Secret Gardens

Sometimes its nice to disappear. More accurately perhaps, to make all else disappear. Responsibilities, communication, the myriad human noises aimed at us and occurring around us. On nice days my boyfriend and I like to set off exploring on foot. We have found many beautiful trails and abandoned places this way!

When we moved recently I was sad to say goodbye to our old haunts, abandoned mills and empty yacht husks snaked with blackberries, beaches where you could climb over jungle gyms of driftwood to gaze at blue ocean waves. They aren't so far I can never go, but are no longer close enough to wander to.

Since coming to this new location, which is surrounded by more businesses than homes, we've found new retreats. My favorite is actually reached by cutting through the drive thrus of several fast food places in the busiest part of town! Past the abandoned floors (painted red!) of an old house mostly covered by flowers this time of year, is a little opening under the trees with the remains of a tree fort. To its side lays a narrow trail twisting steeply upward. It goes up and up and up with the view growing ever lovelier, and peaks with a view of the harbor and great spanning bridge.

That is not however the best part. Farther past this wide logging roads begin, and even more trails branch out from them. Here you can hear no cars, no human noise at all! The forests are flickering lights and shadows, softly creaking trees. And in the golden sunlit clearings acres of foxgloves grow in shades from white and yellow to violet and hot pink, deep amethyst. They sway gently waist high, tangled some places with other wildflowers in every color.

We have the most wonderful conversations out here. They are much like what our feet are doing, wandering easily to new and beautiful places. Many years before dating we were friends, and these conversations are a large part of how i fell in love with Chris! 

I'm so excited to have someplace like this, which we don't even need a car to reach! I hope we find many more lovely places in our time here.

For those living in Grays Harbor County, all this loveliness is past the bluff.

Rainbows

Yesterday I promised photos of the yo yo dress completed, and here it is! I may add another row to the bottom, but its nice to live with alterations for a bit before adjustments.

The yo yos add a nice dash of color to the dress, and mesh well with its slightly old fashioned feel.

I tried to add a few more jolts of color to suit the dress and the lovely spring day, although as you can tell by the coat, the Northwest is still chilly. We get our most beautiful days in September and October. 

Speaking of which, it is too nice out now to be on the computer! Have a sunny, happy day!

DIY fabric Yo Yo's!

Yo yos are sweet little pinwheels of fabric, wonderful for decorating all kinds of things! Its a great way to use up scrap fabric, and to spruce up clothes in need of an update. People even make quilts from them!

The instructions are very simple. First use a glass, bowl or other round object to make circles on your fabric. Small patterns, stripes or polka dots show up well when finished. Then cut out your circles, making sure to remove all markings, unless you are using a washable fabric pen.

Next thread a needle with three strands of a hank of embroidery floss, and leave the end unknotted. Tuck about an eighth of an inch of fabric in around the outside of the circle and make small stitches as you go. When you reach your starting point, draw the circle together using the strings. It will look like a tiny pouch. Tie the strings together tightly, cut off and tuck excess inside the pouch. Flatten from the top, and you have a yo yo! They can then be sewn unto your skirt or other item of your choice. When applying them I recommend stitching up through the bottom and catching some of the drawn in portion so the yo yo remains flat.

Hope you enjoy this project! Tomorrow I with show an outfit featuring my yo yo-ed dress.

Rust and Lace

Its finally getting warm! Sort of, since as I speak the rain has returned outside. This is probably to be expected, since I live somewhere wrested from the rain forest, and more recently than much of the country. None the less, a chance to feel the sun on my back was wonderful.

Everything is thrifted once again, and I could look at this shade of orange all day! There are many beautiful things with unusual backs appearing lately, a trend I hope will continue. I wish I had gotten a better shot of the belt, which is a little elephant covered in scrolled etchings.

Retracing

 "Sleep is not, death is not; Who seem to die Live. House you were born in, Friends of your spring-time, old man and young maid, Day's toil and it's guerdon, They are all vanishing, Fleeing to fables, Cannot be moored."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

In my lifetime so far, I've lived many places. Until recent years there was never much retracing, once we left a place, it stayed frozen in memory exactly as it was. 

Going back to places frozen this way feels like moving inside a photograph, surreal. 

 Many years ago my family lived on a small college campus in Missouri. The college recently shut down, merging with a larger one nearby. Now the campus stands empty, one of the only things largely unchanged from my memory.

Other than the absence of my house, even the outline of it erased by lush grass, and of an entire street of little white houses, eerie and abandoned even then. We used to love to sneak into them, and wonder at the lives of their occupants

I wonder what the world now will look like when painted by memory?

Thai Black Rice Pudding

 Thai black rice pudding is one of the most delicious foods known to man. I've even ordered it in lieu of dinner at a Thai restaurant, and I really enjoy Thai food! Very wholesome for a dessert, it also makes a lovely breakfast. The recipe is simple- (serves six)

2 1/2 cups water

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk

1 1/4 cup black rice*

1/8 cup sugar (honey would be nice too)

zest and juice of one lime (optional)

Bring rice and water to boil in a large saucepan, then set to simmer covered  for forty-five minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed, stirring towards the end. Then add most of the coconut milk, setting aside just a bit for serving, and lime juice. Bring back to a boil for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with a dash of coconut milk and lime zest.

 I hope you enjoy this recipe, and have a marvelous day!
* Black rice is also labeled purple rice, or forbidden rice, and can be found at most health food stores.

Dressed in Purple

Sometimes thrift shopping is a long chase. Hours of digging can result in treasure (usually) or nothing (not often enough to suit my wallet!). This particular skirt however was just hanging there outside the dressing room, waiting for me! One woman's no go is... well you know the rest.

I absolutely love the trim around the bottom, the lacy petticoat underneath and the beautiful swinging movement of so much fabric. And it was packed with other items in a bag for seven dollars deal at Anchor Thrift Store in Ocean Shores Washington. It is a little store and out of the way, but for my money has better quality items than many larger stores.

I've found a number of gorgeous sixties dresses, and accessories that seem like they came from exotic vacations there. It is in a retirement community, which makes these sort of donations wonderfully likely. Its always fun to look for thrift stores in areas where people are different from you, especially on vacation. Even the things you don't want to buy are fun in an anthropological sense!

So if you pass a tiny, maybe even sketchy looking, secondhand store, give it a look! The shoes and necklace are also thrifted, and the shirt is from Walmart of all places! Have a nice day!