Saying Goodbye to Hudson Valley Winter!

Winter is coming to an end

Underneath a hardened snow bank, running along the front of my house, is the garden bed that last summer was full of vibrant colorful flowers, attracting bees, butterflies, Cicadas, and hummingbirds. I am ready for spring, and long for summer.

I am not a fan of winter, and this one has been particularly brutal. The last snowstorm dumped over one foot of new snow over an existing six inches of snow, already on the ground. My poor husband spent time on the roof breaking icicles, cracking ice out of the gutters, and pushing snow down to the ground, which created the snow banks that surround the house.

Our house has made winter more tolerable. On frigid nights, and cold weekend afternoons, we usually light a fire in the fireplace, and lounge on the cozy couch, wearing warm slippers, and drinking tea.

While sitting at our kitchen table for meals, we can look out of the window at the snow covered backyard that seems to go on forever. We watch the deer, hawks, and the variety of birds that nibble seeds and suet. We can measure how much of the snow has melted by how much more of the wooden picnic table becomes visible. 

Today, the temperature was in the 50’s, and more snow melted. Tomorrow is predicted a heavy rain storm, and behind the storm, the temperatures will plummet back into the 20’s. I can tolerate the final blasts of winter, because the days are longer now.

It will probably take another month or more for all of the snow to melt away. Once spring arrives, forsythia, tulips, and daffodils will bloom, and the colors of yellow and red will surround the house.

Once the snow bank in the front of the house melts, and the dirt in the garden bed is warm and soft, I will plant the same variety of vibrant colored zinnias that grew there last summer. The roses will bloom again, and I will add more flowers. The hummingbird feeders will be hung once again. The blueberry bushes outside of our kitchen window will bear their fruit, and the dogwood trees and lilac bushes will bloom. I will plant the vegetable and herb garden that I am planning.

I know that spring is just around the corner.

Jenny - Reclaimed Design

A Simple, DIY, Hudson Valley wedding - picking a venue

We began a Hudson Valley Wedding series earlier this year and now Amber is back to discuss finding a venue in the Hudson Valley. Read her introduction post to learn more.

Poet's Walk (Red Hook, NY) by Thomm Quackenbush

One advantage of having a wedding in the Hudson Valley is the huge variety of venues that could fit whatever your heart desires. There is everything from small outdoor parks to buildings that might as well be castles (there might be actual castles, really). So, how do you choose?

Pearl Tassel Earrings, 1920s Earrings by merryalchemybridal

For me, I already had a few requirements for a venue before I started looking, and gained a couple while looking, that definitely helped narrow down my options. The place had to be:

1) mostly outside (with the ability to put up a large tent or an inside option in case of rain.)

2) I didn't have to use their caterer/wedding planner/etc.

3) In the general vicinity of $2,000-$5,000, depending what was included.

4) Some indoor bathrooms, even if just for me and the wedding party.

5) A place to stay for the weekend - or longer.

6) Near a body of water would be great.

7) Free for my wedding date. (You can also choose your date based on the venue, I just choose the date first)

8) Fit around 100 people.

9) a BBQ! or place we can set one up.

BBQ Rub - 6 oz by RockerboxGarlic

So, as you can see, there are a ton of things to think about when choosing a venue. At the very least, you should have an idea what you want your wedding to feel like, especially when it comes to formality (generally, inside is considered more formal) and have an idea how much you want to spend as it’s easy to get your heart set on a venue only to find it’s twice as much (if not more) than your budget. It’s also good to have an idea how much work you want to do. There are some venues that will do everything for you and others that leave it all up to you. If you are looking for something less formal, on a low budget, and don’t mind some work, keep in mind friends' and family’s backyards - or even local parks, generally they only charge a few hundred but you might not be able to have alcohol or have to leave at sunset.  And keep in mind that, if you're renting a tent, tables and chairs, they generally don't deliver on the weekends, so you'll need the venue to be okay with delivery on Friday and pick-up on Monday for a weekend wedding.

Bird Necklace * Copper Swallow Necklace by ScrapsandPaper

Whatever it is you want, try not to fall in love with a venue that doesn’t fit all your needs, unless you’re so in love with it that it’s worth changing your plans. Even if your needs seem impossible to meet as mine certainly did, the perfect - or nearly perfect- place is out there, just keep looking!

