DIY: Birch Bark Planters

I found some buckets and candles on sale at a craft store. They were unfortunate shades of pastel pink, green and yellow. When I got home, my partner - bless his heart - was being helpful by putting things away, and thought the remarkable colour theme was meant to be. Each bucket got matched with its respective pastel candle equivalent and set up on the bookshelf. I can't blame him, really- it did look quite deliberate.

I then realized that, prior to this, there were no pastel colours in our house. Their presence irritated me more than you know. I like earthy, woody pieces of furniture. I like the outdoors to be indoors as much as possible. And so I painted them, or at least tried, and I think their transformation was quite satisfactory- especially since visions of Easter eggs were removed from the living room in the process.

All you need for this is acrylic paint, some buckets, a palette or plastic tray, paintbrushes and water. I'm not sure this really warrants step-by-step instruction, but once you have the base coat of beige or white- making horizontal brush strokes- it's easy to make different sized and less-than-perfect lines with a dark brown or black. Then find small plants in pots that fit inside (I used herbs), or use them for storage. Just like that, my apartment decor was back to a reasonable classification of eclectic.

Living Gratefully - Fresh Pumpkin Soup, Served in a Pumpkin

Autumn... the year's last, loveliest smile. - William Cullen Bryant   

I am totally smitten with fall this year. When I was in school, September and October were so busy I barely had time to lift my head, save for one or two dives into a leaf pile. After university, it seemed to go by in a chilly haze. My occupation would stay the same with the seasons, and all I could think about was how heartbreaking it was that I could no longer go barefoot outside.

I have been caught in late August trying to turn the heat on, and am notorious for plunging my icy toes under whoever happens to sit next to me on the couch. I've come to terms with the fact that I do not function well in colder weather. The new year, to me, does not begin at the numeric year change of January 1st, but in early September. So, for my new year's resolution, I've decided not to let it get the best of me.

I am walking more slowly outside, and warming myself with the colours and comforts of this time of year instead of the air. This involves embracing the season's fresh and simple fare. The ingredients list would have been longer had I been in my own kitchen, but the lack of additional flavours made it that much more charming- and in the end I wouldn't have changed a thing.