the common ground fair

The Common Ground Fair takes place every September in Unity, Maine.  Confession: I didn't know where Unity, Maine was until I went to the fair yesterday.  It's put on by MOFGA, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.  The fair is filled with local craftsmen and organic farmers selling their product and also features many speakers who teach about everything from composting to low impact forestry to how to repair snags in your knitting.  I met up with my friend Cait and her boyfriend's mom, Kathy, which was trickier than you'd think because thousands of people go to this fair and you don't get cell phone reception there.

The above picture is from my drive to the fair (don't worry, I pulled over to take it).  The foliage was beautiful and I wanted to take a gazillion pictures as I drove over rolling hills of farmland and could see foliage for miles and miles.  Unfortunately, the skies were very gray and didn't do the foliage justice.

I took the picture of the Hobbit holes for Dan.  They're kind of a cute idea.  The pictures below are from the organic farmers section.  The produce looked so delicious: 

I was shocked by the number of kids at the fair.  Kathy said she was shocked by how well behaved they all were! Perhaps it was because there were so many fun things for them to do, like slide down a hill on flattened cardboard boxes:

Or participate in the children's parade.  Kids dress up like fruits and vegetables and sometimes bugs and carry amusing signs saying things like, "no pesticides on me!" and "organically grow."

Finally, there were many non-produce things to buy.  A yarn section made up a large part of the fair grounds.  Many people were spinning their own yarn in their booths, which I found fascinating.  Some even had brought their alpacas/rabbits/sheep with them!

All in all, a great, educational way to spend a gray Sunday.

flour pot bakery

I love it when people think outside of the box, but do it simply.  The marketing for the Flour Pot Bakery is just that.  It's ingenious.

found here

bee nests

Wow.  Look at this amazingness that I found over at Hither and Tither:

Isn't that beautiful?  Can you guess what it is?  Well, I guess my title gives it away...but it's a nest made out of flower petals by a bee!  The bees, found in Turkey and Iran, build these nests that measure over half and inch long to house just one egg.  They are not like the typical buzzing honey bees we know in America, but are rather quite solitary creatures.

If you want to know more, check out the article on NPR.org about this incredibly gorgeous phenomenon.

more weekend pictures: friendship harbor

I took Dan down to the harbor in Friendship this weekend.  I had been there once before with my mom, (otherwise I never would have known it existed) and wanted to share its beauty with Dan.  Next weekend, we'll be a bit more adventurous and try to find a place that's brand new to both of us for our next photo op. (p.s. a friend of mine at Colby claimed that her uncle coined the term "photo op" not sure if I believed her, but it would be kind of cool if it were true.  She also said her cousin was Jared of Subway weight loss fame.)

The picture below is the only one I took.  I love this little scene.  The hydrangea tree that I find so beautiful and those blue bottles in the window, plus grey shingles and a fancy scalloped trim? Ugh, it's love.  We drove past and I freaked out, telling Dan to back up the car, so I could take a picture.  Psycho much? Perhaps. But it was worth it, don't you think?

Back to the water:

Seagulls, a lobsterman's number one enemy (well maybe number two after seals):

I love all of the colors on those buoys. Also, if you look realllllly closely, the sign above the door says "Wharf Unsafe."  Eeek.  People definitely still use that wharf.  Maybe since the sign was made, the wharf has been reinforced or something.  I certainly hope so!  Anyway we were on the next wharf over, because that wharf also had a "trespass at your own risk" sign on it, which frightened me just a little.

I did feel a little weird while we were walking around taking pictures.  It took me a bit to figure out what it was.  Even though my car has Maine plates, I felt like these people could still tell we were "from away."  We may not be Friendship harbor regulars, but we can still appreciate this idyllic view!

pea soup

Yesterday was so foggy, we couldn't resist taking some pictures down in Rockport Harbor.  And by "we" I mean Dan took them all, because he is way better at this stuff than I am.  I just stood around listening to the creaking moorings and thinking about how creepy the deserted harbor felt. 

