fort, townsend, washington

Before all the madness of filming, being shuttled around to different places, and doing my best to be a video director, cameralady, editor, and everything else - I had a birthday.  I reserved one special day before my first job to spend time with my deer friend, tucked up in a little cottage on the olympic peninsula.

My only request for my birthday was to take a walk in the mossy woods.  After being so long on the east coast, any time I saw a photo of the mossy, misty northwest my heart would hurt just a bit.  So, Melissa heard me.  We walked through the cedar and pine to an abandoned fort on the hill.  A magical overgrown place, sometimes painted the most beautiful, muted colors.

And, I hate to say, but while the rest of the continent was enduring snow and mostly below freezing temperatures, my birthday was graced with sunshine.  I even got to take my coat off for a bit.

peaks.

Things are happening over here, I'm busy, but things are finally coming together.

There is good news on the way.  I know where I'm going in the New Year and there are exciting projects coming up.  I'll share all soon, I swear. 

hubbard park

Little Montpelier has its very own town forest. 

the first frost.

still loving these November colors.

{loving} november

It's always been a known fact that spring is my favorite season.  I've always thought that nothing could be better than excitement of the fresh flower bloom and the re-emerging sun.  The enlivening feeling of the shedding of the winter hibernation and waking up to new life.

However, this November I am beginning to doubt myself.  I have been bundling up and taking grey walks through the Vermont woods and found a whole new attachment with this time of year.  There is something incredibly beautiful about the blending between autumn and winter - the last remaining leaves on the trees, the drying up of the flowers, the slow creeping in of the winter decay.

It is a mysterious time, one that makes me want to wear dark colors and take in the subtle transition happening around me - to break out my candles, warm up some tea, and stay inside reading alchemical texts and fantasy novels.  

And tonight, I will probably go and do just that.

indoorsy

Hours with this girl are generally like stepping away from reality and into a cozy dream.  My first morning there we stayed in our pajamas, turning on the soft music and warming up a breakfast of egg and biscuits.  Although I hadn't really seen much of her new hometown yet, we decided it was best to keep the pajamas on, turn on the childhood movies and spend the remainder of the morning painting. 

Beforehand, my days in Vermont were becoming increasingly filled and I was accruing a debt of self- care time.  So, this time in Port Townsend was doubly appreciated.  If only all my days could be filled thoroughly nested inside with a warm cup of tea, a paint set, and sweet music.

Plus with autumn coming, I had fun, in the afternoons, making sweet potato and apple soup, and trying out a pumpkin crisp recipe!

rainy, cosy

Sleepy Victoria at the start of autumn leads to cozy, rainy, indoor moments.  I've written about  the wonderful eating that goes on in this home before, but this time I got to experience it in a new season - pumpkin spice doughnuts with a maple glaze,  waffles with rosemary maple bacon - all on a rainy day.

storybook: a natural spring

Leaving the rocky Rhode Island seaside, we stepped inside a storybook, and found ourselves treading through a field, to a path.  We followed it, our surroundings getting greener, ferns and moss popping up all around.  I heard the slight trickling of a stream, and walking alongside, we came to a neat square patch of moss, complete with two handles.  Lifting up the moss door, we were met with bubbling earth, filtering out the clearest, coldest spring water.

We drank the water by cupping our hands and pouring it into our mouths.  After the day's heat, it was even more appreciated, and with the ocean salt still remaining on our skin, we washed our faces and even dipped our heads under.  It was a rush, having to lower yourself, letting the blood rush to your head, then submerging yourself upside down into the cool water, lifting your head back up and letting the water cascade from your hair, onto your face, and down the back of your neck.

 pure magic.

boston.

Geez, this road trip has turned into an unexpected vacation full of spontaneous adventures.  I've seen many familiar faces, met some new ones, and finally feel that I got a true summertime break.  Driving across the country was my only real chunk of free time before school started, and that hardly felt like relaxing.  This trip has also included a good amount of road time, but each stop along the way has held sweet moments with people I feel comfortable with, and chunks of time where I truly feel free to wander around and relax.  Not a dull moment to be had over here.

  Anyway, to kick off the trip I met up with an old friend in her new home in Boston!

Connie is this completely cute and charming lady who I went to high school with, down in North Carolina.  It's hard to hang out with her and not be a little in love. I'm super excited that she's living up in New England with me now, close enough that I'm ever feeling lonely I can make a trip down and have a friend to play board games with, or steep in coffee shops.

And we did just that - coffee, board games, delicious dinner at Veggie Galaxy in Cambridge, and then more board games until we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore.  She, in addition to working full time as an art instructor at a nonprofit, makes art herself!  You can look at it here and buy it here!  Support my friends!

Anyway, it's Sunday, and so, the day of gratitude.  These last few days I've been endlessly thankful for my safe journey to the southern mountains.  But, more so, grateful for all the beautiful people I know in various places along the way.  People who I haven't seen in months, or years, and still welcomed me into their homes, shared meals with me, introduced me to their friends.  These are the sorts of the things that make me happy and enlivened.  And these last few days I've been glowing, sitting among different groups of people, some I've know for years, and some I've just met, happy to just share our time together.