August 16th, 2026 - August 22nd 2026
Good morning creative friends,
This morning is starting with a nice iced chai—and I am doing everything in my power not to put up the Halloween decorations yet.
Is it too early for fall?
Just kidding. I know it is.
So, for now, I will work from the inside to the outside. No pumpkins on the porch. No cobwebs in the windows. Just a few cozy flavors, orchard colors, good paper, soft cord, and one little wink toward everyone’s favorite poison apple. IYKYK.
This week we are learning Beginning Macramé, personalizing a Modern Orchard tote, making a pocket-sized paper folio, baking a chai-spiced apple cake, and starting a little fall garden before the weather looks anything like fall.
Pour yourself something good and come sit with me for a while.
This Morning’s Cup - Iced Chai
My cozy drink this morning is an iced chai. It has all the cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and clove notes that make me think of fall, but it is still cold enough for an August morning in Southern California.
That feels like the right compromise: fall on the inside, summer on the outside.
If you are making one with me, pour your favorite chai over plenty of ice and add the milk you enjoy. A light dusting of cinnamon on top makes even an ordinary morning feel a little more intentional.
Beginning Macramé
Macramé can look intricate, but it begins with a small collection of useful knots. In this welcoming beginner class, we will practice the essential techniques that turn simple cord into decorative pieces for your home or heartfelt handmade gifts.
No previous macramé experience is needed, and all class supplies will be provided.
Monday, August 17, 2026
6:30–8:00 p.m.
Mayfair Park — Sierra Room
5720 Clark Avenue, Lakewood
Ages 18 and older
Materials fee: $10 exact cash, due to the instructor at the beginning of class
Modern Orchard Stenciled Tote
On Wednesday, we are beginning with a simple orchard-inspired stencil and turning it into a tote that can be as classic, colorful, or mysterious as you would like.
You might keep your apples bright and cheerful, add a name or favorite saying, build a repeating orchard pattern—or take the design in a slightly darker direction. I may make mine look like everyone’s favorite poison apple. IYKYK.
The base project is beginner-friendly, but the personalization is where it becomes yours. Join us live to see what everyone chooses.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
7:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Online for Creative Community members
[VISIT THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY]
Not yet a member? The Creative Community includes guided seasonal projects, a growing project library, downloads, and welcoming creative time throughout the month.
Little Harvest Pocket Folio
One small paper folio can hold an astonishing number of tiny things: recipe cards, tea packets, notes to a friend, autumn plans, favorite quotes, gift cards, or the bits of paper you are certain you will remember—and never do.
During this 30-minute online class, we will turn patterned cardstock into a compact four-pocket folio with removable tags and a simple ribbon closure. Choose apples, leaves, bookish patterns, warm colors, or something completely different. It does not need to look like fall unless you want it to.
This project is designed to be useful, giftable, and easy to personalize.
Friday, August 21, 2026
7:00–7:30 p.m. Pacific Time
Live online
Price: $8
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🌱In the Garden - Start Fall from a Seed Tray
It may be too early for fall decorations, but it is not too early to begin thinking about a small cool-season garden.
The University of California’s planting guidance lists August as an appropriate starting month for several South Coast cool-season crops, including kale, lettuce, and spinach. Because August heat can still be intense, the key is to start small, protect young seeds from the hottest afternoon sun, and keep the seed-starting mix consistently moist without leaving it waterlogged.
A Small-Space Start
Fill a six-cell tray or a few small containers with damp seed-starting mix. Make sure every container has drainage.
Choose one or two cool-season crops—such as leaf lettuce or kale—rather than starting an entire winter garden at once.
Sow according to the depth and spacing on the seed packet. Label each variety immediately.
Place the tray where it receives bright light but protection from the hottest afternoon sun. During a heatwave, move it to a cooler bright location.
Water gently enough that the seeds are not displaced. Check small containers daily because they dry quickly.
Once the seedlings have true leaves, thin them according to the seed packet. When the weather becomes milder, move or transplant them gradually into their final container or garden space.
You do not need a large garden to begin. One bowl of leafy greens on a patio can be a perfectly good start to fall.
Three Weeks of Creative Sunshine
Week Two
Last week we began making a little room for creativity. This week, we are doing it again.
Your project does not need to come from Weekly Whimsy, and it does not need to be finished. You may send a craft, bake, garden project, Creative Community project, or something already in progress. You may even continue working on the same project for all three weeks.
How to Participate This Week
Make something or spend a little time working on a project.
Take one photograph. Faces never need to appear.
Reply to this week’s Weekly Whimsy email with your photograph and the Secret Word by Saturday, August 22.
Everyone who participates during all three weeks—August 9, 16, and 23—will receive a special Plum Forest sunflower sticker sheet in the mail at the end of August.
This Week’s Secret Word
CREATE
After the third week, I will contact everyone who completed the challenge to request a U.S. mailing address. Addresses will be used only to mail the sticker sheets. Submitted photographs will not be shared publicly without separate permission.
💬 Let’s Chat
Got a question, an idea, or just want to say hello? This week, let’s keep the conversation going! Whether you’re sharing a pic of your project or just popping in to chat about what’s on your craft table, we’d love to hear from you.
Use our new hashtag #PlumForestCC when you share on social media so we can all see what everyone’s up to. This is your space, your community—so let’s make it a fun, easygoing place to connect!
A Look Ahead
Next Monday brings paper flowers, so Friday’s little folio gives our paper-loving friends something completely different to make first.
And yes, I am still trying not to decorate for Halloween.
No promises about next week.
Before You Go
You do not have to wait for the weather—or the calendar—to make your home feel a little cozier. Sometimes fall begins with an iced chai, a piece of apple cake, a few warm colors, or six tiny cells of soil waiting for seeds.
That is enough for this week.
Happy creating,
Miss Lakyn
Plum Forest
Where Creativity Feels Like Home.