Open window weather.

Over the past few days, the weather has been glorious. It feels like fall. I'm already thrilled that my favorite season is approaching. Honestly, I feel like I spend all summer waiting for fall. Colorful leaves and cool days and sweaters and scarves and boots. And hand knit socks and fingerless gloves. Pumpkins and apples and cinnamon. We'll take trips to the mountains and the air will smell like wood smoke and oh my goodness, I love it so. My excitement for my favorite season ever is even greater because this year, with fall comes the birth of my niece and I will be an auntie for the first time. :) I don't think I've mentioned that yet, have I? {Ha. Just kidding.}

Anyway, I didn't realize just how much a few days of open window weather could lift my spirits. Not even a rainy day today could damper my mood, because it's still wonderfully cool outside.

On Wednesday, I unexpectedly got off work early and came home and ate a bowl of chocolate ice cream and sewed all afternoon. I spent Thursday finishing up the first baby quilt while listening to the new Civil Wars album and The Avett Brother's The Gleam EP on repeat. All day. I probably listened to those ten or fifteen times and I never got sick of them in the least. :)

Yesterday was even better. I had a free day with no big plans...I figured I would just leisurely work on making some baby stuff. Then all of a sudden, me and my dad were venturing down overgrown paths at the farm, looking for plants that I can use to dye yarn. I kept my camera with me all day and found myself using it a lot. We picked staghorn sumac berries with an inquisitive goat audience (that sweet little Clara peeking through the weeds cracks me up :). I kept an eye on my dye pots outside while my cat Jack jealously watched through the screen door. It turns out that steaming pots of sumac actually smell really good...it reminded me of potpourri or something. In the evening I even lit a candle for the first time in months (candles seem like a cool weather thing to me, you know?) and embroidered while watching a Disney movie. Basically...very nearly a perfect day. {Photos of the dyed yarn coming soon. The color in the picture below is not the final color.}

But now I'm dreading those last hot days of summer that stand between me and autumn. :)

Until next time,