My Home For The Holidays

Valentine's Day Is Coming!

2012-01-28T01:45:00.002-05:00

Over at Tidy Mom's blog, she has some cute ideas for Valentine's Day. I have been looking or more ideas on small crafts to make to give my Avon customers for Valentine's Day.

Over at the Scrap Shoppe blog, she has stuffed paper hearts that I just love and look easy enough to make.

My mom had made stuffed paper gingerbread men out of brown paper bags and these go right along with that sort of craft. I love them. I will have to give these a go and let you know how mine look!

I think these will be perfect little gifts that I can somehow create a Valentine's Day discount with them. Maybe on the backs of them I will put a % off tag and they can reach into a basket and pull out their heart discount.

I will share pictures when complete.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Freezer Cooking With Crock Pots and Other Food Related Discussion

2012-01-27T09:46:00.000-05:00

photo credit "Mama and Baby Love"

So I came across these freezer meals you can put right into your crockpot....I thought...how awesome! You bag up some meals and the day you want to make them, you get them out of the freezer, defrost a bit and dump into the crock pot. I really think I am going to try this. I found some great recipes and helpful hints and tips here at Mama and Baby Love and also here at The Krazy Coupon Lady.

I read reviews and concerns that went both ways on this type of freezing and cooking

placing raw meat in the bags with the rest of ingredients - I think this is ok...it is going straight to the freezer - hey I ate dirt as a kid....I am still here....
the veggies may get mushy and the sweet potatoes might taste like the carrots, visa versa....I don't know....I think if you don't let them get freezer burnt and use the bags within a month it should be ok and still taste fresh?
not blanching the veggies - sort of same as the above....
too much sodium using the recipes with cream of ... soups....for those with sodium issues, I think there are reduced sodium soups??? OR....just don't make those recipes and/or find a substitution

Now, I do not like to leave the crock pot on while I am at work. We have 2 older models and I am just not comfortable leaving it on even if on low. That is just me and one of my quirks. I will though leave it on overnight while we sleep as we do have smoke detectors if that makes any sense.
These would make great Saturday and Sunday meals as well as covered dish meals, my day off meals, and just having them on hand for a "just in case" meal. So, if I made about 8-10 of them up a month, it would cover most of those days. Also, I don't want to have one every night as we do like other types of food for supper.

breakfast for dinner - bacon/sausage with egg sandwiches/omelets and maybe some pancakes
chicken ceasar salads
pork chops, stuffing and either buttered noodles/mashed potatoes and a steamed veggie
oven baked chicken with the above side dishes - love a crispy skin (yes we eat the skins here...)
Tacos!
Fish - broiled, fried or baked - either will do
Seafood - broiled, fried or baked as well.

You know, things like that. Although there are other things I could make in the crock pot with simple easy prep that I don't have to pre freeze, but most of these I make on the stove top in a dutch oven.

ham/green beans and potatoes (all mixed together with some onion added) - ( I use ham hocks )
soups - potato or veggie
chili
pork and sauerkraut ( I slow roast this in the oven or crock pot - depends on my mood and the day)

Those are just an example of things we like to have for supper.

Our diet changes over the summer - we do more grilled meat, steamed/grilled veggies, pasta salads, fruit salads - things like that.

With all of that said, I will still try the freezer to crock pot method for a portion of our meal preparation as I see it has many benefits.

I can pick 4-5 recipes per month, purchase the items to make at least 8 of them (2 of each), peel, chop, bag and freeze and those meals are ready to go.

So far my favorite ones that I saw were

BBQ chicken
Brown sugar chicken
Beef sandwiches
Goulash

I have also googled freezer to crock pot recipes and found others for beef stew and other fun meals.

One last thing about crock pot cooking - I found a great idea to wrap potatoes in foil and place in crock pot and slow cook - this would be great for a family/freinds baked potato bar topping night! Use smaller potatoes so everyone can have more than one with different toppings! Everyone bring a topping to share and all you have is supply the baked potatoes! Hmm....Mom....you reading this? Lets do this one family supper night.....

What's Happening This Week...

2012-01-26T09:27:00.001-05:00

She love the camera

Please enjoy these pictures of my granddaughter while I go on and on about the projects and things I have been accomplishing or attempting to accomplish.

Patty cakes at it's finest

Besides babysitting my granddaughter and enjoying her new love of patty-caking...

I have started to sew curtains for the guest room/Melody's room when she can sleep in a bed/My Marine son's room if he decides to sleep here on his time back at home/spare room....boy it has a lot of uses!

I found some lace and some mint green fabric that I have been toying with on the sewing machine. I will need to purchase curtain rods for these. When they are finished, I will post pictures. Right now, they are a work in progress.

She is all girl....chatting away on the "cell phone"

I filed my income tax this morning - federal, state AND local! I am on the ball! I have ulterior motives though. I want that $$$. I will purchase the nifty difty/handy dandy camera and ALL that comes with it that I have been "borrowing" with this money, I will begin looking for carpet for the master bedroom and purchase it with this money, and I will also get my passport with this money so I can enjoy a cruise this summer with my ENTIRE family - sadly minus my son as he will be deployed at that time.

I love this little patty caking peanut - tongue out and all
I think she is gonna be a handful as she gets older - she is
all smiles and happiness now - but I sense a little bit of her
Grandma in her.....

Next on the agenda is

painting the bookcase in the guest room
finishing the edging on the quilt in the guest room
painting the dresser in the guest room
adding the rest of the personal touches in the guest room
begin planning this years veggie garden - with seedlings and creating a map of the garden
begin planning and making a timeline for the floral gardens that will edge the perimeter of the house

That is it for now as that is enough to keep me busy for a bit.

At least for the next 2 months.

After that it will be after winter clean up in the sun room and more focus on the outdoors with gardening and such.

I also need to make a spring clean up list - like carpet shampooing, yard cleanup from any snowstorms we may possibly get etc....

Snowy Days

2012-01-22T10:34:00.000-05:00

We had a bit of snow over the weekend, so I thought I would get the camera out and test it out on the outdoors. Boy do I still have a lot to learn with this camera.

Thankfully we had a lot of wood stored in the shed so it is nice and dry to keep us nice and warm this chilly weekend. Believe it or not, it is supposed to get up to 50 degrees on Monday!

Some bluebirds decided to visit the suet feeder....

This is where I was having difficulty with the camera. It takes great moving shots, but I need to work on the color in my editing. Since I am starting in automatic mode with the camera ( beginners mode...lol) The white all wants to look gray, so I have to adjust it in Picasa. I am just going to have to learn to get out of automatic and learn the settings. It will come in time, I just have to study, practice and play with it.

I was surprised that this bluebird let me get as close as a I did. He did look at me occasionally, but went back to pecking away at the suet.

We later decided to go for a drive up to the project ( a wooded area) to look for deer or other wildlife. Thought we would see some easily in the snow. All we came across is the local farmers mules and some cows. I sort of overexposed the mule picture. Had it on the wrong setting....

I do love cows....

More Pictures With The Camera.....

2012-01-19T21:00:00.000-05:00

Of course these pictures of my granddaughter - 9 months old in a few days...

Thought I would make this one sepia

I still have to play with the lighting on these pics....lots to learn....

Ok So I Am Trying Out A New Camera (New To Me)

2012-01-19T09:53:00.000-05:00

A co worker of Mr H is into photography and has probably spent a small mint on cameras and lenses and the sort. Mr H was telling him that I love to take pictures but am not happy with the quality and clarity of my everyday camera. So this co worker brought in one of his that has 3 different lenses to choose from as well as added flash...the works...
So I have been doing nothing but taking crash courses in photography, understanding ISO and Av stuff....and just practicing in different lights, different lenses and all that jazz. So here are some pictures I took....I still need more practice and the true test of this camera will be when we go to the hockey game this Saturday. I want those action puck in the net shots that I just can't seem to get with my camera. More on that will come later.

I just love the clarity of the pictures. This is a spring arrangement I did last year. I do see though that on the right side it is a bit blurred and will need to work on that and making sure I have the setting on the right "speeds" - I am still learning the lingo of photography....

I am much happier with this picture than I was with the picture I took a few days ago when I made this little arrangement for the guest room.

Here is the other arrangement I made last week and have it on the shelf in the guest room. I was having difficulty finding just the right light and took this picture with several different settings and flashes. I can't wait until I get this room finished and get that out dated wallpaper off there and throw some fresh paint on it....so ignore the wallpaper.

This is an Easter arrangement (yes I put Easter up already) from last year. The clarity of it suits me fine, although I still need more practice.

The rest of my bunny collection that I hope we get more of this year at work. I would like to have a larger vingnette of these guys.

Anyway.....I will be honing up on my photography skills with this camera and I will probably purchase it from him as it is for sale.....he is giving a good price and I can't pass it up. I love to take pictures, whether it be family, nature, floral, crafts and sporting events.
Now that I have spent the entire morning playing with this camera and researching online...I must get some work done!

Valentine In A Frame - My Version

2012-01-18T11:07:00.000-05:00

Ok, so if you read the previous post , you will see another version of this craft/decor idea for Valentine's Day. Mine is a bit different as..

my frames are not as elaborate but suit me
I used gingham hearts in stead of red
I used a different color of the red
I made my second one a myriad of hearts in stead of the #14

It doesn't matter, if you make these, make them your own style. I ended up googling vintage sheet music and found many images of old already aged sheet music. Mine were not that aged and I liked this better. It printed out nicely.

Other ideas are

leave the glass out and make it 3D
use a different background - lace, tissue paper, etc...
use vintage Valentine's cards instead of hearts - you can print vintage Valentine's out just by googling for images of vintage valentines
pictures of your favorite Valentine!!!

I have a few frames left that I may spraypaint one green and do a similar St Patty's Day shamrock style frame.

Whatever you do, just have fun with it and enjoy your new Valentine Day decor.

If you haven't already, please stop by Pearl's Handcuffs and Happy Hour blog to see the original version!

Inexpensive Valentine's Day Decor Ideas...

2012-01-18T07:36:00.000-05:00

While scanning thru Pinterest, I was looking for some Valentine's decor ideas. Something simple and will not break them bank.

The above is from Pearls, Handcuffs & Happy Hour click on the link for a tutorial.

I have many frames in a drawer that I can do this with. You can also download and print sheet music, but I still have sheet music from my piano playing days as a youth. Red construction paper or whatever red paper you have and cut out the hearts and numbers........for me, this would cost me $0!

After I complete this project I will post pictures....

This idea comes from It's The Little Things Blog . Click the name and you find more ideas from this crafty gal. This one is also easy...hurricane vases or any vase that will fit a candle and candies, white candles or even pink....and some candy hearts. So fun and festive.
I may actually use this one for a Valentine display item at my job. We have those vases, candles and I can get the candy hearts from the grocery side of the store. Easy and a great way to sell the vases and candles!! We also have battery timered pillar candles that would work in this arrangement.

Well, off to dig out those frames.....have a great day!

Matching Colors

2012-01-16T07:48:00.000-05:00

I found this great website that has all sort of color combinations for you to find your exact shades in decorating.

It is called Design Seeds.

I love this site! Whether you are decorating and looking for the right color combinations to paint and accessorize your room , to colors to match for clothing and accessories, crafts and sewing....it is endless hos you can use this site to make your projects all come together.

I found this site from Pinterest and started a color board.

What amazed me is seeing it like this, there were colors that I thought that would never go together and seeing them all together like this, I love it!

I may even use this for my job as a visual merchandiser, I need to bring color out and highlight with the right accessories...using fabric, paper and home decor designs....

Feeling Crafty Today

2012-01-15T18:38:00.000-05:00

The fire was made, the wood brought in, the chores done, Mr H was napping (while watching football), so I went into the craft room and just started putting things together.

This basket is a flat wall basket which was handmade here in Lancaster County. It was sitting empty in the spare room closet, so while cleaning it out to turn it into a guest room, I thought this basket could use some greens. (It was empty) I added some moss, ivy, fern, yellow floral and some berries. I think I will hang this on the front door after Valentine's Day is over, as my Valentine heart wreath will be put away.

This little guy is from a green glass pitcher I had laying around. I actually have two of them. The other I use for fresh flower bouquets in the summer time. Anyway, I put some floral foam inside and covered it with moss. I then placed ivy stems around the bottom and took apart an old swag that I had in my floral box. The swag was filled with white and yellow daisies. I took the heads off and placed them throughout the arrangement. I added some more moss and some ivy sprigs and finished with that. This arrangement will go on a shelf in the bookcase in the guest room.

This was just done on a whim. I had a nice flat piece of dried mushroom like piece. It laid nice and flat, so I took a small styrofoam ball and covered it with moss. I used floral pins to keep the moss in place. Next I glued the mossy styrofoam ball to the mushroom piece. More ivy was used (I still have ivy left even after using on all 3 products). I then looked through the floral box and found a bush that had pink roses and such and just took it apart and added it to this piece. It is different and unusual, but I think it will also fit nicely in the guest room.

I am going to paint the bookcase white and distress it, so these country like pieces fit nicely in that setting. Most of my home is a combo of country, prim and some shabby chic.....so that will do. Also, the colors will all fit. The yellows and pinks will fit in with the mint green I plan to use as well as go with the quilt that belonged to my grandmother.

I am happy with my pieces and can't to show them off when the room is complete!!!

If You Like Bald Eagles....

2012-01-14T15:30:00.000-05:00

Check out my other blog - From My Garden To Yours and read about our adventure of seeing a bald eagle behind our house this afternoon....

Re Decorating The Guest Room Using Pinterest

2012-01-14T07:31:00.000-05:00

I love Pinterest! I made a Board just for my guest room decorating to get ideas and to organize my thoughts all in one place. I found some color swatches to help me decide what colors to go with the mint green I want to use. The above I like .....

(Just to note, all I did was used their search button to look up mint green colors, room colors....just like you would google something, just use their search for whatever it is you are looking for)

But then also liked these colors together. I also found other color swatches I have on my board. I need to remember that I have brown carpeting and want it all to come together.....

I also saw this mint green background in this distressed white cabinet. I am now thinking of painting the book case white and distressing it. Then painting the inside where the wallpaper is.

So many ideas to get on Pinterest. Check out my button on the top right corner on my screen that says "Follow me on Pinterest. "

If you want an invitation to join, just let me know. I have several invites left. Or you can just sign up on your own....

I love it!

The Guest Room Redo Part I

2012-01-13T11:09:00.000-05:00

Ok so I got the room cleaned out....sort of....don't look in the closet or the cupboards beneath the bookcase. They are filled with "the what the heck do I so with this stuff we use occasionally....or belong to Mr H's collection of Nascar and other stuff'' ....

Anyway, starting off with the bed. I love the quilt, as it belonged to my grandmother, but it is for a single bed. So I am thinking of adding to the edges...a ruffle of sort to extend it down below the boxspring. I also need to find a mint green fitted sheet to put on the boxspring to cover it up. The quilt is very pastel and mint green is the color I am going to go with. I know it is outdated, but I am going for what pleases my eye....not the "in thing".

This pink bench also belonged to my grandmother. My mom gave it to me some years ago. I think I will mend a cracked leg, recover with a mint green fabric and possibly restain it to whatever I stain the rest of the fixtures. The stand itself will be great for guests to place their suitcase on as well.

Window covering. I am thinking I may go lacey with this. since there is white in the bedspread, I will go with a white lace. I may even have some scraps, but no matter what, I will be making these.

Not sure if I want to do cafe style, full length or mid length panels with or without a valence. Will see about that later and how much fabric I have or will need to purchase.

The dresser is worn and beat up a bit. So I may restain this as well. The walls are white/off white, and I am thinking that I may just do a lighter brown or blonde on this. The lamp is unfinished and I may just paint that white and add a mint green lampshade???

Don't mind the carpet shampooer in the corner....I think we have room for it in the basement....just need to clear another spot for that. The bedroom closet is full.....that will be a project in itself, but not a top priority.

