what to get my Dad for his Birthday on Sunday, I came across a new post on one of my new favorite blogs, Sassafrass Hill Primitives. The sweet lady that writes it is named Denise and she is an AMAZING craftswoman of the coolest folk art. I was so excited when I first discovered her! Then came her Halloween crafts and after she posted some photos I was hooked! I decided on the Witchy Sisters and after a quick phone call across the country she saved them from her latest show and packed them away for me. Last week they showed up in their box on my step. I was so excited! Inside the box I found the neatly bound Witches (in brown paper and gingham ribbon) and a hanging ornament made from an old Winter print and pieces of pinecone. (Yay for surprise extras! Thanks!)

After delicately unwrapping my purchase, I enjoyed looking at all the wonderful details! The tight, brunette curls. The big, bright eyes and long, thin noses.

So much care had been taken with making this eclectic pair! Right down to their little name tag!

What a perfectly strange gift for my Dad! He was gonna love 'em!

My mother loves these ladies too! (Which is important because she's in charge of the decor at their house!) I wrapped them back up all cozy in their paper, wrapped their box in striped paper and ribbons and presented it proudly to my Dad. He received it with grins and happy laughs. Perfect!

Please head over to Denise's blog (or website) and check out her amazing art. She is an absolute pleasure to do business with and her work is beautiful! :D Thanks again Denise!!!

The Season's Changing

I sit alone at my desk near the window. Everyone else has left for the day. Cole is crooning to me between instrumental versions of Moon River and That's All. The day is sunny, but cold and crisp. Moments of absolute stillness and quiet are surprised by sudden bursts of wind. The leaves give up and fall, and those on foot fight against the force on their coat lapels. There is a sense of urgency out there, of impending cold and frost. Quick, look at the scene before the trees are bare and painted white with snow! It will be here before we know it. I am not afraid of the next change of seasons though, and am long used to frigid Halloweens (coats over costumes, snow under stilettos). This morning greeted us with frost on the windows and flowers, for the first time. I added a layer on my way to work and hid my hands in thick downy pockets. The river still flows, but its color is no longer aqua or green, it's the final midnight blue before it goes black--always inky before the blocks of ice come flowing West, and then the edges freeze over completely. Leaves are slow to change this year, so I await the final act when it all goes red like leafy fire--before the chilly winds come blow it out. It is easy to love this place during an easy, sunny Summer, but to love her as she cools takes a true Montana friend. Seeing her through the cold and rough, rewarded with these vibrant Falls, crystal Winters and inspiring Springs. I look forward to the moment when this amber season gives way to the diamonds of the colder months. What a gift we're given here, so close to nature you can breathe her in, feel her shift and settle with the seasons, recognize the beauty of each dramatic mood. I can't imagine being anywhere else.

(Source)

Girls Night In!

Last night turned into an impromptu girls night in with my sister. After a busy evening we both plopped down in the living room, tired and seeking entertainment. Before we knew it we were deep into the 6th Season of Sex & the City (I have the series on DVD) enjoying each episode after episode. We sought refreshment in the form of Bohemian Highway Cabernet Sauvignon and after the bottle was empty, giggled our way to the grocery store down the street. We purchased another bottle, a loaf of rosemary foccacia bread, cheese, and cake. Mmm! We were set! We got back home and began where we left off. We laughed and joked and were constantly pausing the DVD to share a story, a memory, or a secret. For the first time in a long time, we went to bed after the college-aged neighbors next door. What a silly and fun night. The best ones are so unplanned!

Under October's Magic Spell

Today is the Barn Chick party hosted by Idyllhours! I went for a fall drive down our Bitterroot Valley the other day and found a lot of barns! There are new ones and old ones, red ones and brown ones. It was a gorgeous day out there! The Bitterroot River flowed low amongst the rocks while the yellow and red trees on the bank shivered in the breeze. The sun was high and the clouds were few! It was a glorious day for photo taking. (Even if I got caught in construction (it gave me time to admire the cows nearby) and was stuck behind a combine on the highway for awhile (he was really nice about it!)) Below are some photos from the road along with some from my home. I am so enchanted by this season and love to decorate for it. I hope all of you keep enjoying Autumn!


The leaves looked so much like watercolors on the sidewalk on my way to work one day, and the other photos are from the Bitterroot.