Ring Bearer Pillow Embroidered White Brocade by HuzzahHandmade

For me, after a few inquiries to local farms, B&Bs, and other such places, I came up with either no response or something incredibly out of my price range (one was $5,000 to use the property, not including any rentals or a place to pee, let alone stay - oh, and some of the info they sent was about how it’s impossible to have an awesome wedding for under $30,000 and that you have too meet with their wedding planner who would help you budget). Eventually, I read an article mentioning websites where people rent out their homes (or second homes) for vacationers to stay in - and some allow weddings! After basically messaging everyone in the Hudson Valley on VRBO.com who looked like they might have a big enough backyard, I found a few that would do and one that was just perfect! We visited and placed a deposit.  I was also incredibly lucky that I contacted her when I did, as she was intending to change the minimum rental to a month, but put it off as not to disappoint a bride!

So keep your eyes open! Anywhere you look could be the perfect place for you and your love to get married and, if you look in unexpected places, you’ll often be rewarded with a lower price - though possibly more work - but a certainly unique experience. Good luck!

Enjoy!
Amber

In My Studio: Book Review of Homeward Bound

HOMEWARD BOUND

Why Are Women Embracing the New Domesticity

by Emily Matchar

Browsing through my local Woodstock library the other day I came across this new little gem. The cover immediately appealed with the illustration of a hip, youngish woman knitting, surrounded by kitchen and crafting equipment. It could be me I thought and indeed on reading the book I am fascinated by the numbers of women who are turning their backs on the 9-5 drudge, like myself  and getting back to homemaking.

These smart, highly educated young people are turning their backs on corporate life and embracing the labor-intensive domestic tasks their mothers and grandmothers eagerly shrugged off. Some are becoming homesteaders, raising their own livestock and growing their own food. Some are joining the new wave of lifestyle/ parenting bloggers. Some throw themselves into DIY parenting which entails attachment parenting, homeschooling and making all their food from scratch and some like myself are becoming home-preneurs starting their own kitchen table business selling crafts on Etsy or jams at the local farmers market. This book explores all the ways in which today's young people are getting back to basics for the health and well being of themselves, the environment and their family.

The author Emily Matchar skillfully tackles each subject interviewing real life women (and the odd man) sharing with us their fascinating stories of corporate lawyer turned pig farmer, or sales rep to highly successful mom blogger, web designer to bee keeper and so on. She not only picks characters who whole heartily celebrate all things crunchy but also some who tried, failed and struck up a happy medium with their own domesticity.   

The reasons Matchar proposes for this shift back to the home include: dissatisfaction in the workplace, a growing sense of distrust towards the government, corporations and the food system, concern for the environment, the draw to hands on work in a technology driven world and an increasing intensive standard of parenting. Added to this are the current hostile work practices of corporate America towards working mothers such as  no  paid maternity or family leave that gives women no choice but to give up work and turn towards a more home-centric  lifestyle.

The chapter entitled 'Knit Your Own Job: Etsy and the New Handmade Culture' was of special interest to me as I have opened my own Etsy shop called So Handmade and have been predominantly selling Christmas Tree Skirts that I make all year round. The chapter looks at the success of Etsy from its humble beginnings in 2005 making just $170,000 to earning in 2011 of $525.6 million. The author interviews both makers who have been able to start and maintain highly successful Etsy shops and ones who have struggled to make any sales despite having quality wares. She concludes the chapter by saying that:

"Despite the optimism surrounding the new artisan economy, a very fundamental thing remains true: selling handmade goods is still an incredibly difficult way to make money" These sentiments ring true for myself as I am sure they do with many other readers.

In the conclusion to the book Emily Matchar points out the lessons she has learned on her domestic odyssey. She admits that:

"So many of the values of New Domesticity are wonderful: an emphasis on the family, a DIY spirit, a concern for the environment, an unwillingness to beholden to corporations."

But she goes on to look at the dark side she has discovered including the exclusion of those people who don't have the time or money to DIY it. A privilege of individual rights over group goods, the disenfranchise of men and the demonizing of the workplace. She believes there is a happy place which exists somewhere in the middle, whereby we can eat store bought produce and not feel guilty about it, learn to knit in our spare time and aspire to career achievements and financial independence.

I highly recommend this thought provoking and intelligently written book that has perfectly captured today's zeitgeist.

Sarah Omura - So Handmade