My fabric collection has finally moved out of plastic totes and into the light of day thanks to my great find at the Berea College surplus auction:

I love being able to see what I've got; it is at my fingertips. It makes me so satisfied, and also feel like a prissy old lady.  

I have been seriously bitten by a crazy clock making bug. I made two more and have them listed for sale on our etsy shop. (Thanks Kate!)As sweet as they are, our house can only take so much...cuteness (and ticking). I would appreciate some feedback or suggestions!

This is the woodland gnome home whoo whoo clock. It is made of mat board covered with corduroy and naturally dyed wool felt. The clock face is painted with watercolor paint.  

The garden shed whoo whoo clock: 

I'm really pleased with the felt shingle roof. Both of these have vellum in the windows and can hold a battery powered tea light. When I am done dyeing felt, I hope to do a night light and a door stop...

I want to make some more clocks, but need materials, so I have been dyeing a bunch of beautiful wool felt. I've got a little workshop set up on our back porch, right next to the sand box. My boys have been playing happily in their little pool and sand while I do this:

with this:

(marigolds) and this:

(onion skins). 

Yesterday, I got an indigo vat for wool going and got this:

The browns are black walnuts I collected last fall. Cool, huh?

It was so motivating to post about my garden. I realized it is only June, way too early to throw up my hands. It also didn't hurt that today was in the 70's rather than the high 80's like it has been for the last couple of weeks. Me and the boys worked outside a bunch together in harmony (nothing ruins my gardening vibe like a little beast repeatedly stealing the tool I am using right out of my hands....). Eli suggested a picnic in the shade:

Isaac and Eli have chosen taco shells filled with sharp cheddar cheese as their lunch item of choice as you can see. 

Instead of ants we were dive bombed by a couple of these guys:

It is a  summer of cicadas in Kentucky; they are making their once every 17 year appearance. We have been finding their shed husks all over clutching onto plants and trees. The summer has been sound tracked by the sound of their buzzing, which can be annoying or amazing, depending on your mood. I am convinced it feels hotter when the cicada concert is at its loudest...

 Elsewhere in the garden,a volunteer mullein that planted itself in just the right spot is nearing its impressive flowering:

Two chairs Strider scored at a yard sale were looking particularly comfortable and nicely patainaed today:

Hooray! a great day in the garden.

My garden is a constant source of joy and wonder, and guilt and frustration. I never seem to do enough planting and mulching in the cool spring and early summer, and then pay the price with a weedy overgrown mess. In the garden I hold the redemptive promise of "next year" close to me always.  Here is what has been going well lately...

My herb garden is thriving. I love their exuberance! This shot is actually two beds with a narrow path between them. The front bed is strictly culinary herbs and the one behind is made up of grey and silver plants. Strider has given me a gift certificate to my favorite nursery for mothers day the last couple of years and most of these guys are thanks to his generosity.

Although it really annoyed the bees, I harvested a big bunch of lavender today.  

We are eating lots of strawberries! We put 50 plants in 3 years ago, and this is the first year we have bunches of berries. I am so greedy though and can't help but want more and more plants to put in so we would have enough to freeze....

Ok full disclosure, the poppies are actually long gone, just the dried up seed pods are waving around now. I took this photo weeks ago and really wanted to share this perfect crepe-y beauty. 

Here are a couple of places "in transition":

This is the bottom corner of the vegetable patch, (I wish I could say "potager" with a straight face) the tall stuff is lettuce desperately going to seed. All the other green stuff is a cover crop of...weeds.

These are rocks Strider salvaged from a wall being taken down in town. If you use your imagination, you can envision what they will look like stacked up to the left of where they lay, as a classy wall edging our driveway..I will spare you photos of the pile of fencing materials waiting to be installed and the greenhouse parts crying out to be put together.