Autumn in the Mountains

A Small Note:

These photos were taken last year, 2018, but for whatever reason I never got around to writing the story to share it with you. I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless - 

Autumn has come again to Southeast Alaska! As you know Friend, Autumn happens to be my most favorite season of all the year. Quinn and I just hiked our favorite trail yesterday - up to the top of the Eaglecrest ski area - and already the bright coppers, golds, and amber tones of fall are gilding the alpine landscape. I was reminded of last year at this time and of the fun we had had. Yesterday was not nearly as lovely as the day last September, almost a year ago now, that the three of us (for Greta of course came along) hiked the same trail, picnic basket in hand. It was a gorgeous evening, and the sun was shining low in the sky. Very soon the late afternoons would grow dark, but for now at least a little bit of summer remained...

Looking at the photo above, I am now realizing I missed a golden opportunity to run out into the muskeg and whirl around singing "The hills are alive - with the sound of music!" Oh well, perhaps next time!

Now, let's play Quinn and I's favorite game: Spot the Corgi! 

I know, it's not a very hard game now - but just you try it when the snow sets in and the snow drifts become taller than little Greta. It gets hard quick, I can assure you!

Poor Quinn had to deal with two lolly-gaggers the whole hike, when he just really wanted to get up to the top so he could start munching on the picnic. I was off taking photos (and perhaps trying to take a short break unnoticed), whereas Greta was off inspecting every marshy hole and fallen tree near the trail. She helped me find some lovely spots off the beaten path and down at her level.

Here's Quinn and Greta taking a short break on one of the ski lifts, enjoying the view so far!

As we hiked up higher and higher I made a little bouquet of leaves and other findings - including a feather or two. It was about this time that we were getting quite hungry for dinner and all the delectable things packed away in the picnic basket...but have no fear, we were nearly there!

We made a quick stop at a lake (Greta's favorite swimming spot) and I dunked my feet in the cold water to give them a respite from hiking. We often spend happy afternoons here in high summer, swimming and splashing around, but we were so close to the top - so this time we didn't linger - up the trail we went!

The alpine meadows were just breath-taking in all their abundant colors. I asked Quinn to snap a photo of me sitting in the heather when out of nowhere Greta arrived and attacked me with kisses! I wasn't sure I would survive - I was laughing so hard!

We climbed up above the lake, which looked quite small now that we were so high (isn't the blue water beautiful?). As we hiked over the last bunch of rocks we were met with a glorious sight in either direction!

We could see for miles and miles in all directions around us, and a truly marvelous sight it was.

After exploring a bit we found the perfect spot to have our picnic, and so we sat down to enjoy the view and the food we had packed: several different types of cheeses and some crackers, grapes, peppered sausage, homemade smoked salmon, and a bottle of sparkling cider! It certainly felt like we were having a proper feast.

Greta had been off traversing the ridge line, not bothering about us, but as soon as the peppered sausage and the smoked salmon were unpacked, she stuck close and practiced looking adorable. We had packed her some dog biscuits, but they seemed like meager fare to her eyes compared to the feast we had laid out. I can't remember exactly, but I'm sure she didn't hike home hungry, haha!

After enjoying our supper it was time for tea and cookies, made even more enjoyable by the colors of the nearing sunset.

Quinn had brought his pirate spyglass, a birthday present from me several years ago, and spied out the unknown shores across the water. No other pirates, or any navy ships, were spotted. It seems we were safe for a while.

I sipped my tea and read some favorite Beatrix Potter tales from a book I had just recently gotten at a used book store. Quinn kept watch with his spyglass and Greta jumped and hopped like a bunny through the heather. What a lovely way to spend an early autumn evening.

Soon - too soon it seemed to me - we started our hike down the mountain, the sun shedding its last rays as we ducked under the mountain peaks.

And as we watched, the golden hues gave way to dark blues and chilling shadows of gray. It was time to head home - to a toasty fire and another cup of tea before bed. 

