Wishing on 9.20

Stepping outside, my fiancee says:

Mm. I like this. I'd be perfectly fine if the weather was just

like this. All year round.

Only half-joking, I reply: 

Well, I guess we could buy a bus and just chase fall around the globe.

A pause. 

Mark:

That's not a bad idea.

It was a boots-kind-of-day. Finally.

 Autumn finally appeared:
spots of yellow and red in the trees,
air as crisp as the crunch of leaves under your heel,
hands wrapped around a steaming mug of black coffee,
cold brass buttons on my jean jacket,
hot apple cider before bed.

But if this Southern girl knows her Southern weather, then summer will throw us one last hoorah before its gone. Let us all know that we live under that rule of that steamy Mason-Dixon line.

I still ran to the closet for my favorite brown boots though; I'm going to take full advantage of this chilly weather, because despite my affinity for humidity, red clay, and peach orchards, I'm pretty sure I was made for scarves, boots, and russet woods.

a marvelous invention: cider in a k-cup.

cozy-ness.

I'm throwing some wishes down with the leaves on this early-fall morning. 

I'm wishing I could listen to this song on replay all day long. Note: to truly capture the flavor of this post, you should just play that song from the very beginning. Its what I'm writing to at the moment.

I'm wishing I could figure out this gorgeous knit stitch. It looks like its not THAT complicated.... maybe.. hoepfully.

I wish I could make my hair do this. Wouldn't mind if my hair was that color either. I have the genes for it... but apparently they are in hiding. Maybe my kid will benefit from the section of the gene pool that I totally missed.

I wish I could pull off an outfit like this one. Hmm, plaid I can do. But am I brave enough to wear a hat? For some reason, a hat requires me to muster up a lot of courage. Why is that?

But perhaps, most importantly, I'm wishing I was driving on highway 81, headed down South to be with some of the best people God ever created in this big world. They're waiting for us under the tall oaks, on the gravel paths, the little kids running around like the dragonflies that chase each other around the shallow pond. My soul aches and sings simultaneously to be with them all. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow that wish comes true.

Have a happy Thursday!

Morning Dose of Etsy

Maryland woke today to brisk air, turquoise skies, and a bright, clear sun. That rainstorm cut the heat and left us with the strongest taste of fall we've had yet. 

But yesterday, I was grateful to be on the third floor. Watching the rain pour in sheets that made the parking lot an asphalt river bed, I wondered if I should warn Mark to begin building the ark. Our placid little creek swelled into a mini river complete with mini rapids. Today, it gurgles over the tree limbs and debris it hurled at us yesterday. Its only slightly larger than normal now; the tranquil little bubbling sounds so innocent, as if it never raged and ran. 

This afternoon, I'll go around and collect some more Frederick photographs for you so that you really have something to see tomorrow other than a few chairs and vases. In the meantime, here are a few glimpses of the latest additions to my Etsy shop: The Yellow Notebook.

Remembering how much I loved drawing horses as a little girl, I decided to revisit those roots. These studies and sketches (all about 8x8) have been a joy to create. The challenge has been rendering the delicate details of a horse's skeletal structure while maintaining my typical etchy style. I am proudest of #1 and #4.... which is your favorite? 

A few Etsy favorites: 

• this Virginia key hook
• a big yellow globe
• these skeins of black, grey, and gold
• this infinity scarf
• that clutch
• and lastly....these vintage turquoise cups

Hope your Wednesday is bright and chilly enough for boots and a cardigan!

Here's some Brandi Carlile to go

Your Friendly Neighbors at Number L

So this morning, I hopped up intending to dash downstairs and take a few morning photos of the condo-complex, but then realized that the rush and pitty-pat that I heard was a rainstorm in full strength. And the box holding my polka-dot rainboots (I have a love-hate relationship with polka dot....but these I love) is apparently at the bottom of the Great-Crate-Mountain which holds my clothing.

Instead, here I am now on my porch, with my hands wrapped around my morning coffee, listening to the tiny voice of the creek. You can just catch its murmur under the rush of the highway, if you listen with intent. There's something to be said for porches, even if they are small. And there's something to be said for catching the tiniest voices around you. (There's something to be said....I just wish I knew how to say it right.)

Today, I tackle the closet space. I'll let you know if I survived tomorrow. If no post appears...well...you'll know I met my end on Great-Crate-Mountain.

A few peeks at what we've accomplished so far:

My mind is already buzzing with more ideas.
Here's what I have in mind:

• Polka-Dot Rug
• these beeswax candles
• an autumn wreath

Have a happy Tuesday!

Our Weekend in Photos: Call It Home

Today's tune: Feist's Mushaboom, a cute song about "making home from a rented house."

Good morning! Here's a little glimpse of our weekend in Frederick, MD--our new stomping grounds.
Yes, this blog post is being fueled by Caribou black coffee and blackberry-jam toast.

