Sabbath Rest

A page from my travel journal (April 2017) which details part of the inscription on the tomb of the unknown solider buried in Westminster Abbey from WWI, on this, the 100th anniversary of the ending of that war.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
“Return, ye sons of men:”
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.

Time, like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

Like flowery fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flowers beneath the mower’s hand
Lie withering ere ‘tis night.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

- Issac Watts 

Coming Soon

Here's a sneak peek at a brand new costume coming to the shop soon! Can't wait to show you the full costume once it's complete!

Little Things

Autumn is typically the time that my thoughts turn to doing those little household maintenance tasks. Recently, it was treating all the wooden spoons with a light rubbing of mineral oil. I love their utilitarian beauty.

Next on tap: waterproofing all those leather boots and shoes.

Elf Work Done Early

Last week, I took the week off of sewing for my shop (mostly) and concentrated instead on making the grandkids' Christmas gifts. I always seem to be scrambling to sew at the last minute, and I really, really don't want to be doing that. It's decidedly un-Christmasy to me to be sequestered upstairs in the sewing room late at night...all alone. I'd much rather be downstairs by the fire and with everyone else. I blocked last week off on the calendar months ago to devote to sewing these gifts, and I am happy to report that they are done! The boys are getting pajamas. The girls are getting nightgowns. And all are getting a coordinating heat sack to tuck into bed with them and keep them toasty warm on cold winter nights.

It was so much fun to pick out the flannel prints for each child...something in their favorite color, or a color to complement their eyes. Sewing the nightgowns made me quite nostalgic, for I sewed my own girls' nightgowns from that same pattern for many, many years. All softness and eyelet and ribbon! Proof positive that you should hang on to some things!

I think my favorite print is the whale pattern for the littlest! I think he's just going to be irresistibly cuddly!

And I'm feeling a bit ahead of the game with all these nestled in tissue paper and boxed already. Yes!

Sabbath Rest

A mighty Fortress is our God,
A Bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

- Martin Luther

Autumn Fest

A couple weekends ago, we had so much autumn fun planned that we dubbed the weekend "Autumn Fest". Three days of reveling in the delights of the season for which New England is most noted!

The first day, a Friday, Colette and I took off to the western edge of New Hampshire and the eastern edge of Vermont. There was a lot of food in this three-day fest, and we began it with lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Burdick's, in Walpole. Their French onion soup and truffle pommes frites are THE best!

Then we drove down the road to Alyson's Orchard where we admired the sweeping view of Vermont to the west. Such a crystal clear day! We were grateful for sunny weather, because we've had a lot of rain this autumn.

Alyson's Orchard, in addition to growing a wide variety of apples, is our go-to place for pumpkins. We must confess that this is our second trip there for pumpkins this season.

Then it was a short drive, down meandering lanes lined with trees in full autumn foliage, through small town, and past farms.

First stop was achingly beautiful Scott Farm. They make the best cider this side of the Mississippi. I say that because our dear friends in California make the best west of the Mississippi! It took us years of disappointment to find a cider here in New England that we really loved as much. Scott Farm's is fabulous, because they use a mix of apples, with all the subtle nuances and complexities of flavor that come with that.

Next stop was Green Mountain Farm, which is known for its incredibly delicious cider donuts.

Last stop of the day was Walker Farm, where we bought one last pumpkin of the day...a really unique one that the clerk said "looked like an antique". Sold!

All these goodies coming home with us! A box of autumn...our "antique" pumpkin, three quarts of Scott Farm's cider, a Winesap apple, two Hudson's Golden Gem apples (taste like a pear-apple), a bi-color squash-gourd-thing, and some Indian corn.

The next day was another gorgeously clear day with cool, crisp air. This time, all three of us headed east to Applecrest Farm & Orchard, the large and oldest orchard in New Hampshire.

We enjoy the energy of this place, with lots of families there to enjoy the apple picking, pumpkins, farm animals, and more. We were...surprise, surprise...there for the food! This place has a fabulously delicious farm-to-table bistro! We got there just before they stopped serving breakfast, which made me so happy, as breakfast is my favorite meal to eat at a restaurant.

Bonus points to Colette for accidentally coordinating her sweater and the table!

I had the French toast with vanilla whipped cream, apples, and pecans, applewood smoke bacon, and tea. Yum! I love how they cut the apples into little rounds instead of traditional slices.

The next day, the grandkids came over for the whole afternoon and evening, and we had plenty of autumn fun planned for them too. First up was decorating cookies with frosting and sprinkles. I thought this might be challenging with four kids age seven and under. But giving each child their own cookies and their own three colors of frosting with a knife in each color gave it enough structure to keep the mayhem to a dull roar, and yet everyone had fun! Win, win!

Then we moved on to carving jack-o-lanterns. They did a great job of scooping the goop out with nary a complaint or groan. And we got some fine faces for Halloween!

We hope you are enjoying the delights of autumn too! Sometimes the days go by so quickly and we forget to really enjoy those precious, fleeting moments. Take time!

The Christmas Stocking Collection 2018 is Here

It's here! It's in the shop! So excited to share with you Wonderful Life Farm's 2018 Christmas Stocking Collection! You can click here to visit the shop and see them, or you can click on any of the links below, because I just have to share a bit about them. Super excited for the stockings this year! AND I'm also excited to share that shipping on Christmas stockings is FREE this year!

For years and years now, this stocking (click here) has been my best-seller. It's been featured in several magazines, and is a constant favorite. But...and here's the bad news...I can't seem to procure any more of that fabulous red linen. So, what's in the shop is it. Get them while they last, because they have been flying off the shelf for the last couple of weeks.

But I also have good news! The good news is that I've created two stockings that include that same cuff that everyone loves so much, and they both coordinate fabulously with my best-seller! Click here or here to read more about them.

I love creating stockings from antique textiles. So when I found a gorgeous turkey red tablecloth in a nearby antique store, I pounced on it. The center of the tablecloth had a few holes, but the stunning border was in pristine condition. Now it's been given a new lease on life and will hopefully become someone's much cherished Christmas stocking. Click here to learn more. Note: this one is larger than most of my stockings, because the cuff just needed more space to shine.

You've heard me say before that I adore William Morris' adage, "Having nothing in your houses that you do not believe to be beautiful, or know to be useful." These stockings will be just that! They are made from a William Morris print called "Strawberry Thief". I love how they look hanging from the mantle in our family room! Click here.

And for another great British country look, or a hunt club vibe, there are these equestrian-inspired Christmas stockings! I just sold two of these today and they are headed off to Europe this weekend. Click here.

And a consistent favorite in my shop through the years has been any stocking made from plaid or checked wool. They are ever so cozy. And I think they are purchased for men often. Not that they wouldn't work for anyone, but there's something tailored and manly about them. Click here or here to see the wool stockings offered this year.

And rounding out the collection are stockings that were already in the shop. Click here to go to the shop to see them all. 

Coming soon will be the Christmas 2018 Small Treasures Collection! Stay tuned!