I'm so happy Autumn is finally here!

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The Prettiest Thing

Hello dear friends! I hope upon reading this you are well. This spring I had a lot of fun with a project, and the lovely sunny weather we've been having was the perfect time to wear it. But let me start back at the beginning, which goes all the way back to the Christmas of 2017.

Melissa, my fabulous mother-in-law, devoted many late nights to sew Abigail and I both dresses out of a dream, a Victorian dream that is! 

This dress is the prettiest thing I have ever owned, and I think you'll agree once you see it! Though we did receive our dresses on Christmas, they weren't quite finished yet (there are many, many hook & eyes along the back, which took a long time to sew I'm sure!), and life got in the way and they weren't finished till October of 2018. By this time it was too rainy and gray to wear something so lovely outside, so I had the whole of the winter to daydream about wearing my pretty Victorian dress. After a while of dreaming I decided to put my hands to work and create some accessories!

First came the idea for a hat - a big, beautiful Victorian hat straight out of a BBC show! I looked around Pinterest for a tutorial on how to make one, but I didn't find anything that matched exactly what I was going for, so I made it up as I went along (of course the second and third hats turned out better...yes, I've made three! But I'm getting ahead of myself.). 

I used a straw hat as a base, hot glued fabric with pleats around the crown of the head and then wrapped the fabric underneath the brim and hot glued it to the inside of the crown, pleating it again (so both the top part and the underside are covered). I then covered the top of the hat with some stuffing to give it the illusion of a larger top, and then stretched fabric over this and hot glued it down - covering any hot glue with a nice ribbon and flowers. 

The next project I tackled was a matching purse to go with my new hat. I found a free pattern on Pinterest for a Regency era reticule (which is a fancy purse, often heavily beaded or decorated). Even though it wouldn't be historically accurate, I thought it would look very nice with the dress, so I first made a very simple version and then got creative with decorating later. Alright, I know I've kept you waiting long enough. Let me show you the lovely Victorian dress and the hat and reticule I made to go with it:

 Quinn took these photos of me in January, right after I made the hat and purse. The snow was frozen from several clear nights, and I thought it made the perfect backdrop for my cream-colored dress and the bright pink peonies on my hat.

My childhood dream of having a hat like Marry Poppins has come true! 

Please do excuse the haphazard nature of the tulle - I still haven't perfected putting it over the hat myself with the aid of a mirror. I bought the flowers (the tiny lily of the valley are my favorite) while visiting my parents in Seattle at a Marshall's (pretty sure I could live in that store, ha!). After covering the hat in fabric I would lay out the leaves and flowers to try to plan out how I would have them, but they would always change a little as I set to hot glueing everything in place.

This was the first reticule I made, so it's very plain compared to the ones I made later. I used a cream silk similar to what my dress was made of for the body and lining, and as an accent I covered the outer fabric with a layer of the same shiny salmon tulle I use to wrap around the hat. I added a tassel and two tiny flowers to the bottom, and the ties are cream velvet ribbon. 

Moving on to the winter of 2018 - my mom and dad gifted me a lovely pair of lavender gloves for Christmas, and I was inspired again to make a new hat and purse to match. I went and got more flowers from Marshal's, and with my new knowledge from making my first set I made another hat and purse!

For this purse I decided to sew flowers and beads onto the outside of the bag, and I am so happy I did, as I am quite pleased with the result. Allow me to show you the purple and blue version of my outfit (and please do tell me below in the comments which set you like more!):

I use a wide silk ribbon as a belt for now, but someday I hope to sew a belt like the salmon colored one Melissa sewed for me  (those little bows on it are just divine!). I love the lavender colored gloves - and I'm so happy I can wear them with this dress. 

I have since bought a beautiful purple colored cameo brooch to wear with this ensemble - I hope to wear it soon! The blue hydrangea is one of my top three favorite flowers, and doesn't it look lovely with the purple and the tiny lily of the valley?

