JCasa *handmade BLOG

saturday inspiration : star gazing

it was an incredibly clear evening, and we happened upon a huge telescope down by the falls tonight, so of course we had a look at the lovely and incredible moon.  and the conversation about outer space that followed as girly and i walked through town was even more awe-inspiring.  on the drive home, i overheard her wish upon the moon, and to both our surprise and delight, her favorite song was played next on the radio.  seriously.

happy saturday!  xoxo

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p.s.  there's still time to enter the giveaway for a copy of Rainy Day Crafts with Kids!

happiness is : new + same

morning walks down and around the lake have made their way back into the routine of my days, and i couldn't be happier.  i'm really enjoying the opportunity to get out bright and early, get moving, breathe fresh air deep into my lungs, and clear my mind before getting down to whatever is on the calendar.

each day i travel the same paths, see the same trees + same lake, wave to the same couple walking with their baby, am sized up by the same pack of sled huskies...

yet, each day there is something fresh and new and invigorating.  it's all how you look at things, how you filter it all.  enjoy your day.  be it full of new or same.  xoxo

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I truly appreciate your comments. Thank you for sharing + spending time in this space.

what i found

yesterday afternoon - on Halloween, how appropriate - a giant spider jumped out of my handbag and scampered across the kitchen floor.  after i caught up with it and gave it a good slap, i figured it was probably time to clean out my purse.  here's what i found:

[ note the lack of spider carcass.  you are welcome. ]

what i found was that i felt an urgency to arrange everything all scientific-looking.  i suppose that's what happens when you're home alone, sometimes.  you arrange your bits on a white table because the white table makes you happy.  and then you stand on a chair to get a nice overhead shot.  and while you're taking the shot, you lean up against the window frame. and because you are wearing handknit wool socks, you almost slip off the chair.  but you don't slip.  and you do get the photo you were after.  as you climb down, your heart slows down to a reasonable pace.  and for a split second, you ask yourself, "why am i risking my life to arrange my bits on a white table to photograph them just so?"

oh yeah, "because it brings me joy."  simple as that.

later, everything (except the spider) went into another bag, and i had enough room to tuck in a copy of Mollie Makes.  that makes me happy, too.

so...  what is in your bag?  what brings you joy?  xoxo

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I truly appreciate your comments.  Thank you for sharing + spending time in this space.

just a day

7ish  -   kiddos inform me they're not going to wake me up before heading downstairs.
they had the day off of school, and unlike school days, they are able to awaken themselves with no drama whatsoever.  what is up with that?

8ish  -  i slept in.  i'm no fool.  and as i'm getting out of bed, my body reminds me about the work i've done in yoga classes this week.

9ish  -  pumpkin pancakes.  amen.

10ish  -  computer work for school, band, shop, etc.  there may have been some blog reading in there, as well.  and coffee.

11ish  -  shower and get dressed for the day.  what???  it's before noon.

12ish  -  encourage the girls to get dressed.  and knit while i wait.

1ish  -  depart for lunch out + an afternoon of treasure-hunting, driving south for far too long only to discover that of the 5 great diners i knew of in kent, 2 are now bars, 1 has been levelled, and 2 are not what they used to be. 

2ish  -  happy meals.  what can i say, i gave in.  we were all hungry and i was not about to take them into a bar for wings + beer + a hunting license.

3-5ish  -  treasure hunting.  

6ish  -  we arrive home with a few items, including an amazing chair, a vintage makeup/suitcase, fisher price camera + camping van, a few childrens' books, and vintage needlework too pretty to pass up.

7ish  -  prosecco.

wishing you a weekend filled with joys of your own.  xoxo

snapshots

my folks move south for the winter - snow birds, i think they're called - and so i brought my camera along with me yesterday to capture and share a bit of our fall colors.

it's been a while since i brought out my real camera for anything other than work.  quite frankly, i've been lazy.  i do adore the more casual approach and ease of capturing moments with my beloved instagram/iphone.  but i have real cameras - both digital slr and film - for a reason.  and while it felt a bit awkward at first, it came back to me.

we've been blessed with a week of glorious weather here in ohio, amazing cloudless skies and heavenly temperatures, and we've been soaking it up as much as possible.  a nice respite from what was the summer of rain, rain and more rain.  and guess what, it's raining again today.  (and promises to continue for another week, boo.)  as i type this very moment, in fact, the wind is blowing more and more of those golden leaves to the ground.  fall in ohio is gorgeous, this is true.  but it is almost always over too soon.

this makes me all the more happy i brought my camera along with me yesterday.  xoxo