The sign read: Welcome to Frederick, founded 1745 (meaning our new town is older than our country). Yet, my first impression of downtown Frederick was dark. Not bleak, just literally dark. After leaving Georgia at 8:45, we rolled into Maryland  around 9:00. That's twelve hours, not fifteen minutes. We're the Blacks, not the Jetsons. Needless to say, my butt was flat, and my legs were permanently contorted at a ninety-degree angle. It took a few minutes of stiff limping and hobbling, but we finally managed to regain our land-legs and head downtown for a yummy supper at JoJo's Restaurant & Tap House, incidentally the business which sponsors Mark's kickball team.

Saturday found us up to our noses in crates, boxes, and styrofoam peanuts. Thank goodness for big, strong men! It took Dad and Mark a little less than 2 hours to unload the trailer. A task which was epic in and of itself-- I could make an entire blog post about the maneuverings of unloading the trailer-loading the elevator-unloading into the hallway-moving into condo. Thank you, sweet neighbors, for being so understanding of the constant elevator-binging.

But Sunday--Sunday was the fun day. Following my mom's advice, we didn't bother unpacking anything else. "Ya'll have fun today; you've got all week to move stuff around and unpack." So, our mission was simple: find your way around town.

We found:

• two ways downtown
• the best hotwings in town
• a park with an abundance of willows--for me to sit under
• the nearest grocery 
• the nearest Aldi's--because we are refuse to pay the price the above grocery store demands for its lettuce and chicken and avocados
• a consignment shop with a purple velvet Burberry coat
• a hiking gear shop 
• a biking trail
• Walmart --because you gotta buy your toilet paper and soap somewhere

So that's us so far-- a pair of love-struck goofs bumbling around our big town/little city. I wonder how long it'll take to call this place home? 

park at sunset

beautiful bell chimes come from this tower

water

water

3 little duckies

old footbridge

tiny peek of our condo

Sealed with a Kiss

 "Sealed with a kiss" is supposed to be my parting-note for the week. Similarly to my friend over at wit+spice who seals her week with letters, I decided to seal my weekly blog posts with a thank you to the thing(s) that have meant the most to me that week: to an event, an item, a person, an idea that has affected me, made me smile, made me cry, or made me think. From now on, this posts should occur on Fridays...but this Friday (go figure) threw me off due to the epic Maryland road trip.

So.

Its a bit late, but here it is:

"Sealed with a Kiss"

My thank you this week goes out to two things: an item and a person. 

Firstly: to Ipods (or any other MP3 player you may use....or Walkmans if you still rocking it retro-style). While the wind-rush through the car windows has a lyrical quality all its own, driving across 6 states in one day requires a little more bounce and boogie. 

 This weekend's chief driving tunes: 

Dirt Poor Robins

good ol' Johnny

my all time favorite

M. Ward

...and not going anywhere without my A7X

(Yes, I have varied tastes.)

And secondly but most importantly: to my parents, for making this crazy-long-haul, towing the 21 years of my life we crammed into a trailer. They devote so much of their breath and thought and time to their two girls: one in Dalton and the other in Frederick (soon!). I don't know what I'd do without them in my life and in my heart; if I have even half the dedication that they have, when I'm a parent, I'll be doing good. 

Packing.

Scenery in VA.

Thanks for reading today, despite my posting-delay.

The days ahead are looming full of cardboard and packing tape, but I'll be back.

Until then, have a happy football-filled Sunday. 

You are My Sunshine

After yesterday's rains, here's a sunshine song for you:  from Schuyler Fisk. 

The sun burned the rain away; today is blue and green and clear. 

Funny how the sky starts to change, even this early in the season. In Georgia, summer hangs on to our fields and mountains just a little bit longer than it really should. But autumn lets us know she's on her way, at night, when the air turns chilly and crisp. Up above, the heavens turn from that pale, washed-out color into a bright gemlike blue. The fall flowers burst with color--mustard yellows, purples, and reds--in a preview of what the trees will soon rival. In about a month, the whole world will pop. 

I just hope the leaf-change is in time for my wedding...and that I'm in Georgia long enough to see it happen one more time. Either that, or the state of Maryland better hang onto its leaves long enough for me to enjoy them. That's my worry about moving in October: that I'll miss peak in one state and be late for it in the other! I think my soul would just cry if it missed the height of its favorite season. 

For your viewing pleasure: 

Reaching for sunlight

Yellow roses have always been my favorite. Maybe because yellow means "friendship" and that just seems sweet to me. So there's a little friendship rose to my readers! 

What's your favorite rose? Or are you not a rose person at all?

Misty Grey

It's a blurry, drippy kind of morning in Georgia, the type where the sun comes out in fits and starts.
The alarm clock was a little too insistent this morning at 7:30.
Some rainy day tunes: here and here

Good morning

Recipe for a rainy day

Pippin has the right idea

new reading nook

globe trotters

salvaged chair... what should I do to you?

Have a lovely Wednesday...