of bears and pumpkins

on Inspiration Monday. 

When the ladies of Two Birds Boutique choose an outfit to inspire a personal look.

Here's my version of the outfit.
To see how others used the inspiration look here.

Today's outfit inspiration is:

 actress Ashley Madekwe
 from TV show Revenge.

Ashley also has a fashion blog called
Ring My Bell.

It snows in autumn, in the Rocky Mountains,
where we used to live. 
Sometimes we'd get early snow near Halloween.

 It snowed there, just last week.
A teacher told me the power went off at her school.
For an hour they did their schoolwork, by flashlight.
 

My boots and skirt are thrifted.

  

My art Journal page from October 19, 2012 inspired by
Fall In Love from Classes Kara Made

When I was in high school, I finished the book
 Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.
 I was crying from the end of the story.
  It was on Thanksgiving day.
 I remember, I looked at/out the window,
and my world was covered in white.

So after that, I associated Thanksgiving with snow.

This year, I wanted a teddy bear pumpkin, and this is what my husband made. I think it's cute,
 but it's NOT a teddy bear.
Why?

It doesn't have ears.

He insists it's still a teddy bear.

I say, "Name a teddy bear that doesn't have ears.
 I can't think of one. Can you?"

He says, "You and your ears."

I say me and my bears, yes I love them both.  :)

autumn senses

Sometimes autumn smells like
 wood smoke outside, from neighbors.

Me in Autumn 2005

There's a chill in the air.

My nephew Baby JJ this October 2012

My husband J says,
 "In Texas, it doesn't smell like snow.
 It smells like rain."

I was walking to the cemetery.
 by my old house, in October 2005

Our front entry way is always full, of dead brown leaves.

Me at the cemetery October 2005

It sometimes sounds like wind.

My nephew Speed Racer at the pumpkin patch
 October 2012

It sounds like cheers from the football games,
 at the middle school, behind us.

My twin nieces at the pumpkin patch 2012

It sounds like children playing football in the street.

My  painted pumpkins in October 2007

He says it tastes like pumpkin coffee, (which I don't drink).

Left: my painted pumpkin
Right: my husband's painted pumpkin
October 2007

I say it tastes like Halloween candy, and my birthday treat.

Art Journal page  written October 2
artfully made October 10, 2012  inspired by Fall In Love from Classes Kara Made

I used to burn Salt City Candles.
 They smelled like candy corn, baked apple pie,
 pumpkin spice, sugar cookies, and gingerbread.

red boots and

...The effect of gamma rays on man-in-the-moon marigolds has made me curious about the sun and the stars,

Here's my outfit version of  Style Imitating Art.
I like how my husband is reflected in the window of these photos.  :)

The art inspiration: 

South Wind at Clear Dawn by Katsushika Hokusai
To see how others styled their outfits go to
14 Shades of Grey.

for the universe itself must be like a world of great atoms, and I want to know more about it...



...Every atom in me, in everybody has come from the sun, from places beyond our dreams.

My blue blouse was thrifted.
Close up of my red boots

This is my friend's son Little T, wearing his little red boots.
 I took these photos in April

More photos of my friend's son Little T, in his red boots.

Art Journal page from October 10. 2012
page inspired by Fall In Love from Classes Kara Made

For Autumn drinks I could say:

*pumpkin shakes
*warm apple cider
*orange blossom herbal tea
*hot chocolate with cinnamon

Truthfully, the drink I carry around with me is a bottle of water.
 It's the drink I drink.

The atoms of our hands.
 The atoms of our hearts.
Atom. Atom. Atom.
What a beautiful word...by Paul Zindel
from the play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds

pumpkin like

Vivienne Westwood Red Label Fall 2012 RTW

Vivienne Tam Fall 2012 RTW

Versace Fall 2012 RTW

Left: Vivienne Westwood Red Label Fall 2012 RTW
Right: Vivienne Tam Fall 2012 RTW

Me with everyone's pumpkins
in October 2006

 Left: My cousin with her pumpkin
Right: My sister in law with her pumpkin

Top: Me with my painted pumpkin
Right: My mom with her carved pumpkin
Left: My cousins and me
October 2006

Top left: My sister in law's pumpkin
Top right: My mom's carved pumpkin
Bottom left: My cousin's painted pumpkin
Bottom right: My other cousin's carved pumpkin
October 2006 

My mom and me, my sister in law and me
October 2006

My art journal page from October 1, 2012
Inspired by Art Journal All Year E-Course by Elsie & Rachel

Treasure: anything or any person greatly valued
  or highly prized (noun)

to retain carefully or keep in store, as in mind

to regard or treat as precious, cherish

concentration of riches,
often one which is considered lost or
forgotten until being rediscovered.

far back

When I was younger,
 fall meant new school clothes,
and a brand new school year.

Far back, when I worked at the elementary school,
we had red ribbon week in the fall.

We had crazy hair day, pajama day, school colors day, and inside out/backwards day.



Far back, when I taught preschool, fall meant teaching apple themes, leaves as crafts and science studies, exploring pumpkins, Thanksgiving, and Halloween stories, and songs.

My blouse, skirt, and shoes are thrifted.

We'd take field trips to the pumpkin patch, and paint pumpkins. We'd wash and bake pumpkin seeds.

My nephew Speed Racer at the pumpkin patch

My nieces Lil Bug, and EJ

My nephew Baby JJ at the pumpkin patch

My art journal pages from October 12, 2012
pages inspired by Fall In Love from Classes Kara Made

Far back, I would plan my Halloween costume.
I loved working with children and getting paid to
dress up, and celebrate my favorite holiday.

Was it all far back, or was it only recently?

autumnal magic

..She loved October-
loved it well in its first crimson pomp, 

Altuzarra Fall 2012 RTW

when frosted leaves hung like a flame

Texas Autumn photos by my guy 2012

 
and the asters along the road were like pale purple songs;

Antonio Marras Fall 2012 RTW

and even better in its later quiet of brown autumnal fields 

Autumn in Texas photo by my husband 2012

over the bay's with its evenings full of the nice smell of 

Another Texas Autumn photo 2012
taken by my husband

burning leaves in Lazare's bonfires

Left: West Gordon Fall 2012 RTW
Right: Vena Cava Fall 2012 RTW

and all the apple to be picked and stored in the apple-barn...

Me and my husband walking around our old neighborhood, in Autumn 2005

when the hills were blue and the great wheat-fields along the harbour-shore warm gold and the glens of autumn full of shimmering leaves

My art journal page from October 1 and October 3, 2012
pages inspired by Fall In Love from Classes Kara Made
photos at top of page are:

1. Cemetery walk 2006
2. Japanese Garden, Seattle 2000
3. Cemetery walk 2006
4. My nephew's pumpkin patch trip 2011

Hello, these are Teddi's Autumn resolutions

* finding the time
* art adventures
* be gentle
* continue creating
* keep hope
* autumn photo shoot
 * stay strong
* paint pumpkins

 Marigold always felt that  there was something in the fall that belonged to her and her alone if she could only find it, and this secret quest made of September and October months of magic....words from book Magic for Marigold  by L.M. Montgomery