Fort Nest

2011-05-10T06:51:00.001-04:00

little clothes on the line. be still my heart.

2009-12-28T16:34:00.002-05:00

we've moved our sleeping room into the "living room". we are going to work on insulating/renovating the old bedroom, as well as the upstairs. it's pretty wonderful being in a more finished room and very nice being closer to the wood stove...the kitties sure aren't complaining!

2009-11-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

i love their pretty feathers.

2009-11-16T07:30:00.002-05:00

these photos were taken recently, but i'm a bit late to post. the trees are practically bare at this point, though there is still a lingering glow on the ground.

2009-11-10T08:15:00.000-05:00

our first egg from the ladies!

2009-11-08T09:03:00.000-05:00

beautiful evening light.

2009-11-07T09:54:00.001-05:00

driving home the other day i had to stop—i love these crazy, wild turkeys.

2009-11-03T07:47:00.004-05:00

kitties are loving this green blanket.

2009-11-01T15:15:00.003-05:00

more from PA. so many amazing murals!

2009-10-30T08:00:00.006-04:00

finally! photos from phillie.
muffin took kitty and i to so many great spots! we ate yummy canoli, saw a ghost ship, and went to the farmer's market. we stopped by the library where she works to see some of the exhibits she helped put together. by the evenings we were pretty zonked, so we rented movies and nestled inside her cute studio apartment. wish i had taken pictures of your place, muffin! it is a wonderful place.

2009-10-15T08:01:00.002-04:00

here's our new ceiling fan. deluxe! i can't believe how much it helps in moving around the heat from the wood stove. todd continues to work hard around here. there's always something to do.

i'm off to Phillie to see Muffin! so excited.

2009-09-28T08:18:00.005-04:00

i've been replaced with a planter! we had frost the other night so i brought my planters inside. oliver usually snuggles with me at night, but last night i caught him in with my geraniums. i can't say that i blame him--it's the only bit of outdoors he's able to interact with.
and, maybe this is a good time to mention the wall paper. taking it down has been low on our priority list, but i think it will be the perfect project for the fall. ~~catherine~~ kitty has already helped us paint the cabinets. (blue, will show soon).
oh, happy progress.

2009-09-21T08:30:00.002-04:00

bought a couple items at the good will—vintage skirt, a stripe shirt and a L.L. Bean hat...about 10 bucks. man, it's getting expensive to shop thrifty!

2009-09-15T07:47:00.001-04:00

toddie and i went to a wedding on Long Island (Maine) last weekend. a misty day by the ocean—so romantic.

2009-09-14T07:50:00.002-04:00

this is from a little while ago. kitty and i had some lobsters. i also made potato salad. super yum.

2009-09-09T18:29:00.000-04:00

the ladies lovin' their free range time.

2009-09-06T14:29:00.002-04:00

a small harvest this year, but we are happy for it all the same.

2009-09-02T07:45:00.002-04:00

maine magazine is the newly renovated port city life magazine. great articles, photography and art direction (jennifer muller!).

2009-09-01T08:17:00.002-04:00

i'm a little behind on posting...these are from our anniversary. we spent a large portion of the day at Reid State Park, then bought some lobsters and scallops on the way home. i had good intentions of photographing our feast, but that thought vanished as the food hit the table.

2009-08-18T08:00:00.003-04:00

oliver wants to tell you something: he loves knitwear!
yes, indeed. i was taking some stills for SD1 and he couldn't resist testing out my Kashihara Cowl.
so, yes, i'm happy to report madder is up and running!
ps: have i shown you the living room floors with the stain? we ended up adding an extra coat to darken it up. but, we Love it. toddie did a really fantastic job.

2009-08-14T08:14:00.002-04:00

todd and i celebrate our one year wedding anniversary on sunday! it has been a whole year since i last wore these shoes. i can't believe it. it's partly because i have nothing to wear with them!
but, to remedy this, i have some knit designs i'm tinkering with for next summer's release. i hope to work on a swatch diaries that is inspired by vintage lace and old photographs. i see Van Dyke Brown printing in my future! i think these shoes will be gorgeous in that theme.

