Hello Again!

I have a terrible habit of disappearing! Well this post is going to be long so pull up a chair, get you some hot chocolate or coffee, and grab a couple of the chocolate chips cookies that I made today, and get comfy.

We have spent almost ever spare minute this fall out on the lake. The trees are so pretty reflecting in the water.

Yngwie has been very busy with his Senior year in high school. I didn't realize how much went into applying to colleges, SAT'S, ACT's, etc... We have had senior photos (that I need to upload), we have gone to several meetings at school explaining tuition (ouch!) etc. This past weekend we headed east to Williamsburg, VA to visit The College of William and Mary.

The college is just beautiful! It was founded in 1693 and is the second oldest college in the country. This is Wrenn Hall that was built in 1693. Unfortunately, it was drizzling rain, breezy and about 40 degrees outside and the tour was two hours long, mostly outdoors. While Yngwie liked the curriculum and the campus, he didn't exactly like the location. What I thought would be really cool, to be in Colonial Williamsburg's backyard, is really what we didn't like about it. The traffic is maddening! There is no parking, tourists are every where! On campus and off. Colonial Williamsburg is truly, just over the fence! Also, to get from SW VA to Williamsburg you have to either go through Richmond, the state capital, or bypass it and get caught up in the traffic heading to Washington DC. And it's 4 1/2 hours from home. So, while he is still leaving it open as a maybe, we will be looking at other colleges. Next on our list is University of Virginia in Charlottesville. That is only 2 hours from home and Momma likes that!

After our tour of the school, we visited several of the shops right outside of the school. I was freezing and chilled to the bone so we decided to eat at the Trellis Restaurant. Let me say if you are ever in Williamsburg, you really need to eat at the Trellis! It was so good! After 5 cups of coffee, I was finally warm enough to enjoy my meal.

For dessert we had the restaurants signature dessert....Death by chocolate! Oh my heavens!!! Words cannot even begin to tell how delicious this was!!! I wasn't able to eat even 1/4 of mine. DH and Yngwie got through about 1/2, but they kindly boxed up the rest and we dined on it the rest of the weekend. I forgot to take a photo of our dessert, but here is a photo I found online: Can you believe that!!!! Absolutely delicious!

Saturday morning I saw an ad in the paper for an estate sale that sounded pretty good and since we were going to Lowes anyway, we swung by. It really wasn't much of a sale but I got his beautiful deviled egg dish. I love teal glassware, it looks so lovely with the light from the window shining through.

Of course I had to put it to use and made deviled eggs today!!

I promised last month to show some more of my Halloween decorations and finally made some pictures today.

For those of you who read my blog, you know that in my kitchen I have a bookcase/whatnot case that I call my "Happy Shelves". I decorate them for every season and Halloween is one of my very favorites!

I really don't think I can squeeze one more item in here!

The two Kelly dolls are new for this year.

The glittered silver skulls are a Dollar Tree find this year. I bought my sisters Mary Moo's at her yard sale and you can spot one of the little fellows over on the left.

I also have put up my Halloween tree:

I got it last year at Michaels and it is PURPLE GLITTERED!!! You really can't improve on that in my opinion! Purple and glitter!!!

My dear friend Nancy from "more than enough" sent me this beautiful fairy lady that for some reason I keep calling a witch. She is not a witch!! She just have a hat that reminds me of a witch, so I hung her on my tree. However, she is going to stay out all year, because I really like her!

I picked up these adorable Peanuts figures at the thrift store a couple of weeks ago, and I know there isn't anything remotely "Halloweeny" about them, they are under the tree too! There is no rhyme or reason to some of the things I use to decorate under my tree. You might also spot one owl salt shaker, a turkey, and a little squirrel.

Other than that, we have been busy doing this:

Why oh why did I ever tell Yngwie he could have an aquarium?? We had an old one up in the attic and he drug that down and set it up and put a few fish in it. Then his friend told him that his grandma had a bigger tank that she wanted to get rid of, (I wonder why!) and that he could have it. So now we have this monstrosity in the den! He has a loche (that came with the tank!!), a few sharks, a pacu (not the biting kind), some tetra and some bright yellow fish. This thing has so much maintenance! Fortunately, he has taken care of it since he has had it and the fish are kind of fun to watch.

So, have I bored you to tears yet??? I'm not promising I will post more often, but hopefully since we aren't out on the lake so much, I will get around to it more often!

Blessings

Linda

Fall has arrived at our house!

Well last weekend I decided to take the plunge and pull out my fall decorations. When I got into the attic I found that I had put Halloween in with the fall, so I just pulled them out too. I sure don't want to dig through that hot attic again in a month!

So let me take you on a tour through my house. First off you will come onto my front porch. The table was made from an old school desk. Now on through the door which is decorated with this fall wreath that I got from the thrift store for $3.00! You will want to take off your light jacket here in the foyer where this antique mirror is wearing it's fall decor. The little banner to the right I made from pretty fall colored fabrics. I have never been able to get a very good photo of this mirror. On to the kitchen where it seems everyone wants to hang out. This is the center island in our kitchen. The crock has a picture of our house painted on the front of it. I got it from LL Bean several years ago. This is the wall opposite the island. On each side of the Fiesta plates are pumpkins made from silk flowers. I thought they were so cute! I made the banner on the plate rack. It says BOO.

This little vignette in the corner features my Brambley Hedge luncheon plate, cup and saucer that my Grandmother got me. The little basket on the right is Longaberger.

Let's take our snacks into the dining room, where the jack o lantern that I bought 29 years ago, the first year I was married, is reposing with it's pretty autumn arrangement.

My dining room has way to much furniture in it, but I like it, so I keep it. This is a small table that holds a clock that my husband made. The beaded pumpkin came from a fall swap last year. This picture really doesn't do it justice. It is so pretty. This has been a very versatile piece. We originally bought it as a baby changing table when Yngwie was born. Now it serves as our side board. Don't you just love those white craft pumpkins!

I will share a few more pics in the upcoming weeks, but I will leave you with my craft of the week. This little candy dish was loosely based on one I saw in the Better Homes * Gardens Holiday Magazine. So easy to make and I really liked how it turned out.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Linda

Welcome September!

While I have had a wonderful summer, I am so ready for fall! I love what I call "sweatshirt/shorts" weather. Not cold, but nippy enough to need the sweatshirt. Of course here in VA the really nippy, cool weather doesn't arrive until sometime in October, some of the September nights are cool enough to pull a blanket up on your bed.

I got the most wonderful mail yesterday from my Secret Sista, who calls herself Mary Jane Sugarpie.

In my package was the tea that was inserted into that cute little teacup card that says "relax", 3 beautiful fall colored dish cloths, and that adorable bird spreader! I have the best secret sista in the world! So last night I made my self some tea in one of my favorite teacups that I only use for very special occasions.

It is called Bramby Hedge and my grandmother bought me the teacup and saucer and a luncheon size plate many years ago. Then I fixed some cream cheese crackers with my homemade jalapeno pepper jelly, got me one of my vintage "Good Old Days" magazines and flopped down in my lazy boy chair and read. Friends, that is my idea of a perfect ending to the day!

Oh, I almost forgot! I finished my Candy Corn mouse last night! I got the pattern for him out of the newest Better Homes and Gardens Holiday magazine. If you don't have it, run to the book store or grocery store and get it! It is full of the cutest crafts for Halloween through Christmas. I do need to do some touch up on the paint. His candy corn was still a little wet when I took this picture.

And by the way, the beautiful woman in the first photo is my late grandmother. It was taken on her farm in Giles County, VA.

Have a great day!

Linda

nananananananananana BAT BOAT!

On their way to fight crime and human injustice, Batman and Robin left their Bat boat into the care of my DH and son.

I am truly hoping that Bat Boat does not remain at our house very long.

Blessings

Linda

Estate sale finds!

Last Friday I took the day off from work for two reasons. #1- to spend the day shopping with Yngwie for his back to school supplies, and #2 - to go to an Estate sale!

They had so many retro/vintage items! It was like going back to 1950! I managed to control myself and only bought a few goodies.

I loved these vintage books. They are actually quite large and the pictures in them are so colorful and cute!

Que, Sera, Sera - Anyone remember the beautiful and talented Doris Day?? I love her and loved these paperdolls. Look at all the beautiful dresses!

In the same box with the childrens books, were these fabulous (and some no so fabulous) patterns.

