October means it'll soon be time to bundle up and getting out from under the covers will require a little extra will power. As of right now, we can still dine outdoors but soon it'll be too chilly for restaurant patios. Soups will dominate our kitchen. I'll trade rosé for red wine and shorts for sweater vests. My tulips bulbs will arrive in the next week or so and I'll need to plant them into the ground as soon as possible, then wait and hope.
It's fall, and I welcome it. There's a comfort in turning inward again, particularly with the persistent pandemic. Now that there's a chill in the air I am brought back to last fall and winter, which I spent pregnant. I drank so much tea, and spent most days in my uniform of comfy maternity leggings and teddy hoodie. Jasper is here now and this will be his first fall ever, so I'm looking forward to making it a special one for our family.
Jazzy's first Halloween
We're now in the last stretch of 2021 and the ending of this year is an opportunity to chart new territory and create new traditions and memories. Jazzy's first holiday season is around the corner, and I want nothing more than to make these occasions fun and joyful for him. Even if he won't remember, it'll give Kev and me the opportunity to try out ideas that we may want to repeat.
I know it's a little out of the ordinary, but to me, the holidays start with Halloween. It's a silly and low pressure way to begin a string of celebrations by dressing up and handing out candy. I'm a fan of Halloween because it embraces so much of the best of fall: foggy, chilly, spooky nights, apples and pumpkins, candles, and cauldrons (okay, dutch ovens) full of hearty stew.
I'm fully ready to embrace this holiday as a mom. You can be sure that I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity to dress Jasper up. We won't be going trick or treating, but we can have a fun day together regardless.
An upstate getaway
Our family has booked an AirBnB near Red Hook, NY for three nights later this month. The place is dog friendly so we'll be bringing our three pups and Kev's parents will bring their dog, Maddie. It'll be the first vacation ever for Jasper and my first since the pandemic began.
We're looking forward to showing him new things, including a visit to a local farm where we can pick pumpkins, taste freshly made cider donuts, and feed some goats. It'll be really nice to spend some time with family away from the daily grind. I look forward to game nights, a fire pit, a nearby creek to explore, and lots of land for the pups to enjoy on their long lead leashes. Kev and I are starting to work on our packing list - with three dogs and a baby, it's already quite long.
Bring some designs from Made to Order to Ready to Ship
I’d really like to build up some stock of best sellers so that I can offer them as ready to ship. I know that for some, particularly those shopping for gifts, waiting weeks for an item just doesn’t work. My goal is to make two dozen each of Twiggy Spoons, Mona Scoops, and Cactus Ring Dishes, all sculpted at home and transported via subway to the studio. At the studio, I'm hoping to make some extras of various mug styles.
Keep knitting!
I'm proud to report that I've completed two sweater vests in the past couple of months. I made one for myself and then one for my sister. This week, I started a third for my mom.
Little Minnows
On my last visit to my parents' place, I dug through my mom's extensive supply of yarn to pick out a color for my mom's knitted vest. While doing so, I also took out a bunch of hand knit and crocheted baby goods that she's made and which we've sold at flea markets in the past.
I've decided to feature more of these items on my Etsy shop exclusively, as part of the Little Minnows collection. Of course I had to snag a couple of pompom hats for Jasper, but I'm slowly photographing and adding more to this section of my Etsy shop. I know that these items are a far cry from ceramics, but I truly love them and they are so relevant to this season of my life. I hope you'll check them out.
Shop the Little Minnows collection here.
Below, a little summary I made in Procreate to keep as a phone background for the month:
