Sifted: September

"It was September evening and all the gaps and clearings in the wood were brimmed up with ruby sunset light. Here and there the lane was splashed with it, but for the most part it was already quite shadowy beneath the maples, and the spaces under the firs were filled with a clear violet dusk like airy wine."

-L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

September is usually a steady prelude to Fall, but this year it seemed like it was holding tightly on to summer until the chimes of the 30th rang. Rain poured from the sky for a great many days and the sun kept us in shorts, chasing away any notion of sweaters or hats.

Every September I get the nesting fever, hunting and gathering for garden gems and closet staples. We continued to bring in the harvest, preserving peaches and raspberries in jam and freezing tomatoes in bags for chili and soup in the coming months. Our cupboards are full of butternut squash and potatoes from my Papa Milo and Alice and Milo's closets are now equipped for the cold with sweaters and cardigans, mittens and hats. I have way too much fun scouting for their wardrobes every spring and fall and find I get more enjoyment gathering for them than I do for me. I need so few things and find them easily enough online that the real hunt is crafting a minimalist wardrobe for my littles with a budget in hand and the pleasant surprises of consignment stores at our picking.

Aside from readying for the cold, we've been playing and creating around the house, savoring caramel apples, cavorting with royalty, sailing the seas, and hopping around the hills. It's been lovely 'round here.

Without further ado, our September...

morning light and shadows | a surprise in the mail for a client

sedum & dew

my blue-eyed early bird

the tomatoes love their towers - so much easier this year!

pablanos, eggplant, & tomatoes

the very busy spider

This little neighbor was busy wrapping up her breakfast.

mimosa

aka "tickle plant"

When you touch it's leaves, they immediately retract and close like a book.

JD bought some seeds thinking Alice would love them, but I think all of our adult friends enjoy them even more.

harvest bouquet

A few clippings of Sedum, rose leaves, spirea branches, and hearty pompous grass tufts. I love bringing Fall inside :)

And those Starkrimson pears - they are beautiful to watch ripen and delicious to eat.

pear perfection

This underexposed image feels so moody and romantic with just enough color. I've been reveling in how underexposing an image triggers memories as if I were just there, feeling more real in my mind than if I had aimed for a proper histogram. It's made me realize that a good photo is not a perfect exposure, but elicits a feeling, a moment, a memory. It can conjure dreams and stories and take you places, whether they be real, imagined, or past.

I love the dancing, watery light that streams in through our old windows.

Caught Alice's silhouette one morning.

chiaroscuro

This is the kind of light that sends me running for my camera throughout the day - the contrast and illumination. !!! Every time I stumble upon a moment like this, it's like a great secret I've been temporarily let in on.

towers & trains

Alice the Artist

globe-trotting

Found this treasure of a world for $6 at the Thrift Shop and it fits with colors in Alice's room perfectly! Our names were practically written on the bottom.

a new coloring book for mama

Alice's first mixed media project! | new painting for the hallway upstairs

mmmm...texture

Alice faces

And she insisted on sporting a bow "like Cinderella" after seeing the new movie this month.

(I love having a little girl.)

caramel apples from Super Bee Orchard - if Fall had a "Best Of" list, this would be on it

all gone

This might be one of my favorite photos in my inventory. It's so minimal & elegant and tells a tale of someone who ate a delicious treat on a beautiful plate while basking in lovely light. Kind of perfect.

Operation Potty Train Alice: Logic-Based Approach

The good news: Alice is potty trained! The bad news: it took two days of being a baby (naps, mashed food (e.g. peas), and early bedtime) to get there. I'll write a more thorough post later but the idea is that babies potty in their diapers/pants, so if you're going to be a baby, you get to be treated like one which means the above repercussions. Yeah. About 48 hours later Alice came up to me and declared "Mommy, I'm going to be a big girl!" We've had a few accidents, but WE ARE VICTORIOUS!!! Way to go, Alice!

Lady Alice

three going on thirteen

This one makes my heart ache a little.

Alice, you are growing into such a little lady.

kindred spirits

Cinderella & Alice having a heart to heart.

No big deal.

(Full post here.)

Meeting Princess Anna & Queen Elsa at Mount Michael's Fall Festival.

(Don't Elsa and Rapunzel look awfully alike? Brooke Fencl, is that you??? Are you the coolest undercover royalty and I never knew it??! Thanks for making my Alice so happy :D)

And thanks, Gramma Jo & Papa Bear for taking her to enjoy all the festivities!

Horse rides, snow cones, face painting...