Fall Finds

It's that time of year when my tank tops, shorts and summer skirts are removed from the closet and replaced by sweaters, thick socks, and cords that have been resting all summer in our seasonal clothing bin.  As the cool nights become more frequent, I also start scouring consignment shops and Etsy to re-stock all the clothes I've donated over the last year.

Here are some great Fall finds I stumbled upon on Etsy that I fell in love with!

1950's Cocktail dress by Fabgabs

  

Long skirt by Shovava

Shredded Tee by Exaltation

When orange and black rules

What is it about this time of year?  When I go outside on an early Fall morning, the smell of turning leaves, the dream-like hue of overcast sky, and crisp air brushing against my skin has me reciting 19th century poetry.  If you revisit my blog around this time last year, Dickinson, Poe, Prevert, Robert Frost and Li Po were the poets whose inspired words captured this moment for me.

As a young child, Halloween meant little more to me than the time of year when I got to play dress up outside of the house and ask strangers for candy.  Which was quite daring in itself on any ordinary day.  Just exactly what our parents tell us not to do, right?  Watching my young adult grow older, this time of year has developed profound significance for me.  

The patter of rain on a pile of yellowing leaves brings my mind to the past.  I'll reminisce about how my son once jumped with gusto into leaves or wonder when the trees lost their leaves in different cities I've lived in.  All it takes is a quiet morning alone with a steaming mug of tea and suddenly I let myself get whisked away into Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market.  

Fall wistfully transports us to times past, while we still feel the flush of summer upon our cheeks.  Not yet ready to hibernate, the afternoon sun is relished on long walks.  Every morning when our dog, Owen, and I go out, I feel thankful that the garden has survived another night without frost.  Tomatoes taste even more succulent, because I know it will be another 10 months before they taste sweet and juicy again.  

This is the time of year when orange and black rule.  Their meanings run deeper than branding a holiday season.  Black signifies the trepidation we feel in our hearts as the nights lengthen, as well as the longer, darker nights.  Orange's inspiration is the last of the season's harvest, those butternut squash and pumpkins, the ripened leaves blanketing the green grass, the lingering warmth of the sun's rays.  So, this season as I'm wearing the orange and black socks my husband bought me, I'm not merely participating in the commercialization of another holiday.  Instead, we are all honoring this moment in time, paying homage to autumn, before it passes.   

                                              Ghosts Galore card by Blackbird and Peacock

End of the Harvest

Already the leaves are turning yellow and falling from the trees.  Sadly, yesterday I raked about 5 large piles worth.  The tomatoes and other goodies in my garden are probably going to get hit by frost this weekend, so I'm going to harvest what I can on Friday.

It has been a very wet September.  A good part of the East Coast has been ravaged by hurricanes and more rain, rain, rain.  My pumpkins are still turning orange, but quite a few are ready to be turned into pumpkin pies.  I have a feeling that my flower garden will meet its' end soon, as well.  In the next few weeks, I'll have to unearth the dahlia bulbs so I can replant them next year.

I also have to figure out where to plant my tulip bulbs.  They should be planted within the next couple of weeks.  I'm looking forward to expanding my flower and vegetable gardens next year.

Rain, rain, rain & new inventory

The weather in Upstate, NY is always kooky, but the last couple of weeks the East Coast has been bombarded by two hurricanes.  Today the surrounding schools, colleges, and gov't offices were closed due to flooding.  I feel a tremendous amount of appreciation that our house has been undamaged and all of our friends and family are safe and sound.

                                                     8 Bit Ghost Halloween Cards 

It is said that April showers bring May flowers and the same is true in my Etsy shop.  The chilly weather has forced me indoors, so I've taken the opportunity to begin adding new inventory to Blackbird and Peacock.  After such a long brake, I'm pretty excited to start showing off the new cards and journals stamped with Joe's rad designs.  The ghost is my fav and I've been waiting for him to turn that into a stamp for over a year.  

                                                 8 Bit Ghost red moleskine journal

I'll be adding some more Halloween merchandise soon, but there were some other new designs we turned into stamps recently.  I had to make a few journals using them so I could show the designs off.  

                                           8 Bit Balloon Geek Birthday red moleskine journal

                                                      Retro Bicycle moleskine journal

Hot Air Balloon Awesomeness

On Saturday afternoon, and then later in the evening, several hot air balloons drifted through our small city.  As we drove home from the grocery store one floated above the car.  Several hours later we were astonished to see one hovering over the tree in our backyard.  As its destination was our neighbor's yard, it nearly touched our house before landing.
Of course my husband's camera was out and he took a lot of stellar photos.  I've never been so close to a hot air balloon- it was a real treat.

Back to School Sale!

After a grand & glorious summer of visiting family and friends, cooking at a local yoga retreat, attending weddings and lotsa hanging out w/ my husband and son, I'm ready to get back to work at Blackbird and Peacock.  My little shop has been sorely neglected, but my husband and I have been creating new designs for cards and journals.  I also just bought a stack cutter and wire binding machine, which we set up this weekend.  So...new inventory will be popping up in the shop soon.  Here's a preview:

In the meanwhile, I have decided to kick off the school season with a much overdue Back to School Sale.  Purchase something from Blackbird and Peacock and receive 20% off the price of your order (this excludes shipping).  Simply type in the coupon code "Back2School" (without the quotation marks) during checkout when purchasing something from  www.blackbirdandpeacock.com   

Here's the link if you are unsure of how this works:)  http://www.etsy.com/help/article/350

This coupon will be good throughout the month of September.  Happy Back to School!