This bright barn was found on a lone dirt road I took on accident!


Not much left of this old one, but I love the bones.


My autumn wreath adorning my front door.



A bright tree on campus and some images from my home.
Please hop on over to Idyllhours and check out the other

participants in the Barn Chicks Party!

Three Amazing Women

I am particularly inspired and proud of three women in my life right now. These three women are three friends that I love more than anything. Each of them lately have been dealt very interesting and challenging hands and I've been here to observe them as they move through it. If there's one thing I've seen with each one, it's that they are strong, and brave, and ready to tackle anything. They make me proud and are teaching me infinitely important lessons.

One of these dear ladies recently received medical news that would throw us all in a panic. A girl of only 23 years of age, she surprised us all with a reality we never expected should strike someone so young. What has happened since? She has shown me the power of positive thinking. This lady, even in the hospital bed, laughed and grinned and joked the whole while. She took everything in stride and never wavered. She kept thinking positive and believing positive things. She kept smiling. And now she's doing much better, is back at home, and enjoying this Autumn like the rest of us. It reminded me that being positive gives you the power over situations. And she was able to turn her scary situation into a happy ending. :) She is unstoppable!

Another lady has found herself on a path she didn't want to be on. It wasn't in her original plan, and it's not what she originally wanted. At first she seemed frustrated, and upset. (As was I, when I found myself too on a different path than anticipated.) What we discovered together was this: so what! So what that things don't always pan out like we want them too. The journey is still a good one, and everything happens for a reason. I've watched her calm down and take very deliberate steps on this new path. She has accepted where she is at and is bravely moving forward. She reminds me that God would not give her anything she couldn't handle. And I'm learning just how much she can handle! This girl is a fighter and is taking every bend in this new road with strength and courage. I look forward to following her progress as she finally gets to where she was headed all along (even if the path provided was a bumpy one.) Watching her navigate the speed bumps has helped me with my own. :)

The third woman who has been inspiring me has been dealt a little bit of a mystery. Her situation has gone back and forth between understood and confusing. What she's been dealing with has left her with very little energy and I know that this just drives her nuts, a woman who is used to always moving and shaking! Here's a woman who serves others. Always. She is loved by everyone who meets her and touches lives everywhere. She is constantly out making this world a better place, be it by decorating her home all the way to giving a worried teenager someone to trust. She plays a very important role in our community, and especially my life. For her to be forced to slow down has been difficult. It's not her style. She has had to sit back, relax, and let other people come wait on HER for a change! I know her change of lifestyle right now has been unideal, but she's taking it like a trooper and it feels good to help as best I can. She has shown me how to bend with the wind and take things as they come. Even when things are confusing and uncertain, she's still smiling and plugging onward. Soon enough she'll be back to her normal pace, but until then she at least has a huge support crew and lots of love from everyone. She cares so much for so many, that even when she's not feeling 100% she still wants to give 100%, and that to me is amazing. Not all of us give enough to others, be it time, understanding, or love. This woman has it down to an art and it warms me to know that nothing ever gets in the way of that. :) (No matter what life throws her direction!)

Yep, It's Fall!

I walked to work today, coffee in hand, song in my head, enjoying a cool, crisp breeze. Leaves fluttered around me as they quickly evacuated their home trees. They're falling faster lately. A light fog draped herself sleepily on the mountain, reluctant to wake and head home. The sun is low, the river cold, the colors bright in the trees as the sun turns them to stained-glass. Was it Fall? Almost. But as I continued my steps toward work something caught my eye. On the side of the path. In the brown dirt, there lay, a bright piece of candy corn. All alone, dropped by a passer-by. I smiled and thought, "Yep, it's Fall!" Officially. Candy Corn Season. :) Mmmmm.

Photo Challenge: Self Portrait

Hello fellow bloggers! Happy October! Chania over at RAZMATAZ has a new theme for us this Friday and it is Self Portrait! Below is my interpretation: Me, Myself and Eye. :) I love this picture because it originated out of a recent night of photo-snapping with my sister. We giggled and laughed the whole time taking funny pictures. I thought this one was particularly interesting and a fun representation of how an impromptu "photo shoot" can yield artsy results.



Make sure you head over to Chania's blog to see the other participants! Everyone have a fabulous Friday! I'm looking forward to a warm weekend full of Autumn leaves and sunshine!