Mid-Winter Vignettes

I am finding that winter in the canyon is a magical time. Whenever snow falls, it seems like we get just a little more than the rest of the city, tucked back in the foothills, and our little house becomes covered in a blanket of white, making it look even more like a fairytale gingerbread house.

I have enjoyed the stillness of winter, taking lots of quiet time for inner work, rest, and hibernation. I have enjoyed hiking in the canyon with Preston and with my friend Jessica, (and maybe with you, next!) and finding our way through the ice to the more melted, sunny-side trails.

Just yesterday Preston and I ventured up a trail to find ourselves looking over a great mountainside, as high as we could be, snow gently melting on our noses. You could see a fog of white drift over. It was blissful! Everything looks so different here in mid-winter.

I would love to share with you some pictures that capture some small scenes in our home that celebrate the magic of winter, and some of Preston's beautiful photos of the canyon, blanketed in snow....




I changed our Christmas mantle a bit, keeping the enchanting silver, but adding some of my favorite woodland things...







Annie and Kevin gave me this AMAZING frame for Christmas this year, and put in it a special picture of a very important moment in my life. It meant the world to me, and it is Perfect for this little nook right now...





Tiny white birds, a lost feather and a crystal...







Some of my favorite ceramics in the kitchen, along with a picture of P and I at Grandma and Grandpa's at Lime Lake in NY, when we were teenagers...



A collection of crystals, waiting with our plants to catch the light when sunshine comes...




Spoofer all snuggled up in our bed for a winter's nap...







Some special shots captured by Preston early one snowy morning in the canyon...













There is stillness and quiet here. What a blessing to dwell in the winter for a while, allowing for a winter of the mind, body and spirit, preparing for a new emerging of light in the springtime...

Love to you...

Welcome to Our Cottage...

Welcome to our new little love cottage. Its still very much winter here, but I can feel a whisper of spring every once in a while through the tall pines...

Here is a view of the front yard from our doorstep. You can hear lots of birds singing in the trees high above...

This is the side of our house and a door off of the kitchen... from this spot you might hear chickens clucking from their coop next door...



Here is the backyard right now. Just wait til you see what I have in store for it come spring! :)

These are my two pines. They are so tall and perfect. I can't wait to get to know them better!

Down the back stairs, you can see our little deck! Imagine when the scrub oaks are all green! It will be so private and secluded. A wonderful little sanctuary to listen to the creek and hide in the shade! A secret little world...

Here is what you can see when you are on the deck. That little bridge crosses over the creek. In the summer months, you can hear the creek flowing...

The back stairs...

Our little kitchen...

This is the front of our living space. To the left you see my creative-nook-to-be!

Here is the living room. I love the ceilings!

And, the bedroom. It is all windows. I LOVE it! Natural light is so important to me. It makes me feel like I live outside. It gets me back to my roots. Thanks for looking around!