Today...

1. Working on new screens for screen printing. I have a farmers' market and then 3 day fair coming up next week and I am trying to get myself organized and add some new inventory.

2. On the note of new inventory, I have been in search of simple jersey skirts with no luck. But I have found some tank-top and tee-shirt dresses that I LOVE and am excited to be printing on!

(Above: a friend and local artist rocking one of the tank-top dresses with my "Rain in the Mountains" print on it in berry)

3. I may or may not have started a few too many projects today... I have been non-stop all day and since my body is sore from working, I am finally going to sit down!

(at least for a little bit)

What have you been up to lately?

A YOU CHOOSE GIVEAWAY!!!

Link HERE.

>>>I will choose a winner Sunday night!<<<

Good luck!!!

Monotone Landscape

We finally got a break from the heatwave and yesterday we got some well deserved and much needed rain.

It is "supposed" to rain all week. I don't mind.

Although today is back to being sunny and fairly warm.

I love hazy, foggy, rainy days on the coast. Playing tricks on your eyes, it can be hard to see the line where to sea meets the sky. But they do meet to kiss, even if only for a brief moment.

Water reflects like a mirror. Ripples dance across and outward as a body moves slowly through. I cherish days like these, days where I seem to have the beach and the ocean all to myself, like it was created just for me.

Do you enjoy a rainy day?

To see more of my photos, check out my instagram!

In progress...

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Some new natural dye projects and my "helpers".

Some super-duper awesome new scarves in the future!

How can you resist the face in the last photo, right?

She kills me!

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Farmers' Market

Yesterday was the Farmers' Market in Beverly that I vend at.

I thought I would share a little bit from my booth...

Mu is IN LOVE with blueberries! Well, really anything edible. She also loved the green beans. It is both good and bad that I am set up next to the Farmer Dave produce booth, since Mu is constantly grazing under the tables, often with her head in a bucket of back-up berries. We have also decided that from now on, blueberries are going to be referred to as mu-berries. She was in heaven yesterday since our friends at Farmer Dave's were handing her things to snack on left and right!

I was photo-bombed!

(My friend, who runs the market, this is her son. What a goofball!)

Mu-berry coma!

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Finally, the Little Owl booth...

And my organic cotton market totes FINALLY came, just in time for the market!

I had a friend help me design these (my artwork, his graphic artist skill getting the lettering on there), but the printer he goes through, well, let's just say I am not pleased with their turnaround time or their (lack of) communication. But the bags look fantastic (thanks Jamie!)!!!

(will be in THE SHOP soon.)

How was your afternoon?

Rain in the Mountains

They're done! They're here! I'm so excited to finally say!!!

FINALLY!!!

You can find more info about them HERE.

(I have a purple shirt that I will be offering as soon as the shipment arrives.)

And I am excited to work on creating different designs to offer!

Let me know what you think.

I am pretty excited.

I have a couple that I LOVE and have worn, in rotation, non-stop!

Gardeny things, a recipe, cute dogs and whatnot...

Things are finally starting to turn around in the garden. After the seemingly endless rain. After the bugs had their way with everything, quite the smorgasbord, the sun has turned it all around.

Everything is growing bigger, taller, stronger...

The echinacea and chamomile and calendula are in full bloom and the bees are loving it!!!

I made a fantastic herby raw beet, green onion and kale salad today.

The recipe went something like this:

-1 big bunch of kale

(I ripped it up into pieces by hand after pulling it off the stock)

-3 small-medium beets, peeled and roughly julienned

(also by hand, I don't have one of those fancy food processors that can do it for me)

-1 green onion slices thin

-1 lemon

-olive oil

-gomasio

-maple syrup

-salt

-fresh herbs

(I used basil, thyme and rosemary from my garden)

Once I had the kale, beets and onion all cut up in a large bowl, I mixed the juice from 1 small lemon with maybe 1/4 cup of olive oil, gomasio to my liking, a glug of maple syrup and salt to taste. I then poured this mixture over the veggies and mixed it all up. I let it sit for a few minutes and then viola!

Sorry my measurements are not very exact. I am not very good at following recipes or truly paying attention to exactly how much I am putting in... But if my directions are too crazy, this is a good basic guideline that you can jazz up however you like.