Believe it or not, all of them are in my size with the exception of the childrens patterns. There is a pattern with several embroidery iron-ons, that is going to my friend Diane. Diane G, if you are reading this they are going on top of your ever expanding pile of books!

I did the Happy dance when I spotted this pixie ash tray. It is even blue!!!! He is so pensive looking. Wonder if he is thinking about the dangers of smoking???

How about this adorable pixie planter!!! And this little guy. I'm not sure if he is a elf or a doll or just a...I don't know what. But, he had the cutest little impish grin that I had to have him, whatever he is! (opps, his belt is coming off!)

Then there was this beautiful Bible. It is covered in mother of pearl and is really beautiful. However, I have left a message with the woman who ran the sale to see if the family wants this as there is stuff written inside:

I can't imagine selling something with this written in it.

See the photo of Yngwie at the top?? Today is the first day of his senior year!! I am so proud of him I could just bust!!!! He is such a blessing to me and his Dad.

Blessings and have a great week!

Linda

Crafty Things

Last weekend my DH and son were gone for most of the day Saturday, my house was fairly clean, and it was way too hot to go outside. So, I spent most of the day crafting! You know those days are few and far between so I enjoyed it immensely!

I found the pattern and instructions for this in my new Create and Decorate magazine. I plan on making at least two more of these in different fall colors. The pattern called for felt leaves on his head but I found some gorgeous, tacky, glittered leaves at the dollar store and you know how much I love glitter, they had to come home with me, so I used them instead and love how it turned out.

Then I made this mini Halloween banner that I think "The Happy Zombie" gave the instructions for it on her website.

Then I pulled out a 1978 Better Homes and Garden craft magazine and made this adorable angel. I must say that patterns today are much better then in 1978 because I had to enlarge this like a gazillion times to get it to the right size. Her head is made from a satin christmas ball and her body and clothing are felt. I love how she turned out.

And if you look closely behind her you will see what else that I did last weekend. 8 pints and 12 half pints of salsa! It turned out really good this year and is a great way to use up the million hot peppers that I have gotten out of the garden!

Its supposed to be another hot day today with temps in the mid 90's. UGH! I am ready for fall!

Blessings

Linda

The end of summer

I can't believe that summer is almost over! To me it seems it just started. Yngwie will soon be going back to school for his last year of high school. A SENIOR! I can't believe it! It was just yesterday that I dropped him off for his first day of kindergarden. He had his Toy Story lunch box and a little lamb cut out tied around his neck with his room number on it. The teachers aid met him at the car and took him to his rooom. I drove a mile down the road, pulled over to the side and cried for a good 10 minutes! When I picked him up he was so excited! He had a best friend named Garrett! 13 years later he and Garrett are still best friends, and while they will be heading off in different directions for college next year, I bet they will always remain friends.


I am getting excited that fall will soon be arriving. I love the colors of the leaves, the mist and nip of a cool morning, and the smell of a woodfire. I found some really cool Halloween fabric when I was at the beach and decided to make a purse. I really like how it turned out. I kinda just made up the pattern as I went along. I love the "BOO" fabric!


I am making some pumpkins from the new Create and Decorate, but have to make a trip to the store for more felt before I can finish them. If you love crafts and fall, the fall issue is great!


Hope everyone has a great day!


Linda

Vacation!

Last week our family headed off to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for our vacation! We had so much fun! The weather couldn't have been better, it was sunny, about 85 degrees with a gentle breeze coming in off the ocean.Don't tell my husband but I found a boy friend while I was visiting S.C. He is a little old and skinny for me, but what does age matter?We also met up with this nice fellow in the aquarium:

Better in the aquarium than in the ocean!

I have threatened to have DH's cell phone surgically attached to his ear!

Then Saturday we headed to High Point, N.C. for the Drag Boat races! All I can say about that is that it was hot and loud! But DH and DS enjoyed them very much!

Of course when we got home I had a mountain of clothes to wash and tons of vegetables in the garden to be picked. So I got busy and made 5 qts. of pickled beets and 5 1/2 pints of hot pepper jelly which is so good served with cream cheese of crackers! YUM! Ohh red and green, reminds me of Christmas, which is less than 5 months away!

So back to the old grind this week!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Linda