A Season for Discoveries

Just when you think that the season for front porch sitting is over, you discover that it isn’t.

Seasonal changes arrive with a multitude of emotions. Happy, sad, or anywhere in between, seasons change and so should we. Winter, spring, summer and autumn all provide moments for discovery.

Greetings friends, and welcome back to the front porch. Today’s weather is absolutely refreshing and perhaps just a little nippy, but it certainly is an improvement over last week’s storm! Some people have called that storm a dud, but from my perspective, it was bad enough.

Thankfully we didn’t lose power, but the winds were strong. We ended up with 5 to 6 inches of rain. I am grateful that we didn’t have any tree limbs come down where I live, but in a town approximately 20 minutes from where I reside, a big tree limb did come down and destroyed a car.  Nature is offering a much gentler friendship today. For that matter, nature has been showing its gentle side all week long.

As the weather cools down, some of our woodland friends begin to visit frequently. I’m no longer hearing many of the bird songs that filled the summer air with music, but the blue jay is still around. I only learned this a couple of years ago, but the blue jay is a great mimic. Often I will hear the cry of a hawk only to be followed by the blue jay’s more well-known call. In that moment I know that the blue jay was the source of the hawk’s call. It can mimic other birds as well, so one really needs to pay attention. 

For other woodland creatures, you need to pay attention to the time of year and the changes that nature is orchestrating. The white-tailed deer live in the woods surrounding the homes in this area.  I find myself taking little breaks just to look out the sliding door to my backyard. This time of year the deer begin to visit frequently, and I have seen one or two every day this past week.  I find it amazing how these animals know what they need to do because the season is changing.  Depending on the winter’s severity, the deer will be a frequent visitor to my neighborhood.

🐸 Creatures Come Calling

It seems to be a time of year when I should expect frequent, unexpected visitors. Just the other evening as I prepared to close the front door, I thought I saw a shadow of a shape at the top of the storm door screen. Grabbing a flashlight and my phone, I was able to capture the moment. Holding on to the screen was a frog.  It seems that my home is a warm and welcoming place even for the wildlife. 

Just yesterday, I opened my door to go to my mailbox. Whoosh, in flew a grasshopper! I had to capture that critter. Not wanting to kill it, and even more so,  not wanting to dirty my wallpaper, I devised a way to remove Mr. Grasshopper from my hallway. A wide-mouth glass and a sheet of paper towel made quick work of the removal. No injuries and no stained wallpaper…I am partial to its natural color!

And speaking of color, autumn is officially beginning its traditional painting of the trees. I’m so grateful for all of the views from my home, as taking care of dad precludes getting out. Standing at my kitchen window, where green had been just a few days ago, golden hues are painting the skyline. Proudly, they bask in the sunlight and shimmer with the breeze. Every season has its beauty, and there is always something special happening around us if we take the time to look. I’ve included a few photographs below to share with you. Have you noticed changes brought out by the season wherever you might live? Do you have an increase in visits from the wildlife? Please send me a message and let me know what’s going on in your neck of the woods.

The studio is an extension of the outdoors as I bring autumn into my work. My newest project involves learning about junk journals and creating a learning sample autumn journal.  

It has been brought to my attention that junk journals are in high demand. I will admit that I researched the item on Etsy and discovered that it must be a sought-after item because the market appears to be saturated with multiple sellers.  They offer complete junk journals, printable junk journals, or accessories for junk journals. I do not want to compete in any market that is over-saturated, nor do I want to offer my hand-painted work for $.60 or one dollar. My time is valuable…even if it is only valuable to me. 

Using my time wisely, I began actively researching what a junk journal actually is and does and why there is such a high demand. I am pretty certain that I will enter the market, but I will do so on my terms.  

I can see the value that people place in these items. The time that they spend assembling and creating their pages is a break from life’s daily routine. There is no pressure for them. No one needs to critique their work. They can assemble, rearrange, add, or subtract whatever they want from their pages and from the journal as a whole. Meaning can come from the imagery or from some smaller components that allow space for free flow writing or simply responding to a prompt.