I have been taking the doggies to my favorite beach in the area in the morning.

They have been having a grand ol' time running, playing with other dogs, retrieving the ball from the water and eating sand (yes, I said eating sand. I know, YUCK!... Right?)

Veda has been like a swimming champion. Oh, I love her so!!!

Mu has been the ambassador, testing out all the other dogs playing and running skills. She seems to be quite fond of a little havanese named Teo.

She has also been super cuddly (but that's not really a new thing).

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Oh, and I have been working up a storm. I have (some might say) feverishly been practicing my screen printing skills. And I have to say, I am pretty impressed with myself.

I have 3 shirt colors I have been working with right now:

grey, charcoal and navy (and I am waiting on a purple).

The grey has my "Mountains" design in white, charcoal has it in green and navy I have been playing around with a lighter, almost sky blue and also a "purple/lavender" which actually comes out as more of a grey. I am undecided as to which I like best or which I will use as the actual color.

All of them have the mountains design printed on the front and a Little Owl logo on the back.

Anyway, I think they look fantastic!! (I am a wee bit proud of myself right now, can you tell?)

I can't wait to get them in the shop!

Ok, well that is all.

I am off to see a friends reggae band down the street.

All about the happenings...

Some things that have been going on around here lately:

1. The market totes that I had made still haven't arrived. Quite frustrating. I won't even go into it...

2. On a positive note, I am super excited to announce that the postcards I made where a portion of the sales go to support our local, no-kill animal shelter are here!!! I am so excited I can hardly stand still!!!

You can find out all about them HERE.

3. The women's tees that I ordered for my new adventure in screen printing also came today. WOOHOO!!! I am hoping to have some with THIS print in the shop by the end of the week.

4. Apparently it is "make someone smile" week. Like, for real! Fantastic!!!

(I hope some of these photos make you smile, like the 3rd one with the close up of our little Mu-Mu berry and Nate being goofy behind her)

5. I am so IN LOVE with this photo. And the man. And the dog.

6. My passionflower are going CRAZY!!! I am completely in awe of these intricate flowers. Not to mention that many of the flowers that have passed are actually turning into passion fruit! I have never had that happen before!!! Fingers crossed that they will develop all the way and I will feast on some exotic fruit!

So far that is all I can think of.

Some good, some not so good, some exciting, some just plain wonderful!

How has your week been?

Is it raining where you are? Is it sunny?

What are you working on and what is inspiring you?

Tell me all about it, I truly want to know, dear friends!!!

Dive Down Deep - Your Primal Soul...

HERE they are!

Here + Here

May be my new fave!

I finally have gotten to make some new crochet crystal necklaces. It's a good thing too, I was all out!!!

I am slowly adding them to the SHOP, but I have to admit that this amethyst necklace may just be me absolute favorite. It is an amethyst with lots of character, crocheted with hand dyed indigo thread. The chain is a gunmetal grey accented with some beautiful green stones and if I must be honest, I cannot remember exactly what they are... Maybe some sort of dyed jasper or agate. They are really funky though and look great with the amethyst! If someone doesn't snag it up soon, I may be forced to keep it for myself!

Don't let me keep yet another one!

Go HERE.

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It has been torturously hot here (for New England, that is).

I am not built for this heat. Too hot for me to do much and the mosquitoes have been attacking in swarms. I feel like I have been a slug forever! We did break down and invest in an air conditioner though. Heaven. I am thankful for the ability to get out of the thick, heavy air. To be able to work a little bit here and there. But mostly I am thankful for being able to sleep. And I know the pups are happy to have a cool haven, even if it is only when I go into the room since they seem to have the need to follow me everywhere and be wherever I am.

Do you like this kind of weather?

What do you do to beat the heat?

Your FAVORITE Scarf

1.

2.

All natural, gauze cotton hand-dyed with indigo.

Scarf #2 has a circular shibori pattern throught.

I swear, you will LOVE either one of these scarves!

They are so soft and light and comfortable,

easy to wear, easy to stuff in your bag for later...

Easily will be your favorite scarf!!!

(I wear mine ALL. THE. TIME!)

Check them out HERE.