Moving Along

 Even though I started showing you my Halloween decor a bit ago, with all of the other things going on, I haven't gotten all that far so, before Halloween is actually here, let's head into the dining room.

If you peek into that far right corner, you will see that I propped up my "Old Salem Broom Co." sign that I made over there. It might not be the best place but once I decided not to use it where it has always been (in the living room entry), there was really no other place in the entire house that it could have gone-believe me, I tried. Lol

I still love my spider table runner that I found at Bombay Co. oh so many years ago!

I thought about changing this out this year but, unfortunately, I didn't think soon enough and really had no idea as I was actually decorating where I wanted to go with it, so.....

These pictures always make me realize just how much I miss the Bombay Co. I always got lots of seasonal things there...as well as a few pieces of furniture. The closest one was in Gainesville but, since I was there so often, I became buddies with the store manager and he knew my likes. He would actually call me when something he thought I would like was going on a big mark-down and then would hold it for me until I next got there. I have two of these spider lamps from there and I just love them so much! Always helps to have a "buddy". Lol

I also got two of these guys from Bombay. Back in the day, when my grands were little, they loved to take one out by the trellis for their pictures. I have so many pix where the mummy is almost as tall as they are. Sigh!!

This year I finally got one of them down off of the top garage shelf and he is in the living room now. If I remember correctly, they started off at $100 and I got them when they were 75% off! I used to have the other one between the dining room and sunroom and would fill the bowl with candy which the kids would empty quite quickly each time they passed by. Lol

Just realized as I was posting this picture that this vignette has already changed but I didn't snap a pic. Imagine the orange bowl-which I was never crazy about here-gone and my new "spookified" painting sitting there on an easel. Lol

So that is the dining room for this year. My brother and sister-in-law will be here tomorrow so maybe we will actually get a chance to sit in here. Back in the day, this table was often opened to full size and jammed with family and friends. These days, that doesn't happen as often any more but I am happy any time it does!

I ran to Walmart yesterday. Yes, just to Walmart. That doesn't usually happen but I have been seeing so many posts about the "My Texas House" Christmas things that I just had to go and see for myself. I was looking for their garland in particular. My garlands were beautiful when I bought them. I got them from a friend who was a designer and even at her wholesale prices, they were expensive. But, they were also unlike any garlands sold in stores back then.

Fast forward many years and they are not only starting to really show their age but they are so much more difficult to work with and bend than the newer ones now available and, they require so much more storage space. The only place I have where they will fit is the top shelf in my garage and that not only requires a high trip up the ladder but a lot off strength to "nudge" them into their spots. The new "real feel" garland might not actually be as pretty but they are so much easier to work with and take up so much less storage space.

And so, I went in search of two new garlands for my family room mantle. My thought was to start each one at the opposite corner of the mantle so that across the top of the mantle it would be double and full and then let the rest drape down the sides.

I really didn't think the store that I usually go to would be out even though I know they have gone viral, but they were. And, for a minute I was disappointed but then I spied another garland that actually looks more like what I want and decided to give them a try.

I gave then a quick spread out to see what I thought. I didn't even "fluff" them at all and I can already see how lush it will look across the top and I am excited...not excited enough to skip Thanksgiving decorating and go straight to Christmas but excited enough to at least start thinking about it. Lol

So that is it for today. The handyman who will be taking down the rest of the lattice off of my fence actually showed up when he said he would-not something I'm used to these days-so I'm off to see how he is doing. Not sure when I'll be back but there is more to come so stay safe and stay tuned.

Re-entry!

 I'm back and re-entry is always hard for me after such a fun trip! Not that I don't enjoy being home-I do-but, I love it when I am spending time with family and, when there are so many things going on, it is all the more fun!

We pretty much hit the ground running as soon as we got to St. Pete last Sunday. We took a few minutes to get ready and then we were on our way to Dunedin. It seems as if Kris and I are always on a quest for a lobster roll better than the last and we headed to The Lucky Lobster. There were so many lobster options that it was hard to choose but the waitress seemed to be nudging us to the lobster roll so we took her advice and couldn't have been happier. I have had lobster rolls in a lot of different places but I have NEVER had one with lobster pieces the size that we had here!

We had given ourselves plenty of time to have a nice dinner and then we were off to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater for Steve Martin and Martin Short. I didn't have a clue what to really expect but this was one of the best things I have ever seen. These two together were absolutely incredible and kept the entire audience of all ages laughing the entire show! I would definitely recommend seeing them if they are ever anywhere near you!

The next day we were out and about all day buying things for the party on Friday and then headed to a local restaurant to meet some of daughter #1's friends for dinner. This place apparently makes a BIG deal out of EVERY holiday so going with Halloween right around the corner was a no-brainer for us. Let's just say that it did not disappoint!

Daughter #2 came down on Thursday and she and her sister headed to Tampa for dinner and to see some comedian who I really wasn't interested in seeing so I stayed home with my grand dog and planned a nice quiet evening in front of the TV with a glass of wine and dinner. I won't bore you with the details but the evening may or may not have included getting locked out of the house with the dog and no shoes or phone and pretty much dressed in comfy clothes that really aren't for outside of the house. I actually thought I might end up spending the next 5 hours sitting on a chaise by the pool with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do until I got up my nerve and headed to a neighbor across the street who has met me a few times and, believe me, I was keeping my fingers crossed that she would recognize me in this state. She did. She had my daughter's number but of course, she was at dinner and had her phone off. The same thing with the call we tried to my grand daughter. I was just about to call it when my daughter noticed the calls, called back and gave me the code!