The bookcase is in sad shape as far as paint. The wood itself is quite sturdy, so all it needs is a painting. Also the wallpaper behind needs to come off and painted to match the rest of the walls. I may do this in a blonde or lighter brown as well. The carpet is brown and we are not going to be changing this carpet anytime soon. There is nothing wrong with the carpet and it is in great shape. I have some books of variety on the shelves and will probably take away personal family pictures....not sure....I have plenty of those and could fill the shelves nicely. That will be a last minute decision on how it looks after.

I think just by lightening up the dresser and book case, and possibly the headboard, it will all come together.

I also need to place some baskets on the shelves with handtowels and perfumed soaps as well as make my picture board for the wall. I also have some nice prints to hang on the wall by a local artist that will really add to the room.

Also needed is a clock radio - look out yard sales....

Also, I want to place books of local attractions and sort of a visitors guide to the area.

There is a nice section in the middle of the bookcase to place a laptop and we have wireless network, so guests can have computer access with their own laptop. If I had a spare, I would just place it there.

I will also keep a blank shelf to place bath towels and cloths when guests do arrive as well as a spare pillow for comfort.

Just add a floral arrangement or two and get a case for fresh flowers when guests do come for a visit.

The painting will not happen for a few weeks until I get the paints/stains....

The curtains may happen next week

the bedspread and bench will be within the next few weeks as well.

Stay tuned as I would like to have this completed before I go back to work fulltime in the latter part of February....

Meanwhile, we are going to work on getting our master bedroom carpeted with income tax return money and I will show a pic of that when completed.

The computer room will be the next overhaul....wall paper needs to come off, a large bed frame from a water bed needs to be removed.....and bigger computer desks for Mr H and I.

So much to be done, but one step at a time.....

These will be our 2012 projects.

Now I need to finish redecorating the livingroom and kitchen/dining from taking the Christmas decor down....still have not completed that.

I think I work harder now than when I was working full time.....but that's ok...the benefits outweigh all the hard work.

January News and Organizing

2012-01-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

January makes you think of cold and snow, freezing and ice, dark and dreary...

Not here of late! We have been having mild weather here with daytime highs in the mid to upper 40's and some days 50 and close to 60 degrees!!

My daffodils are about 5-6" tall! I shall have to keep my eye on the nighttime temps though and possibly cover those little stems to protect them if we are forcasted some frosty weather this month or next.

Meanwhile, I have seem to fallen behind on my chores and tasks. The weather has been so gorgeous, that I am outdoors more or wanting to go outdoors more often being shopping or just running around...For January, I am usually holed up in the house getting crafts and redecorating done.....

I did get my calendar set up on my phone and have downloaded some great helpful apps like grocery shopping lists where I can actually scan UPC codes on my phone and it will add to my list. I also downloaded some recipe of the day apps that will inspire me to make something different for Mr H and me....

Plus I added one more thing to my workload.....

one of the girls at work used to sell Avon and she decided she did not want too anymore....So....everyone said...who will do the Avon now? So I volunteered....I am now taking Avon orders and will soon have a website posted for that. I am not doing it fulltime or going aggressive on it....just mainly doing it for the girls at work and myself.

Here is my list of January to do's that may also be helpful to you as this is a great time of year to get these things accomplished

redecorate one room in the house - for me this would be the guest room - I have been talking and talking about getting this done, and this is the week it shall start!
the livingroom and dining/kitchen are looking bare since all the Christmas decor is down - either keep it simple or start with Valentine's or even Easter/Spring (since it feels so springlike around here!) I did promise posts of before and after...I still have some things to set out, although it will be much simpler this year being as I have a 9 month crawling around twice a week...
get income tax items ready and organized. As soon as I get my W2, I file online and get that refund! LOL.
set up a monthly craft project night with a couple friends. I talked to a friend of mine and we are going to set up a craft night, we are interested in making chicken wire cloches this month....shall be fun and pictures will be posted of that!
update or set up a filing system - bill paying, vacations, to do projects/plans whatever you have happening - you may need to have one for your kids school work and sporting events as well....

Starting the New Year off right

Each night before bed, make sure the dining/kitchen table is clean and clear. All mail and paperwork filed and put away. Coats hung in the closet, laundry in the hamper, no dirty dishes in the sink, pack lunch(es) for next day.
Weekly, plan next weeks calendar and look ahead to the following week and make notes for those important dates. (Good to do on a Sunday evening). Have some sort of filing system to keep you organized.
Monthly, pick a room in the house to deep clean and declutter.

Next month....

I will revisit the above list and see what I actually accomplished!

Next we will - Declutter the computer - purge files, make new files, organize pictures and documents, favorites list updates etc....

Celebration Day For My Mom

2012-01-09T09:24:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken Christmas Day 2011. There is an orb at the right of her head
I cannot get rid of it through paint cloning, but love this picture of my mom
her happy and smiling face is priceless
I believe the orb is an angel watching over her....

Today marks the 4 year anniversary of the day she received the news - CANCER.

Her diagnosis was stage IV ovarian cancer.

My mom has and still is fighting the battle.

her strength and determination

her hope and faith

her positive and uplifting attitude

are some of the many reasons why I think, she is still here today.

Yes, the chemo, a great doctor and support of family and friends and, yes, a good health insurance plan and the American Cancer Society

are also reasons she is still here

but I believe that most of all it is her determination to not let this cancer define her.

In the last 4 years during her battle and her fight to overcome

she has

seen her youngest daughter and her only son get married

she became a great grandmother

she has traveled to many places

she has retired from her job and is enjoying the fruits of retirement

she has celebrated 45 plus years of marriage to my father

she has seen her only two grandsons become men - one a Marine and the other a father

plus many many more milestones in our family's lives.

The war may not be over, but many battles have been won....

keep up the fight, strength and your never ending positive attitude

Love you Mom!

On Our Way Home From A Family Function....

2012-01-08T22:37:00.000-05:00

We get behind a horse and buggy and see two pair of feet sticking out the back.....it was just kind of funny seeing those dangling feet hanging out the back....it turns out later, after we stopped at the house to change on our way to to a hockey game....we come around a sharp corner and almost had a close call with this buggy!!! The owners of those two dangling feet decided to get out and walk behind the buggy and we came to a halt as we had no idea this buggy was on the road at this place around this sharp turn.....
As much as I love to see the Amish and the buggies and the farmland they own in this area.....sometimes they are just a danger to us drivers (and themselves) when they are at a complete stop on a sharp turn in the road in the lane you are driving not expecting to have them there. Scared the heck out of us....
So we went around them, they just smiled and waved at us......

Baklava

2012-01-07T15:15:00.000-05:00

I was feeling ambitious today and made some baklava. I have never made this before and looked for recipes on the internet. So I came up with my own concoction of those recipes with a few adjustments of my own.

I used one sleeve of phylo dough
1/2 pound of butter (melted)
about a cup of crushed walnuts
sprinkles of Tastefully Simple Caramel Cinnamon Sprinkles

For the sauce
1 c water
1 c sugar
boil until sugar dissolves
add
1 t more or less of vanilla
1 t lemon juice (I would have used a real lemon but did not have one)
1/2 c honey
brought this all to a boil for about 10 minutes
and at the last minute I decided to add some of the remaining melted butter from above.

I buttered a 9x12 baking dish
layered 2 sheets at a time of phylo dough and then spread melted butter on top of the dough until covered
did this a couple times and then sprinkled handfuls of nuts and the caramel cinnamon sprinkles
repeated until I ran out of dough.
Sprinkled some nuts and sprinkles on top
scored the dough I just did squares (I did this the whole way through)

baked for 30 min in 350 degree oven
when I took it out of the oven, I just poured the sauce mixture over top. It sizzled and smelled so good!!!!
I think you are supposed to wait until it cools to eat, but I could not resist and had to have a piece....had to taste test it!!!!!

