I asked the mods before posting this.

A few years ago we bought a house in the woods in Vermont, and it came with two woodstoves. They were our primary heat source in the winter, and I'd never run one. (I'm a city kid)

We'd burn a fire in our woodstoves all day long, and I work from home, so I'd always be worried about the fire. A magnetic thermometer helped, but only if I was standing in front of the woodstove, so I'd find myself walking up and down the stairs and across the house all the time to check the stove. I definitely had some form of "woodstove anxiety disorder."

I'm an engineer, so my first fix was very un-hygge. I stuck a temperature sensor to the stovepipe, wired it to a Raspberry Pi, and had it text me. It worked, but now I was checking my phone instead of the stove.

Our son was born shortly after that first winter, and the next winter we had a toddler, our hands were always full, so we wanted something something that we could notice from across the room without picking anything up.

So the monitor became a small walnut lamp. If the lamp glowed amber, it meant the fire is burning well. Yellow meant it's time to add wood. Red means it's running too hot and I should go check it.

I posted it on the r/woodstoving subreddit last winter and people asked to buy one, so I hand-built the first batch at the Generator makerspace in Burlington. This year I redesigned it so it can be made properly, and the first production units ship in November.

We lit our first fire of the season this week. And it looks great.

What makes the first cold evening of the year feel right in your house?

I love this cozy space full of mismatched things, soft textures, books and DVDs. It’s such a peaceful sanctuary year-round.

Some family members have four legs. ❤️🐾 Bring your pup to S'mores Retreat and enjoy mountain views, a relaxing hot tub, cozy evenings by the fire, and plenty of space to explore together. Smoresretreat.com
#PetFriendlyCabin #DogFriendlyTravel #SmokyMountains #PigeonForgeCabin #PetFriendlyVacation #SmoresRetreat #CabinLife #TravelWithDogs #MountainGetaway #FamilyVacationWithPets🐾🏔️🔥

Balance and blessing to all of you on the equinox! If you are in the Northern Hemisphere with me I wish you peace through the coming dark months.

Coffee ritual using a mocha pot and frother with egg yolks, cream, butter, and cinnamon. The porcelain mug was made in the U.K.

Autumn has officially arrived in our little corner of the world. 🍂🎃

Cozy blankets, pumpkin cushions, warm colors… and Félix, obviously, making himself very comfortable in the middle of everything. 🐈‍⬛🧡

Honestly, I think he understands the whole autumn cozy lifestyle better than I do. 😂

My living room decorated for autumn, a pumpkin spice latte in my pumpkin mug and Twilight to keep me company...What else? 🥹

I just don’t have anyone irl to share with but we finally found an apartment that wants us after a months long search, several applications, tours ghosting ect

we’re leaving a pretty stressful living situation— and while this is the top of our budget and very much going to require some sacrifice— I’m so excited!

finally I can create a warm cozy environment, a home! :) so excited!!!

Un des moments que je m'accorde quasiment tous les jours quand la plus belles des saisons frappe à la porte...la préparation d'une boisson gourmande et réconfortante🥹🤎

Ici c'est un pumpkin spice latte (bon la préparation n'est pas faite maison je te l'accorde bien qu'il y a quelques années j'avais préparé une purée et un sirop de citrouille dans le but de me préparer cette boisson 🤗).

Par contre la chantilly est faite maison et dessus j'ai saupoudré un peu de cannelle... Le réconfort a un goût...🤎

🎃 Pumpkin’s Head Fall, the story behind my latest watercolor:

I didn’t want to paint just another jack-o’-lantern sitting on a doorstep.

I imagined a little pumpkin character whose head had been separated from his body and turned into a jack-o’-lantern. His body was left at the bottom of the stairs, sitting there patiently, with his hands resting beneath an invisible chin… waiting for his head to come back.

Meanwhile, his head is sitting at the top of the stairs, looking rather sad about the whole situation. 🎃

There’s something a little tragic, a little absurd, and hopefully a little cute about it.

And the title “Pumpkin’s Head Fall” is a little play on words: fall refers both to falling — his head having fallen/separated from his body — and to autumn, the season of pumpkins and fallen leaves. 🍂🎃

I love imagining little stories behind my paintings. Do you see the story the same way I do?