Home | the Edinburgh Skirt

Home by The Piano Guys

Outfit Details:

The Edinburgh wool plaid skirt // Kellie Falconer Design
tee // thrifted
cardigan // thrifted
boots // Amazon
thistle necklace // Chrys Designs on Etsy
boot cuffs // handmade by Winnie

Home.  When I first heard The Piano Guys' rendition of this song, I loved it and wanted to use it in a blog post.  But I didn't have an outfit or backdrop that seemed to fit it's heart rending, glorious passion that sang of pathos and victory and partings and coming Home till now.

Parting.  That word seems to be one of the most heartbreaking in the English language.  Learning to say goodbye... is the hardest lesson I've ever had.  

How big and sad and strange and beautiful life is.  The people that we meet, the people that are coming to meet us over our entire lives, become a part of our life.  They share a piece of their story with us, and we share a piece of ours with them.  Sometimes only a tiny paragraph, and sometimes whole beautiful books.

They become entwined in our hearts and in our souls - our stories. Then they have to pass on - walk down their own road, and the paths might part. And the word for it is Rumply. 

Why does life have to be so big and strange and wonderful?  Why do we have to part with people who become part of our story?   They go down their road, and we walk down our road, and we enjoy the people who are still left with us - but somehow, there's always a hole.  We can keep filling it in -  trying not to care because it hurts so much.  But I don't want to fill in the holes. I want to remember. 

Because though parting may be the most painful word in the world, it is also the only way to find one of the most beautiful.  

And that's Homecoming.

The only way to come back is to go.

P.S. This is the incomparable Ellen, my sister - my photographer.  

This shoot was in our little wild apple orchard on top of The Knoll, and, I think, the perfect setting for the newest piece in the Autumn Collection - The Edinburgh Skirt!  Hard tailored in rich, draping wool plaid, this one's a classic that will bring elegance and warmth to your wardrobe for years to come.  Limited edition fabric, so get yours before they're out of stock!

P.S.S. Dear blog, I miss you!  Last week was potato harvest, we went to Seattle for a wedding the week before that, and this week has been solid manual labor outside all day as well as we get ready for winter.  I've been working in the wall tent after dark by lamplight sewing tulle skirts to Mil Nicholson reading Our Mutual Friend till I can't stay awake any longer - which, by the way, is overwhelmingly amazing and a dream come true - though I definitely won't be complaining when life settles down again and I can have my normal day to day routine back!  It'll hopefully include the many posts I've got half finished in draft... ha.

Also; below, Kellie on models who can pull off the Pensive Look.  Which she obviously cannot.

The End.
P.S.S.S. Don't you love typing The End?  It's so thrilling.  Even when it's never really the end.
The stories always go on and on and on, being told and retold and remembered.

Home Grown Potatoes

I think it's safe to say potato harvest is one of my favorite holidays.  In the last few years, it's started to weave a tapestry of memories and traditions all it's own. 

Last year I shared how we do the potato planting, which again is an entity all it's own - but the picking is my favorite.  Seeing the blessing of the fruit of our labor scattered over the soft earth, filling bucket after bucket and crate after crate, tons upon tons stacking up alongside the edge of the field, working together and bonding with friends over good hard work, and just enjoying the spectacular landscape I live in is unmitigated joy.

This year was awesome, as we doubled the field from last year's two acres to a whopping four.  Over 40 friends and neighbors showed up over the three days we harvested.

And we had way too much fun.  It shouldn't be allowed to have that much fun, really.  At least not videographically documented on the internet.  Oh, well.

When it comes right down to it, there's only two things that money can't buy -
and that's true love, and home grown potatoes.