And here is a closeup of the second reticule I made! I think the flowers and beads really made it stand out - I love the icy blue hue!

I was so happy with the way these projects turned out, that I simply couldn't stop there! Early this spring Abigail and the family were gone, missing Easter Sunday. As a surprise, I decided to make them all some Easter baskets to come home to. But a basket is boring! (I say this in jest of course, I have a love for baskets and my collection is getting quite large, ha!) So instead I decided to make each person a hat to put their surprises in. 

Please forgive the not-so-nice photo, it was taken with my phone!

The rain hat on the top left is of course for my father-in-law Paul, who is always out in the elements (Quinn picked it out, and I taped the flowers and ribbon on it just to be silly). 

The large sun hat with the black ribbon says "her royal highness", which I made with Laura in mind. She always asks us to call her this whenever we play games that involve picking a name for yourself. The lettering is strings of black or gold sequin trim (bought in big spools off of Amazon) and is glued onto the hat. I made a whole set of these two years ago for all my sisters and my mom for a family vacation - they were a big hit! 

In the top right we have a bonnet-style sun hat that I decorated for Melissa. I added the light blue ribbon and hot glued the yellow flowers on it, thinking it could be the perfect gardening hat for her.

And finally the hat for Abigail: a large flowery hat that looks as if it came right off of a BBC period film shoot! I am happy to report that she loved it very much, as well as the matching purse I made her (which is wrapped in one of those boxes on the table). 

Now imagine our delight at the sunny weather we have been blessed with! Abby and I simply couldn't wait to go out together wearing out finest, and the time finally came on a warm Saturday afternoon. We drove out to the Jensen-Olsen Arboretum (which you may remember from this post so long ago!) with a tea party packed away in my picnic basket and with Melissa tagging along. Oh Dear Reader, I couldn't help but think I was dreaming - Abigail looked like she belonged in a movie! 

We sat on an old quilt in the grass, and watched the butterflies go by (for there were so may of them among the flower beds). I had brought along a book of poems by Emily Dickinson, so we took turns reading aloud while we sipped our tea. I think it must have been the most perfect way to spend an afternoon.

The Arboretum closed far too soon for our taste (I think we would have all liked to stay hours more), so before we left we snapped a few pictures of each other before promising ourselves we would come back again very soon. 

I simply can't wait to put the dress on again - next time I will wear the purple and blue set! I have also been dreaming about making a hat and purse set with reds and greens, and some big poinsettias - but I don't know what sort of Christmas gathering I could possibly wear it to (can someone please invite me to a Victorian Christmas party?). 

I do hope you enjoyed this look at the prettiest thing I have in my wardrobe. I plan on wearing this ensemble a lot this summer, weather permitting. Until next time, Dear Friend!

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An Early Independence Day

Early you ask? Yes, an early Independence Day. You see I have some exciting news to share with you! The Alaska String Band has been invited to play at the US Consulate in Vladivostok Russia for their 4th of July celebration. As I'm sure you can all imagine, we were very surprised and excited to find out this amazing news. And even though it's only a few days till we leave I am still reeling at the thought of visiting Russia! What an exciting adventure.

Since we'll all be quite busy performing over the coming holiday I thought it might be fun to throw a little picnic to celebrate the 4th while we were still on US soil. It was going to be a small picnic, just Quinn and myself, but then I decided to invite everyone (because everyone seemed to be free - yippee!).



Quinn and I had left at the beginning of June to attend my sister Bethany's wedding - and I was so nervous we would miss the lupin blooming while we were away! Indeed, it was all spent in Seattle, but once we got back to Juneau I was delighted to find that it was in full bloom! The flowers always remind me of old-time baby prams (it is my deepest wish to own one someday, and to take Sunday strolls with my baby, pushing them happily along!).