2009-08-11T08:18:00.000-04:00

fragrantly delightful rosa rugosa.

2009-08-08T09:53:00.002-04:00

i only want to eat blueberry pancakes these days. our 4 plants are bursting with berries! so, insanely delicious. maybe i should make a pie.

2009-08-03T07:39:00.002-04:00

yesterday my cousin and i rode to Rye Beach with her 2 kids to see some of our family. wish the sun had come out a little more, but apparently that isn't necessary for getting a sun burn! i'm a little pink today. oh well—we had fun roaming around the beach and making a sand castle. it's always nice spending time with family.

2009-07-26T16:40:00.002-04:00

the first 2 images are from our veg garden—it's not as flourishing as last year's garden! so sad. still, we have some tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and a little basil. certainly, none are as impressive as the weeds that are growing TALLER than me in our yard.

2009-07-22T17:43:00.002-04:00

let's not forget about the raspberries, bee balm, apples, AND all the wood we need to split for next winter.

2009-07-20T08:08:00.001-04:00

the lilies are in full bloom, the blueberries are ripening and the ladies are growing fast.

2009-07-14T08:10:00.003-04:00

our geranium has seen better days, but it's still alive! catherine gave this plant to us for our house warming 2 years ago, now. i can't believe we've been here that long.

2009-07-11T13:39:00.001-04:00

little birdie flew into the screen door of my studio. poor little one. i think he is ok, but it surely knocked the wind out of him so he took a few minutes to rest.

2009-07-09T07:22:00.001-04:00

we've been brewing our own kombucha tea now for a couple months. it's definitely saving us some dinero since they sell for nearly 4 bucks a bottle at the store.
next up: brewing beer!

2009-07-08T17:52:00.003-04:00

not much going on here except the rain.
oli had an adventure a little while back - scared the heck out of me! couldn't find the little guy. he was hiding in all of our soaking wet greenery.

2009-06-23T17:31:00.002-04:00

toddie and i headed up to Stockton Springs last weekend to wish my dad a Happy Father's Day! they went all out for dinner - Lobster, home made coleslaw, spoon bread....YUM!

2009-06-19T08:30:00.000-04:00

they arrived yesterday! we're very excited to have 6 chicks join our family farm.

2009-06-18T06:57:00.002-04:00

nice work toddie! we just have to sand and stain. the room is close to completion- just a few minor things to deal with. oh yeah, and we still need stairs! so minor.

2009-06-17T07:40:00.000-04:00

2009-06-16T07:48:00.004-04:00

congrats jessica on moose coming home! i should have known that these muddy moose prints i found in our backyard were a sign that she was still out there - trying to find her way home!
ps...moose is a cat that was missing for 2 weeks.

2009-06-08T17:55:00.002-04:00

toddie tore down the wall between the bathroom and our side entry way. now the bathroom is twice as big! we'll be able to fit a washer/dryer and we'll take out the shower stall and put in a bath tub. oh la la. Deluxe livin'.

2009-06-06T11:00:00.000-04:00

ceiling is done!

2009-06-05T08:38:00.000-04:00

the house - hidden by rhododendrons. it's so pretty here right now!

2009-05-31T07:14:00.002-04:00

show tunes don't often pop into my head, but oh, it sure is a beautiful morning.
miles and i are hanging around in the yard. i'm drinking coffee and am gearing up to clean my studio (yippy!), knit a swatch, cast on for some mittens (due soon), work on my website (we are inches away from completion)...and maybe a little gardening.
i went to the used book store yesterday and bought some bargain books...very handy ones indeed.

2009-05-26T07:58:00.002-04:00

planted the garden yesterday morning and packed the seeds and plants with some worm castings. last year we did the same and had great results. we'll see if we are so fortunate again this season.
we also had lots of lovely company throughout the day!