I am happy with the results. Now Mr H needs to try some....

~~~Just to note - I am not a Tastefully Simple rep, nor am being reimbursed for this....I just happened to have it in my cupboard and thought to use this instead of plain cinnamon.~~~

The Livingroom Before Or After - Depends On How You Look At It!

2012-01-06T06:58:00.000-05:00

Not too exciting, huh... I say before of after as it is before I figure out how I want to decorate with all the Christmas things put away....which is the after....it looks so bare without all tree and the mantle decor. I may just go simple as my little granddaughter is very mobile, and since I am laid off, I will watch her more often and want her to be comfortable without Grandma constantly saying No Melody, don't touch that! ....LOL.

I am not sure if I will keep the tree by the fireplace as I do like to do a year round tree, but may just put a smaller tree....

here... I will eventually want to do an Easter egg tree. I can place it on here where I had the gingerbread tree over Christmas.

So I am unsure at this moment until I dig out all my everyday decor and see what I have to piece together and will show an after picture either later today or tomorrow.

I still have to put away the rest of the boxes of Christmas decor down in the storage area, but ran out of time yesterday as my little sweetie came to visit.

She was with me Wednesday and Thursday - the shirt she is wearing was a Christmas present from moi! It says, "What happens at Grandma's Stays at Grandmas....lol

As you can see by this picture, she is already standing at the coffee table. So I will have to be careful at what I place and where. It has been SO long since I had to worry about things like this. She crawls over and pulls herself up! I also have to go to the store and buy some outlet covers!!!

So I will be taking a lot of consideration in decorating with this little peanut running around.

A Challenge!

2012-01-04T06:33:00.000-05:00

Funky Junk Interiors is having a challenge. Click here to read more . I think my picture perfect room shall be the guest room! It is currently the junk room and I mean JUNK! Mr H and I have been itching to get this room done and since I am "laid off" work for about 6 weeks, I think this is the time to get it done!
So I will chart my progress on here with before, during and after pictures of this main event.

First things first though, I must get the Christmas decor down. Now that holiday vacations are over, my son is back at base, I can focus on getting the decor down this week and begin the project either this weekend or next Monday. Meanwhile, I do need to plan on a color/decor scheme/theme and get material to make curtains as well as I want to make a visitors center to hang on the wall.

A few years ago, I stayed at someone's home during a vacation and she had a piece of stretched canvas covered in fabric with some ribbon crisscrossed and it was able to hold pictures, menus, sightseeing places etc. I made several of these years ago, but have since "lost" mine due to moving etc. We have so many historical and fine dining places in the area and these would be perfect to put on the visitors board as well as some postcards from the area.

Other things I would like to add to this room is a basket with soaps and lotions as well as a vase for fresh flowers from the garden (or the store depending on the time of year) Anything to make an overnight visitor feel welcome.

The room is not very big by any standards, but will do fine for guests.
If you are interested in joining Funky Junk Interiors challenge, visit the above website and be inspired!

Organization

2012-01-03T17:31:00.000-05:00

So Mr H and I got new cell phones for Christmas.

Mine is sort of like the ones above - and I have the purple cover - and I discovered that I can just use the calendar on the phone for organization. No more carrying around a pocket calendar!

I have entered in all the important dates like I would a new pocket calendar. Then I put in some new appointments and the best thing is that there is an alarm to alert me to an event that I choose!

I can also make myself sticky notes to remember things or just to "jot" things down, I can also read books on my phone that I have downloaded free. The free books are the classics and I LOVE reading them! Right now I am on the L.Frank Baum series of all the adventures in the land of Oz, believe it or not! I love it!!!!

It is also my address book, that I will complete while I am laid off this month, plus so much more I can do on this little phone.

I also love the fact that I can wifi on it whenever we are out and Mr H and I can both access the internet whenever we need to look something up on the run. Trust me, we have done this already a few times. I have also looked up recipes while grocery shopping to get the right ingredients. One night we were out and had some baklava....we loved it so much, that we googled it right at the restaurant for the recipe, and went out and bought the ingredients to make it at home....lol.

If you have a cell phone with these capabilities, make sure you are using them to their full extent that fits your plan.

For me it takes no more time than writing it down...I just type it in and save. (Dates in the calendar, sticky notes and such) If I get a brainstorm idea, I quickly type it in the sticky notes and off I go.

I also can make my grocery list on the sticky notes.....

So much in one little phone.....

Oh, and I can blog from my phone as well.....I did not do this one, but I will probably do so in the future if I am away from my puter and want to write a post.....AWESOME!!!!

New Years Day 2012

2012-01-01T20:45:00.000-05:00

Every New Years Day we all (my mothers side of the family) gather at my Aunts house. She makes the main course of pork and sauerkraut and the rest of us bring the remainder for the meal.

This is Sweet Melody's first New Years day dinner and she was enjoying her mashed potatoes and applesauce. She did have a taste of sauerkraut and actually did not spit it out!

I love this little tater face!

Sweet Melody and her mommy.

My cousin and my sister in a conversation over chocolate cake with peanut butter icing.....doesn't get better than that for dessert!!

Melody and daddy playing around after dinner

Part of the family having after dinner conversation and in the background, what is left of the meal!

There were lots of kids there playing in the front room, so I took Melody in to partake in all the fun. She had a BLAST watching the girls & boys carry on acting silly and just doting over her. Melody is the first of her generation in the family.

All in all it was a good day.

Mr H and I started it off with an omelet and shrimp brunch after waking up after 8:30 am. We dallied around the house for a bit until around noon and decided to nap and nap we did....until 2:30! My Marine and his friend called and wanted to visit, so they came over and played some pool and hung out until time to leave for my Aunts house for the pork and sauerkraut.

Mr H and I are home now, tired and full in the belly and are just gonna relax until bedtime.

Tomorrow, we both have the day off and will enjoy some added quality time together.

My Marine has to leave bright and early Tuesday morning, so I am sure he will visit with us for awhile before he leaves.

So day 2 of 2012 is looking pretty awesome as well!

Happy New Years!!!

2012-01-01T01:32:00.000-05:00

January 1st started off with a smooch from Mr H and then a toast of sparkling apple juice while surrounded by friends.

This girl is heading off to bed ( It is only 1:32am January 1) and then preparing to eat a hearty portion of pork and sauerkraut later in the day to bring us luck for the upcoming year.

Will post pictures tomorrow of the fun and festivities of family enjoying New Years Day at my Aunt's house.

I can't think of a better way to start this chapter of 2012....friends and family.

Closing The Chapter On The Book 2011

2011-12-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

As this year comes to an end this night, I reflect back on all that has happened in 2011. There has been a lot of devastation in my neck of the woods of weather related loss and casualties with the flood this past summer, too many deaths of young children in driving related accidents, murder of a neighbors daughter and many other things that will make people in this community say...good riddance 2011.
I must say that it makes me feel a bit guilty saying that 2011 has been a good year for our family. Mr H and I were the only ones in our neighborhood that did not have any water in our basement during that flood. We were so fortunate. We also dodged the devastation of when the first snow came before Halloween and many people lost trees and homes due to that snow.,...we did not have one single problem...all of our trees made it fine.
It seems that 2011 for my family is a year that we will all remember fondly.

My youngest son, who I remember worrying about as a youngster as to what his life will hold for him, became a US Marine on June 3rd. He made it through boot camp, school of infantry and now is waiting deployment to wherever his country needs him. He also bought his first car, on his own, and just got his first tattoo ( not sure how I feel about that, but he is a grown man at the young age of 19).
My oldest son, he is a plumber and has been since he graduated high school ( he is 26 years old). He not only just recently bought his first home, but he has given me a beautiful granddaughter (my first grandchild) on Good Friday and what a good Friday it was! Sweet Melody...I love her dearly.
My mother, who was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer almost 4 years to this date, has fought a long hard battle and seems to be currently winning as she has been given another 6 months of NO CHEMO!. To say that I am glad that mother is still with us after all that would be an understatement. No matter how many times in my life I butted heads with my mother, she is still my mom and I can not EVER imagine life without her. She is my hero. Fighting that battle that is cancer.
My dad, he is a man that I have the utmost respect for. He and my mom have been married forever and through all my moms ups and downs with cancer, he has stayed by her side and taken care of her. This past year he has taken my my mom on cruises and vacations that will give them memories for years and years to come.
My sister, she is a go getter. She has worked her way up in her position at her work by going to night school, was president this past year of the local Lions Club (youngest ever and second female). She is only 27 years old. She celebrated her first year wedding anniversary this past year and she can probably make a list of all her accomplishments this year longer than this blog post!
My brother, he is another go getter. He is a the Director of Music at one of the largest Lutheran Churches in the New England States. He is currently successful in this position and I admire him greatly. He also celebrated this past year his first wedding anniversary and he too could make a huge list of accomplishments this year as well.
Me? Well, I got a job promotion this year, became a first time grandma and my Mr H proposed marriage to me on Christmas day. Mr H and I also spent a lovely vacation going to my sons Marine graduation and also spent time in South Carolina at the beach staying with his terrific cousin, who is owner of a Poogan's Porch restaurant in Charleston, SC. If you ever go to Charleston, YOU HAVE TO EAT AT POOGAN'S PORCH! The building itself is historical and you may be lucky to see the ghost that roams the halls, but the food is FANTASTIC! When you visit there, ask for Bobbi and tell her Curt and Laurie say hello!!!

So now, what will 2012 bring??? I do know that it will bring a bit of bittersweetness for me. With my son being deployed at some point, I will have sleepless nights and days of worry, but on the same token, will be proud of his choice to serve his country. 2012 may also bring a wedding? Well that depends on my sons deployment and when he returns...as he MUST be there when Mr H and I say our vows and start that new chapter of our lives. It will also bring my granddaughters first birthday and a cruise to Bermuda with my ENTIRE family (thanks Mom and Dad!)

So as I close this book on 2011, I say thank you to all my readers of this blog. I thank you for the comments and the visits. I wish you all a Very Happy New Year, full of love, good health, family and prosperity.

A Christmas To Remember....( note - lots of pictures )

2011-12-26T20:22:00.000-05:00

Christmas morning started off with Mr H and I exchanging our gifts - me a gift certificate to one of my favorite clothing stores and SAve Speedwell Forge t shirt. Mr H got a nice fluffy robe and slippers. We had already gotten our main Christmas presents of new smart phones and we were both satisfied. Around 9:30 am everybody on my side of the family (less my brother and brother in law - they live in MA and could not make it in) Brunch consisted of (see above picture) sushi (thanks sister) cookies, shrimp, cheese, a big pot of fruit salad.....

2 types of breakfast strata, 2 lbs. of bacon and some pepper spread with cream cheese and crackers. Everyone enjoyed the spread and most of it was gone, especially the strata and bacon!!!

The boys enjoyed some pool time and the arcade games.

Mr H, my mom, my sister and my dad enjoying some conversation around the bar.

My sweet granddaughter and her Uncle Mike enjoyed some quality time together.

4 generations - My mom, me, my oldest son and his daughter (my granddaughter), Melody

Aunt Amanda (my little sister) and Melody having fun together.

Melody is so content with her Uncle Mike

Time for presents - Sweet Melody's first Christmas. She was very interested in looking at the wrapping paper.

New books, new toys, new clothes...she made out like a bandit! We haven't had a baby in the family since my youngest son, Michael.

Melody and daddy (my oldest son)

More playtime with new toys.

Now comes the kicker of the day....

Mr H comes into the livingroom after all the presents were open. He says to me (whole family is there) "I forgot to give you one of your presents!" I said, " How could you forget that box?" (The one on the bottom with the santa claus on it.)

So I open the box and inside is another box, and inside that another box.....the last box had some tissue paper in it. Inside the tissue paper was a small box. At that moment I knew what it was....an engagement ring! Mr H asked me to marry him in front of my whole family!!!!

Of course I said YES!

A date has not been set yet as I really want my youngest son to be there. He is more than likely getting deployed in the next 3-4 months and will be gone for about 7-8 months when that happens. So, after my Marine returns, we shall marry as I can not get married without my youngest son being there.

After all of this excitement, I then proceeded to make Christmas dinner for Mr H's parents who later came over and shared in our excitement.

After that long eventful day, we went to bed exhausted.

I did have a picture of the ring that I posted on facebook. I took the pic from my new phone, uploaded it and had tons of comments on it. While trying to delete an app off my phone, I think I deleted the upload and the picture disappeared from facebook along with all the comments :(

So, no pic of the ring for now, but I will post one later.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas day, as this is one that I will always remember!

Today is Mr H and my anniversary of 2 years that we started off together.

Maybe a Christmas wedding will be planned to follow suit with our meeting, getting engaged during the holiday season.....

Never fear, when we do set a date, I will start wedding planning on here as Mr H wants a big wedding with a big reception....lol.....

Merry Christmas To All

2011-12-24T10:29:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL IN BLOGGER LAND!!!!

More Vintage Images For You To Enjoy - Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T21:20:00.000-05:00

Click here to visit this blog - Magic Moonlight for some free images!!!! They are awesome!

You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry You Better Not Pout, I'm Telling You Why...

2011-12-23T20:46:00.000-05:00

It's the eve of the eve of Christmas.

So much to do yet, but I have it all under control...

Wrap last of presents (Mr H is so sneaky I have to hide his Can't tell cause he reads this blog sometimes)
bake cookies tomorrow ( have to wait til last minute so Mr H doesn't eat them all - need some for Christmas morning for the family brunch)
clean house (Mr H will be happy to help out...lol)
put plan into place for the pre-making Christmas brunch and Christmas dinner ( just need to write it all down and go from there - everything is purchased, just need to map out the timing of it all)

That's really it.

I am so excited!!!! My son just came home from North Carolina as well to make it all the better!!!!

He will be here with me tomorrow while I am baking - hmm...hopefully there will be cookies left for Christmas morning between him and Mr H!

I can't wait until my granddaughter is here on Christmas day to open her presents and to just enjoy her company.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.

Need Some Last Minute Christmas Cards?

2011-12-20T09:31:00.000-05:00

If you are like me and ran out of Christmas cards and needed some quick for my work exchange, here is a great site

CLICK HERE

The cards are Victorian/vintage in nature, and print out quite nicely. 2 per page and cut nicely and evenly.

If you have some heavier card stock and some adhesive and glitter, that would make a nice addition to the card. Just take some adhesive to edges of areas you want glitter and then sprinkle the glitter and shake off excess. This would add an even more vintage touch.

Unfortunately for me, I don't have any glitter. I ran out, so mine are just plain, but I did hand write notes in each one wishing the recipient a very Merry Christmas. On a few of the more personal ones, I also wrote something that reflected the past year of the good times I had with that particular person.

It felt good to get back to handwriting personal notes instead of a text, email or facebook!

Snoopy Vs. Red Baron - Merry Christmas

2011-12-19T20:24:00.002-05:00

When I Am Having A Not So Good Day, I Watch This....

2011-12-15T20:25:00.000-05:00

I hope she makes you smile as much as she does me. I can't get enough of this girl. Being a grandmother has turned out to be one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. So far, since she was born, I have taken pictures of her each month. The changes and stages in her growth and development are all captured in those pictures. I am thinking of making a book when she turns 1 of each month of her first year of life. In that book I may also include my stories I have written titled Dear Melody. My stories are in a personal diary I have here at home and I think it will make for a lovely book for her to have as a keepsake. It may just be an annual thing I do for her as long as I am able to do it. You never know what the future holds for you and I think that to keep my memory with her with pictures and words, she may always know how much she is loved.
I guess I am feeling sentimental today. Maybe a bit blue. I miss my youngest son. He has only been gone since Thanksgiving, but for some reason, I just can't shake the fact that he is unable to call me at the moment. He is on some training mission in the USMC and he can't text or call me since he left and hopefully in the next couple of days I will finally hear from him. Lord knows how I will be when he actually gets deployed. That weighs on my mind so heavily. I know he is a big boy, but he is still my baby. I also feel guilty being this way since recently in our community we have yet lost more children due to car accidents. In this past year, 5 boys from our community were all killed, together, in a car accident, before that ( about 6 months before) one boy was killed in a car accident (all high school football players from our school district), our neighbor across the street lost their young pregnant daughter to her boyfriend shooting her in the head (I know - very graphic, but that is what happened) killing both her and her unborn daughter, and here of late last week, 3 siblings were killed in an auto accident - all of the above from our town. I think to myself....how do these parents cope, how do they deal with this especially when the holidays roll around. Here I am missing my kid, knowing he is ok, but upset because I can't hear from him and feel guilty because there are parents that don't have that luxury of knowing a phone call or text will soon come from their children. I just can't imagine what parents go through when they lose a child and know that they will never hear their sweet voices or see their beautiful smiles again. My heart goes out to them so much.
Tomorrow is a new day, but for now, I will watch my granddaughter read to me and then make Mr H's lunch for work tomorrow and then slip into our nice warm bed. Thankfully Mr H understands my moods and will snuggle me until I fall asleep.
Sorry for the whining and rambling, it's just one of those days. Hormones I guess. Tomorrow I am sure to snap out of it. After all, it is Friday and there is a hockey game happening and I have off Saturday ( another hockey game in the evening) and Mr H and I will spend the entire day together! Maybe my son will call over the weekend.........

Santa Baby...

2011-12-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

