The magic continues

Has it really been that long since I've posted?  During this most glorious of seasons, it's all a matter of time.  There's just never enough of it!  After a fantastic and much appreciated Winter Open House, we've been furiously filling shop orders and working to restock ready-made wreaths and other goodies.  We're just about ready to open the pop-up shop (just a week late!) but we wanted it to be just right, overflowing with Moss Cottage goodness.  

Until then we're open in the shop until December 22nd during these hours:

Thursday . . .  11-7

Friday . . . .  11-5

Saturday . . . . 11-4

Sunday . . . . 12-4

Stay warm, blessings of the season go out to you all.

{image:  Ashley Kibzey.  Maria Maria Photography}

  

It's beginning to feel . . .

. . . a lot like Christmas.  

How quickly the season's change.  

Here at Moss Cottage it is the season's that drive us, always.  While preparing this year's winter postcard, I came across flyer's prepared many (insert the word scary) years ago that I had written for our seasonal open house events.  The common thread, the common phrase . . . "Here at Moss Cottage we celebrate the season's not the holidays . . ." ran throughout them all.  The holiday's, lovely and celebratory, Christmas the most glorious of them all, but it got me to thinking . . . what is it about the seasons that were more important than the holiday(s) which fell within them?

Within the big world of retail, the "seasons" have become so rushed moving frantically from one holiday season to the next.  For me, a celebration of the seasons causes us, at least in part, to slow down, to embrace the moments, the natural environmental evolution that arrives, blossoms and then moves on, sometimes hurriedly, sometimes slowly, gently into the next.  Admittedly, some season's come so entwined with the holiday that falls within it's hard to separate the two, at least for a time.  In the end, it's the season that ultimately drives us here at Moss Cottage and it's why I continue to refer to the Christmas season as the Winter Season and why our seasonal vision is easily entwined, easy to live with throughout the holidays and beyond.  

The harvesting, creating, packaging are seriously underway as we work to welcome you to the Winter 2013 season.  We look forward to seeing you and have yourself a Merry little Christmas.  Cheers! 

The Winter Season begins . . .

Saturday, November 23rd, 11-5

Sunday, November 24th,  12-4

In the meantime, we were talked into participating in the Thunder Bay Art Gallery's Christmas House tour by the exceptionally talented Heather Cranston of the Harry Canary Company.  We'll be contributing to Heather's very creative, fun, real life vision of the Christmas House she is decorating for the tour and you can read all about it here.  

I just know you'll love Heather's vision.  It's a perfect reflection of the season.

Now, off to create . . .

Cheers, 

Kate

A little decor inspiration

Just a little kitchen inspiration from one of my favourite blogs . . .

Have an inspirational day!  

Now, off to harvest winter greens.

Finding Grateful

 . . .

This weekend, allow time for finding grateful.  Enjoy a gloriously simple thanksgiving weekend.

{images:  http://www.pinterest.com/ufmc/boards/}

A Gift

It's likely you know by now that the Flower, Soap & Honey festival scheduled for today has been cancelled because the flu bug latched on this past Sunday and took its time letting go.  'Nuf so that it was impossible for me to finish up and pull things together in that Moss Cottage way that you have become accustomed to.  Although we posted about it here on the blog and on our facebook page, I know that we weren't able to reach all of you and many of you ventured out in search of goodies as you always do.  I hate that you had to drive all the way out to discover us closed and to show how much I appreciate your continued support, I would like to offer you a gift in exchange for the let down at the end of the drive.  So, if you drove out to see us today, send me an e-mail with your name, time of your visit and what method we used to let you know about the cancellation once you arrived here and I will e-mail you a code to use for a discount coupon.  Simply present the discount coupon on your next visit.  The coded coupon may be used only once.

You have until Thanksgiving Monday.

Cheers, stay well.

I can't believe it but . . .

. . . I have been down for the count with a nasty case of the flu.  What a season, seriously.  It  would appear that this bug is intent on keeping me down.  Sufficiently enough that I am going to have to CANCEL the Flower Soap & Honey Festival scheduled to go ahead this Thursday from 4 - 8.  I'm sooooo bummed out but the way this bug has me feeling, pulling it all together for you in the Moss Cottage way by Thursday at this point isn't even remotely possible.  It's a total bummer, it's just so beautiful here right now with the last of the autumn colours showing themselves, the perennial gardens still holding steady and the glorious sunshine forecast to appear again come Thursday.  Ahh, there is just so much out of my control!  Please share this message with anyone you know who was planning on or thinking of joining us. 

I will be hauling along some of the autumnal goodies to the Thunder Bay Country Market on Saturday so please do pop in and say hello.  

Ready to go Spiced Cider mix, hand printed tea towels, bunches of wheat and other seasonal drieds, small wreaths suitable for hanging or ringing a candle, and whatever else my mind has deliriously let slip away at the time of this writing . . .

I do so apologize and if I don't see you at market, have a gloriously grateful Thanksgiving and schedule your calendar for Saturday, November 23rd.  The winter season begins here come rain, snow, sleet, hail, or the flu!.

 

I cannot be the only one . . .

noticing the fast pace at which autumn has chosen to show her true colours.  It may just be my imagination and technically someone is likely to correct me with the knowledge that we're right on schedule.  The telltale sign . . . the tamarack tree in my front yard began to show its golden glow about one week ago.  Almost always the last to turn and more noticeably following the poplar, the glorious birch, the stunning maple . . . the ever trustworthy tamarack appears to be in a bit of a rush.  Oh my, where has September gone?

Just a lot little behind schedule this fall, our harvest celebration, originally scheduled for September was postponed and we hope you will now join us for a brief but beautiful 
Autumn harvest celebration, just in time for Thanksgiving.  Originally and most deservedly called "The Flower, Soap & Honey Harvest festival" it was the intention to pull together all of the parts of the summer and early autumn season dear to my heart and celebrate the harvest of a Moss Cottage kind.  But as you have no doubt experienced yourself, the growing season was unpredictable with an early but killing frost, the humidity unusually high for a long period of time and the honey flow significantly diminished.  Not to be discouraged, The Flower, Soap & Honey Harvest festival will be and you shall not be disappointed.  A heart warming autumnal delight for the senses awaits, so please join us. 

You will indeed find flowers, soap and honey woven together in surprising and delightful ways, a lovely selection of simply thankful gifts, table decor and apple cider.  

Forever Grateful for you all,