My response to all that I read, as well as to the examples that I found on Etsy, is to find a way to put my own spin on this type of project.  Reaching this conclusion, I began re-purposing some of my handcrafted embellishments. My goal: create an autumn junk journal sample… and so I have begun.

Next week, I hope to share some photographs from the sample that I assemble. By then, I also should have a clearer plan for making junk journals that accompany each Evergreen Valley story.  Just as the stories are written for both the young and young at heart, my plan will include journal versions for young readers as well as for adults who read the stories to their children.

Speaking about the stories, this week I will be purchasing the laser printer that I have been saving for throughout this past year.  I am waiting for October sixth and seventh, and hoping that it will participate in Amazon’s Prime Day deals. One way or another, the plan is to make the purchase this week.  I hope that it becomes the tool that I believe it can be so that my studio can become more productive. The Dawn of Evergreen Valley is the first project on the printing agenda.  Once I have a quality copy in my hands, newsletter subscribers will be the first to see the book cover. Very soon, it will be in my Etsy shop. If Apple Books publishes e-books in the landscape format, then I will look into making it available as an e-book as well. The excitement is building in Evergreen Yuletide’s studio!

🌄 Valley News

There is also so much excitement in Evergreen Valley. The elders, whom you will meet in the story, are anxious for everyone to know who Bernie really is, and how all of the puppies you have been meeting throughout these last 20+ weeks arrived in the valley. The next two puppies are also getting a little rambunctious, as they know next week is their moment to greet you. It is hard for them to be patient while waiting for their puzzle piece to be revealed.

That being said, this week’s puzzle piece shares a section of the banner.  The valley continues to announce its presence as a wonderful place to visit. It wishes to share its storybook magic and to be your place of respite. The valley holds many stories, but more importantly, it shares the qualities that are most important to all of humanity.

The story card also holds the valley’s story this week. Frequently each card is leading up to the next reveal, but this week its focus is on the valley and the wonders that are yet to be revealed. Please don’t forget to download your puzzle piece and add it to your ever-growing collection as well as the story card. If you assemble the cards together, you will have your own valley story as a reminder of the 28 weeks that we spent together piece by piece. This is week number 23. Puzzle completion happens in 5 weeks!

Be sure to visit Inspiration Gallery as well. I’ve decided the gallery will now hold your completed coloring pages — whether they’re colored by you, your child, or another generation of your family. If the page comes from your Secret Garden, you’re welcome to share your finished gift here, adding your touch to the gallery’s growing collection.

📧 Stay in Touch and Claim Your Gifts

Do you have a need for a special product that you cannot find anywhere? My studio awaits your request! You can always send me an email at: paula@evergreenyuletide.com

⛲️ Newsletter and Your Garden Gifts

By signing up to receive my weekly newsletter, if you so choose, you will be given the password that opens Your Secret Garden. You can always access the garden by clicking on the golden key at the bottom of this post. Within that garden, you will find every gift that has been given since the inception of this blog. Nothing ever leaves—it is ready when you are.

Gently tapping the below images brings you to your treasure chest and magical book. The newest button takes you to Inspiration Gallery—a great place to view the work of your Creative Kindred Spirits. Don’t forget, you can always email me a photograph of something you’ve created with one of my products, or send in a colored coloring book page that was shared with you in the garden. I would love to feature it in the gallery.

🌞 Closing Reflection

This week’s post has also arrived at the moment of completion. As always, it has been a pleasure to share this time with you. Take a moment, no matter where you are, to look at all that is happening around you. Maybe you will encounter a woodland friend or two. Perhaps you will look up and notice the kaleidoscope of colors that autumn ushers into our view. Whatever you do, find some peace in your own valley.  I hope you have a wonderful week and that we will meet again next week on my front porch. 

Until next time…

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PS – Don’t forget to look for the hidden heart in this week’s blog illustration.  The front porch really does have a heart!