I spent a fun afternoon playing with my granddaughter. I was surprised she left me keep this on her head! I sang Santa Baby to her. She thought it was funny.

I can't believe how big she is getting. She has about 6 teeth and is quite the eater! Just like her grandma I say to her.

We love to look at picture books and she "reading" to grandma.

My son's family is so blessed to have such a happy little girl. She is content and just a joy to be with.

I love that little girl dearly.

Repurposing A Crate Part II

2011-12-14T13:25:00.000-05:00

Well, that did not take me long to figure out!!! I just took the crate outside, placed it on the bench, cut some greens off the tree, added a bow and VIOLA! Finished!

You can see the cracks in the bench I posted about previously. I still think I can either fix it or hide it and just paint it a different color next spring and plant all around it. I won't be used for sitting, but will be used to house shade baskets and other florals in the summer.

Simple, yet makes a nice decoration for the holidays and I will keep it there over the winter.

The whole thing cost me....NOTHING! The crate - free, the greens - free, the bow - made that last year from some left over ribbon in my stash. THAT will make Mr H happy.

I love my little shade garden oasis. Right now it is pretty barren, but watch for next spring and summer when the ground comes to life bursting with color.

Repurposing A Crate

2011-12-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

I recently came across this wooden crate/box at work. Greens for the fresh floral area were delivered in this. She was going to throw it out and I said....hey I can do something with that! So I brought it home and now I have a few ideas. Thanks to Pinterest and looking at pictures of repurposed items, I have been inspired to use things that would have generally been thrown out and making something new or useful out of it,

I will first take the yellow tags off the side, tighten up the wires that hold it together and possibly stain it lightly or just leave it eau natural. One of the things I think I will do with it is cut some evergreens from the huge trees we have in the back and just fill it with greens and put a nice big bow on the front.

Mr H was out the other day and saw a bench sitting out for the trash and brought it home. He knows how I am on the repurpose bandwagon and is happy to oblige. So it is sitting under the evergreen trees in the shade garden area and I think maybe I will just place the greens filled crate on the bench.
This summer I plan to repair and repaint the garden bench. I think the wood is cracked and I can fix it. If the crate holds up out on the bench during the winter, which it should, I may just stain that as well and use it for a planter in the shade garden as well. I think I can get more crates as I saw two more in the cooler filled with greens and she knows I will gladly take the crates off her hands.
So I will keep posted on what I decide to do with the crate and after winter, I will work on the bench and post that as well.

My Friends Christmas Decorations

2011-12-11T07:49:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine had a small gathering in her home for a bit of Christmas cheer and she graciously allowed me to take some pictures of her decorated home. Her decorating style is a combo of Primitive/Shabby Chic/Rustic. This is one of her many trees. The pictures I have posted are only a small and I mean small sampling of what she has. I did not even get into the kitchen/dining area where she has all of her gingerbread and her one bedroom that is the teddy bear room.....then there is her bathroom that is all decked out as well.

Another tree, but I only took a close up of this one as there is an ornament on there that I wanted to get a closer look at.

This one here. It is an antique (100+ years) clip on glass candle globe. It belonged to her father if I remember correctly.

I loved this little bench she has sitting underneath her counter leading into her kitchen.

Another tree in her spare bedroom.

Some awesome Santas she has collected over the years. I love the white look of them.

A closer look at the top of the above picture.

This shelf hangs in one of her bathrooms.

Her whole home is decorated completely - every room. If you don't feel the Christmas Spirit when you leave, then something is wrong. She should give a tour of her home for Christmas. It is just amazing what she has and how she decorates with it all.

I wish I could show you everything, but we would be here for quite awhile.

Let The Christmas Crafts Begin!!!

2011-12-07T09:47:00.000-05:00

The time has come to start dragging out all the things I bought last year at the end of Christmas clearance sale, items I got for dirt cheap! I started with this plain old ordinary swag, not exciting, but with a few additions, I imagined something for a table centerpiece, mantlepiece, entryway or coffee table.

In my bags of goodies I also found this tealight or double votive holder that was missing it's votive cups (hence why I got it at a discount - there were items missing). I wanted this to be the center of the swag.

My yarn balls I made last year were getting tired of sitting in the rusty bucket where they sat in the sunroom for the past year. I thought these would make a nice addition along with the piece. I also had in my bag of goodies lots of picks and baubles and other things to adorn the swag.

This is my finished piece. I have lots of votive cups and they fit nicely in the holders. I can't even tell you what this entire project cost me, but I do know that it was under $10 if not even about $5. Just using things I purchased at rock bottom prices if not free and items that I had just hanging around the house or in my craft room.

This little bowl with an old tree and more items just laying in the craft room came together to make this rustic little table decoration as well. Nothing in here was recently purchased and ALL of it were just scraps of things I had laying around in the craft room. The bowl is from a set I have that I never use and wanted to give at least one of them some purpose.

So these are two of this years holiday additions to the decor. Now I just need to find a good home for them!

Just Came Across A New Blog - New To Me Anyway....

2011-12-06T07:53:00.000-05:00

This blog looks so much fun and just by seeing and reading one post, I was hooked!
Check it out if you are into old stuff and a different way to decorate

http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

Staying In and Keeping Warm!

2011-12-02T19:11:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Mr H and I are staying in and keeping warm with a fire in the stove and hockey on the tv! We decided to eat the leftover shephards pie that I made the other night along with some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert. The evenings are beginning to get cooler and having a fire in the stove makes for a cozy evening.

Tomorrow is an exciting day! We are taking the granddaughter to see Santa at Mr H's workplace function for a couple of hours and later in the evening is hockey! Saturday's game is teddy bear night which means when the Bears score their first goal, everyone throws teddy bears onto the ice to be given to the Children's Miracle Network. We have several bears to throw and I can't wait to go.

Last night, Mister H and I stopped in a thrift store, and what bargains and finds I purchased! This particular thrift shop had a Christmas room and the items in there were unbelievable! I found some primitive items, baby's first christmas bibs as well as 6 very nice holiday placemats at such reasonable prices - yard sale prices! There was so much to look at and it made me ask myself, why did people get rid of such treasures??? Oh well, treasures to me and will make great craft projects for Christmas giving. When I begin my Christmas crafting, I will post some of the items I transformed into new and exciting gifts as well a s decor for myself.

Well, off to enjoy the coziness of the fire and get the game on!

More Christmas Decor - Gingerbread, Feather Tree, Snowman and More

2011-11-30T06:52:00.000-05:00

I will soon have to get a larger tree for the gingerbread. It is becoming quite full! My favorite gingerbread on the tree are the ones my mom made years ago...maybe the early 1980's??? They are the paper bag gingerbread. I have one large one and a few smaller ones. This was a fun tree for me to do as I had some new items to add. My mom had given me two strings of lights that were wrapped or tied with homespun fabric. I looks like strips were tied onto it and the nice thing is you don't see the wire and it is two products in one - lights and garland. It fit perfectly with this theme. Also something new I added were antique spools/spindles to stick out of the tree.

Here is a close up of the top of the tree and you can see the old spools/spindles sticking out here and there. I also put cookie cutters on this tree as well.

Just another view of the tree and how I set it in the dry sink. I love my ladder and decorate that as well with pictures and other handmade primitive ornaments.

Another of my favorite trees is the feather tree. I use mercury ornaments on this one with some clay round primitive stamped and painted discs. This year I put the tree inside a crock. I need to get a small round rug to place under this tree.

The table centerpiece is my snowman feather tree. I set on top of a candle ring that also has snowmen on it and placed it the wooden square - not sure what you would call that - I guess it usually held fruit??? .

This is a wreath I made several years ago. I love the chipboard houses and thought one would look lovely on a wreath after I saw a coworker (the silk floral designer at my work) make one a few years ago and just had to copy it to make one my own.

Back to the living room, I made up a small basket of greens, snowflakes and balls to set on the coffee table.

Another view of the living room from yesterdays post. I still have work to do at the base of the fireplace. I think I am going to add some candle pillars yet and would love to get Mr H to open the fireplace doors and place different height candles inside there. He has lived here over 17 years and has never used that fireplace let alone opened the doors. Apparently, when he looked down the chimney he said it so clean and he believes this fireplace has never been used since the house was built in the 70's. So I will let him inspect the inside as you just don't know what will fall through it the flue is opened....hahaha.

I do think candles will look nice in there and as I look at this picture I am going to remove the fencing I have around the fireplace. I wanted it to continue from the base of the tree, but it just doesn't do it for me.

I am sure there will be other minor changes as I realized I am missing my snowman heads and wooden snowflakes,. Thee are more boxes in the basement/family room that I need to go through. Also, when looking at pictures I can see things that are not really how I wanted it to look. Ever changing for me until I get it just right. I already added more houses that I found in boxes to the main Christmas tree to complete the country road theme complete with houses along the snowy roads. I also changed the front picture window after I said I would do it when all other decorating was done, but I added a tree topper and some snow and some glitter gift boxes with more snow around the base.

Today I am going to work at it some more until my granddaughter comes to visit this afternoon. She will love all the lights and looking at the different objects.

Update On Christmas Decorating

2011-11-29T08:55:00.000-05:00

So I changed the snow on the Country Roads Christmas tree. I had drape on it and did not like how it laid, so I found some fluff in my craft stuff and changed that out. I also added white branches as I love things protruding out of my main tree. To me, my tree is more of a vignette than just decorations. I want it tell some sort of a "story". This particular story is of the buggy at the top of the tree waiting to be harnessed to travel through the snowy, windy roads.

You can see the black buggy sitting at the bottom of the hill from the house on the snowy path.

I look at it this way...my kids are grown, I don't have to put on the those kiddy ornaments anymore as I have given my oldest sons ornaments to him for his family tree now that he has a daughter of his own and for my youngest, the Marine, I have his stowed away for his waiting family someday.

I love deer and I have collected many over the past few years and now I can have a "Deer in the Woods" theme on the mantel. I should change out the picture - it is a clock - just for the holidays. I have a wreath I am working on and may just place it there for the time being.

Just some close ups of some of the deer as well as the snowflake and christmas ball embellishments.

Believe it or not a lot of these deer are what I call second chance deer. I purchased them from work at a discount as most of them were broken by customers and unsaleable. I brought them home and mended them and gave them a second chance. Most of them you have to look really close to see where they were fixed. LOVE love love gorilla super glue!!!!

This is the scene in the front picture window. Just an ornate tree with lots of gold and red surrounded on the bottom with layers of gold beading and gold glittered packages filled with christmas balls. I have 3 carolers, 2 on one side and 1 on the other singing the praises of Christmas and all that goes with it. I don't really have a name for this scene and quite honestly I am not sure I in love with it. It may possibly change but for now, it is there. My problem is that it doesnt' go with the the other two themes in the room. After I finish all of the decorating in the house, I may revisit this area.....

I still have one tree by fireplace - it is a 5 foot Alpine that is bare at the moment. I may just put white lights on it and leave it at that.....

The next tree to decorate is the kitchen gingerbread and lastly is the one in the basement. That will take some time.

I best hurry as Christmas is not too far away!!!!!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-27T17:09:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving day was fantastic. My youngest son and Mr H's oldest son came for dinner along with the senior Mr and Mrs H. Oh and I can't forget Mr H's son's dog, Stewie. We posed Stewie with my Marine as Stewie is the breed of the USMC mascot! Just having fun!
The turkey was fantastic in the new roaster. I did the mashed potatoes and stuffing in crock pots, and the green bean casserole went in the oven. It all went well and we had homemade pumpkin pie (from the garden) for dessert. My parents joined all of us for the pie and it was the first time my mom saw my son in his dress blues.
Sadly, my oldest son and his family were not in attendance, but Friday made up for all of that!

Black Friday, I had to work, so my mom made a big family dinner for my son's leaving the next day back to the grind of the Marine Corp. We had roast beef, corn, mac and cheese, broccoli and pie for dessert. I couldn't r resist a picture with my son and granddaughter.

My baby sister and sweet Melody.

Saturday I had to work and then off to a Bears hockey game, but Sunday I did have the day off and started to decorate. I am doing a country road theme tree this year. Complete with snow paths, fencing and lots of poinsettias.

This is the top of the tree. I still have some work to do on it, but I need a few supplies to finish. That will come as we near Christmas. I like to add to the tree making it ever changing. I really only need some holly bushes to finish it off and maybe make some chipboard houses to go along with it.
I will continue to post pictures of the decorating progress as it gets completed. There is so much happening here of late, that my evenings are filled to the brim and I have to squeeze it all in.
I hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend and tomorrow it is back to the grind!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T21:00:00.002-05:00

I made a collage of what I am thankful most this year. It has been a prosperous year with our family expanding and moving in different directions. So much has happened and it has been an overwhelming year at times. Lots of tears, but tears of happiness and pride. I can't tell you how blessed I feel and so very much to be thankful for.

I wish you all a Very Happy Thanksgiving

GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!

Thanksgiving Prep and Other Things....

2011-11-23T07:42:00.000-05:00

So I planned my whole Thanksgiving meal on Pinterest by looking up several recipes and ways to make it all go smoother and have it all on one board for easy finding.

Here is what I found.

We recently purchased an electric roaster. My only fear is that the turkey will not get as brown, but after looking up several websites I have found a way to get around that. I can either use Kitchen Bouquet Browning Sauce with some paprika and butter and smather it all over the turkey, or I can take the removable roaster pan out and set in oven at 400 degrees for half hour or just leave it as is. I will decide once I see how the turkey turns out. I know I will slather it with oil and herbs, not sure about the kitchen bouquet. I am sure no matter what I do it will all turn out fine.

The reason we bought the roaster was to save space in the oven. I have found other space savers.

I will make the mashed potatoes in the morning and put them in the crock pot to keep warm until time to eat. One recommendation was to place some milk and butter in the bottom of the crock pot before putting the mashed potatoes in to keep warm. I think I will do that. I may also make them just a bit runnier than usual so when they stiffen in the crock pot, they will still be moist, but I do like the idea of having extra milk and butter in the bottom. I have also saved other mashed potato recipes, but they require sour cream and cream cheese and I am rather fond of just plain potatoes, butter and milk, so I probably won't go that route. Maybe I will so this with Christmas dinner when I make the ham in the roaster.

Next I looked up stuffing in the crock pot. EASY! Just make them as usual and place in crockpot. High for one hour and low for the next 4-8 hours...seems like a long range in time. I will make the stuffing the day before (today) place in fridge and just transfer to crockpot tomorrow morning. No biggie.

So I still have room in my oven as nothing is being done in there yet....oh but, there is the green bean casserole...so that will be in the oven and I can make that easy hit right before dinner is ready to be served.

Everything else is stove top method that I make, so I am ready!!!!

Today's plan

clean house
make stuffing
bake pies
go to thanksgiving eve hockey game!!!!

I can't wait until tomorrow because ever since I was a little girl, I have ALWAYS watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I don't think I EVER missed it. It is a little thing with me that I must watch it as for me....Christmas season really starts when I see Santa Claus arrive at the end of the parade at noon. You see, I still believe in Santa...I can hear that magic bell ring (Polar Express - my favorite children's Christmas book) and I always get misty eyed when I see Santa arrive on his sleigh in front of Macy's. Weird I know...and yes, I might decorate for Christmas before hand, but it really doesn't start for me until I see Santa. For some reason I always thought the Macy's Santa was the real Santa....hahaha....yes I know...grow up...but it is fun and festive and it is not all of the gifts that Santa brings, it is his magic.

After the Thanksgiving Day parade is the Dog Show and I am happy to say that one of my coworkers (former - she was transferred to another garden center) is on the show!!!! She will be showing her dog and don't ask me the breed of the dog as it is a complicated name so I will give you the initials PBGV. Here is a link to watch a clip from the show of her. So kudos to her as she has worked hard with Beau over the past couple years.

Have a happy Thanksgiving all!!!

What A Great Idea

2011-11-22T04:59:00.000-05:00

I hate to iron, just ask my mother. She will tell you and she will also tell you how many irons of hers I have broken while growing up. Now I do own an iron, but I do not have an ironing board. If I need a quick press, I just lay a towel on the bed and do it there. While cruising on Pinterest, I came across this easy ironing board that I can make and stow away in my bedroom closet in stead of buying a big pain in the butt ironing board. Check it out here . I have all of the supplies to make one and maybe after the holidays when I have more time for crafting and making new stuff, I shall make one of these gems.

Home For The Holiday

2011-11-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, at work, I was patiently...well sort of...waiting for my son to let me know when he was going to finally come to see his mother (ME) after returning home for a holiday leave. As I was returning from lunch, my coworkers asked if he was going to stop by? I said..."Well I texted him and asked when he was gonna come see his momma and haven't heard back, that little stinker!" Just as I was saying that I saw far across the store a tall head walking by the registers. I stood on my tiptoes and said..."I think he is here...I know that is him!" I ran out the doors and up the aisles and there he was...all dressed in his uniform...My sister was with him video taping the whole reunion. (He decided to stop by my sisters work - where he used to work- before coming to see me!!!!) She came along on her lunch break to watch him surprise me. It was a joyous reunion. So glad to finally see him and the FIRST time I ever saw him in his dress uniform. Lucky for me I only had 2 more hours of work and in the meantime, he went to his old elementary and high school to visit some of his previous teachers. He said the children at the elementary school were fascinated by him and asked him a lot of questions. I wish I could have watched him sitting with the children surrounded by wide eyes and inquisitive minds.