I still had my night in front of the TV with the dog and my dinner but, rest assured, that glass of wine might just have been a bit larger than first planned Lol

Friday was the dinner and paint party and what a good time we had! We all brought a "painting" of our choice and then then "spookified" it to our liking. We painted while we enjoyed appetizers and when everyone was finished with their masterpieces, we headed outside for dinner.

I'm still playing around with this a bit. I added a little bit of "autumn" to the tree but I shouldn't have because the paint on the canvas "reads" as a different shine and I didn't like it. It's funny that it was OK for everything else I added but not the tree. And so, I went back over it with brown and, honestly, in person looks OK but the camera really picks it up. In any case, I like it but should have known when to "hold 'em". Lol I still need to work on the pumpkins as well. The acrylic paint was kind of transparent so I went over it with chalk paint but still not quite right. Maybe I'll be done by the time the 31st rolls around. Lol

This is supposed to be a busy week. One handyman is coming on Wednesday to take down the lattice on the rest of the fencing, the roof guy is supposed to show (?!) and my brother and sister-in-law are coming on Thursday to give me some extra hands and will stay for grandson #2's football game on Friday. And, of course, to top it all off the weather is finally catching up with the season and it is beautiful out there!

Not sure when I'll be back but we have more of the tour to do so stay tuned...and stay safe.

Surprise!

 So this is not only a surprise to you, it's a surprise to me that I am back! As happens so frequently these days, my best laid plans often go awry. Lol Just when I thought I knew what today and tomorrow would bring, I get a call from the roofer that he can stop by this morning-no time window-and then my son-in-law asking if the dogs can come stay for a bit again...and, here I am. I can't leave because I can't miss the roofer and I can't really get into anything else because I have these two Velcro dogs literally by my side every time I try to move. I really love them so much but they are "needy". Lol

And so my friends, I thought of you and thought this might be the perfect time to swing back and move along with our Halloween tour. Off we go into the kitchen. I didn't change up as much here as I did in the living room but if you have been around for awhile, you might notice a few little things.

I still LOVE that pot I got years and years ago. I actually got that at a Hallmark store back when they used to carry TONS of holiday decor and, well, I guess back when there were still Hallmark stores-they're all gone around here now.

I moved the menu and the "recipe" books to the top of the baker's rack along with the cute raven which was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law.

That is the kitchen for this year. If something doesn't happen around here soon I might be back again!! LOL If not, stay safe and stay tuned.

Was I Sleepwalking??

 So it has been 4 1/2 days of pretty much non-stop decorating but I am DONE with Halloween. And, honestly, I'm not sure how I got to here! I changed up a lot this year and that takes time but, I think I saved some time by not putting every autumn piece of decor back into its "autumn home". Instead, if I thought it was going to come back out for Thanksgiving-and, a lot of the autumn stuff does, I simply put it in the empty Halloween bins. Then, when I go to put Halloween away, my next bit of decor will be there waiting. Makes sense!! What took me so long to figure this out?!

In any case, I had put off the outside decorating as long as I could. And so, when I woke up this morning, I knew it could wait no longer. But, I had decided that I would just hang my flag and "Dead and Breakfast" sign with the tombstones and call it a day. I had decided not to put out the Halloween trellis this year because so many of its cross pieces had broken and it seemed to have come to the end of its life. I also decided not to hang the black garland with lights over the windows because honestly, last year, that garland lost almost as many "needles" as it still had.

And so, with all of that in mind, I headed out., I don't know if I have just been doing this so long that I go on muscle memory or what but I had that hole dug this year in record time. And, I got the depth correct on the first try. Then, I carried that thing out front like it was a feather-no idea where that strength came from but it was there. Lol So, sign up. 

Then, I hung the Halloween flag that I bought a few years ago and must have completely forgotten about because it hasn't seen the light of day for awhile. I had to hang it down farther on the overhang because the other sign would have blocked it if I hung it where the flags usually go.

Then I dragged out the tombstones. I actually broke one this year but I'm fine with what I have.

And then I headed to disassemble the old trellis I had pulled out and get it in the trash when I gave it one last look and just knew that I COULDN'T! ALL of the pictures of my grandchildren standing under that thing every year and getting bigger and bigger until all seven no longer fit just flew through my memory and I knew I couldn't do it! And so, I grabbed some electrical tape and got to jerry-rigging. I restrung the lights a few years ago and honestly, this thing could use a new coat of paint but that would entail taking all of the lights off again and then reattaching and that wasn't in the cards today-but, getting it put up was! And I'm so happy with myself that I did that. At this point, I still haven't hung the garland-but I haven't thrown it away yet either. Lol So, we shall see. 

I'm not sure if I will make it back here before I head off to daughter #1's house for a week. We're finally going to get to see Steve Martin and Martin Short (whose show got postponed to now from January when the wildfires were in California) and I'm very excited. She also has some other fun things planned-always a good time when I'm there!

I want to get my flu shot before I leave plus we have two more football games on the agenda as well as I have two of my grand dogs here again while their kitty "sister" recovers from a vet procedure. They like to "play" with her a bit more than she likes to be "played" with and she needs to be still for a few days so they are with me. In any case, we'll see how things go before I leave. If I don't make it back, I'll have lots to share when I do. Stay safe and stay tuned.