Trust a Witch

It's that time of year...Halloween is near. The season of the Witch. They have been persecuted and misunderstood throughout the centuries, yet they strive on. They were the village Doctors, the counselors, the shamans, the teachers. They were important parts of community life, offering help and healing to anyone in need.

This time of the year they seem to be everywhere, only to fade into the shadows the rest of the year. But, they're always here, even in this day and age, working, learning, teaching, healing.

I hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!

This layout was created with the Mummy-sh {Bundle}, a collab from Aimee Harrison Designs Studio, ADB Designs, Mad Genius Designs, and The Urban Fairy.

Autumn...again and again, Autumn

Honestly, I would be happy with Autumn year round. I'm sure I've said that before, haven't I?

Autumns here in the Silicon Valley area are very different from the Autumns in Ohio, where I grew up. In Ohio we had the leaves, the colors, the cooler weather, the frost....ahhhh!! I love all of it! Here, we have a tiny bit of colorful leaves, but we do have weather changes...the hot dry days of Summer give way to cooler days, with clouds and occasional rain. The cooler nights start first, then, before we know it, there's light rain, washing off the dust that has been sitting around since July.

I love it. After 13 years here, I'm learning the seasonal patterns, and falling in love with them. The migratory songbirds started showing up here a few weeks ago. White Crowned Sparrows spend the winter here in the trees and bushes beside our patio. Their cheery song and striking head stripes are always a delight to me, even when they wake me up at the crack of dawn after only two or three hours of sleep. I can't help it, I'm a bird girl.

13 years. Yup. October 9th was our 13th anniversary...yet another reason why I love Autumn.

I've been drooling over the Project 365 kits from Digilicious Designs. When I saw the October edition, I fell in love!!! Luckily my longtime friend, Jaymie, sent me some Ohio leaf love with her adorable sons!

What's your favorite season??

Autumn Garden

My big, ongoing project for this year has been my patio garden. We live on the second floor of a two story building, just our apartment up here, and five single car garages below us. Part of our place includes a 12' x 12' patio, and this Spring I decided to start my own patio container garden up here.

In the spring I grew a few edible veggies, mostly leaf lettuces and also some heirloom carrots. Everything else has been flowers. I chose my plants to draw in native bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. I also have a bird feeding station out there that is frequented by the neighborhood Goldfinches, Scrub Jays, Mourning Doves, House Sparrows, Oak Titmouse, and the occasional California Towhee.

Now that Autumn is upon us, I know my garden will start to fade a bit. I have made sure to include plants that will be beautiful year round, but the splendor of Summer's blooms will fall prey to the wind and rain that will start soon enough. I'm OK with that. I love the seasons, and all that they bring. I enjoy watching the changes that happen, I find beauty in the dried blooms, the seed heads, and the fading leaves. I also look forward to the renewed growth that will follow next Spring.

For now, here's my tribute to my Autumn Garden. I created it with the Blustery Day Collection from Aimee Harrison. It's a beautiful kit full of natural elements that fit perfectly along side my garden!