Later, after work, he came to visit Mr H and I and we had a lovely time and went out for dinner. I want to give kuddos to the Kountry Kitchen in Manheim for presenting the tab with a no charge for my sons meal. That was AWESOME! Gave me a whole new respect for that place along with their yummy home cooked food.
It shall be an exciting week and a most Thankful Thanksgiving this year. This may be the last time I see him, if he can't make it home for Christmas, until who knows when.
My baby boy is all grown up....but he will always be my baby. Oh who am I kidding, both my boys will always be the little tykes that hung onto my leg, snuggled with me and are the sunshine of my life (including my sweet granddaughter).

Doily Rug and Pinterest

2011-11-15T07:59:00.000-05:00

HELP! I am looking for the instructions on how to do this by hand and can't find them anywhere. I have googled and searched and must be missing the instructions somewhere. The only thing I worry about with this though is the cost...I am not sure how much the cording is to do this, but I would love to just check it out and see if I can do this. All the crocheting is done by hand - no crochet needles...

Also, have you heard or saw the website - Pinterest? It is my new addiction

Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard.

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite.

I love it! go to www.pinterest.com or you can click on my button at the top right of my blog where it says follow me on pinterest. You can find the most amazing ideas for virtually anything! It is my new "facebook" so to speak.

That is where I found the above doily rug and fell in love with it, and want to make one if I can and can afford it! HAHA.

Hitting The Airwaves!

2011-11-12T16:16:00.000-05:00

I had an exciting day today. At the garden center where I work, we are having our holiday open house and one of the local radio stations was there. They were doing a remote broadcast of the festivities and the GM did 2 radio interviews and I got to do 2. We mostly talked about what is happening during our open house and what is on sale. My two were about our theme trees as I am one of the decorators and the second was about what is on sale and our special coupon to use during the open house.

The only person I called to listen was Mr H. He listened to both my spots and said he was proud of me. It is a country music station, so sadly it isn't one that I listen too. I am more of a classic rock/oldies girl.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T15:26:00.002-05:00

Holiday Grand Plan Update

2011-11-08T06:50:00.000-05:00

Ok So I am a bit behind already once again!

I did not get the guest room done. - Hopefully tomorrow
I did get the garden things done except now I have 8 perennial plants to plant and still have to dig out the elephant ear bulbs. So that must be done this week as the temps are in the 60's and perfect for doing so. The chimney has been cleaned as well as the wood stove and wood has been split.
I did not get the family room dusted or vacuumed. The weekend was taken up by working both days and the cleaning of the wood stove etc and such.
I did get the cupboards cleaned out in the kitchen - the pantry is ready for baking and that is done.
I did not get my Halloween things down and put up gingerbread....

The next two weeks are the garage and the attic - neither needs to be done as that has been taken care of over the summer and Mr H keeps a clean garage. So I have 2 more weeks to catch up with the family room, garden, taking down Halloween and putting up gingerbread and also changing the front door to something more seasonal other than my witches broom letting people know the witch is in...haha.

Other things to be done on the Christmas list

Christmas cards - I don't send out too many, but need to make that list nevertheless
Christmas gift giving - I must make that list as well
Christmas cookie baking - I would like to plan an evening with my mother, sister, daughter in law and granddaughter.
Christmas crafts - I few in mind and would like to make one new arrangement for my mantle this year.
Christmas lights - I would LOVE to wrap the tree in the backyard this year with lights - it is a major task, but maybe I can convince Mr H to do this with me.

I can't believe it is only 46 days until Christmas then it is all over.

Primitive/Rustic Christmas Decor Ideas for 2011

2011-11-06T20:26:00.000-05:00

Use some antique type garland in your decor or trees.

The top of this garland spool would make a great ornament or gift package adornment. Spray some silver glitter or glue some silver glitter to give it a little sparkle.

Add some greenery/pine cones to your decor.

OTHER IDEAS

Place a quilted tree skirt on the bottom of a tree
Use homespun material in your decor - wrap some styrofoam balls with strips of homespun or even wrap some yarn around styrofoam balls of assorted sizes and place in a wooden bowl or rustic pail.
Use neutral colors instead of the bright reds and greens of Christmas
Use natural items in your decor - have a white birch tree in the backyard? Trim a few branches and poke through the tree, string pine cones throughout the tree or hang from homespun strips of fabric.
Dried cranberries strung with popcorn make a delightful garland on your tree or to trim your mantle.

Other notes

you can change the whole look of last years tree just by adding 2 or 3 new items.
decorate your mantle using these combinations - floral/greenery, lighting, a scene/theme (like deer or carolers or snowmen etc) as well as keeping your numbers odd - use 3 candles instead of 2 - and they don't have to be grouped together - place 2 on one side and one on the other. I like a deer scene, so I have 5 deer - 2 laying and 3 standing....etc.

Here is a link to another Primitive post I did several years back - CLICK HERE

This year I am going to go more rustic with my decor - I will be adding branches to my trees as well as more pine cones and berries of sorts. This is for my livingroom tree. My kitchen tree will be gingerbread. The family room tree will be santa themed and I am starting a patriotic vintage Christmas theme where I need to make room for. I think it will be an offshoot in the livingroom by the fireplace. Then there will be snowmen mixed in here and there. Gosh! I have a lot to do, soon time to get started!

I would love to hear some of your primitive/rustic ideas you do in your home in the comments. I am always looking for new ideas.

Wood Splitting and Chimney Cleaning Kind Of Day!

2011-11-05T17:45:00.000-04:00

SANTA! Is that you peeking down my chimney? I have been a good girl this year....

No....just Mr H cleaning out the chimney preparing for this winters heat. We took apart the wood stove pipes, cleaned them out and he went on the roof and did his chimney sweep thing. This annual event has made us experts on chimney sweeping. We finally got it down pat how to put the pipes back together and fit it from the stove into the wall without too much incident. The first time we did this together we had a rough time, but today it went pretty smoothly.

The creosote from the chimney. There was enough there to make a mess.

Now it time to get the wood split to put into the wood stove. Mr H just got his wood splitter fixed and this is the first time I ever saw it really working, Believe it or not, the guy that fixed it only charged him $2o! He put a starter on it, a shut off button and made it so he can either start it by battery jumper cables or pulling the thingy like you do for a lawn mower. I don't know the technical words...I just know it was finally working after years of sitting idle at the back of the yard and Mr H having to chop the wood by hand for the fire.

I swear the wood goes through like butter on a hot knife! Makes life a lot easier this way.

See that piece of wood falling down? Well, according to Mr H, it is MY job to stack that wood up into a nice pile. I said....oh, I need to make dinner, finish the laundry, pull out the summer plants, cut back my perennials, and a host of other chores on my Saturday to do list....hahaha.

Lasagna is currently baking in the oven. We shall dine by candlelight tonight after a hard days work.

That is of Mr H makes it that long. He has been up since 3am and I have been up since 4am as we both had to work today odd hours. He is currently off washing the car while I am writing on my blog waiting for dinner to bake.

I think it is gonna be an early night as I have to get up again at 4am for work....Mr H can sleep in.....

Groundhog and Granddaughter....

2011-11-04T17:11:00.000-04:00

Ok...so this is a two fer post today. Two posts in one. First, I am a bit miffed that Gus - ABOVE picture - is still with us here at the old homestead. He seems to have moved in under the shed. Although where he is living under there I don't know as it is on a concrete slab. He better not be gnawing at our wood and with this stance of his, it better not be a signal to his loved ones that the coast is clear, come to my new pad! Why isn't he hibernating? You know, my shovel is in that shed and I have to dig holes this weekend to plant some perennials I purchased today. Mr H is gonna have to go get my supplies out of the shed for me. I do not want to come face to face with Gus the groundhog!

On a much brighter note, Wednesday was Melody day, and it was a gorgeous day! I was able to take her for a walk in the stroller I got for her to use when she is here., She seemed happy with it. The whole walk, she was kicking her legs, chattering up a storm.

While Mr H and I ate some roast beef, carrots and mashed potatoes for supper, I mushed some carrots and taters for little sweetie and boy did she ever eat! She must like her high chair I recently acquired from a coworker. She sat in it so well and had a good time eating her veggies.

Such a happy baby. Love that little peanut!

Holiday Grand Plan

2011-11-01T09:46:00.000-04:00

Well I am a bit behind on the Holiday Grand Plan over at Organized Christmas but I think I can manage as some of the things I already have done on my own.
I missed
List week
Question week
Entryway/Foyer week - just need to put new decor on front door - all else is finished - added to note - while outdoors I need to dig out elephant ear bulbs and store as well as cut down rest of fall and annual flowers to prepare for winter. MUST BE DONE THIS WEEK AS WELL.... oh and plant some spring bulbs.....
~~Master Bedroom week~~
~~Master Bathroom week~~
~~Kids Room week~~
Guest Room week - Major task
Kitchen week - change out decor to Gingerbread
Pantry/Closets week - clean out food cupboard and make list for baking needs
and now this week is Family room week - just a dusting around the edges, clean off craft table, clean bathroom.

sooo...what I have done already is the Master Bed/Bath - we don't have a master bath, but the regular bath is in good shape, no kids room to do..but the computer room has just been done. The Guest room needs a major overhaul as it is a storage area and that really needs focus this week. The kitchen is in pretty good shape although I need to clean out the cupboards - just some as Mr H did some of the others already. Which will cover the pantry. The family room just needs a good dusting and vacuuming as we don't use it too much over the summer. So I don't have too much to catch up on. I really want to get the guest room done this week as priority. The family room Mr H can do over the weekend as the last time it had a major overhaul was last spring when we had the baby shower at our home. I will also start some Christmas decorating this week. (Just to replace the Halloween in the kitchen/dining area)
Also needing to be done this week is splitting the firewood.
Just to note that the next two weeks are garage and after that attic/storage - Mr H keeps a clean garage - the floor actually has linoleum and he cleans and waxes that often and the attic really does not need anything as we did that when we got out the fall decor. The Christmas decor is all under the basement in a storage cubby and other closets in the basement so that will be organized while getting out the decor - no real big deal. Those two weeks will allow me to catch up on other items as well as prepare for Thanksgiving dinner.
I guess it is a lot easier when all your children are grown and on off living on their own....Mr H and I do well working together and we get a lot accomplished in one Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
So my focus is the guest room!!! Oh and getting my gingerbread decor out and put up. Oh and outdoor fall clean up as well as wood splitting! Whew...that's a lot to do....better get cracking and make a honey do list for Mr H!!!!!!
I love the holiday grand plan!!!! After the holidays...everything is so organized and I can concentrate on crafting and sewing over the cold winter months. Just waiting for spring and the big spring clean up and prep for spring gardening!

My Little Pumpkin...er...Tigger....

2011-11-01T08:15:00.000-04:00

Sadly I wasn't with her last night while she went trick or treating with mommy and daddy and her other grandparents. Thankfully for facebook pictures that I could grab this pic of her in her first halloween costume for my blog.

Now that October is over and November started off with a sunny day, melting the snow that fell upon us, I will begin to think about Thanksgiving menu planning, taking down the halloween decor in the kitchen and replacing it with my first Christmas decor of the year. It will all change over to gingerbread and I can't wait to get started.

A friend of mine has already taken all her fall decor down and dragged out all of her Christmas boxes and is ready to start!

It won't be long until Santa will be coming down the chimney and there is lot's to prepare for.

Don't worry, I won't forget about Thanksgiving as this year there is so much to be thankful for! 2011 has been a very good year for us, despite all the flooding, heat waves, early snow and loss of electric in the area. For some reason, we were immune to all of it. We had no water in our basement like almost every neighbor in our neighborhood, we stayed cool in the heat wave as our downstairs family room/basement stayed nice and cool, we did not lose our power or trees with the early snowfall like many of our friends and family in the area.

There is also my son becoming a Marine, the birth of my granddaughter, my mom getting off chemo temporarily, my job promotion at work and Mr H and I working as a team and working on the inside of the house as well as the landscaping on the outside of the house and not spending a lot of money to do it!.

We have been blessed this year and thankful for all we have.

It is time for my Thanksgiving and Christmas countdown starting tomorrow and trust me it will go fast! 53 days and counting!

Merry Halloween

2011-10-31T17:07:00.000-04:00

October Snow

2011-10-29T14:50:00.000-04:00

Well, the weatherman actually got it right.....we have snow in October! It started out as a very rainy morning and by close to lunchtime it started to turn into flakes. Unusual for October around these parts. I have heard that there are trees down already and places around the area have lost power.

On my way home from work, I didn't have any real trouble. Just a lot of slush! The trees do look heavy with this wet snow and hopefully we won't have too much trouble here. Our big pine trees don't look too bad and the white birch is a bit droopy, but hopefully it will be fine. I won't worry until tonight when everything freezes and makes the snow/ice even heavier on the branches.

I am just glad I am home from work. The only sad part is, we did not have any dry wood to make a fire! So we have to put up with electric heat tonight. Hopefully the power doesn't go out! Although if that would be the case, we can run out and buy firewood. I hope....lol.

I did hear that next week is to be in the 60's temperature wise. So whatever we get today into this evening will be gone by early week.

If you are in a snowy area today....stay WARM and DRY!

Groundhog Returns and Snow In The Forecast!

2011-10-28T16:13:00.000-04:00

So the little varmit is back! You know, I thought by October these guys should be hibernating! NO...not our little furry friend. He is too busy hanging out at the woodpile.

Foraging in the grass for I don't know what. Probably bugs, leftover seeds, corn and stuff from the once fruitful garden that sets very close by the shed. He is gonna be in for a surprise though this weekend.

Yes, Gus, ( I named him Gus), that is me tapping on the window at you. Telling you that you better start heading for your borrow!! Cause tonight into tomorrow.......

Mr H always ready for whatever may come our way - preparing the snowblower and getting
the rock salt and shovels out and ready to go!

We are forecasted to have 3-6 inches of SNOW!!!! Snow before Halloween??? That's crazy! The weatherman said it hasn't snowed in October here in the Amish country since 1972. Although he did say after that particular year having the early snowfall of about 1 inch - we only had 6 inches total for the winter!!!! Now that would be FANTASTIC!!!!

A Great Loss In Lancaster County....

2011-10-27T20:25:00.000-04:00

The farm in the background sits on the edge of a Lake called Speedwell. The lake is in trouble and is in need of repairs to the tune of 6.43 million dollars and the budget currently does not have that much money. So it is being drained. The above picture was taken this past spring.

Same farm in the background and this picture shows the lake being slowly drained. It is a bit depressing. Mr H and I like to go there on occasion and we were talking about getting a canoe for next summer to drift out on the lake and enjoy the scenery.

A closer view of how much the water has gone down already in this part of the area. Mr H saw an old friend out looking for an ice hockey puck he lost 30 some years ago on the lake. Many things have been found though. From animal bones to rusty tools....shopping carts, gas grills.....the list can possibly go on. When it is completely drained, I am sure there will be lots more to be found!

This picture shows the culprit. The spillway is in need of repairs to the point that it has become unsafe.

This picture overlooks the spillway. It was so weird walking on the bed of the lake. Just last summer Mr H and I rode down to this area on the motorcycle and all we could see was water - now....nothing.

These guys in the boat were setting out nets to trap fish that remain in the lake. For the past week or so, it has been my understanding that all fishing restrictions have been lifted and all types of anglers have shown up to catch some fish.

Just a view of the beautiful fall foliage that sits along the water. Or what used to be a thriving lake. There has been a Save Speedwell facebook page set up and hopefully the lake can be saved and back to boating and fishing and just enjoying a day at Speedwell!!!

Sweet Melody

2011-10-26T09:33:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday, Baby Melody and I went to my moms house for a visit. She laid out her big warm fleece blanket (her special chemo blanket that kept her warm while on chemo) for Melody to creep around on. We spread out all of her toys that she had with her and her new toy Ma-Ma (my mom) bought for her.

It is amazing how fast they grow. Watching her growth and development is so much fun. As I have grown older and a bit wiser, I notice things more than I did when my boys were little. I guess because I only see her once a week, the changes in her are much more dominant.

I bet next week when I have her, she will up on all fours crawling and she is just about ready to sit up on her own without support. I know it won't be long until she is pulling herself up and taking her first steps! This first year is flying by so fast. I can't wait until she says "grandma" or whatever she will decide to call me for the first time. I can't wait until my little pumpkin and I can go into the garden and plant flowers and have a special Melody garden for her to tend and care for. I can't wait until Melody and I do our first craft together. I can't wait to teach her how to crochet and sew simple projects. I can't wait until we bake our first cookies together. I can't wait until I can convince Mr H to put up a swing set or a tire swing in the back yard (there is certainly enough room) for Melody to fly high and say "Look at me grandma, how high I can go!" I can't wait until we can play dress up and have tea parties. I can't wait until I can bring my old Barbies and my Chrissy doll that I have in the attic down for her to play with. They shall become hers if she wants them. I can't wait until I can take her to her first hockey game dressed alike in our Hershey Bears jerseys. I can't wait until she calls my youngest Marine "Uncle Mike" and ask when is Uncle Mike coming home. I can't wait until my whole family is all together at the dinner table and we share a family meal together with good food and laughter. Most of all, I can't wait until I see her again to hold her in my lap and read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to her again. I guess though I must practice patience as I don't want to rush life and have it pass by....but those days are coming and I am looking forward to all of them. Meanwhile, I will just enjoy the little pumpkin, known as Sweet Melody and treasure every minute I get to spend with her from now until forever.

