michaelmas...

today is michaelmas, the feast of saint michael. a festival welcoming autumn and celebrating the harvest season, as well as the 'slaying of dragons'...as we turn inward for the coming winter. a celebration of courage, steadfastness and hope. a time of change where the outside light fades and the inner light must be stoked and kept burning for the long cold days and nights ahead. it is a time to partake in the bounty of harvest. and yet a time to also prepare and store all that will be needed until the next spring. a season for turning our focus inward and finding our own strength and power within...

saint george and the dragon

i give to you a cape of light

to give you courage, strength and might.

you have polished your sword so strong, so bright

use it only for the right.

maya in her special golden cape and crown

yours in celebration of this special autumn festival,

shelley

today...

~ for hannah and rowan ~

...smile, breathe and go slowly...

~ thich nhat hanh

yours in thankfulness for health and healing!

shelley

autumn equinox...

with the autumn equinox yesterday, it truly is the beginning of autumn. but here in texas, it is certainly not feeling like fall yet. we are still enjoying the warmer temperatures and beautiful weather. but i know that soon, the temperatures will turn cooler and we will turn inward. this is the harvest time, and the growing season has come full circle. and the bringing in of ripe grains, vegetables and fruits is cause for celebration.  here is the harvest verse we read during this time of year...

yours in blessing this harvest time,

shelley

quilt...

a few people were asking about the quilt in my last blog post picture, so i thought i'd post another picture of it. this beautiful baby quilt was custom made for me by malka, over at stitchindye, using all of my own fabrics. i've collected oilily bandanas for years now and have always wanted to make a quilt out of them...but never seemed to find the time. once i saw malka's beautiful work, i knew i wanted to commission her to make one (or two) for me! what beautiful piecing and quilting she does!

yours in appreciation for beautiful work,

shelley

knitting...

lots of knitting going on here. i'm a little backlogged on my custom silk baby hats right now, but my goodness...i sure do enjoy knitting these. and even more so knowing that each one is going to a special baby somewhere in this world to enjoy and keep their little head warm. and oh these colors - i really love these colors!

yours in busy happy knitting,

shelley

a blessing...

waldorf home...

well i've really been enjoying taking pictures of some of the things around our home lately. setting forth in mindfulness to see the simple beauty in many of the things we play with and enjoy each day. so i was inspired to start a new flickr group this morning, which i have named 'waldorf home'. a place to share photos of the places, spaces and things with which we choose to surround ourselves. i've invited a lot of my flickr friends to join in the fun. so by all means, if you are on flickr and have any photos you'd like to add of your 'waldorf home'...please feel free to join us! 

on that note, here are a few more photos from around our home...

handcarved wood gnome by zooloo naturals

yours in waldorf love,

shelley

a favorite corner...

another favorite little corner of our home. i have always loved this guardian angel print. this one is in our kitchen/dining room and i have a smaller version of it in maya's bedroom window...

enjoy your weekend!

yours in weekend relaxation,

shelley

adult hat...

i recently received a request for one of my hats in an adult size from a customer who wanted a warm pilot style cap for her bike commute each day. i was excited about the challenge and am really happy with the results. this hat is in 100% merino wool in subtle hues of a beautiful chocolate brown. it's on it's way to eugene, oregon now.  :-)

yours in knitting not just for little ones,

shelley

more doll love...

a new (new to us anyway) sweater for maya arrived the other day. and with the sudden, albeit extremely slight, drop in temperature, she's been wearing the sweater non-stop...

this, of course, in turn...prompted an important and necessary wardrobe change for special baby - in all her glory. as i think i've shared before, we have oodles of knitted clothing for maya's dolls (some made by others, some mama made - oh how i love the instant gratification of such small projects!).  and maya relishes each and every sweater, dress, pants, bonnet, sock and bootie change.  oh, and needless to say, special baby is quite the accommodating girl for her little mama...

then there is the ever important packing of the bag for any other changes that may be needed...

all ready for a stroll!

yours in special baby doll love...

shelley

around our home...

here are some photos of a few of the things around our home (which i'm going to include in my new 'around our home' set on flickr). :-) little things that may be tucked away on a shelf and then brought out at just the right moment. or put in a windowsill in a beautiful handcrafted frame. special things that bring beauty into our home and our lives. the very things i know my children will remember and cherish as they get older. and taking photos like this gives me pause to appreciate all of these little things. anyone else want to share some pictures of the things around your home?

yours in homeyness,

shelley

morning verse...

morning is a very special time. the sun greets us for a new day after our long night's slumber. to warm the earth and waken all living things. the natural rhythm of our world, of which we feel such a part. what a gift each new day is. what an adventure we will have today. and so, we start our mornings with this little verse to fill our spirits with light and embark upon our new day...

yours in the morning light,

shelley

lovely fruit...

we really love fruit at our house. it's a daily staple since it really makes up the majority of maya's diet. strawberries, apples, peaches, nectarines, bananas, pineapples, grapes, blueberries, plums - the whole spectrum of the rainbow. this girl of ours practically lives on it. and with the thought of summer coming to a close, i am reminded of the bounty of fruit we have enjoyed this season...

i also wanted to share with you our little mealtime verse. a reminder of our connection to the earth and to whom we give thanks for the wonderful food we get to eat...

yours in thankfulness,

shelley

a summer's day...

it's still very much summer here in texas, with slightly cooler temperatures of late. so nice for backyard picnics on rainbow quilts, water play in sprinklers and having fun in the sun...

yours in these lingering days of summer,

shelley

preserving childhood...

i've been thinking a lot lately about the importance of preserving childhood for our children. in a world where there is such an extreme push for children to learn 'early', i find that i very much desire to hold my child in that space where she can be who she is now, in the present. so in her body and not in her mind. to spend the day being a fairy or a flower princess or a chef. imitating the daily rhythms in life - dressing, cooking, eating, cleaning. that innocent world of imagination where she can be whatever she chooses to be. this is what first drew me to the waldorf way. and such is the way childhood should be and will be until she crosses the threshold of her 7th year...

yours in preserving childhood,

shelley

*note*: her favorite crown, above, was made by my good friend, mel - over at haddy2dogs!