Christmas in October

Yesterday I received a very large box from the UPS man.  Jenna asked, "Mom, did you order a small child?"...nope, it was my samples from Keller Charles for my brand new collection "Snow Friends". Keller Charles melamine products are some of the best in the country and I'm so thrilled with what they've done with my snowman and chickadees.  You can find the entire line of products at Lang.com.

there are trays of all sizes, plates, napkins and tins for those Christmas cookies!

Indian summer days

Here in the Pacific Northwest, summer goes by all too quickly. It's here for a short time and then gone before you can even get warm. So I cherish these Indian summer days when the sun is warm, the breezes fresh and cool, and the light so gorgeous.

morning rays streaming thru the trees

morning dew like glassy beads stringing a web 

fog blanketing Hood Canal

firey red sunflowers

amazing sunsets paint the evening sky

Herb Garden!

I've had the most beautiful little herb garden this summer. It was filled with wonderful scents, from heavenly lemon verbena to pineapple mint and sweet lavender, in shades of lush green, bright blues and soft purples.  As summer fades, I have so much inspiration to begin my next "Herb Garden" calendar for LANG - believe it or not, 2013!  My 2011 calendar is available in stores now, along with my "Seeds of Friendship" collection of mugs, cards, recipe albums, and other great kitchen items.

my LANG Seeds of Friendship products displayed at the Seattle Gift Show

parsley, thyme, marjoram and lavender

gorgeous blue borage

Lilli loves to 'help'

morning dew on the parsley

hiking the spit

I have wanted to hike Dungeness Spit all summer. Yesterday, my friend LaRayne and I made it all the way to the Lighthouse, a round trip of 11 miles! It's the longest natural sandspit in the world and at the end is one of the oldest lighthouses in Washington, built in 1857.  It was the most beautiful, warm, Indian summer day, with views to Canada, the San Juan Islands and the towering Olympic mountains.  I will let my pics speak for themselves.....

we started out through the forest

a half mile through the trees and the sound of waves crashing on the shore calls...

wildflowers blooming in the sun and sea air

the gulls were perched on driftwood everywhere

only 2 more miles to go! the sea was almost tropical

5 miles out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca IS serenity!

a peaceful way of life for the lightkeepers who rent the house

I made it!

the view from the top is absolutely breathtaking!

hiking back to reality, the sun sets over the Olympics. what an amazing day.