Pheasants

2011-10-25T07:32:00.000-04:00

It is funny how things happen. At work, I am the Visual Merchandiser. I do a lot of the decorating in the garden department. Currently I am decorating Christmas trees for our holiday open house this coming November. One particular theme tree is Hunting Party. I used pheasants and pheasant feathers etc. While decorating the trees a few people said to me " It was just in newspaper that pheasants are becoming non existent around here." Another comment was "They have been over hunted and you don't see them anymore around here like we used too." I had agreed as it has been a long time since I drove by the field and saw pheasants just running rampant around.

Well, turns out, on our way to the hockey game Saturday night, along the road about a mile from our home, Mr H said...."Look! Get your camera out!" Here there were a bunch of pheasants along the side of the road! I couldn't believe it! Especially after just having these pheasant conversations earlier in the week. I snapped quite a few pictures and these are just a sampling of what I got.

Their colors are beautiful. I think if you click on the picture it will enlarge in a new page. You can see the details better of their feathers and the beauty of one of natures creatures.

Do You Believe???

2011-10-22T14:52:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, the moon was full and the corn was whisping in breeze. Usually I hear the fairies play and frolic in the gardens. This one particular night I didn't hear them.

Then suddenly a horrible, terrible thing happened! This was on my doorstep on this harvest moon night.

The note on the back of the jar said.... I cannot repeat it...you will have to read it!

Whoooo did that? Said the owl. Whoooo??

Not I, said the crow

Not I, said Jack

Not I, said the rat...

Not I, said the scarecrow and his cat said, certainly not I!!!

HEHEHEHE, said the witch....(don't let her sweet smile fool you.......after all....she IS a witch!)

Story credit goes to Mona at wsprsweetlyofcottages.blogspot.com

I adapted it from hers....although hers is MUCH better, just thought it would be fun to do!

How Much Wood Would A Woodchuck Wood.....

2011-10-18T08:25:00.000-04:00

We have had a new resident here at the homestead. He has been hanging around for a few days now. He seems to like running in and out of the wood pile. This groundhog aka woodchuck, which I shall name Chuck, seems to be a little too at home up there! It is October after all, and shouldn't he be digging his burrow and going into hibernation soon? Also shouldn't he be digging his burrow and going into hibernation soon somewhere other than here???

Thankfully the shed sits on a concrete foundation, so he can't dig underneath and find his resting quarters for the winter. He only seems to hang around the shed area and the woodpiles that we sort of share with the neighbor. His woodpile is about 4 feet away from ours. Chuck is probably enjoying the leftover corn cobs the farmer left behind. I even think there are a few splattered melons around there from the garden cleanup. He is probably having a feast up there enjoying the leftovers.
Hopefully Chuck will soon move on and find a burrow to dig for his long winters nap. Unless he is really Gus the Pennsylvania Lottery groundhog here to give me some lottery ticket winners, he really needs to go. Not sure how much damage he can do, but he really needs to go. I think I said that already....

Is The Weekend Over Already?

2011-10-16T20:30:00.000-04:00

My Buttered Popcorn plant. When you rub your hands on the leaves, they will smell like buttered popcorn!!!

So much going on this weekend and Mr H and I got a lot accomplished. Saturday, I worked and then we had a Bears hockey game in the evening. First home game of the season even. We had a fun evening even though we lost in OT.
Sunday, I didn't haul my behind out of bed until 8:30! I could not believe how late I slept! The Mr took me out for breakfast and when we returned, we started on household chores and did not finish until just a bit ago. I worked on laundry - 4 loads, cleaned and I mean cleaned the sunroom, made a big pot of ham, green beans and potatoes, did up dishes, dusted around the house, and other small chores. Mr H mowed the lawn, washed both cars, cleaned the windows on both cars, then the two of did some projects together like moving certain things around and taking things up to the attic. We also did other yard work like putting away all the garden equipment now that the veggie garden has been put to rest for the winter. Somewhere in there we ate dinner and ran to the grocery store. All in all it was a productive day. Mr H did want to use the wood splitter this evening to get ready for the winter, but I said we can do it another weekend as I was tuckered out. He agreed.
Now that the house is clean, the yard looks pristine, the bird feeders are filled....I think I will relax and have some Turkey Hill Whoopie Pie ice cream...yummmm!

It's Wednesday - Must Be Granddaughter Day!

2011-10-12T19:44:00.000-04:00

For those that follow my blog, you may or may not know that Wednesdays are the day I get to watch my sweet granddaughter while her mommy is at work. I like to video her and take pictures as she is such a happy girl. I am posting this video here for my family to watch. You may also enjoy her happiness of playtime if you wish. So from this day forth, I declare Wednesdays (on my blog) Sweet Melody Day. So if you are into babies and looking at pictures of babies or videos of babies, please feel free to stop by on Wednesdays on my blog and enjoy them with me and my family.
Oh and while watching the playback of this video - I came to realize that I need to CHILDPROOF my home. That outlet in the background was just staring at me the whole time and I kept thinking that tomorrow I must get outlet covers and look around the house for other things that will need to be taken care of on Melody's days at grandma's house. She is only 5 months old and already a mover and a shaker....

A New Witch!

2011-10-09T08:31:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine was cleaning out her Halloween stash and decided she just did not have room for this little witch! She immediately thought of me and asked me if I could give her a good home. Of course I obliged and brought her home to set with my Halloween display. She sits nicely on the corner of the dry sink.

She is a happy little witch donning her orange felt sweater and her black satiny skirt with moons and stars adorned on it. Yes, she makes a nice addition to my Halloween display and I am happy to have her.

Today looks to be quite warm with temps in the upper 70's low 80's, so after the morning dew dries up on the grass, I will be heading outdoors to work on garden clean up and maybe pick what is left for a nice autumn bouquet. Mr H is feeling a bit under the weather with a nasty cold and is taking advantage of the day off to rest and feel better.

Farm Show and Parade

2011-10-07T15:18:00.000-04:00

Nothing like the smell of hay and manure to get you ready for the local farm show! Little Miss Melody had a GREAT time checking out the livestock. I just had to take a picture of her in her stroller in front of one of my favorites - cows! This particular cow was not too impressed that we were there taking her picture.

So this is where chocolate milk comes from - hehe.

The little ponies were not very amused to be at the farm show it seemed. They just stood there with their heads together.

This little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home! He just did not want to be picked up and taken away from the food source that was it's mother! Thankfully she put him right back in so he could finish his dinner.

Miss Melody staring at the goats. I wish I could have read her thoughts. She just sat there and stared at them while they were eating their dinner. I could not get her to look at me. She was so entranced by them. Go figure.

Here are the little goats she was looking at. Nothing too exciting!

This big fellow was voicing his opinion, quite loudly! Not sure what his problem was. He just stood there and would look around and moooooo.

The sheep had all been sheared and this one seemed quite willing to have his/her picture taken.

Other fun and interesting sights were the pumpkins that were painted to look like halloween creatures. There were also many vegetables from local gardeners trying to win that coveted blue ribbon.

I particularly loved this basket filled with a fall harvest.

Later in the evening we enjoyed the parade through town. I only took one picture of the floats. I liked this one as it was so colorful and filled with children excited to be in the parade.

Mr H and Miss Melody. He held her most of the time and she had a blast looking at all the floats, bands and firetrucks throughout the parade. Such a happy girl, not a peep out of her the whole time. Just smiling and babbling and as delightful as can be.
This particular farm show was special. It almost didn't happen. The whole farm show area was severely flooded a couple of weeks ago from the hurricane and with all the hard work and efforts of the farm show committee and volunteers, The community really needed something to look forward too as many homes were actually condemned and so many people lost so much.
Thanks for letting me share some of my highlights of the farm show and now that that is over.....tonight is HOCKEY!!!
Go Bears!!!!

Deep Cleaning

2011-10-05T10:34:00.000-04:00

This morning I awoke to SUNSHINE! We haven't seen much of that big ball of gaseous fire here of late. Blue skies and a light breeze look like the agenda for today. So what a better morning to pick a room and deep clean, with the windows open, airing out the must of keeping it closed and drying out the dampness that was in the air.
I don't mind being indoors this morning as this afternoon and evening we will be out at the local community farm show and parade along with our granddaughter! How much better can it get?

The cleaning started with getting my long handled dust catcher and running it all along the ceiling and baseboards. Then in the closet where I vacuumed that out as well. Then came under the bed using the same dust catcher and vacuum cleaner. Everything was dusted off and wiped off. Lampshades taken off and cleaned. Mirrors and windows cleaned. Next thing I want to do is go through the drawers and straighten them as well.

I figure taking one room per week this month and next will provide a good deep cleaning for the winter, since the house will be closed up eventually and the fires will be burning. This Sunday and I am recruiting Mr H to help clean the computer room as most of his things are in there and it is tight quarters.

For those that are having sunshine, enjoy the day!!! Those stuck in rainy cold weather....stay dry and keep warm.

October Daily Checklist

2011-10-01T10:36:00.000-04:00

Hopefully this little checklist will help you prepare and organize the month of October. Make adjustments to days where you have other plans.
Start today by hanging an Autumn wreath on the front door. Add some pumpkins and mums to the porch to celebrate the start of the fall months!

October Checklist

It's Hockey Time!!!

2011-09-30T17:46:00.000-04:00

Well, the time has come....I have been waiting for this since Easter Sunday when the Bears lost in the 1st round of the playoffs. Tonight they are playing (preseason game) in Wilkes Barre. Mr H and I can't be there as he has to get up early and work tomorrow and we wouldn't get home from Wilkes Barre until very late. BUT...tomorrow it is a home game and I am soooooooo excited to be there. Even though a preseason game, it will still be one that I will be whooping and hollering like the game counts.

It will be so good to see the folks that sit in our section. I must remember tomorrow morning to print out some pics of my Marine as one family that sits behind us has a Marine that graduated last year and is in Afghanistan currently. I also need to show off pictures of my baby granddaughter. What kind of grandma would I be if I didn't!!!!

I am still feeling a bit under the weather, but I did go to work today and put in a full shift. When I came home, I was tired and worn out after being as sick as I was. Turns out, others at work are sick as well. Must have been something in the air at the garden center. I did manage to make dinner for Mr H. It was more like breakfast.....french toast and bacon. Poor thing has not had a home cooked meal since Saturday night. He was a real trooper and took good care of me while I was at my worst. I am sure I looked and smelled like....well....I shall not say, but he hung in there and offered his services to whatever I needed and said, if I wanted something and didn't get it because I didn't ask, it was my problem....lol. So....I asked away...can you rub my back or head, can you get me some jello, can you make me some chicken noodle soup, can you run to the store and get me some ginger ale....he even slept in the spare room so I could have the whole bed to myself, although I suspect he did it so he didn't catch it from me....haha.

Go Bears!!!

Txt U L8R

2011-09-29T12:33:00.000-04:00

So, I took a venture out today, by myself, to see how I will hold up at work tomorrow...I have to go back...no work = no paycheck. Well, let me tell you this.....I was gone a total of 45 minutes and that about wiped me out!
Anyway, while I was out and driving through a mini shopping strip, everywhere I looked and I mean everywhere, people were walking and texting....even some driving and texting or talking on the cell. Now don't get me wrong, I do text and I do talk on my cell, but mainly just to my son in North Carolina or Mr H on our breaks at work. I guess it was just a shock...not sure if that is the right word, but I will go with it, shocked to see everybody so intensely texting on their cell phones. Heads down, fingers going a mile a minute. I guess my first thought was....wow, they are missing the scenery around them, they are missing personal contact with the people that pass them by. I remember back in the days when I was younger, people greeted each other, perfect strangers, said hello, as they passed by each other whether on the street, in a parking lot....wherever. Are we becoming so consumed in instant gratification from our cell phones that we are ignoring what is happening all around us? Possible new relationships. friendships. just smiling to make someone's day? While I on the subject of texting, a few weeks ago Mr H and I were at Pizza Hut. There was a woman there with 2 small kids at their table. Well, mom was texting and her kids kept wanting to talk to her. All she could say was, behave yourselves and just kept texting away. Texting has now caused one more way for parents to ignore their children. Well, maybe that is harsh, but I have seen it more than once where a mom is texting while her children seemed to be starved for her attention. Then there is the dad, and I have seen this many times, where mom and kids are either at a restaurant, hockey game or just out for a family time and all dad is doing is looking at his cell. Mainly the internet. Mostly facebook. I have read people's facebook pages while seated behind them many times. Yes I am that nosey. Hey if you are gonna flaunt it, I might be looking. I can see where the younger generation has a hard time with patience. They don't have to wait for anything! It is all there right at their fingertips. Morning, noon and even during the night. They even sleep with their cell phones in case someone wants to chat via text.
Okay.....that is my rant for the day....I just hope people are still looking around them seeing the beauty that is nature, people and places. Not with their heads down looking at a small computer like object. I hope they all remember to stop and smell the flowers, smile at a stranger and well, just enjoy what is around them, right in front of them.

Thank You I'm Felling Much Better Now....

2011-09-28T09:06:00.000-04:00

My little granddaughter - something pleasant to look at while I tell my tale of the stomach flu......

WOW, did I ever feel like I was punched in the GUT! It all started on Saturday at work. I was feeling a bit poorly, a huge headache coming on and I just wanted to go to bed. Mr H and I had already planned on going grocery shopping which we did, came home and I rushed to make dinner. I was not hungry, but the big guy was starving. As we sat down to eat, the food just did not appeal to me. I ate a few bites and said "Don't get mad, but I cannot finish this." He said. " No worries, I am hungry enough to eat yours too!". So I left the dinner table and headed off to bed. Then all H E double hockey sticks broke loose. Around 1:30am I awoke and headed down to the family room. Not too long after....well, I had my head hung over the porcelain like a drunk that had too many. My head throbbing, my neck aching, every joint in my body just hurt. I was hot then I was shivering.

Another picture that I just acquired of my son on a training mission. it may not look like a happy sight having him point his gun, but more my pride in him of making a commitment.

So Sunday I stayed on the chair in the family room, just a hop skip and jump from the bathroom, there I sat, lounged, slept, dashed to the bathroom on and off for more of that porcelain love. Mr H said, why don't I just get you a pan? I said, no thank you. I would rather just make my way to the bathroom....no fuss no muss. Didn't want to have to clean out a pan each time. (Aren't you just loving this conversation?) So the saga lasted until Monday. Thought I was gonna be better on Monday. I choked down 2 pieces of toast, some ginger ale....yeah right....that didn't last in my tummy. Tuesday rolls around and I still feel crappy!! Chills, stomachache, but I was feeling better than I did the day before. If only I could shake these headaches. I did manage to eat chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese sandwich and some jello. So far as of this moment, 9am on Wednesday morning, it has all stayed put. I am feeling better, just need to get this headache to stay away without the aid of ibuprofen and also able to stand for more than 5 minutes without aid of holding onto something. I did manage a shower as I smelled like, what Mr H called a "bag lady". How romantic of him....anyway...I don't think I have fever anymore as I don't have the chills, my tummy has held onto cereal that I ate this morning and I did manage to put some laundry in the washer. Mr H brought the laundry down here for me and I can manage to get it done. I just have to get better by 5pm tonight as it is season ticket holder night at the Bears arena and I just HAVE to go and get pics of the players, old and new. I need to walk on the ice, smell the air AND....there is a preseason game this Friday night and I HAVE to go!!!! I have waited for this all summer and now it is here. I am going to take my moms lead with her will and determination to stay healthy or get healthy and be able to enjoy the things I love. I am missing out on watching my beautiful little granddaughter today, but I didn't want to risk her health.
If you made it this far....thanks.....I pray that I NEVER go through this again!!!!!

Holiday Organizer

2011-09-27T13:07:00.000-04:00

I know it is a bit early, but never too early to be organized for the holidays. Inside the organizer I have one calendar of December. Since there are so many calendars online to download, you can just google your own and do calendars from now until December/January. You can use this organizer however you want. There is no right or wrong way, just organize your thoughts on the appropriate pages and it should help you get through the hustle and bustle of Christmas. You can even start with Thanksgiving, just label appropriately. Heck you can even do this for Halloween...again, label the pages you are using appropriately. Add pages if you need too. Like for party planning, etc. There are some great sights online that have more downloadable sheets for this idea (Christmas Organizing) and party planning etc.
I hope if you choose to take any ideas from here, they work out well for you or inspire you to create your own, more personalized version.
I may do some more organizing pages since I found scribd. I like that I can make documents and upload them to appear on my blog...you should check it out.

Holiday Organizer Cover Page

Happy Autumn!!!

2011-09-23T18:20:00.000-04:00

It is here....the first day of Autumn.

I love the fall weather

I love the earthy colors of Autumn - the deep reds, the jack o lantern oranges, the golden yellows...

I love the aroma of Autumn - pumpkin pie, cinnamon sticks, apple cider.....

I love the shapes of pumpkins, I love rustic look of corn shalks, I love the fresh smell of hay bales, I love the crispness in the air, I love the colors bursting from the mums.......

I love`the sounds of Autumn - the crunching of the leaves when I walk through the grass, the scraping of the hockey puck as it slides across the ice during a Bears game, the percussion music from the high school marching bands at football games, the crackle of the wood from the stove....

Happy Autumn everyone!

The Raven In A Cage...

2011-09-22T21:01:00.000-04:00