2009-05-20T19:00:00.001-04:00

mom and i went to the farmer's market early this morning...marigolds, tomatoes, hot peppers, cosmos, lettuce......

2009-05-18T16:53:00.002-04:00

toddie spent a while this morning mowing the lawn...bye, bye pretty yellow weeds. we were planning on making dandelion wine - oh well, maybe next spring!
still burning wood in the stove to take off the morning chill. this just seems wrong. isn't it may?

2009-05-16T16:00:00.002-04:00

WELCOME home kitty cat! It's great having my friend back in town after she'd been in St. John all winter. we celebrated by hitting Happy Wheels for some disco ball, cherry slurpee, roller action. so funny. oh yes, and how could i forget the music...probably hasn't changed in at least 15 years.

2009-05-15T12:34:00.002-04:00

the yard is so amazing right now. it is a great reminder of why i enjoy living in Maine...living through a long, long winter which transitions into a spring/summer/autumn utopia. and winter is quite lovely, too, it's just easy to forget that come March. so, cheers to plant life! i love you so, so , so much.

2009-05-14T08:26:00.001-04:00

2009-05-11T08:47:00.000-04:00

pretty summer color palette.

non-cat lovers Beware of post

2009-05-08T19:45:00.003-04:00

somehow the lion king comes to mind these days. the circle of life chimes through as todd and i continue to mourn over the loss of mabel. we are reminded daily of the wonder and sadness life's surprises can bring. mazie mae and miles have been getting to know one another...here he realizes her presence and he snuggles his face next to hers. melting my heart. and then she proceeds to give him a little bath! he is reminding me of mufasa (sorry for this disney symbolism) as he shows these little guys who is the big man on campus. at the same time, he is a complete sucker for their cuteness. as are we.
ps...please excuse the dusty, dirty chair...when your home is in renovations it is really easy to overlook these minor details. :)

2009-05-05T07:54:00.002-04:00

before:

after:

so, in one weekend todd and his friend tore up our living room floor and then put it back together again. the difference you may ask? it is now level and without some kind of (horse??) bone...and with insulation. yes!
we are very excited - if only we had done this from the get-go. we are learning so much as we (and by we, I mean Todd) work on this home renovation.
next up: framing out a little loft and hardwood floors!!!

2009-04-29T14:16:00.000-04:00

dogwood

2009-04-28T19:39:00.000-04:00

cooking green.

2009-04-27T15:47:00.001-04:00

racked leaves - feels good to be outside. i'm happy to see blossoms on branches and lots of daffodils.

2009-04-25T07:16:00.001-04:00

i'd like this book.

2009-04-24T08:22:00.000-04:00

happy friday

nap time

2009-04-23T11:49:00.002-04:00

i promise not to post too many picts of the kitties - but come on. this is too cute.
good thing we didn't put the cot away from when my mom spent the night...

2009-04-22T15:14:00.000-04:00

i love plants.

2009-04-21T07:16:00.002-04:00

went to see my friend jessica yesterday up in edgecomb...she lives in the cutest little house. very charming. we went out for lunch and shopped around like ladies of leisure. it was nice to have a day off to pal around with my friend.

2009-04-20T07:52:00.002-04:00

meet oliver and mazie mae.
oliver loves my knitting, snuggling, running around like a crazy little man. so far he is silent...only chirps and squeeks and a semi-hissing sound (made at allen).
mazie mae was the runt of the litter and she is very active, curious, also very snuggly, and incredibly tiny.
there have still been many tears for my mabel, even with these little guys running around, but it definitely is adding some cheerfulness to our house.

2009-04-17T12:01:00.002-04:00

it's so nice outside today i thought i'd take my lunch break on the deck with allen. poor guy needs me to pluck the rest of his winter wool...he looks like he has a giant behind (which i find to be so cute - i'd like to leave him as is).

