november in the studio + in the garden

In November, my focus turns to holiday preparations in the studio. This month found me starting lots of infusions, from the beautiful calendula, frankincense and marshmallow root infusion that grounds our nourishing serum (a cold-weather necessity!), to the gorgeous fragrant cardamom and vanilla base of my new botanical perfume. As in the natural world, there is a bit of a squirreling-away energy in the studio this time of year, putting to use all the beautiful flowers and herbs grown and harvested by our farm partners during the summer months. Meanwhile, the garden begins to fade into a rich tapestry of wet leaves and fluffy seed pods. The autumn color this year was superb, despite the dry summer.

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above, clockwise from top left:

making use of all the mood lighting in the studio as the days grow shorter

exquisite dried organic calendula from Vermont, ready to be infused in freshly pressed organic jojoba oil

the first paperwhite narcissus flower, a fragrant treat as winter approaches

starting the infusion for elettaria, with organic cane alcohol, organic Tahitian vanilla beans and regeneratively farmed cardamom from Guatamala

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now playing in the studio? a lot of Hildegard von Bingen

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below, clockwise from top left:

finally, we’ve had some good rain this month

the shapely pods of the common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca

a beautiful red grape leaf, encountered on a rainy morning

the papery shimmer of the spent oakleaf hydrangea flowers, these will often keep their lovely shape and texture right through the winter

Warmly,

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more autumn notes