Next Up!

 We are having yet another dreary, rainy day so I thought we could take a peek at the kitchen while we have to be inside. The lighting was terrible so these pictures leave a bit to be desired but let's go any way!

It is pretty obvious in my house that Halloween has been a favorite holiday and also one with the most photo ops. I have framed and unframed pictures everywhere and I just can't help but try to squeeze in as many more as I can.

I love the way this gift picture from daughter #1 fits right in with the gold lamp and candlestick. It adds a touch of class to my otherwise kitschy decor. Lol

And I still love this guy so much. I bought him many, many years ago at a Hallmark store-back when there were Hallmark stores (ours has been gone for awhile) and when they carried tons of holiday decor as well as cards. As I was decorating this year I realized just how much I used to get at those stores. Hallmark, Pier 1 and Bombay Co. were a few of my favorites and I still miss them all.

In case you're wondering what that is hanging from the window frame, it is tarragon that I am drying. My plant was overflowing and I don't use a lot of fresh tarragon but I love the look of the plant and the fragrance of the leaves so when I can find one, I keep it growing as long as possible and cut it back and dry it for storing so that I will have it when I need it. I love it in tuna and pasta salads.

Daughter #1 had to make an unexpected trip up to SC before she heads to High Point so my grand dog came a week early and he's here checking up on what I'm doing because to take this picture I am standing very close to where his food is kept and I guess he thought I was forgetting that he had already eaten this morning and was going to fill his bowl. Lol

That is the kitchen for this year. I think I am off to let my furry friend out for a bit between rains and then grab some lunch. Our weather looks to be wet through the weekend so I might be back sooner than I would expect but we shall see. Until then, stay safe and stay tuned.

For Once...

 For once the weatherman seems to have been correct. He has been predicting a very rainy week and usually when that happens, we get 20 drops. But this week he seems to be on the money-at least, so far. It started raining yesterday and has pretty much continued. I really wanted to tackle some things in the house but, when it is this dark and dreary, nothing looks clean even when it is so...

I came into my office to see what trouble I could get into and I saw the framed picture from "My Texas House" that I picked up recently from Walmart.. I showed it to you when I bought it.

And I think I may have told you then that I wasn't too sure about my feelings for it. That actually happened soon after I picked it up in the store and I must have hemmed and hawed the whole shopping trip. I can't tell you how many times I thought of putting it back before biting the bullet and just getting it.

My initial gut feeling was that this might not truly be meant for Christmas decor even though every time I have seen it being promoted it is as a decor piece. But, the image truly isn't in keeping with the kind of art this brand is known for. And then I noticed this...

That got to to wondering if maybe it is meant just to be a frame and when I took out the image I was more convinced than ever.

This image is on a shiny, slippery piece of paper and definitely reads more the thing you see when you buy a frame rather than an art image. With that in mind I know I can find a Christmas image to print but I thought I would play with the one I have and see if I could change it enough to be presentable. The first thing I did was grab a hunter green marker thinking it would be a perfect match but that paper was full of surprises. The hunter green transformed to a BRIGHT "elflike" green and was just wrong. Lol

I went through the other markers and each one was worse than the next until I got to that avocado green Sharpie one and it read pretty much what I wanted once it hit the paper.

I'm still not sure it will remain like this but it is better...and I have kept myself entertained for a bit on this rainy day. Lol I will say that this is the first "My Texas House" thing I have bought that is not living up to its standards. Once the print was back in the frame and I sat it up to take this picture, it sits crooked. It isn't the frame itself it is more the way the back was put on. It's not a huge deal but to someone like me who needs things level and symmetrical, it could be. I simply stuck an adhesive dot under one side of the bottom of the frame and we're good to go but it does make me wonder if the quality of this brand might begin to be jeopardized because of its sudden huge growth. I sure hope not because I really do love most of her designs.

And no matter what ends up staying in this frame, I think the frame itself might still need some love. I will wait on that decision until I see where it ends up but I'm pretty sure I will be dragging out some antique wax or Rub&Buff...or both before I am done.

That's it for me today. Off to find something else to occupy my afternoon-something I WANT to do not necessarily something I need to do. LOL Stay safe and stay tuned. Oh, and yes, it did stop raining long enough late yesterday afternoon for me to get all of the vines cut down in the back yard. It feels good to be finished but I know this week's rains will just encourage more growth so I'm pretty sure I know where you will find me again next week. Oh, and I will have my grand dog here with me again as daughters #1 and 3 head back up to High Point again for the autumn Furniture Market. He's a fun companion so I am looking forward to his visit.

Best Laid Plans

 Today was supposed to be my first day back working in the yard since I finished up Halloween decorating. And, that is exactly where it started. Since I had put so much time into the yard right before I started on my decor, I wanted to make sure I maintained what was done. It is so much easier to spend a little time every now and then keeping weeds in check than to wait until they have taken over again.

And that was my plan on how I would begin the day. These guys are my heroes.

I think they are called circular hoes? In any case, I have had the handheld one forever. In fact, I have used it so much that I have pretty much worn off the "teeth" on the circle but it still works. And then my cousin told me about the "big brother". I didn't know there was such a thing. Between the two of them-as long as I haven't let the weeds just completely take over-I can pretty much get the job done. The big one is great for large areas and I use the small one when I have a lot of other plants amongst the weeds.

In any case, I got most of the backyard weed free when I came in for a quick lunch and by the time I was ready to head out with the ladder to tackle cutting down lots of overgrown vines, the thunder was here-much earlier than usual so I am hoping maybe that means it will be done soon and I can get back out there in temps that might even be a degree or two cooler because this morning, it was HOT!

And so, that brings me here and I thought maybe we could start our 2026 Halloween tour. I didn't get pictures of the porch in time so, once again, we will start inside and come back outside later.

I really still love that witch sign that I found last year at $Tree. The living room is pretty much decorated with two themes-witches and "The Raven"-and I like to bring as much of each everywhere I can. The sign was cute the way it came but once I added the ravens, it was perfect!

I brought the witch's shoes and broom in here from the mirror over the family room mantle. I switched that up this year but it may actually change before I show it to you so, we shall see. Sometimes things I think I am going to love just don't pan out. Lol

 

As much as I try every year, I just can NOT not put out our pictures of our Halloween costume parties. I can't even begin to tell you how often these pictures are picked up and looked at over the month that they're here.

So this side of the room is pretty much witch territory. These are pictures from a witch's tea we used to go to in Tampa every year.

Once we turn the corner, "The Raven" and Poe begin to mix in with the sign, pillows and statues.

 

And by this point we are pretty much all "Poe". I did change this vignette up a bit because I wanted the new raven framed picture here. And, I just realized that I forgot to put batteries into the "raven sitting on skull" because his eyes are usually all aglow! Lol

So that is the living room for this year. Not sure when I will be back. I have some errands to run tomorrow and then my brother and sister-in-law are coming on Wednesday but I have more to show you so until then, stay safe and stay tuned.