Dan took a series of neat pictures through really pretty, delicate spider webs that were covered with beads of mist.  Yes, I did say that spider webs are pretty.  As long as there aren't huge spiders in them, I'm okay with it.  They remind me of gorgeous garlands.

Of course we had to get a pic of our favorite house, which many of you have already determined to be haunted.  To be honest, it did feel a little eerie there in the fog.  Dan decided that whoever owns the house could make a killing (no pun/weirdness intended) by turning it into a haunted house for the next month.

And of course, we had to take pictures of the leaves...

favorite season: fall

I think fall might be my favorite season.  I can't promise that I wont say this when winter rolls around, or especially spring for that matter.  But right now, I am loving everything about fall.  The leaves, the pumpkins, the apples, the cool air, even though I think I left my slippers in a storage unit in Colorado :( .  And while I'm a little sad to pack away my summer dresses and flip flops (I will wait for the very last moment to pack the flip flops), I could not be more excited to break out scarves and uggs (!) and jackets (and yes, most of my jackets are fleece).  

I am still working on wrapping up my summer list, but I thought a good fall list is in order today.  Jessie--please feel free to add to this list--your ideas last time were awesome!

Things I want to do this fall:

1. climb apple trees and eat the freshly picked apples till I feel sick
2. bring even more of these apples home and cook delicious things with them
3. go to a huge pumpkin patch and find the perfect pumpkin (for me this usually means misshapen)
4. carve something amazing into said pumpkin
5. attempt to toast the pumpkin seeds without burning them
6. bake something pumpkin to eat while I'm carving my pumpkin
7. jump in a big pile of leaves (this could be difficult since we only have two deciduous tress in our yard)
8. collect some beautiful leaves and find an artistic way to use them
9. make chili or stew in a slow cooker (I have never had one of these before!) and delicious jalapeno corn bread to go with it
10. drink lots and lots of tea while curled up with a good book
11. go on hikes on beautiful crisp fall days and make Dan take artsy pictures of all the leaves
12. visit the local vineyards and farms
13. go to at least one fair or festival
14.  visit historic houses in the area (love this kind of thing)
15.  brew some spiced apple cider
16.  take a trip to New Hampshire to wander the streets of Portsmouth or maybe hike in the White Mountains
17.  go to Salem, MA if we can fit it in and let myself get scared by the lore of witches and goblins/cheesy haunted houses that really freak me out
18.  take a trip to Colby and grab lunch at Riverside
19. organize my life for the move back to Colorado
20. learn how to can my own foods and then actually can them
21. oh and knit! (this also involves finding my knitting needles)

p.s. That picture is from a trip in October 2008 with my best Colby girlfriends.  We rented a cabin on a lake near Colby for a long weekend and had so much fun we almost didn't leave.

p.p.s. #22. wear lots of plaid

my newest find

Look what I found at a local antique shop!

I am not actually convinced it's an antique, but it was only $4.50 and I still really like it.  I want to put herbs in it I think.  In fact, I might even dig some up from my garden before the first frost hits and hope that they will grow just as well in this little pot.  Won't it be pretty with some vibrant green growing out of it? It is going to look beautiful in my all-white dream kitchen.  Now all I need is that kitchen...

apple crisp

When life hands you apples, make apple crisp.  It's delicious, it's easy, and it's pretty healthy (as far as desserts go).  Oh, and did I mention it's delicious?

In the past week, I have made this recipe twice.  I am about to make it again to serve to our guests as part of breakfast tomorrow morning. You see, it's apple season and we have tons of apples.  We haven't even been apple picking yet! My mom brought us up a lot of apples and I wanted to come up with lots of creative ways to use them, but then I made this apple crisp and now I'm having a hard time motivating myself to make anything else.  

