Pumpkin farm

I always loved Halloween as a kid. Some of my best memories are of trick-or-treating until I couldn't feel my feet - we could cover most of our small village in just a couple of hours, but it was enough time to get numb toes in the unpredictable Wisconsin fall. I'm pretty sure there were a few Halloweens where we were stuffed into our costumes with puffy winter coats and turtlenecks underneath, with more than a few snowflakes in sight. I also LOVED helping my dad get all gored up with fake blood, peeling zombie flesh, and fake latex spikes. He got such a kick out of scaring the bejeezus out of the neighborhood kids. Good times, good times.

Halloween is a little tamer for me now, but I still can't resist carving pumpkins, roasting seeds, and stuffing myself silly with candy. The pumpkins are definitely the best part. "Pumpkin Farms" where the pumpkins are already chopped off the vine and stacked in neat piles make me a little sad. Sure, it's convenient. But where's the sweat? Where's the mud-caked jeans? And the true need to wear galoshes? Admittedly I've bought pumpkins from the grocery store in the past, but it's just no fun. But what a happy discovery this year: the nearest pumpkin farm to our house is the kind where they hand you a pair of clippers, point to the wheelbarrows, and turn you loose in a big wet misty field.

Yes.

Oh YES.

We went home with 57 lbs of pumpkins and and armful of fresh produce from the farm stand, all for about $20.


I love our pumpkin farm.

Whiskey Barrel Flooring

Sweet baby jesus I want these reclaimed whiskey barrel wood floors from McKay Flooring Ltd. in the UK.

Since $275 a square meter is a bit steep for me, does anybody want to ship me a multitude of old whiskey barrels so I can figure out how to do it myself? Thanks in advance.

Found via Cool Material.

I can't believe I'm writing about cat art.

Ahhh. Cat art. It can either be charming and well done, or completely repulsive. As a kid, I definitely had tastes that leaned heavily toward the latter - my room was sponge painted pink and topped off with kitten wallpaper border, and my walls were adorned with cut-outs from old cat calendars. I wore a sweatshirt with a fluffy white persian cat that had a glued-on gemstone tear falling from its eye. Why was it even crying? Maybe from the lace trimmed denim leggings and slouch socks that I wore with it? That'd be my guess.

So the big question I wrestled with this evening: does any good cat art exist? Cat art that doesn't make me feel like pushing down my socks and popping in a Paula Abdul cassette? Cat art that I'd actually be cool with hanging up in my home?

just resting by blackoutwell

scaredy cat by cabin

you're not an owner you're an opportunity by jamie shelman

cat print by JenniferDowney

kitty by boaandfriends

matter of fact by maejane

cat by dimdi

It looks pretty promising...

To soothe a numbed mind

Sometimes my day job consumes my life in ways that just zap all the creativity out of me. At the end of the day I'm a tired lump of Jess and blogging/writing/making things is the farthest thing from my mind. So when those days roll around, I just need to dig around for a little inspiration. What are people making? And what else can I add to my list of things to lust after?

Well, these little bowls, for starters:

by New Moon Studio

And some tiny button houses:

by hodge podge arts

A very useful plate:

by jimbob art

An incredible ring that I could probably never buy because I'm such a klutz and would break it. But still. Oh my:

by Maap Studio

And a gorgeous necklace:

by Vanilya Design

The tie that binds all of these lovely pieces? Porcelain. I've not yet had the pleasure of working in porcelain, but I imagine that it feels like butter. Mmm.