2009-04-16T07:30:00.002-04:00

there has been quite a bit going on here...
our tiny house seemed a touch bigger when toddie took down the dividing wall (between our bedroom and the living room). he has since rebuilt it - yeah, for stronger support holding our house up! he also has been working on installing wood panels to beautify the ceiling. i think it will look really great. can't wait.

2009-04-15T07:46:00.000-04:00

it's uplifting to see all the new growth springing up around the yard.

2009-04-04T07:11:00.002-04:00

mabel is the fog. the last two mornings i've woken up to this amazingly beautiful dense fog that surrounds our home, our land. after reading the poem leigh pea shared i know this is true.

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

(T.S. Eliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock)

i watched the fog roll in the evening after she shared this and as i walked down to greet mabel in her place under the great oak tree, the birds lingered especially close to me on branches. i looked up into the misty sky and saw 5 Herons flying, then heard and saw 2 ducks passing. Mabel is in my air, i can feel her little furry wildness dancing in delight. this oak tree has always been a symbol of our homestead. i think it has been growing for years and years for this special purpose...it was going to take something this enormous to house my wild soul, mabel.

ps...thank you everyone for your kindness and support.

2009-03-31T16:59:00.002-04:00

my little sweetness...mabel...was tragically hit by a car this morning and i am feeling so empty and lost without her presence. though she was not even two years old, i like to think she made the very most of her short time here...always curious, always active, always loving.
i am so thankful to have had her in our family...as my dad reminded me, it is these very connections to animals and people that enrich our lives and bring us so much joy. i am thankful, too, that i was able to hold her at the end, her broken body still warm and soft. she will be missed and loved forever and ever and ever and ever.

xo
c
tiya urged me to post this so anyone who knew mabel could say a little something to her....

2009-03-30T09:03:00.002-04:00

the stylist (from the shoot) and i traded my fabulous, vintage Jordache jeans for this lovely summer dress. i remember getting those jeans at the Park Slope flea market one sleepy Sunday morning. they have been good to me, but now i look forward to warm, sunny skies so i can sport my new dress.

2009-03-16T08:09:00.002-04:00

yesterday, todd and i baked some bread and Flamiche (melting leek Tart). sorry for all the food stuff...not much going on here besides eating. soon, spring will come and there will be a lot to show you.

2009-03-11T08:22:00.001-04:00

toddie put a coat of primer on the living room walls...
little by little we are making progress.

2009-03-04T08:16:00.002-05:00

todd and i were cooking the other night and mabel thought she'd lend us a hand. so helpful.
we made fennel soup with saffron dumplings and goat cheese/leek tart from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison (the library is the best!!!). a nice meal - really more for spring or summer. it made me think about the garden and what veggies i'd like to grow this year. can't wait!

2009-02-28T09:11:00.001-05:00

pretty.

2009-02-25T08:18:00.003-05:00

dinner last night: vegetables with green curry from a can. that's right - i cheated. it was good, but not as good as the soup toddie and i made the other night.

2009-02-24T08:10:00.002-05:00

Backyard under snowflakes.

2009-02-21T10:03:00.002-05:00

i do like winter...but this time of year i always begin to crave the greenness of spring.

2009-02-16T09:06:00.002-05:00

hanging out with the kitties...

2009-02-11T16:08:00.002-05:00

the white house blog: so cool.

2009-02-09T16:50:00.001-05:00

baked more bread yesterday. this time whole wheat...yum yum yum.

2009-02-08T12:35:00.003-05:00

thank you to leo and tracy! they have given us a subscription to McSweeney's for our wedding gift. i've always wanted to indulge in these books and am so excited to finally have some in our "library."

2009-02-06T07:36:00.001-05:00

renovations continue...we just installed this stain glass window recently. the room glows with amber light...so pretty.

2009-01-28T08:02:00.002-05:00

happy birthday baby.
todd's mom made him this amazing (looking & tasting) red velvet cake.

