remembering summer

The transition from summer to fall in Portland has been quick and downright harsh.  September is normally a glorious month in Oregon, so I feel ripped-off that we've been pounded with torrential downpour for days on end.  Flooding in the basement- what?! That normally doesn't happen until November.
I really dislike the word soggy, and yet that may be one of the better descriptors for the Pacific Northwest right now.
If I could, I would will summer back.  But, the best that I can do is flip through my photos and try to hold onto some of the most cherished memories of my year.
Here are some snapshots I took on our summer trip to the Olympic National Park  . . .

Mini weaving giveaway!

I'm still on cloud nine from my weaving sale on One Kings Lane.  The collection sold out on the first night! I can't thank everyone enough for all the lovely comments.  And with Habit of Art turning four this Monday, there's even more reason to celebrate and run a giveaway!

This week, the mini weaving shown above is up for grabs.  For a chance to win this little handwoven wall hanging, just leave a comment below.  I'll announce the winner (randomly chosen, of course) on Tuesday, September 24th at noon.
Oh, and international entries are welcome- shipping is on me.  Bonne chance!
9/24:  Number 13 was the lucky number today, so the winner of the weaving giveaway is Dee! Thanks everyone for all your lovely comments.

My weavings on One Kings Lane

Summer has come and gone in a blink of an eye.  I guess that's what happens when you embark on long road trips, paint the exterior of the house with only a brush, and handweave nine wall hangings- all in a two month period.

The new handwoven collection is for an exclusive event on One Kings Lane.  The popular online marketplace just launched their Artisanal Sales in June, and I was invited to be part of a collaborative event this upcoming week!
Starting at 6pm PST on Monday, September 9th, my wall hangings will be available for purchase here.  And I'm thrilled that my collection will be featured alongside the works of some of my favorite fiber artists, including Tanya Aguiniga, whose art I mention in this post.
Some of you may remember that I began weaving after purchasing a vintage miniature loom from the Great Depression era.  I love that little loom, but I decided to purchase a larger rigid heddle loom this summer.  So now I can create wall hangings two feet wide!
A bigger loom meant a bigger space.  So I expanded my work area to another corner of our basement.  For now, the space is working out great, but I am sure my loom collection won't stop at two.

This fall, one of my home projects is to build a simple frame loom to weave a rug.  I'll post pictures on here once I start the project.  To see other weavings I have available for purchase, go to my shop here.

lost coast and the redwoods

Appropriately named, California's Lost Coast is a stunning 80 mile stretch of rugged shoreline that begins north of Mendocino.  Most of the coast land is undeveloped and quite remote . . . it's like stepping back in time.

Our first destination was Glass Beach in Fort Bragg.  Fifty years ago, locals used to hurl trash right over the bluffs into this small cove.  Once a dumping ground, the beach is now an incredible spectacle of tumbled glass and pottery.
For most our visit, we had the sparkly shore to ourselves- not at all what you'd expect from a California beach.  And we were gifted with beautiful weather.
Exploring the Lost Coast by car can be precarious.  Undeveloped land means undeveloped roads.  We decided to spend one morning driving down Usal Road, which is a narrow and steep dirt road that hugs the coastline. 

It took us an hour to drive 6 miles, but we managed to make it to the beach without any car mishaps or car sickness.  On the drive, we saw some amazing "candelabra" redwoods, trees that grow multiple trunks.
From the Lost Coast, we drove to the heart of the redwoods.  We took a scenic 31 mile highway that led us to groves of giant trees.  The fallen tree shown below was 362 ft. tall and 52 feet in circumference.  And it was at least 1600 years old when it finally fell in 1991.

Walking amongst these giant trees, I couldn't help but think of Tolkein's talking trees in Lord of the Rings.  Ent, after all, means "giant" in Old English.  And Ents were considered the oldest living creatures in Middle Earth.

summer sale!

There's a sale in my Etsy shop this week.  Enter SUMMERSALE at checkout and receive 20% off your order of $50 or more.  The sale runs thru Thursday, July 25.

road trip to cali

Hours after summer vacation officially started, our family (dog included) packed into the car and headed to California.  One of the stops on our list was Yosemite National Park.  We visited Yosemite three years ago, but just for the day- not nearly enough time to explore the park's many trails and sites.

This time around, we stayed in a cabin with a close family friend who knows his way around the park.  The Yosemite Valley floor is quite crazy during the summertime (crowds rivaling those at Disneyland), so he led us to more remote spots.  On our first hike, which was a rock scramble up a mountainside, we only saw a total of five people on the trail!
Climbing over loose rocks on a steep grade is quite precarious and nerve-wracking, especially for those not fond of heights (ahem, me).  But, I was determined to see the amazing viewpoint at the top where four of the five major waterfalls in the park can be spotted.  And, apparently, it was at this overlook that a 14 year-old Ansel Adams took his first photos of Yosemite.

Safely back on the ground, we saw two of the waterfalls up close- Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall.  Yosemite Falls actually has its own live webcam that you can view here.  Pretty cool!
My favorite time was dusk, when the massive rock walls lit up in beautiful hues of pink, orange, and purple.  In the photo below, you can see the iconic landmark, Half Dome, in the distance.

Our legs were a little soar by the end of our time in Yosemite- a sign of a good adventure.  From the Sierras, we continued our road trip westward.  Next destination: Lost Coast.

small paintings now available

35 paintings // $35 each //  here