pining for home

In addition to the requisite dogwoods and magnolias, the area round my mum's house boasts some mighty pines. And this time of year, the ground is littered with needles.

Their spikiness is misleading: where they pile up, they create the most wonderfully soft and squashy carpet. And then there are the pine cones, each so delightfully knobbly...

as well as mathematically correct. Remember the Fibonacci sequence?

While packing the real thing would've resulted in a crunchy mess, I'm sure, this pine cone reached England in perfect condition, ready to hang in the living room...

to remind me of my home-away-from-home.

Wool pine cone designed and made by Stephanie Congdon Barnes. Post inspired by Pebbledash.

mount vernon morning

Glowing white walls,

red shakes,

russet brick,

and a brilliant blue sky.

But none as dramatic as the vivid verdigris decor in the dining room! Apparently George Washington was fearless not only in battle but in home decorating. Alas no photos were allowed inside the mansion house, but that green inside, combined with the glorious weather outside, made for a very memorable Mount Vernon morning.

getting crafty

On Friday, we Metro-ed into the city for the 22nd annual Washington Craft Show, a juried exhibition and sale of contemporary fine craft. The show featured 195 artists, and we visited every booth, ooohing and aaahing so many times I lost count!

I especially loved the quilts by Brooklyn-based textile artist Erin Wilson:

Erin dyes her own fabrics, then makes the small squares one at a time, adding strips of fabric as she goes (without any preset plan) to form each perfectly composed block.

I also fell head-over-heels for Connie Verrusio's jewelry, all made from or inspired by pieces she's found in antique shops and hardware stores. My favorite was a silver cuff bracelet engraved to resemble a dressmaker's tape--a slightly more elegant version of the ring below:

I wonder if wearing it would improve my sewing abilities. With my current project, I need all the help I can get!

home comforts

Happiness is a pair of the coziest felt slippers, new Amy Butler Lounge Pants,

and an old friend:

The comforts of home.