Welcome September {Atelier et Jardin}

September, of Studio and garden…

My two most happy places.

The rain, well, I shan't repeat myself over and over –

But the rain has created this space I tend and wander around in at first light.

Sometimes, I pop into my studio first, turn on the fan and the music.

Then I make my way up the stairs to the rolling hills of the hidden garden.

Checking pumpkins and flowers and vegetables.

I hide under the very full arbor before making my way through, and back to my place of creating.

Amongst bits and bobs.

This and that's, for making that and this.

I'm not sure how the little clay face man turned up there, I thought he was somewhere else.

He seemingly turns up everywhere though.

I love the morning hours in this studio.

Yesterday I was in my country house studio, they are so different in their light and feel.

And yet, so similar.

But today we are here, in my studio down the stairs and through the courtyard from the secret garden.

I spend a couple hours inside, but the fluffy clouds and dappled light on a mild first of September, beckon me back outside.

And so I go…

I toy with collecting a bunch of the pumpkins that were ready over a month ago…

But it will be bittersweet, and although there are others growing, it will mean summer is coming to a close.

Of course, it will be warm here for a good while, up until Halloween.

And we will have butterflies right up until it gets chilly.

You can always count on the butterflies, it seems.

But the days of summer become numbered.

I planted a whole bed of dahlia seeds in spring thinking, dahlias seeds? This is impossible.

But, lo and behold, there are in fact dahlias from seeds.

These are surprise dahlias, as I have no idea what color or type they will be until they bloom.

Could this crimson one be any more perfect for today?

I decided to run back to the studio and grab some ribbons for typing up things.

I always use fancy ribbons in the garden, strange but true.

I could use twine and such, but I'm a rebel 🙂

And so, I go back.

I do this most of the day.

Into the studio, into the garden, doing some chores, and back into the garden again.

This morning there were hundreds of male squash blossoms, I meant to pick a bunch for cooking, but then I forgot.

I got busy with other things, so hopefully there will be more tomorrow.

September September…

I know you so well.

You are etched into the map of me.

Bobbing zinnias and orange globes.

Intense color.

And hidden gems.

I am squeezed out of foot paths…

Gifted along the way…

Hunting with my inner squealing joy.

Perhaps the streets of my internal body map are made of pumpkin vines.

And the excitement in my belly really is made of butterfly wings?

Fairy tale nonsense, but anything is possible in a fairy tale, you know.

A garden is a close as you can get to a real life dream I think.

It's another world, the gift of spring and summer.

The place of endless life.

Even the okra are flowering.

The rain drops fall on my shoulders of this real life dream space.

Although, I'm still not certain I am awake.

Thanks to the rain of course.

How could I ever thank the historic rainfall for quenching our parched desert back to life?

For validating the dreamer.

In every single way.

For caterpillars and seeds, that are now butterflies and dahlias.

For corridors of plants in this Thumbelina storybook path.

Zooming out farther and farther…

To appreciate life.

Fragile and strong all at once.

The cosmos fall over, and then determined to live, root out through their stems and anchor back into the earth.

Anything, everything they must do, to never let the butterflies down.

Now, that is love.

Like tales from the pages of a favorite book.

Like pastel thread sewing its luck all around.

Patching itself together.

With leaves for umbrellas.

Magic in jars, almost overlooked…

And somehow…

A photo begins to turn into a painting.

Is it real?

Yes says the camera.

It is real.

I'm not sure I make any sense, because I am dealing with things that are so unbelievable.

Stories from the garden.

And then relating them back to you, through my photos and fairy tale sensibilities.

There are those of us, and if you are here I know I can include you, who are mesmerized and amazed by the natural world.

Flying creatures, growing things pushing up through the earth.

We are fascinated day after day.

As though, we hadn't just seen it the day before.

We continue to see the magic in it all with fresh eyes, over and over.

I am a fly on the wall of everything that is happening all around me.

I wonder who they think that I am?

Just some strange girl, taking their picture.

A sort of paparazzi?

My imagination runs away with me…

Whispering petals and gossiping Snout nose butterflies.

Whining to each other about who got more of the mint sap.

Who knows what all goes on out there.

But you see…

How can I just work in my studio all day, when the hive of sound from the garden is calling me all day long?

It's a wonder I get anything done at all really.

Although I did pull an all-nighter, designing new cards and restocking inventory, which should all arrive on the 9th.

So, Halloween favorites will return, along with florals and new Holiday cards as well.

I've been baking blackberry cobblers lately, they seem to be a hit with my little posse.

I know I said I was thinking about it in the last post, but I have, and it is grand.

And the rain, so much rain.

We needed this epic rain fall, because even the cacti were disintegrating from the dry weather the last couple of years.

And now everything is green and full, flowers all over the desert, bring endless winged creatures.

I was driving to the post office through tunnels of American snout nose butterflies.

I could hardly believe my eyes, thousands if not more.

The earth is getting quenched and giving life to the creatures.

We are so very grateful.

I hope you are doing well in your neck of the woods.

Days spin by, things happen everywhere.

I try to stay grateful and busy in my little space on this spinning planet.

Growing life for creatures of the earth, and flinging some paint as often as I can.

Also, staying up wayyyyy too late crocheting.

What have you been up to?

Sending you lots of positive vibes.

Remember, you are lovely.

 

See you super soon.

 

Love, Vanessa

 

 

ps:

In honor of the date…

One of my dad's top 5 songs that we exchanged this morning –

September morning…

We are the sappiest of sappy.

When we start sharing songs at the dinner table my mom says, ohhhh nooooooo!

Haha!