And Along Came Eta

So just when we thought we might be officially heading into autumn, along comes Hurricane Eta. It was not one I was worried about until I heard everyone else talking about how it had turned and was expected to run up the western coast of Florida and then turn in right about at central Florida...where I live.

After listening to the experts, I decided that just some minor preparation was in order. My normal hurricane prep takes a very long time because it involves moving any potential flying object in my yard and, as you can probably guess, there are many! I rolled down my two pool umbrellas and took down hanging bird feeders that were near windows...and that was about it.

When I woke up this morning, I was wondering if it might still be on its way because nothing looked different but, apparently it limped through during the night. Either it wasn't bad at all or I just slept through it. I had a few dead branches down on my side yard and that is about it. But, today is still a bit gloomy so I needed to find some things to keep me occupied.

Thing number one was to use up the last wooden tag that I had cut. Since it was ready to go, I decided on a very simple Thanksgiving tag that didn't require many supplies at all...just the usual suspects.

First I gave the tag a coat of the antiquing gel...

...followed by a dry brushed coat of the orange and a few pops of white. My goal was to have it look like it had layers of old paint.

I used a black paint pen to write the word after I sketched it out with pencil. The wood had more grain than I thought and the tip of the pen caught in it a bit so I wasn't exactly on my lines. Luckily, an eraser made quick work of that.

And this is where it ended up...and I think it adds just the perfect finishing touch!

And since it is still so gloomy, I decided to make my favorite Martha Stewart soup-Vegetable Vermicelli. I make this soup at least several times every autumn and I never tire of it...which is a really good thing now as it makes a huge pot of soup so I will be eating it for the better part of the week. Lol

Even just the ingredients are so pretty and it makes a super colorful soup as well.

I just looked out the window and the sun is actually out so I guess I am off to pick up some branches. I'll be back with some more of my autumn tour and a sneak peek at some more goodies I have started collecting for this year's Christmas decor very soon. Stay safe and stay tuned.