What I'm Wearing: Nonplussed

Sweater: Thrifted, buttons swapped by me

Dress: Thrifted (Ralph Lauren)

Jeans: JC Penney

Shoes: Thrifted

Belt & Pin: Antique

Earrings: Gift from Mom

I had a wardrobe crisis this morning. Half my closet (approximately) is piled in a heap on the bed-- because I tried out about eight different outfits before I settled on this, looked at the clock, screamed, and dashed to work.

It ended up.... well, western. And while I do own cowboy boots, and also, a cowgirl hat... I typically don't resort to those props unless I'm attending a Fred Eaglesmith concert. Or Halloween.

I blogged about the belt and pin here, and am delighted to be wearing them for the first time. I've never been the type for accessories-- usually earrings and a necklace are all I bother with-- but they're slowly growing on me.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

My "Preparations" series will be back tomorrow.

Preparations: dreaming

Cutting and pasting and dreaming of gauzy things to sew...

Preparations: blooming

I had so much fun with my Preparations series this past autumn, I've decided to do another one for Spring. This week, it's all about getting ready.


This season is raking, raking. Sweeping last autumn's fallen leaves off the lawn, the garden, the driveway, uncovering new greens and wet browns.

Shuffling between the bright-and-sunnies and the gray-and-rainies, waiting to see what each day will bring-- always eager and happy for the turning away from winter.

What I'm Wearing: Red robin

Jacket: Anthropologie

Cardigan: Thrifted

Tank: Old Navy

Skirt: Vintage

Tights: Hue

Shoes: Modcloth

Robins have been hopping all over our yard the past few days. It's always so nice to see them return: their quiet, watchful foraging in the grass, their sweet, liquid song filling the evenings. While it's still breezy and cool, I'm going to make the most of stockings-and-sweatercoat weather.

I have most of this week off from my day job, and I've been living free and easy. (As long as you consider getting up at 8 am to paint bedroom trim and haul junk out of the garage easy.) On Monday I made a pilgrimage to Ithaca, for the joys of indie fabric shopping and vintage clothes hunting. This skirt seemed friendly, so I brought it home with me.

I love the pockets.

A shower of onesies

I'm so excited to be able to share these now! For months I've had a pile of onesies sitting in my craft room, for months I've been manically enthused about the way the project was going. And for months I couldn't breathe a word of it on this blog. The sweet mama-to-be reads (I'm pretty sure) every word, and there would be no putting anything past her. (Hi Kate!)

But with the advent of the shower, I can show these off now. I was very much inspired to do this thanks to Erin of House on Hill Road-- appliqued t-shirts seem to be her go-to kids' birthday party gift-- and I've always wanted to try it out. What's not to like? The best thing, I think, is being able to get something totally useful and necessary to the occasion-- and then pretty it up a little bit, because who really wants plain white onesies?

Here are a few of my favorites:

A smiling whale.

Sweet pea.

Flower.

My original plan was to roll them back up and stuff them into the packaging they'd come in-- but then I realized you wouldn't be able to see the designs at all, and what's a shower if you can't hold things up for everyone to see?

Little Zoey is on her way. We're all excited.

Prelude

The spring weather that visited us all last week and this weekend is gone now. Today is 48 and drizzly; Wednesday they're predicting snow. Ah, March. Keeps us guessing. In a way it makes these pictures even sweeter: proof that while warm weather was here, we enjoyed it to its fullest.

(And, of course, it'll be back!)

Friday evening featured a hike at Salt Spring State Park, where hemlock twigs glowed with late-day light.

Saturday, friends gathered in preparation for welcoming a special little girl into the world. (More pictures tomorrow!)

Sunday afternoon, another hike was in order, this time with geese.

And later, the season's first bonfire.

There are seedlings in my cold frame. There may be snow in the forecast, but these chilly winds won't last.

Love and radishes

It isn't glamorous. Or pretty. It doesn't lead to quick rewards, or notoriety, or fabulous riches. It'll leave you, more than likely, with a few twingy muscles and some overly-intimate dirt. But when the times comes, every year, to get back into the garden, I can't resist welcoming it back.

I dig so fervently I pull muscles, (unaccustomed to doing anything more strenuous than drinking wine by the fire, all winter) I rejoice a little in my soft, clean hands getting a little toughed up. It's the time! The best time. When spring is entirely still to be had, still ahead, and you haven't missed anything, not even the first fading crocus.

What does spring look like at your house this year?