The Forest

I decided to start a small food cart buisness and expand the Forest into the food industry...I set up this cart and a craft table on my front lawn last Saturday, and, armed with nothing but a brown bell and an owl bank I decided to try peddling my home baked wares...

What was on the menu?  My special blends of Forest Trail Mix and Trick or Treat Trail Mix (which were snatched up by hungry customers faster than you can say "did you see that squirrel?"); chocolate harvest fortune cookies; candy apple pops; granola bars; owl cookies; leaf cookies; and the lunch special, sandwiches!

To celebrate the holidays and use up a bit of leftover candy corn, I came up with a new recipe for trail mix.  Trick of Treat Trail mix is a savory delight that is perfect for a fall camping trip or to give out on Halloween..

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You will need...

• peanuts
• vanilla & caramel flavored almonds
• small bag of candy corn
• sunflower seeds
• toffee-covered peanuts
• peanut butter chips

...on my new fall collection.  Stay tuned, friends of the forest!

I've never really been interested in nail art because I couldn't find designs that I liked and fit my forest style.  Recently, I started challenging myself to create my own designs, like using wood grain shelving paper to do my nails, or sticking leaves on them.  The other day while shopping for a new bottle of green polish, I came across these Salley Hansen Salon Effects Strips in Wicked Bamboo.  I was so exited someone finally atttemped a wood design, I decided to try them out...

These strips are from a limited edition collection, I couldn't even find them on the Sally Hansen website!  You can buy them on amazon.com...

It was my first time using these strips, so it took me a few minutes to get the hang of it.  They seem a bit complicated at first but are actually really easy to use!  They lasted almost two weeks for me, and when they started to chip I just stretched the effects farther with a duotone effect...

 I would get them again, but the only problem was they just weren't detailed enough wood grain for me, I'd love it if Sally Hansen would make a faux bois effect strip!  Until then, I'll stick to shelving paper...

dress: thrifted
belt: thrifted
tights: Dollar Tree
accessories: my creations
boots: thrifted at Motherlode

I made this acorn necklace by drilling a hole into the cap, then screwing in a closed hook.  I glued the acorn back in then strung in on hemp!

A few weeks ago I found a petrified squirrel in the fields.  I couldn't just let this cute critter waste away in the streets, so I took it home and tried my hand at a few taxidermy projects.  This lucky squirrel paw bracelet is one that will be on sale at my next Motherlode swap meet!

I made this stump ring with a piece of wood I found while thrifting.  Sorry for the blurry shot, but I had to get those green books in the background and this was the only photo that had them!

Friends of the forest, have I ever shared with you my secret recipe for trail mix? I haven't?  Well, then, get out an index card and add this to your recipe box! It's my favorite food of all time, I honestly think I was a squirrel in a past life, hoarding away nuts and berries the way I do! I finally perfected my mix of ingredients from the Dollar Tree...

• one bag of cranberry trail mix  (pick out the raisins and peanuts)
• half a bag of dried cranberries
• cashews
• almonds (the vanilla flavored ones were at the 99 cent store so I stocked up!)
• a bag of pistachios

Now that it's finally fall (though living in Southern California, I don't think I'll ever experience a real fall!  It's 7 am and I'm already hot and sweaty as I write this!) Let's all get into the spirit of the season with some fun activities...

Curl up with a good book!

I had my one year anniversary of working at the library a few weeks ago, so Jesse took me to the bookshop after work and bought me a stack of books.  I was in the children's section when Wildwood caught my eye.  Once I saw that it was written by Colin Meloy, lead singer of The Decemberists, I knew I had to read it! 

Get a faux bois manicure!

I love the idea of nail art, but I could never find any ideas that went with the forest style.  Until I tried using wood grain Con-Tact paper to cover my nails and a leaf hole punch for an accent!

Bake some autumn treats!

I love the smell of baking cookies in the fall, so to bring in the new month, I had a bake-off yesterday!  Owl cookies are sweet with cranberry eyes and an almond beak, and not too sugary for those who prefer natural foods.

Name: Foxy Little Bear

Breed: Ringtailed Fox Cat

Astrological Sign: Aries

Tempermant: Wild

Meet our new feline friend, Foxy!  She was found abandoned at the apartment complex my mom worked at just before she quit for a better job!  Foxy was born & raised in the wild, a field behind the River Ridge apartment complex, and eventually was adopted by some people, but was too wild too handle.  She was on  her way to the shelter when my mom saved her!

This fiesty feline sure has calmed down since she moved into our cottage.  Sure, she still gets into mischief (trying to sqipe Twoface's tail, running away and getting lost, climbing furniture...) but she's adapting to life in the forest fast!

We had a bear storytime at the library, the kids made puppets and I passed out Smokey the Bear bookmarks.  At least working there lets me promote my message of saving the forest to children!

A guy walked into the library was wearing this shirt, I asked him where he got it and he said "a thrift store in Utah"  It just goes to show, thrift stores have the best clothes!  I really liked the shirt, so he sent me a photo of it for the blog...

After work Jesse picked me up in our bug and we drove to the craft store then to the local forest for extra supplies like wood scraps, logs and leaves...

The other day, Jesse and I made an escape to the nearest wilderness we could find...the Cleveland National Forest on the Ortega Mountains!

We spent some time checking out all the local tourist attractions we had never been to before...The Ranger Station, the trails, the candy store that sold berries and squirrel nuts, old Smokey the Bear memrobilia, souvenir shops, the secret mountain roads...

Our campground was host to a whole troop of boy scouts who marched by in uniform as we were cooking breakfast (fry bread with honey and glazed nuts)...They even helped Jesse push his bug out of a ditch!

Jesse and I are used to camping in the backwoods where no one bothers us, so we were quite surprised when the local Forest Ranger threatened to give us both a ticket for not depositing our cash right away!  Normally we always do on the way out at Mt. Palomar... Jesse explained that we were sorry and had made a mistake and please not to give us a ticket as it would ruin my reputation with the Forest industry I am working so hard to get into.  The Ranger lectured us for a bit then gave us his number to call for a volunteer oppurtunity!

Friends of the forest, I do declare I've struck gold in finding the Motherlode!  The owners are so generous they let me put up my buisness cards at their front counter.  I'll be selling my crafts on Saturday, September 3 at their parking lot swap meet.  Just look for the green tent with the squirrel out front!

It seems I just can't get anough of those crazy 'coons these days!  I checked out a new (to me)  animated movie at the library, Pom Poko!  I highly reccomend it...It's like a mix between a Wes Anderson film and Studio Ghibli animation.  The plot centers around a tribe of raccoons who use shape-shifting powers to try to save their forest from destruction.

Hi, friends of the forest!  I've been collecting a ton of raccoon stuff lately at the thrift shops... I found a ceramic raccoon family on a tree at the Motherlode,

a japanese mug with blue mushrooms from the Cornerstore, a racoon mug from the Motherlode,

...and a cheap lil critter from Cornerstore!

love this print by Penelope Dulaghan

forest hair by ambird. 

 I love this print, it really expressed how I feel, like more than a girl, like the spirit of the whole forest in human form.

art print by Kilkennycat

My kitty Twoface is now a certified cat scout.  I recently came across a ton of vintage girl scout uniforms, and dressed Two up in this brownie necktie with some pin "badges".  Now we just have to earn her a badges in mousing, tree climbing, napping and nature!