Ashley English's Blog, page 10

What I'm Digging

Happy Friday, friends! Just finished up a photo shoot with the talented (and fun!) Naomi Johnson out here. She was getting my mug for the March/April cover (!!!) of Breathe magazine. The weather accommodated perfectly, with loads of sun and a near 60 degree temperature. Crazy to think that it's early February and I can comfortably be outdoors in a light cotton dress, but, hey, I'll take it!

Oh,

The Essential Urban Farmer (Humpday Giveaway!!!)

When I was in my early teens, I started to imagine the type of woman I wanted to be when I grew up. At the time, I was equal parts smitten with fashion, skateboarding (my brother and I had a half-pipe in our backyard and I had posters of Tony Hawk adorning my bedroom walls alongside those of Joey McIntyre), and creative self-expression. I was on the journalism staff, acted in school plays, and

Empowerment Through Dairy-Making

Hi friends! My English Lessons column for Verve magazine has a new post up for February. Today Butter, Tomorrow World Peace touches on the way that dairy-making made me feel I could take on anything. Really. It honestly did. And does.

You can read the post here. I'd love to know if taking on some sort of food-related project empowered you, too. Funny, the things that empower us. For some, it's

Holy Trinity Muffins

Ever since I became a nursing mom, my appetite has been off the charts. I eat like a growing teenage boy, it seems. Each morning, "pre-breakfast" (a glass of water and a bowl of plain yogurt with honey and seasonal fruit) is followed by breakfast, which in turn is followed by a succession of small meals all day.

Partly I do this because I'm the sort of person that has to. Meaning I get low-blood

"Home Grown" Love

Issue No. 6 Trailer from Anthology Magazine on Vimeo.
Our little homestead is featured in the new issue of Anthology magazine! Editor Anh-Minh Le writes so beautifully about our place and what we're up to out here in her piece titled Home Grown. I'm so excited by this, as I just adore the publication. Photographer Jen Siska visited us this past October for a fun-filled afternoon of photo-taking.

What I'm Digging

Happy Friday friends! Hope your week has gone well. Ours has been characterized by unusually warm weather and a sniffling, sneezing, coughing baby. We've been making the most of the balmy days, taking walks down the driveway to the creek that runs alongside our driveway's entrance and opening up windows in the house during the day (in JANUARY! It boggles the mind...).

As for Huxley, I've been

Recent Acquisitions

I didn't really need another reason to love Larry's Beans. A coffee roaster across the state in Raleigh, Larry's already has so much going on for their beans and their business. They use organic, shade-grown beans (which is better for birds and bugs), they engage in fair-trade practices (wherein people are treated like, well, people, and not commodities), they heat their building with solar

Tiny Reminders

I was just outside, emptying items into the recycling station when I came across these beauties. Surrounded by what looked like a small village of daffodils about to burst, these two Hellebores are living proof that, no matter how dormant and inactive it may appear, the soil is always, always, always teeming with life and activity.

I appreciate that reminder. Life never slows, not for any of us.

Weekend Love

Huxley got some quality reading time in with his grandmother ("Gigi") and great-grandmother ("Nanny") yesterday. They typically come over every Sunday, when Hubs heads out for 4 hours (!!!) of board time with the local Scrabble club. As we were having friends over for brunch today, we switched things up and hung out yesterday.

I can't even begin to tell you how much it makes my heart swell to

Recent Acquisitions

I'm super excited about these new Tattler lids Kristina gave me on Friday. Thanks, friend!

While I adore canning, I've long lamented the FDA recommendation to use new canning lids for every batch. Thankfully, Tattler's lids can be used again and again.

Have any of you used them? I'd love your feedback. I'm about to make some of my kumquat 5-spice marmalade and would like to give them a go.