The Christmas Spirit

I've had to get in the Christmas Spirit early this year to work on my soon-to-be-available Christmas card line. For inspiration, I've been browsing the lovely photos here and listening to this great Sufjan Steven's album.

This card is one I just finished. Check back often or sign up for my mailing list (shoot me an email at arianarmstrong@yahoo.com) to be the first to know when they're available)

Merry (early!) Christmas!

Another Christmas Card

I usually don't like to unveil work before it's up in the shop. But I've been anxious to get my line of Christmas cards designed and printed and have had little time to work on them. So this is just a way of showing progress. The whole line will be available later this month!

Lobsta!!

My husband's boss has a lobster boat and when your boss asks if you want to leave work early to go lobstering with him, you go!


That's one fine lookin' lobsterman!





So now we can check this off of our list of New England-type things to do while we live here. Daniel and his boss, John, pulled about 18 traps while Hudson and I lent moral support. When we were done, John left us at the dock with a cooler full of lobster and no real idea what to do with them! So we made some quick calls to some of our more seasoned lobster-eating friends and dropped by their house with empty stomachs and 6 crawly lobster.



Turns out Annie here (who I think is 94!) used to help her dad service their nearly 200 traps by ROW BOAT when she was a child in Norway. I could tell we were in good hands : )

Welcome October--Buy 1 Get 1 Special

October is my favorite month--the weather, the leaves, my birthday, hot cocoa, football games, hayrides, and pumpkin pie. Ohhh yeah : ) To celebrate, I'm having a brief buy one get one free (of equal or lesser value) sale in my shop Just place your order but don't complete payment and I will send you the adjusted paypal invoice. Thanks! Happy October!

If I Could Upload Smells...

This weekend was wrapped in the sights and smells of fall. We rang in the weekend Friday night by making apple chips and pumpkin pies (I used the good ole' Libby's recipe on the back of the giant can but with 1 cup sugar instead of 1 1/2 and 1/4t cloves not 1/2t). And it took about 75 mins to cook instead of 50, dunno why. It was my first attempt at pumpkin pie, actually, and I don't like to brag but it was probably the best pie anyone has ever made in the history of pies,ever...period. ; )

Hudson and I picked the apples for the apple chips last weekend at a nearby farm. Then Friday night I sliced them up, sprinkled them with cinnamon and a bit of clove, and dehydrated them over night.



Saturday, our town had its fall festival. The highlight--open house at the firehouse. I'm not sure who enjoyed it most, our 2-year-old or my husband.







We topped the fall festivities weekend off with a trip to the fair I think it was Hudson's first experience with cotton candy... and with hog racing sooo...that was special : )

Coming Soon to a Stocking Near You...

Just a little sneak peek at the Christmas card line I'll be launching in my shop in a couple of weeks. Want to be the first to know when they are available? Just sign up for my mailing list by shooting me a quick email at arianarmstrong@yahoo.com or reply to this post with your email address. Don't worry--I won't flood your inbox with forwards and up-to-the-minute updates on what I'm having for dinner. Only important news once in a while : )

Lily Pad Love

The lastest addition to the shop. Stop on by and check it out!
This week we're attempting to ween our toddler off nap time for the sake of more peaceful evenings with my husband. So who knows what this week will be like. Hopefully in the midst of it all I'll still have a little time for work : )