I finally got my raven to place in my empty bird cage. I decided to use moss to cover up the sahara piece that I had to glue him on to sit right in the cage, and then I went crazy with it. The moss does give it a halloweeny effect. I think so anyway. I wanted a bigger raven to place in there, but the door on the cage is quite small and I could not fit anything bigger in there! Oh well.

I got Mr H's owls out to set with the halloween decor. I was told that owls are actually devilish??? Has anyone heard that? So I thought appropriate to be with the other "scary" items in the display. I also have a jar of candy corn sitting there among the pieces as Mr H has as much of sweet tooth as I do....although, I do not fancy candy corn, so it is all his!!!

Time With The Granddaughter!

2011-09-22T04:51:00.002-04:00

We were not able to go to the parade last night as it was raining, so instead Mr H and I took the sweet pea out to dinner. What a good little girl she was. I enjoyed watching her while mommy worked and will continue to do so on Wednesdays!!! I love that I can have that one day a week where I can bond with her as well as Mr H. Nothing like being a grandma!!!

It's Fair Time!!!

2011-09-21T07:54:00.000-04:00

Mr H and I went to opening night at one of the local fairs in the county. It is that time of year again! Walking around the carny games, eating that very fattening fair food like toasted cheeseburgers, funnel cakes, whoopie pies, cheese steaks....etc etc... One of the most exciting events of this particular fair is the rooster chase for the young ens and the pig chase. Last night in the 4-5 year old group of the rooster chase the grand prize winner was a GIRL!!! There were 4 heats and the winners of the heats were 2 girls and 2 boys. The final race for the coveted trophy for these little ones was won by a little girl who wasn't afraid to grab the rooster and scoop him up in her arms with a grin a mile wide.

Then there is the pig chase. A little greasy porker being chased by kids in age groups. That little piggy was wee wee weeing all the home when he was caught. The turn out for these events are amazing. The amount of kids and then onto the adult pig chase was tremendous. This was my first time to the pig chase as when I used to go to this particular fair years back, I never went on the bus that took you to the Agriculture area ( several blocks away where the carnival games are) and watched this event. Mr H said I can't go to the fair and not see this pig chasing gala. It was fun!
(Now before all you animal lovers jump on the bandwagon and say this is cruel to animals....trust me, after watching this, these little pigs are fine. There were more kids falling over each other and with the pig as greased up as he is, we slips right through those hands. Well, at least until one lucky person actually scoops him up in his arms. The rules of the event are strictly enforced and from what I understand, animal rights people are there monitoring and making sure the animals are treated fairly. )
Tonight is the parade for this fair and the Mr and I are taking my sweet granddaughter. How fun!!! Hopefully the rain will hold off as the people in this county need some fun and festivities after all the flooding and damage that has occurred around here.

Breakfast This Morning...

2011-09-17T10:16:00.000-04:00

This past year when the young Mr H took the senior Mr H out for Father's Day Brunch (me too), one of the choices in the buffet was bacon. The bacon was rather tasty. When you first bit into it, it had a sweet taste and then after a bit a little bit of hot came through. So I found that the two ingredients were brown sugar and cayenne pepper. So I decided this morning that we were going to have this with our french toast.
I did not take pictures and wish I did as it was soooo good!!

This is how I made it....
Sweet and hot bacon
1 c packed brown sugar
1 t cayenne pepper
1 lb bacon
I cooked the bacon til almost finished. I then dredged it in the brown sugar and cayenne pepper mixture. I then put it back on the griddle to melt the brown sugar mixture which also finished off the bacon. Note - it does get sticky.
I thought about just putting the raw bacon in the mixture and then cooking it, but I thought maybe the fat form the bacon would "wash" away the mixture.

My french toast mixture
3 eggs
1/4 - 1/2 C milk
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
mix together and put in your bread. I like to use french bread slices or thick bread like texas toast.
I take about 2 T of butter and let melt on hot griddle and place the dipped french toast on there and cook til brown on either side.
I sprinkle 10x sugar on top
YUMMM!!!

It was a tasty and sweet breakfast this morning....
off to do Saturday chores and who knows what else.

More Crafting Today

2011-09-14T11:50:00.000-04:00

I originally had in this jar some apples piled inside and on the top I had a candlestick (electric) with a gingerbread man on and some apples at the bottom. I was tired of this old thing as I had made like 8 years ago and was sick of looking at it. So I emptied it out, cleaned it and was ready to start fresh.

This is what I came up with. The camera just does not show what is inside. It is a nest filled with leaves and flower. I replaced the top with some more leaves and a different candlestick. After I was finished I regretted reusing the doily on the top as it just doesn't look right, but I couldn't get if off as I glued it good this time. Oh well. I should have just cut it off....oh well...live and learn. I will just have to live with it for awhile. It will set among my fall decor anyway and won't be out in the open ... too much....Not one of my better things.

I have been wanting to make just a foliage basket to display with some other items, so I came up with this. I am going to get some wood tone floral spray and hit this up a little to make it a bit more "rustic" on the leaves. We do that a lot at work with some of our silk foliage and flowers and even fabric to give it a little more of an aged or rustic/country look. Wood tone is my friend.
Just a side note of something that happened while crafting today...
So the phone rings and I answer...
-hello?
-Hey how are you
-Good! How are you?
-Good! Whatcha doin?
-I'm crafting...
Long pause....finally the caller says
-I don't think I am talking to the person I wanted too
-I say - I don't either, I thought I was talking to my mother.
-I thought I was talking to my daughter and she doesn't craft.
After laughter and brief conversation and enjoying the time on the phone with each other...we hung up so I decided to call my mother...thought it was a sign.

A Sneak Peek At My Halloween Decor

2011-09-13T07:15:00.000-04:00

I decided to make a small display of my witches hats and brooms collection. Well, not really a collection yet, I only have 3 witches hats and 3 brooms, which only two of them are here, one is on the front door that says "the witch is in". I said to Mr H, this will let people know that I am home....LOL. The reason I said a sneak preview is because I only have a small halloween collection to display and need to build up on it. Nothing too expensive or fancy, but I did not have enough to fill the dry sink they are all sitting on. You can't really see it, but I have a small 3 foot tree on a white stand inside the sink where I have halloween colored lights, 3 witches hats. some black fray stuff hanging over it. I was going to do a spider web on it, but it is such a pain to get on and off and it is messy. Didn't want the bother of it.
I also brought in my ladder and placed my brooms on there as well as some signs and other things like...RATS! Can you see the black rats in the picture???

A closer view of the ladder. There are two little boxes on there that if you push a button, a drawer pops open to give halloween treats. I also wanted to note that I chose the kitchen area to do this display as once Halloween is over, All I have to do is undecorate the tree and ladder and switch over to my first glimpse of Christmas decor. I can reuse the tree and ladder for my kitchen Christmas decor and it will be an easy switch over.

More rats climbing over the brooms. The sign that is there was a mistake! When I bought it, I actually thought it said The Black Hat Society.....Oh well...

If you can see the prim black hat above the sign, that is my own craftwork. I made that hat a few years ago. It is one of my favorite sewing projects I made and have been saying for the past two years, I was going to make more and have never done it! i really need to get on that. I have several requests to make them to sell...

So far, with yesterdays post about the fall decorating in my living room and what I have shown today, that is about all I have for decor.
I do have some outside decor started, but I need to get pumpkins and mums before that is finished.

Autumn Decorating Has BEGUN!!!!

2011-09-12T00:43:00.041-04:00

Oh how I love to decorate for fall. The oranges, browns, yellows, reds....just all flow together. I did the fireplace with a mish mash of items. although all related to this wonderful time of year. There is an empty spot in front of the fireplace - that is reserved for a giant pumpkin when they arrive at where I work. Also I want to put some gourds in there as well. My year round tree is all decorated in leaves, pumpkins and the cutest orange lights that cast such an autumn glow. Now that evening has settled in, the livingroom is casting off an orangeish hue....love it!!!

Can you see my Marine peeking through the legs of the small table? I have him back there for now, as I need to get a large frame for his picture and he needs something to stand up against. Back to the decor, I placed my $1 table and $1 milk box that I decorated last week, in the left corner of the fireplace area.

This picture got blurry, but you can get the gist. On the mantel, I have some pumpkins and the old lantern that my mother gave me. Note on those pumpkins, if you turn them around they have jack o lantern faces. I will turn them around in October until halloween is over.

On the right side of the mantel, I have my Autumn sign with 3 little crows that I bought at a yard sale. Behind the sign are the spindles I also got at a yard sale. I am kicking myself for not getting more of the $ bargains at this one lady's house where I bought these wonderful finds like the milk box, milk can and some of the above items.

In this picture is Mr H's scarecrow he bought at a yard sale for ... you guessed it.... $1! I have setting with the scarecrow my corn basket I made about 2 years ago.

Onto my coffee table. I have a lantern there with a candle lit inside. The pumpkin wreath is just sitting there around the base. I do want to change my candlesticks to orange, but need to wait until they go on sale at work.

This is just a wooden pumpkin bowl with glass pumpkins and acorns inside and 4 little pumpkins I actually painted and did during my ceramic years way back in the late 1970's!!! So I have had them for a long time!!!

My bay window has my candlestick leaf topiarys as well as my little chairs I decorated. I also put my two wreaths I made around the bases of the 2 window candles. The pumpkin sitting there is also one that has a jack o lantern face that I will turn around in October. You can't see him from the street, as the hedges in front cover him up. So it does not matter that he is facing forward.

So there is the start of my Autumn decorating. I did the kitchen in a witch theme for Halloween, which I will post pictures of another day. It is not complete as I don't have too much Halloween. I thought I had more, but cannot locate it. Also, I put the corn shalks out front with bows on them and am just waiting for the pumpkins and mums. Mums are currently on sale at my work, so I will probably get 3 of them. When they start to die off, I will plant them in my new front garden that is begging for some flowers and foliage....that is another blog and another day....mainly on my garden blog.
How is your Autumn decorating going?

Remembering 9-11

2011-09-11T17:01:00.000-04:00

I was working that day at our local grocery store when a customer came in and told us we were under attack.

Not sure what to do, we found a radio that you could also get tv stations on (audio only) and started to listen to the local news station. Someone came in with a tv that we immediately turned on and started to watch.

It was so eerie that when we looked around the store, there were no customers. It was like everything shut down. Not much traffic outside. We all finished our shifts, just watching the tv.

When I came home, my youngest was just coming home from school. He would have been 9 at the time. When he came in the door, I gave him a HUGE hug. All I could think about was that so many people would not be hugging loved ones this day. All the mothers, fathers, children, grandmas and grandpas.....all those that would be left without a hug from those they loved and cared so deeply about.

I realize that people lose loved ones everyday, but on this scale, this large of a quantity, totaled with the reasons behind it....it is only right that we pay our respects to those that have lost their lives on 9-11.

To all that sacrificed their lives on September 11, 2001

You will never be forgotten

Flooding...

2011-09-08T19:48:00.001-04:00

Earthquakes, Hurricanes and now Flooding!!!! The skies opened up and let loose in our neck of the woods.

Everywhere we went, there was flooding.

and more flooding...

Well one guy made the most of it and put his kayak in the water and was having some fun.

We talked to at least 6 neighbors and our basement was the only one that DID NOT get any water! How fortunate we are. They all have been bailing out since last night. Carpets are being thrown out, furniture.....sad. I am not sure how we dodged the bullet, but we did.

*Edited to add this - little did we know that a man earlier that morning, drowned in this very water. As of this posting, his body has still not been recovered. According to the news, he was on his way to help a neighbor pump out his basement, and got caught in a swift current. Fire rescue tried to save him, but he could not hold onto the rope any longer.
My condolences go out to the family.

More Projects for Fall

2011-09-07T11:38:00.000-04:00

I finished off the candlestick topiarys (if that is what they are called). I added more leaves and some cornflowers.

I had some left over leaves and flowers, so I decorated two small wreaths. Later today, I will start my fall decorating.

With all the new pieces I made, it should go fairly well.

I will post pictures as I go along.

I want to do the outside with my home made corn shalks, but with all the rain here the past couple days, that will have to wait.

Saturday Stuff!

2011-09-03T13:44:00.000-04:00

In a previous post, I had written about and shared pictures of the glass bottles my mom had given to me. She also gave me this awesome lantern! It is old and dirty....just the way I like it! I will be fitting it into my fall decor when I get around to doing it!

Mr H has been busy mowing the lawn and weed whacking this morning. Hopefully he notices some of the perennials I planted and does not whack them off like he is known for!!!

Oh well...gotta love him anyway.

This evening I am having both my boys, my granddaughter and my son's girlfriend over for dinner. Yes I said BOTH my boys as my youngest is home for the holiday weekend. It is soooo good to see him and spend time with him.

Off I go to get ready for tonights dinner and festivities.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!!!!

Hurricane Crafting!

2011-08-27T16:16:00.000-04:00

With the impending hurricane and being stuck indoors, I decided to do some floral arranging for the fall decorating I will be doing shortly around the house. If you are a follower of my blog, you may remember the milk box I purchased for ONE DOLLAR at a yard sale. I decided to make an arrangement in that. Mr H was happy with it and as excited for me to start decorating soon! I love that he is interested in what I do and make and encourages me.

These two arrangements are on little wooden chairs that I also bought at yard sales for less than $1 each. One of the chairs already had an arrangement on top of it with a little bird sitting on top of flowers. I decided to remake the whole thing my style, and did the same to the other one.

These last two were made out of candle holders that I have had for years. I had a lot of leaves left over and some small pumpkins, so I made these two. The smaller one needs a touch more leaves and I am out of fall leaves. So when I get some tomorrow at work, I will finish this one off and I am set with fall decor for the livingroom and fire place mantle and surrounding area. Now I just have to get Mr H to go up to the attic and bring the rest of my fall/halloween decor down for me to get BUSY!
I hope everyone in Irenes path are doing ok. My son texted me earlier today and said they lost power and a tree fell over at the base. At least where he was. I have not heard from him for a couple hours....I am sure he is ok. A mom does worry though.

Mom's Cleaning Out The House and Look What I Got...

2011-08-26T19:54:00.000-04:00

I love glass bottles. I did have a very small collection, but thanks to my mom and her need to downsize the "stuff" she has around the house, I was the recipient of these bottles. I love the old glass milk bottles.

The dark one in the front is an old clorox bottle.

These bottles come in all shapes and sizes. Some are quite tiny.

I love when mom has the need to clean out her stuff! This was quite a bonus for me as I now have a nice collection.

She also gave me an oil lamp that is really cool and I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of it....that can be for another day.

On another note, we are here waiting for the rain to hit tomorrow from Irene. I talked to my son in NC a little while ago and he said it was raining heavily. I asked him to keep me updated as much as he can as long as he has cell service. I am sure he will be alright. Knowing him, he will sleep through it. He is in a steel building and if things get too bad, I am sure he will be able to handle it.

Earthquakes and Hurricanes

2011-08-24T09:24:00.000-04:00

After yesterdays tremor, I received a text from my son...he felt an earthquake. A few minutes later, a coworker said she was in the break room for lunch and felt the floor shake. I was like...I didn't feel a thing. Although I was running around doing my work I never knew it happened. I called my mother - had to use a landline as the cell service wasn't working - and she said she felt it while on the computer and the pictures on the wall were rattling. She also said my brother called from his vacay in Colorado and said they had one there earlier in the morning. Later in the day some people felt the aftershocks....I never felt them either.
Now the east coast is bracing for Irene. With my son stationed near Jacksonville, NC, he is right in the path. So now I am gonna worry about him. I don't think Irene cares how big and bad the Marines are (or think they are...lol), they are right in her path. It looks like we, here in Amish country will feel some of the effects of Irene's fury before she fizzles out from all her drama.
I think to be on the safe side, I will batten down the hatches on the back patio. I will be glad when we can say "Goodnight Irene" and put her to rest.
By the way - the above picture is letting us here know when Irene will be arriving....2 am Sunday morning....I have to be at work 6 am sunday morning....in the greenhouse decorating....if the winds are that fierce, I may be cowering in the confines of the hard building instead of under the plastic hoops overhead in the greenhouse. I have seen what lesser wind speeds have done out there.

To everyone in Irene's grip....stay safe and stay dry!

Happy Birthday To My Mother

2011-08-23T07:41:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you a little bit about my mother

She is a very smart, strong willed, determined, loving, caring woman.

She and my dad still go dancing together and hold hands and have romantic dinners by candlelight...They travel to many places and have tons of friends.

(She also has a sixth sense as she always knew when I was getting into trouble)

She knows how to live life.....and how to love life!

This birthday is a major milestone....she is on reprieve from chemo til January. After 3 plus years battling cancer, she is enjoying life and taking in as much as she can. She has not let cancer drag her down. I truly believe that her positive attitude towards life is more of a cancer beater than the drugs themselves that she needs for her therapy.

I will never forget, like it was yesterday, when the doctor pulled our family - my brother and sister and my father and I into a little room and told us my mother had cancer and it was bad. Her prognosis was not good at all and I remember, selfishly thinking....what I am going to do without my mom? This can't be happening to our family. This can't be happening to her. I need my mom! She can't be sick....she has to get better...I can't lose my mom. I am not an overly religious person, but I remember praying and praying...she has to beat this thing. She can't leave us.....

I have always depended on my mom. Maybe too much...

I know many people that don't have their mothers anymore and I often think....how do they do it? I mean, your mom is the one that you can call no matter what. She will love you unconditionally....she may get upset at you or disappointed in you, but you know she will always love you. Trust me, I was a handful for my mother....and after all these years....she still loves me....maybe some days more than others....but I know she does nonetheless.