2009-01-26T17:05:00.001-05:00

tulips from Flora Home

2009-01-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

i baked 2 loaves of bread yesterday...nothing like french toast with fresh bread. yum.

2009-01-16T08:25:00.001-05:00

more from the kitchen...
Also, you can see photos from my new work project at Swatch Diaries.

2009-01-15T08:40:00.000-05:00

kitchen creatures.

2009-01-11T08:29:00.000-05:00

view from a fort nest window: snow

2009-01-08T07:57:00.003-05:00

No, we don't eat bunnies in this house, but we do let one Mr. Allen on the table (naughty- I know). He likes the view. Last night I let him free range around the house - so hysterical watching the cats scramble out of his way.
The dishcloth was made by my talented mother-in-law. I love having a hand knit dish towel - it's inispired me to want to make some myself.
And lastly, dinner prep. So, much fun...

2009-01-05T08:01:00.002-05:00

new years in nyc was nice! so, very nice. yummy food, snowy streets, great friends, beautiful apartment, sweet cats...i just wish i took more pictures.
ps: heidi & anders...todd and i really wanted to send you a post card, but our trip was so short that we didn't get to it. i'm sorry! next trip, we promise.

2008-12-30T08:34:00.003-05:00

toddles and i are headed to nyc tonight to spend new years with some good friends. it's been so long since i've been to my old city...hope i remember how to get there! these are just a few snaps around the homestead...

2008-12-24T08:27:00.003-05:00

not much splurging going on this year for the holiday, but i did purchase this card set from port2port. she's ended her blog - i'll miss all the inspiration it offered!
Tonight: a celebration with my 2 sets of parents [well mine and my in-laws]. a Scandinavian feast...fresh salmon pie, swedish meatballs, potato and rutabaga casserole, green beans with dill and an endive salad. yum! and how about some gløgg and rice pudding for dessert? yes, please.
well, happy and peaceful holidays to you all...xoxo.

2008-12-22T12:03:00.000-05:00

Mabel LOVEs making herself comfortable on my shoulders and back. silly girl.

2008-12-19T15:36:00.001-05:00

i love the city lights in winter.

2008-12-16T17:55:00.000-05:00

brrrrr....close the door!

2008-12-09T08:11:00.002-05:00

i made a fair isle hat for my work's web letter...i'm pretty happy with it!

2008-12-04T19:57:00.003-05:00

i'm off tomorrow for a Relaxing weekend away at Kripalu with my lovely dear tiya.

2008-12-01T08:08:00.002-05:00

we are so close to lighting this baby up! we just need to do a few more things until we can...warmth is on its way.
the beautiful arrangement is by Flora Home. i'm posting a lovely orchid photo over there today.
also...it snowed last night! a little dusting remains on the ground. it's nice - hiding all the leaves we need to rake up.

2008-11-26T07:35:00.004-05:00

these are from the original Fort Nest on India St...remember, Muffin? i was just fooling around with these ink drawings, but Muffin decided she wanted to turn them into hand-printed curtains. well, i think the scans are as far as she got...i was just cleaning up my hard drive and found them!

2008-11-24T08:18:00.004-05:00

i'm still working on Flora Home's blog. this is an outtake of today's entry.

2008-11-24T08:02:00.000-05:00

Miles...the face of fort nest. super lounge kitty!

2008-11-23T09:01:00.001-05:00

found this print i made in college...can't wait to cyanotype again.

2008-11-21T07:33:00.003-05:00

allen says happy birthday to tiya! hope you have a marvelous day my dear!

2008-11-12T08:33:00.002-05:00

Bergen again...
the Museum of Natural History and just some random buildings.

2008-11-09T10:24:00.003-05:00

an interesting building in Oslo.

2008-11-06T08:09:00.003-05:00

my friend karen gelardi, a massively talented artist, recently rewarded me with the this wonderful ink on paper piece. i can't even believe it! i also participated in Assembly, her book collaboration project, and now that the show is over, it is in my clutches. i love them both. so much.