With the weather turning chilly here in the pacific northwest, it's really a time to start nesting for winter. I feel it this year more than any other year that I have been here. I find that I naturally start longing for a stocked pantry, stocked freezer and that I want to head back into the kitchen to start cooking. I can't get the craving for pumpkin bread out of my mind. The summer is always the same for us. We get by on simple, refreshing meals. I don't cook a lot in the summer and I don't ever plan any weekly menus. We eat lots of salads, vegetables from the garden and sometimes even a few slices of cold ham. I love this simple way of life that leaves us lots of time for unexpected adventures and walks to the beach.
Now that autumn has arrived and the days are shorter I feel this longing to organize and prepare for the very long winter ahead. While our winters are not filled with snow or freezing weather, the gray and cooling temperatures can last all the way until May with a few teasing days of warmth in between.
Last week I found myself combing the grocery store shelves and buying things on sale. When I find something on sale like my favorite tortilla chips I don't just buy a couple. I buy ten bags which may last us until spring. I buy so many because the sale price is half the cost of their usual price. With food going up by $1-$2 per items that's a nice savings. Plus these tortilla chips taste incredible with freshly made guacamole. Cerys has started making her own version with far too much lemon juice and salt and I admit that it taste heavenly.
Last week when I wanted to do some random brain storming. You know the kind where you sit in a bay window with a notebook and write down anything that comes to you? I went do do this but I found the notebook I had wasn't good enough for my thoughts. I had to have the right paper and pen otherwise my thoughts would focus on the pen which is silly. I went into my craft room to look for another notebook among my far too large collection of notebooks since I can't resist paper and found my old organizer planner. I started making these for myself, then for friends and when I did home organizing I would give them to my new clients. I hadn't used mine in months and with lots of guilt, I dusted it off and opened up to the first page. I felt a charge of excitement when I saw all of this organization waiting to happen. I'm one who gets happy when I am making lists, charting out goals and using a monthly calendar. I get a satisfied glow as I get my thoughts down on paper instead of trying to remember all 800 of them in my already clogged memory.
These last two weeks besides filling out my own nest planner I have been making up planners for my Etsy shop. They are not just boring planners but full of color, my little apron girl with her bird, and lots of blank lines to write down your to-do-list, to plan your weekly menus, your grocery list, your shopping list, your friend's contact details and of course your notes list. When I created this planner I wanted it to be a place where you could write anything down which later could be organize into your rolodex or address book. It's supposed to take the place of the zillion notes fluttering around your home. When I print off a postal label on my zebra printer I have the sticker label which I apply to my parcel and I have a piece of plastic sheet that the label stuck to. Lately because I can't find my office notepad, I have been writing notes on these. First of all I can't believe they take pen ink but second of all what a silly thing to write notes on. These are slippery so I keep losing them and then I get them mixed in with ones I should have thrown away. Of course if I knew where Cerys took my rubbish basket I wouldn't have the problem of these even being on my desk. So I need this planner more then anything. I need a safe place to write down everything.
I've also been working on some festive Hallowe'en (my dad taught me to write Hallowe'en like this during 8th grade, the only school year I was taught at home....I can't seem to break out of the habit of adding the apostrophe to the middle of the word although I'm not the only one) aprons for you. I wanted to make an apron for Rachel's swap but I couldn't stop at one. There are five of these waiting in the shop for you. This is my favorite
With aprons, my nest planner and a soon to be filled pantry, I feel that I am somewhat ready for this next season ahead. How are you preparing for fall & winter?