So I consider myself blessed and very fortunate that I have my mother....

Happy Birthday Mom....and many many more!!!!

After all....you have lots more travelling to do...lots more sights to see....lots more people to meet....lots more lunches and dinners to go out to....and lots more of my crap to put up with.....hehehe....

Love you mom!

Fall & Halloween Decorations Already???

2011-08-22T17:54:00.000-04:00

Working in retail, we usually are a season ahead in our decor and products we sell. Every year I hear the same thing....fall decorations already, halloween already....christmas already...easter...well you get the picture....Sometimes people are really upset about this....I guess I look at things differently and it does not bother me....to see it or put it out a little on the early side.
As hard as is is to believe, after this long hot summer, fall is just around the corner. I have been busy (at my job) putting out the autumn and halloween decorations as if you are a crafter like me....I want to see it out now. I want to start getting ideas on my decor. I want to start making crafts to prepare for my decor. Let's face it, September, back to school, football, hockey....are all starting very shortly. Not to rush the seasons, it is just the nature of things. I love love love summer, but I also love the colors of fall. In another week, I will be taking down all my personal summery items and replacing them with fall. There are only 3 months to a season. I am one that does decorate for the season and like to enjoy it for as long as it can last. With the new products we are getting in at work, it gives me ideas for my own personal decorating....
So here is how I decorate
January, February and March - is a myriad of things.....it is winter and sometimes dreary out....so I focus on birds, nests, snowy like objects while putting in valentines and clovers. Now when March gets here I am ready to think about Spring!!!
April, May and June - spring...pastel colors, Easter items like bunnies and chicks, tulips and hyacinths along with forsythia and other pinks, yellows and purples. BUT when June gets here, I am ready for summer!!!
Now July and August are mainly red, white and blue.....cause when the end of August rolls around....I want the warm colors of autumn....so I prepare for this...I want to see pre season sales and ideas to decorate. Also, when I planted my own corn and pumpkins, way back in May...I was already preparing for autumn. Corn stalks will dry and become decor, pumpkins will be used for decor and for pie!!! Of course!
September and October - well, this is totally fall and halloween....November is half autumn and the start of Christmas because.....November and December go by so quickly for Christmas decor....and I do put a lot of work into that. Why??
#1 - because I can
#2 - because I LOVE IT!
So this is why, I have no problem seeing fall and halloween items for sale in August....I am preparing for the 2 short months of the beauty of autumn and the colors....so rich and so vibrant. In October, I have no problem thinking about Christmas and preparing for that as I get started the middle of November. I want the ideas to start forming in my head on what I can differently this year to decorate. I can still enjoy the remainder of summer and all that goes with it......
Don't get me wrong...I never forget Thanksgiving....I am always thankful, no matter what decor I have up. I can have Christmas decor up and be thankful, because we celebrate Thanksgiving to be thankful for the harvest of the year and all the hard work to grow that harvest. We also celebrate to be thankful that we have all that we do have....if that makes any sense. So I will spray paint a few pumpkins red and green and gold.....still have that fall like flair with a touch of Christmas.
My purpose to this post....
#1 just to vent because it bothers me that people get so upset that they are seeing fall and halloween items out...I want customers to have an enjoyable shopping experience....I am hoping that they get their own ideas on decorating from what they see in our store. I want them to take our ideas on displaying the decor and make them their own with what they already have or what they can add or what they want to start over with. I also love when customers share their decorating ideas with me. Especially if they purchased something in our store and were excited about what they did with it.
#2 to share my decorating habits on my blog!
#3 I am so ready to decorate the house for fall....it's all I can think about.....well, not all I can think about.....but it is on my mind.....
Just to note...I realize not everyone decorates....I understand this....but for those that do.....bring on the fall and halloween decor!! It's never to early to start planning and preparing!!!!
Also just to note...I am already writing ideas in my Christmas planner (at home) on different ideas to decorate the mantel and tree....I am thinking a natural Christmas.....lots of wood tones, birds and twigs....drieds and a woodsy look......I can get tons of pine cones....out my back door....branches/twigs...out my back door.....leaves to spray paint gold and silver and red.....I have tons of bird house type decor and bird nests.....baskets full of things.....I have tons of those too.....as a matter of fact, I can change my entire decor without spending a fortune...most of it free....
The advantage of preparing now...I can start collecting things and putting them away for when I am ready.....
Did I mention I love to decorate???????????

She Is Getting So Big!!!

2011-08-21T19:49:00.000-04:00

My granddaughter......

Two Lives Gone Too Soon....

2011-08-20T08:23:00.000-04:00

Today, Mr H and I will be attending a funeral for a young mother and her baby. Last week, our neighbor's 7 months pregnant daughter was fatally shot. They tried to save her baby, but ...
I personally did not know the young woman, but Mr H did as he watched her grow up with her sisters. One of her sisters works at my place of employment and she is the most bubbly, outgoing girl. I took some baked mac and cheese over earlier this week to express our condolences and when I spoke to her father, he said, " It wasn't that long ago that I sat at the funerals of the 4 young boys killed in that car crash last year and wondered how their parents can deal with something like this." Unfortunately, he does not have to wonder anymore. I just can not imagine the pain and heartache a parent feels to have to bury their own child. Let alone a grandchild along with her.
We watched the news last night, and her family spoke to the local tv station. Their message, which I would like to pas along is this... If you are even in a situation where you feel trapped by a controlling partner, making you feel scared for your life, please seek help.
Domestic violence is something that no one needs to put up with and I (me) encourage anyone in that situation to get out! There are programs, your family, even a local church can help to provide you the help you need. I know it is easier said than done, but you must seek help. In my opinion, this was a senseless killing with two lives lost.
Here is a link to a domestic violence hotline
Please, if you are a reader and have issues with domestic violence, or know of someone that is this situation, I urge you to get help NOW! You are never alone and there are people out there that want to help you. They make it their life's mission to help you. No one should control your life but you.
A person who loves you will NOT threaten you, strike you or try to kill you. That is NOT love.
Please take the first step and get help....do it TODAY!

Note: The boyfriend of the young mother and her unborn child was charged with criminal homicide yesterday.
Today, she will be buried with her child as her family weeps and mourns alongside friends, other family members and the community.
My heart goes out to all involved and I hope the memories they have of their daughter/sister/relative/friend/coworker/schoolmate......will be the comfort that helps to unload the some of the pain and anguish of this way too early and senseless loss of two lives.

Fun At The Car Show

2011-08-18T19:44:00.000-04:00

We went a car show last night in our hometown. Somehow I got distracted and did not get any pics of cars....BUT...Mr H did have his motorcycle there. I did manage to get a picture of that. All shiny and spiffed up. It is a 1974 Kawasaki Z 900 ....at least I think that is what it is....lol.

I also managed to get pics of other cycles there as well.....

I also took a pic of my sister (in the middle), my brother in law (on the right) and some other guy (on the left). She is president of the local Lions Club that sponsored the car show. So I guess she was talking business to the guy on the left who I never saw before in my life.....oh well....whatever.

The streets were packed full of people as you can see...there are actually cars along side the road on both sides of the street....you can't see them as there are sooooo many people. My picture taking stopped there as my distraction was....my granddaughter! My son and his g/f walked her up to the show and I then spent my time holding and snuggling and dancing with her to the oldies music. The camera did not come back out as I was having too much fun with my sweet peanut, Melody.

Mr H and I had a fun night and he enjoyed showing off his bike, while I was distracted.

Maybe next summer when we go again, I will have some actual pictures of cars. There were some great Camaros that that reminded me of back in the day when I went to high school and most guys had a Camaro. I think I can remember off the top of my head at least 6 guys that drove Camaros.....

Since my mother reads my blog....I wont say how many of them I was in for joy rides......hey some were convertibles and some had flames on the front, some were cherry red and loud and fast.......but I just have to keep some things to myself......

Love you mom.......

There Will Be Pumpkin Pie This Thanksgiving

2011-08-17T14:07:00.000-04:00

Today, I picked a couple dozen tomatoes and some pumpkins! I figure I will cook off the pumpkins for freezing. So far I shall have enough pumpkin puree to make about 6 pumpkin pies....or maybe 3 pumpkin pies and 3 pumpkin rolls, or maybe 3 pumpkin pies and 2 pumpkin rolls and a couple dozen pumpkin whoopie pies....or.....nevermind....there shall be pumpkin pie this thanksgiving. Along with the pumpkins, I have enough tomatoes to make sauce for spaghetti, lasagna, meatballs.....whatever floats my boat I guess. I am not cooking off the tomatoes today as there are still a few more that will be ripe by tomorrow and I can do it on friday....

Have you ever seen a popcorn plant? No, it doesn't make popcorn, but it smells just like buttered popcorn. You can rub the leaves and smell the delish odor of that fattening, belt tightening popcorn smathered in butter! Sometimes in the evening just walkikng by it, you can get a whiff of it. It is an annual, so it won't be back next year, but they are not that expensive to have for an ornamental type plant.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine gave me some queen annes lace cuttings. When I planted them in the ground, they were so wilted, but some fresh flowers are now popping up! This is a perennial and grows like weeds along the farms here in Lancaster County, but I wanted some of my own for cuttings in fresh glower bouquets. I shall now have these every year to put with my dahlias, coneflowers, daisy and cut flowers that I have growing in the garden.

It is a beautiful day here in Amish country, so I am gonna finish my pumpkin puree and head outdoors for some more fresh air in the beautiful sunshine!

Moo....I Love Cows!

2011-08-14T06:33:00.000-04:00

After today's rain, Mr H and I were going for a visit and along the way we saw some cows frolicking and having fun. We stopped along the road and I guess the bovines were as in interested in us as we were them and all starting coming over to the fence.

There were so many that I could not get them all in the picture. They just stared at us while I was snapping pictures.

So we took our pictures, said our goodbyes and headed off for our visit.

Later in the evening, when I did not have my camera, we came across a family of raccoons. Mama and 5 babies crossing the road. Mr H stopped in time for the headlights to shine on all of them. Mama and a couple babies ran across the road and we just sat there as there were still 3 that needed to cross to Mama. On the other side of the road, Mama raccoon stood on her hind legs watching us and watching her babies. Eventually, they crossed the road to safety. I never saw up close a whole family like that and it was pretty neat to watch mama so concerned for her young.

Today is supposed to be a rainy dreary day....guess Mr H and I will do some inside housework.

Fall Is Just Around The Corner and So The Home Decorating Shall Begin...In 3 Weeks...

2011-08-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

Taken from Victorian Trading Company

I have begun decorating at work for Fall and Halloween decor sales. This is my favorite time of year to decorate and adorn the house with the warm vibrant colors of Autumn. I am currently thinking of how I am going to deck the house with this years decor.

I love this picture of the mantel with the orange and black. I have candlesticks that I can spray paint black. I think I even have orange candles somewhere. I actually have black rat silhouettes and of course pumpkins are growing in the back yard garden. What I don't have is the black spider netting, but I am sure I can find something to use, or even dye some old lace black.

I will begin fall and holiday decorating in the house at the end of this month which is only like 3 weeks away. It will probably take me that long to go through all my decor supplies and prepare.

I like to leave my fall decor up until mid November when I begin to transform over to Christmas. The months go by so fast and I like to get the most time out of Fall/Halloween and Thanksgiving as much as possible and then transform over for the short Christmas season.

Somewhere along the way, Thanksgiving gets lost, so I will do the main room last for Christmas decor and keep as much of the bounty of November as much as possible.

I have had this picture saved on my puter for so long, I don't remember where I got it.

I never did get my chicken crate this year to make a nice table filled with pumpkins for Autumn harvest, I am bound and determined to do this next year. I will be at the Mud Sale on St Patrick's Day 2012, and claim my chicken crates and be there for the bidding. I WILL HAVE ONE OF THESE!!!

As much as I love summer and all that goes with it, I am ready for the sweater days of Autumn, baking pies and cookies, watching the trees turn into the oranges, reds and yellows of fall and most of all

HOCKEY STARTS BACK UP!!!!

I can't wait to see the people that sit in our section to share about the summers adventures and best of all

WATCH HOCKEY!!!

hahaha....

Preparing Sugar Sweet Pumpkins for Freezing Or For Making Pie!!!!

2011-08-08T20:49:00.000-04:00

Well, I cooked my pumpkins to freeze for pies this coming fall. I can't wait to make some!!! Oh and eat them too!!!!
First, I cut the pumpkin in half. Then I scooped out all of the seeds and stringy stuff. These are small sugars.

I placed them in a microwave safe glass bowl and added a couple inches of water to the bottom and nuked them until soft. About 20-25 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, I went to about 3 minutes at a time. I also had them covered.

I scooped out the soft pumpkin and let set for about 1/2 hour.

I mixed it up in my mixer until pureed.

Measured out about 3 cups which would be about 1 cup per pumpkin as I did 3 pumpkins. I put in a freezer bag and had it laying flat in the freezer on top of a cookie sheet until frozen. It makes for better storage being flat.

I can taste those pies now!!!!!

Can't wait for September when the weather cools and I will turn on the oven for that first tasty pumpkin treat!!!

Yard Sale Finds

2011-08-07T15:33:00.000-04:00

Mr H and I went yard saling this Saturday. I got some good bargains, like that old milk box for $1! Will make a nice planter. I paid 50 cents for the crystal and silver powder puff jar, $2 for the cow picture, but the back has a most interesting closure. The table was $1 and the spools and spindles were $4 for a bag of 6. The red/white/blue picture/painted wood was $1 and the 3 little black crows were 50 cents. The nest was also 50 cents. Some of these will make nice add ons for fall decor around the fireplace.

Mr H bought this painted milk can for $10!!! They were asking $20 and he got them down to $10. It is in very good condition and not rusty! The lid comes off and the inside is fairly clean...a little rusty in there , but that does not matter to me. Not included in the picture (because I forgot) are 3 rabbit molds for chocolate bunnies at Easter for the little one, and a blue/white (I forget the name of the pattern) tin cup. It is nice sized. The molds were 10 cents a piece and the tin cup was 50 cents. The tin cup will make a nice planter. Will post pictures later if I remember!!!

Happy 19th Birthday To My Youngest Son...

2011-08-04T06:00:00.034-04:00

Today, my baby turns 19. It wasn't that long ago he was taking his oath to become a Marine. His journey into manhood. I can still remember like yesterday the 19 hours of hard labor to get this little guy out...then after going thru all of that having an emergency C-section. He was a fighter then and a fighter now.

Seeing my baby for the first time all dressed up with his sharpshooter pin and his new way of walking and talking and thinking...I knew my baby had become a man. From the kid who wasn't sure of his future, had no direction, was laid back and really had no interests, emerged into this....a Man who knows where he is going and what he wants to do. A man who knows respect, courage and honor. A man who I am proud to call My Son. He has always made me proud as both of my boys do. This is a different sort of pride I have for him. It is a pride that he took on a challenge, and made it through and is loving it! He knows who he is and where he wants to go in life. I will confess that 2-3 years ago, I worried about his future. I worried he was heading down a path that would not benefit him. When he made the decision to join the USMC, I supported him and was and still am his biggest cheerleader.

I received a phone call from him a few days ago. He found out where he will be stationed and he also said he will probably be deployed around the holidays....my heart sank....I knew this day would come eventually. Having an actual time frame...well I can't even talk about it without my eyes welling up. I still support and respect his decision, but my heart is heavy and I have to get over this not being able to talk about him without wanting to burst into tears. I need to be strong and tough it out cause as the saying goes "If you think a Marine is tough....wait til you meet his mother!" I guess I have grow a thick skin and roll with it.
Even though he is "Big, Bad Marine"....he will always be my baby.....
Happy Birthday Son.....I wish I could be with you......

Baskets and More Baskets...

2011-08-03T09:22:00.000-04:00

A friend and coworker of mine who is moving wanted to know who she could give her baskets to. I volunteered to relieve her of these burdensome baskets.... She was so generous to oblige and put them in my car. There are many things I can do with these baskets. I shall have to think of something nice to do for her since her generosity was so awesome.

Butterflies Are Free To Fly....

2011-07-31T13:36:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to see a butterfly on my white butterfly bush today.

I was hoping a monarch would also happen by today, but no such luck. The swallowtails are pretty nonetheless, but I do love the monarchs.

On a funny note to end the weekend.....At work, we have butterfly bushes on sale. The roadside stand with the sale sign was changed to "Butt bushes"....there are some mischievous people around that like to change the letters on the roadside stand. One day, it was found out that we were having a buy one get one free sale.....on....well I can't say here what the sign sign letters were rearranged to say....

when the maintenance man went out to change the letters back (after being up there til mid morning along a very busy roadway.....someone drove past and said "Is the sale over already?" hahaha

I will say this....it did not bring in more customers to take advantage of the "sale".....we couldn't even give it away......

sad.......

Open The Windows, Hang Out The Laundry, Supper On The Grill....

2011-07-27T10:34:00.000-04:00

Towels and sheets swaying on the wash line. A great day for this today!!!

When I woke up this morning and came into the sun room, it was actually on the chilly side!!! The sun was coming up over the horizon and it looks to be a gorgeous day. We have had rain, finally, the past two days. It was enough to water the gardens and green up the grass a bit....well just a little bit. No A/C today! The windows are open, the laundry is hanging out, the bed sheets will smell fresh, dinner will baja chicken on the grill with some corn on the cob.....yes and in between there I will clean the house and mop the floors. I was fortunate enough to get some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers out of the garden this morning to add to a tasty summer salad to go along with dinner.
It's gonna be a great day! I can feel it!