It’s feeling great to get reconnected to our blog and readers out there! This What’s Up Wednesday post is all about letting you connect or reconnect with us by getting a view into our past week or so. Most of these photos were captured on our phones during that time, too.
I (Gail) came up with the questions so you know what’s on my mind — autumn! This is a season I don’t usually feel like celebrating (goodbye sunshine, hello bleak and dreary) but I’ve been making an effort to do as I always advise others: choose to celebrate the positives.
Here we go!
Favorite color combination this week?
Sam: Teal (of course) and purple and maybe some deep pinks. All day every day. Even the mountain bike I built this summer is teal and purple and gorgeous!! (Pinterest alert!) Like this or this or this or this and so much of this! Insert all the heart eyed emojis here!
Gail: I am all about the green, all day every day. But I’m going for some extra faves this fall: those warm autumn colors of gold, orange, red and how they play off of blue! I love having a blue house that sets off the color of pumpkins and the oak leaves that carpet our yard and neighborhood (you have no idea… not in a good way LOL) Today I wore a golden tan T under a LuLaRoe Joy vest (a long sweater vest) in this particular rich slightly greenish blue. We could almost say teal but that’s intruding on Sam’s turf *wink*
Coffee order?
Sam: Hmm. It really does change daily. Pumpkin spice latte from Coffee Oasis because of the yummy gingerbread type flavors in it. I’m stuck on the Cinnamon Almond milk Macchiato from Starbucks…iced of course! And if we’re at Yes Please! Coffee then we’re talking a White Wolf all the way. What’s a White Wolf you ask? Well you’ll have to come visit to find out. ;)
Gail: I’ve become one of those no sugar no dairy no gluten no blah blah blah people for a while, so my current coffee order tends to be an Americano, black and unsweetened. If there’s unsweetened almond milk, I choose an almond milk latte — woohoo! Neither of these is a far step from my usual double short nonfat latte, no flavor or sweetener. I loooooove the taste of just coffee! I even drink straight espresso shots, but I do love a spoonful of hot cream in those or to order them “con panna” — with whipped cream, or affogato — poured over ice cream! I seem to have wandered into dessert territory …
And when Sam says her coffee order changes daily? It does! I drive into her town on 1st and 3rd Thursdays, making a stop at Yes, Please! coffee after getting off the highway. I never know what I am going to find in my messages in response to my text, “I am leaving my driveway. You have one hour to tell me what your coffee order is!” Once in a while I bring Abbi and Ella each a Vanilla Steamer for a warm milky treat.
Best recipe you used in the last week?
Sam: I’m just going to refer you back to my last post, Morning Musings, where you’ll find a photo and the links for Brown Butter Pumpkin Waffles and Buttermilk Brown Butter Syrup. As I said there: Yes. It’s a thing. And yes. You need to make them both!
Gail: A one pan curry-simmer dinner using this Moroccan Pumpkin sauce I have had on the shelf for a while. World Market no longer carries it, so this is a big tease! So sorry! It was delicious — right at the top of my spicy-heat level. Sam told me about a site called supercook.com where I was able to enter cauliflower and chicken breast and find so many recipe options from so many sources! My pan held cubes of chicken, cauliflower, onion, mushrooms, chickpeas, and some finely chopped kale so hubby couldn’t pick it out. We ate it over quinoa cooked with Kitchen Basics chicken stock. So good!
Most creative thing you did this week?
Sam: Ummm… continued my 100 days project? I’ve got a couple projects I’m thinking about diving back into or finishing, but for now I’m enjoying using my photography outside of my business. Enjoying the creative parameters I gave myself and noticing the little moments through that creative outlet.
Gail: I have to say the same — continued my 100 day project of calligraphy practice. Today I posted on our instagram and Facebook my practice pages centered around writing the word “silver” and came up with a little western Washington poem: Silvery trails of slugs and snails. Writing poetry is creative, yes? Hahaha!
Most neglected crafty work-in-progress?
Sam: HA. Um… what is not neglected?! The temperature blanket that’s only got a month and a half’s worth of rows that should have 11 months of rows? The t-shirt quilt I’ve talked about for years that is still a box of t-shirts? The scrapbook everything that has basically been untouched besides card making for two years? The Beach Art that I started in 2012 (?!) that’s almost done, but not? It’s been eyeing me from the bag I store it in from various corners of my office/craft room as it gets shuffled around since I don’t want to give it a dang home. sigh Someday… someday…
Gail: I have so many fabric projects undone from so many years that I won’t list them. The thing that’s most on my mind is the collage from that collage workshop I went to at the end of September. It will have its own post soon because I’m going to finish it while taking actual real not-phone photos! And then do many more because I think this is my current creative vibe.
Fall is in the air – what do you smell?
Sam: I smell chili and cornbread! Mmmmm, had pumpkin turkey chili and honey cornbread the other night at a small group gathering… soooo yummmmmmm.
Gail: Hands down my favorite smell is fall spices, and that means either pumpkin pie or my special recipe for hot spiced cider. Try MINE and compare!
Jumping into a pile of leaves. Yes or no?
Sam: My gut reaction is YES! My achy body and back that is SO out of whack says “Are you nuts?! NO!”
Gail: I say, “Go for it, grandgirls!” and watch. And hope they don’t get a slug stuck on them — YUCK! But it has happened to at least one of my children, Sam and siblings. Remember my previous comments about the oak leaves and the slugs and snails??? We have experience.
This fall, I am also enjoying the harvest of my garden, above. I garden in color! –g
Please comment with what YOUR favorite things about fall are! We’d love to hear :)
Happy Autumn!
Gail and Sam
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Diane Johnston - Gail & Sam, Your phone photos are gorgeous. I love that you are keeping up with your blog and all the activities you are doing. I am comforted to know that I am not the only one who has unfinished projects. I moved from L.A. California to Platteville, CO a few months ago to live with my daughter’s family. The quick change that fall is bringing to the scenery and weather is fascinating. We are out on the open prairie so that is definitely different than our home in the big city of L.A. We had our first snow last week. It was so exciting to go to bed with rain and wake up with everything covered with a beautiful layer of snow. It was gone by dinner time, but it sure was pretty while it lasted. We are having night time temps in the 30’s & 40’s, but mostly comfortable days. I am enjoying the soups, chili and stews for cooler days. I can’t wait for the house to be cool enough for the fireplace…I never had one before. Thanks for sharing your lives with us. Hugs!10.18.2017 – 11:30am