All Done But the Finishing Up

Does anyone else know this saying: "All done but the finishing up"?  A really wonderful old Vermonter I knew and loved growing up used to say it.  And as we have been working around the house for the last few days since we moved back in, that saying keeps running through my head.  We've been hanging curtains, painting trim, wiping the last of the construction debris from the new floors, organizing our new pantry closet, and trying to remember where we keep everything in the kitchen! 

Doesn't Olivia look like she's being a big help? But she seems to have no objection to the new white floors.  And we now have a bathroom with a window! It's so small that I cant take a picture of the window without the help of the mirror, but it is bright and serene, and has a cute shorty tub for Emmett. He took his first bath in there today, and seemed very pleased.  I can't believe we got away with washing him in the kitchen sink for three and a half years.  He did a little bit of exuberant splashing in there today, and I think he is entitled. 

Our friends Garet and Carolyn just redid their bathroom, and they have "pieces of flair" in there (Office Space reference, for the uninitiated).  It really reflects their personal style, and looks fantastic. We have no flair yet. Zero. Which I hope doesn't reflect our personal style, only our lack of personal time.  But for now I am enjoying the white uncluttered emptiness.  I find it very calming. Plus having two bathrooms is AH-mazing. 

This really is the fun part of the renovation for me.  The final touches when the mess and chaos fades away and the final pretty little details emerge. 

Anew At Last

At long last, my website www.rebeccahaas.com, has a fresh new look!  I feel like I have finally shaken off the last of the winter cobwebs and I can feel my inspiration and creativity bubbling to the surface.  

 And not only does the site have a new look, the online shop has also been updated with some fun new work, as well as some of my recent best sellers, so please click here to check it all out! On the contact page there is a new place to join my mailing list, as well as links to all of my various other online presences. So link up with me in whatever way appeals to you and be the first to hear about special mailing list deals, new designs, and when I might be at a show in your area! And please share the link with friends, if you know someone who would be interested!

Take a Deep Breath

Today

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The Teeniest Turtle

Look who I found making his way across the lawn: a baby painted turtle.  How about that for cuteness? We all admired him for a bit, and then let him go next to a small stream that leads to the pond. I hope he made his way down there and is continuing on with his turtle-y life.  It was kind of a long way to go for someone so small.

A Person Could Really Starve Gardening This Way. . .

 It looks like a lot of lettuce, right? And I grew it from seed in this little planter in my Mom's greenhouse.  I'm very proud of it, it is so healthy and happy.  So tonight we needed a little lettuce for our dinner salad, so I thought it could be time to do the first harvest.

This is what it looks like when you pull some up.  Still more like micro greens than baby greens.  And you should have seen me down there carefully selecting which seemed to be the most mature plants.  I probably burned more calories selecting and pulling it than I gained eating it. (Plus I looked like a crazy person, but luckily I was alone)

I could have easily eaten the whole planter, if I was just having salad for dinner.  But luckily there was a chicken, so I could hold back, and most of the lettuces will live to see another day.

California Part 4: Tablas Creek Vineyard

This is my family's Vineyard in Paso Robles.  It is an incredible place, and every time I go there I am more and more awed by the scope and style of the project, the amazing integrity behind the farming and winemaking, and just the sheer beauty of the place.  The photos above and directly below are of the new additional property that was just purchased, which is yet to be planted with vines.  It's a great place to try to launch rocks into space (if you're 3).

These photos were taken a few weeks ago, and I'm sure the vineyard is looking quite different now.  When we were there the vines were just starting to come out of their winter dormancy. In the vineyard they were in the beginning stages of mowing the spring cover crop, so you'll notice that some of the rows have been mowed, and some not.

We are moving towards biodynamic farming, part of which is creating a diverse ecosystem within the vineyard.  These little cuties below are helping out with that, as well as helping to disperse natural fertilizer around the vineyard as they help keep down the greenery between the vines.

This donkey's name is Fiona, and she's a guard donkey.  She and her other donkey friend keep coyotes and other predators away from the sheep and alpacas.  They are in a little enclosure that gets moved around regularly once they have munched down all of their fodder, and before they start munching on vines.

I have really only glossed over the tip of the iceberg of interesting things about Tablas Creek, so please click here if you want to go deeper.  I was just out wandering through the vines and couldn't resist taking photos of the amazing scenery.  And if vineyards and winemaking interest you in general, check out my brother's award winning blog (#shamelessfamilybragging). It is a great place to frequent for regular thought provoking and informative wine related articles spanning such topics as details of viticulture, wine business and policy, tasting notes, and many other subjects that effect daily life on a vineyard.