Happy Spring from Kristin Nicholas Designs
Hello Colorful Friends!
Welcome to November everyone. Oh my goodness -- how did that happen? Here at the farm, the sheep are still out on pasture. Soon the grass will be frozen and we will be moving them to their winter barns. Lambs will be arriving in January. The Farmer is looking forward to seeing all the new life - even if he dislikes the cold more and more each year. We had a huge windstorm on Halloween night and the leaves are pretty much off the trees. It certainly does look like November.
I am in pottery production mode - trying to make enough work to have for holiday sales. I must admit, it is very difficult to juggle my family, the house, the lamb business and meals all the while trying to make enough handmade things to sell. I'll get through it and be ready for our Holiday Open House which is December 7 + 8. Mark your calendars so you can come enjoy the decorated farmhouse, sample some lamb and share some holiday joy.
It's not too early to think about holiday cards. I have four different sheep related designs over on my new website here.
I posted a little story over on my blog along with a recipe for Patricia Wells' Apple Lady Cake. Check it out here. Cider Days in Franklin County are this weekend. If you are local, stop by one of the many orchards featured and buy some apples for this easy and so delicious cake. More info here. It is also the Fiber Festival of New England at the Big E. More info here.
I am almost done with my 100 Days of Vases project over on Instagram. I'm on Day 83 of #100daysofvases. Thank you to all of you have commented, liked and cheered me on. It means a lot to me. You can follow this challenge on Instagram here and on my Kristin Nicholas Designs Facebook Page here.
For all of you who live far from western Massachusetts, I will be selling my ceramics on-line this fall. I will announce the shop opening here on this newsletter and on my blog.
Mark and I continue to sell our lamb, my pottery and tea towels at the Amherst Farmers Market every Saturday from 7:30 to 1:30. The last market is the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Next Tuesday (November 5th), I will be at the Northampton Tuesday Market. Hope to see you there.
Here are some good links I have found just recently.
• This article with its incredibly beautiful photos of Donegal Yarns in Ireland should not be missed. Gorgeous! I can smell the wool.
• Behind the scenes at Dries Van Noten. A stunning short creative film HERE.
• This will be me if I ever have to move.
• Food for thought about writing a cook(craft)book from the NY Times.
• David Lebovitz' blog turned 20! He wrote a very interesting blog post here about how blogging has changed.
• Interior decorator and lover of color and pattern Anthony Baratta is Colonial Williamsburg's first Designer in Residence. Watch a short film produced by the Quintessence blog here. I have also embedded it below.
• Stephen King's gothic house in Bangor Maine is going to become a writer's retreat. Read about it here.
• How sewing your own clothes transformed a woman's life HERE.
Yours in color and creativity,
Kristin Nicholas
p.s. You can follow my 100 Days of Vases project on Instagram here or on my Kristin Nicholas Designs Facebook page here.
Tony Baratta's home at Colonial Williamsburg.
A fun video of our farm, our farmhouse, and my family. Our farm is located 2 hours from Boston and 3 1/2 hours from NYC. We are at the northern most part of western Massachusetts bordering Vermont. Our farm is 15 minutes off of Route 91, the north/south highway connecting Montreal to NYC.
Here is a video of my Talk at Google. I went to Cambridge, Massachusetts and spoke at their offices there in late June.