Whenever something calls for packed brown sugar, it always reminds me of building sandcastles as a kid.  I wish we had been taught to build brown sugar castles instead.  Actually, come to think of it, we did build sugar cube castles in 1st Grade.  I remember it was always a really difficult decision about whether to glue the sugar cube onto the castle or try to sneak it into my mouth....but I digress...

This recipe is actually from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  Sometimes I feel like if I use that cookbook, I'll be boring, but this apple crisp is very good.  In an effort to keep myself exciting, I potentially have grand plans of making other versions of apple crisp and turning Dan and myself into apple crisp connoisseurs. 

Alright, so the picture's a little blurry, but you get the point.  It's so good! And doesn't that look easy? The hardest part is peeling the apples and I even left half of them un-peeled.  All the nutrients and color are in the peel, so I figured why not make life easier and keep 'em on?

Apple Crisp from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

5 cups sliced, peeled (optional) apples (or use any kind of fruit you'd like: peaches, pears, etc)
2 to 4 tbs sugar
1/2 cup regular rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg, ginger or cinnamon
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I didn't have nuts and therefore omitted this ingredient)
vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to serve

For the filling, place fruit in an 8x 1.5 " round baking dish.  Stir in sugar.

For topping, in a mixing bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour and nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger. Cut in margarine or butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (I find using clean hands is most effective).  Stir in nuts if using. Sprinkle topping over filling.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until the fruit is tender and topping is golden.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.  Serves 6.

hello pinterest, goodbye social life

I got it! I got my invitation! I actually got 3 invitations within a matter of hours!  First, Jessie was accepted and she invited me with one of her five precious invites.  Then Pinterest itself invited me.  Then one of the founders of Pinterest, Ben, invited me.  A pretty exciting 3 hours, if you ask me.

Pinterest. is. awesome.  In fact, I'm so busy pinning things that I can't write more right now.  Really. I will later, I promise.

p.s. I have a few invites to give out....who wants one???

fall is in the air

Tonight it will officially become fall at 11:09 pm.  I knew there was a specific day, but I never realized there was a specific time! That's pretty intense, even for me.  I have been so excited for fall to come since Labor Day that forcing me to wait until almost 11 pm seems unfair!  

But since it is officially fall today, I am allowing myself a first post about Halloween! I have to admit, I'm one of those people who loves holidays in an aggressive way.  And my favorites are Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas decorations in the mall the day after Halloween? Bring it on. (Just don't forget about Thanksgiving, please!)  I seriously start playing Christmas carols as soon as the first flake of snow falls from the sky.  If that flake of snow decided to fall on November 1st, all the better.  Because as soon as Christmas is over, the magic is gone and it's back to normal life. I have always loved Pottery Barn's seasonal decorations and this Halloween they did not disappoint.

Look at those martinis! I love martinis and these would be no exception...well minus the fact that they don't have olives in them.  But aren't they cute?  You can get the recipe at potterybarn.com if you type "party planner" into their search box.  But I'll tell you it right here--they're essentially regular martinis, but with pearl onions and peppercorns for eyeballs instead of olives!  Love it.

Up next? An owl of course!  I love this! And I love that they have little lights in them.  I am a huge sucker for almost anything with Christmas lights in it.  Next I wandered on to the Thanksgiving and Christmas sections...but I'll leave those out of the blog for now.  I'm trying to show some sort of self-restraint!

pretty plates by Rosanna

These plates by Rosanna would make any table look unique:

 

 

Aren't they cute and whimsical? Of course, there's more than just plates to be found on the site:

 

 

I was apparently in a rather black and white mood when I selected these pictures, but there are many more items in lots of colors too! I wish I had had some of these cake stands for the bed and breakfast! Actually, I do have some things similar to these, both from Dan's grandmother and one from Home Goods (people always think it's an antique, because it is the only new thing on the table.  Tricky, tricky...).  Anyway, cakes don't really lend themselves to the bed and breakfast world so well...nor does leaving food out laying around for so long.  People want to know their food is fresh.  Someday I fully intend on using my cake stands.  Hold me to that, please.

yet another find thanks to Leah