I felt like Heidi, up on the peaks of the alps, with the snowy mountains around me. Of course I was really only at sea-level, but with the right camera cropping you can almost believe it!

 Oh Greta, how big the world must seem to such a tiny little corgi...

Speaking of Greta, I tried to get a nice photo with her but she was feeling quite sociable that day and instead I got four! Silly thing. I swear, some days she runs as soon as she sees the camera and other days she's all smiles...which photo do you like the best?

I do hope you don't mind the spam of corgi photos, its just that sometimes I simply can't get over how darling she is. Haha!

Before coming down to pick flowers for the picnic (for what is a picnic without flowers?), Quinn and I had been busy in the kitchen preparing the first couple of picnic treats. I had decided to make Strawberry Shortcake - a recipe I had never tried before (nor had I ever eaten it, if memory serves), and I was pleased to find that it was no harder to make than a standard biscuit recipe!

Upon hearing that morning that I would try this recipe, Abigail exclaimed "Oh! Mom makes great Strawberry Shortcake!" Oh dear...I would have to live up to Melissa's wonderful baking skills! 

Lupin freshly cut, and with a very wet corgi in tow, we started back up to the Barn. Not long now until the picnic would begin!

The way back up to the road is steep to say the least! It only gets more dangerous with clunky rain boots, a basket of flowers, and a darting corgi underfoot!

Very quickly, and with the flying of apron strings, we finished up the food (thankfully there would be enough for everyone - I had been worried!) and I laid out the picnic blankets in a nice shady spot in the backyard. 

In case you hadn't noticed in the above photos, I was quite sunburned! And not just me, but every single person in the family except for mom (who very smartly didn't spend the whole summer solstice in the sunshine). When I expressed worry about this to Quinn (I believe my exact words were, "I'm going to look like a bright red strawberry in the pictures!") he kindly replied, "You must remember that everyone else is just as red as you, we'll look normal when we're all together!" Dear Reader, you will have to be the judge of that! Haha!

Another one of my dreams (besides owning an old fashioned pram) is to ride in a hot air balloon! This one here I found at a Goodwill store while we were in Seattle, and it now hangs above our stairs in the barn. It flew over for the picnic though, with a cheery greeting sailing along behind it!

Red, white and blue blankets for an Independence Day picnic! What could be more perfect? 

The menu for the 4th of July picnic included:

White Rosehip Tea

Tea Biscuits & Pim's Orange Cookies

Sub-Style Sandwiches

A Meat & Cheese board with Crackers

Grapes

Cucumber

A Selection of Pickles & Olives

Though our sunburns were still smarting, it felt amazing to be out in the nice weather. Mom commented that it didn't smell anything at all like Juneau, and we all agreed. It smelled like sunshine and warmth, fresh-cut grass and something else none of us could define. Juneau is so seldom like this, we hardly know what to do with ourselves (which explains the sunburn I think)!

This tea tray I also found at a second-hand store while in Seattle. It's decorated with strawberries and has a removable sugar dish and milk pitcher! I just thought it was the cutest thing, and it's gilded with gold on the edges, just like my white and gold tea set! It was so much fun to use it for the picnic.

The little sandwiches I wrapped in brown paper and tied with ribbon and twine. I thought it made them look extra fancy!

When everyone was done snacking, Quinn and I fetched the individual servings of Strawberry Shortcake, piling them high with fresh-made whipped cream and strawberries - of course! Everyone was properly awed by them as we brought them out on trays - it was so wonderful to hear them "Oooo!" and "Awww!" over our creations!

And the best part? They tasted amazing! In fact we only got one picture, for they were eaten up so quickly!

I think everyone enjoyed the picnic, and I am so happy everyone came! It will certainly be an adventure to visit Russia, and I know I will treasure this memory of a picnic in the sun for years to come. I hope you're 4th of July is a splendid one, Dear Reader! Do tell me what you plan to do in the comment section below! I would love to hear! Until next time, Friend.

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