Moving On

I can't believe how quickly the weekends go! I've had my "dog" company here since Friday and yesterday daughter #2 came down for a visit. I love it when she visits because it is so much fun catching up with her and it doesn't hurt that she always comes bearing gifts. Lol This time she brought me the cutest "blinged" out turkey and he found an immediate home on the shelf in the family room. I think next year when I have more time I might try to put together some kind of an arrangement where he is front and center...maybe a small dough bowl?

Then she brought me the largest bunch of flowers I have ever seen. I honestly couldn't fit them all into one vase-even my widest mouth one-so I made two and have one next to "my sitting place" in the family room...

...and the other in my bedroom so I have some "pretty" in each of my favorite relaxing spots.

And then she always makes a stop at the Fresh Market for me. We don't have one here. I have so many of their specialty deli things that I just love and this sweet girl loads me up on it all! I will be eating dinner thanks to her for a number of days to come.

Of course we had planned to watch grandson #1's football game but due to the squabble that YouTube was having with Disney, we couldn't get ESPN+ no matter which way we tried. Luckily for us, with family there, daughter #1 watching it in St. Pete and a radio broadcast we were able to pretty much keep current and everything was going well-although there was never enough point difference to give a feeling of total "we've got this"-but we were ahead-and then the final drive brought it all to s screeching STOP. King's Point was getting close to a goal but the Coast Guard held them a number of times until they got their first down with about 40 something seconds to go and scored in the last 5 seconds! What a bummer!!! It's probably a really good thing I hadn't gone to Boston because I was having enough of a heart attack just listening from Florida!

As I think I said in a previous post, a win is always nice but this experience will be something he will always remember and this grandson of mine usually gets over things pretty quickly. It was a great game but a heart breaker none-the-less.

All of the family and friends that were there cheering on the Bears!

And so that brings us to today and we will move into the dining room. Right now things are quiet but I am waiting to hear if this room will be hosting Thanksgiving or not this year. The plans are for daughter #3 to host the family this year UNLESS my grandson's-her son's-college football team goes farther into the playoffs-which they still might even after this loss I think?! In that case, she and her family will probably head up to Connecticut and I will be hosting the rest of the family. Luckily, my dining room table will open to accommodate and a very large number and then we also set up the tables in the sunroom so we will be good. 

I saw this table in a magazine many, many years ago. It came from Habersham Plantation and, since we didn't have a local dealer, my husband and I drove up to the actual flagship store and factory in the mountains of Georgia to check it out. It has three pieces. The middle piece has two wings so it becomes a large rectangle and then the two semi-circle end pieces make it even larger. Or, you can take the two ends and create a circular table and then just use the rectangle. Or, if it worked for you, you could butt a semi-circle up to a wall and have another sort of table. I have never regretted this purchase for a second-or the beautiful carved armoire and four poster bed that we ended up buying while there even though that is not what we went for-for even a second. Even if we did have to have the bedroom bay window removed to get the armoire inside. True story but I'll save that for another day! Lol This thing has worked for us for many years and I love it. Lots of food eaten, crafts made and games played at that table!

The shelves started out looking like this and then I found a watercolor turkey image that I couldn't resist and before I knew it I had it printed and Mod-Podged onto a canvas in no time. And then I started the walk around the house to figure out where in the world it could go...and honestly, why in the world did I make it. LOL

And so, the bottom shelf now looks like this.

As I have said before, I am drawn to watercolors and it does give the once very brown shelf a nice pop of color.

And, let's remember that this now looks like this...

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is just 11 days away and I'm still tweaking. Lol

It is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day out there so I am going to take the days out into the yard and let them run their little hearts out. Then, if I don't get myself caught up in a gardening, I will have a late lunch next to my twinkling tree and find a Christmas movie-either one I haven't seen or maybe a classic. I usually save my favorites until closer to the "real" day but we shall see. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Snips and Snails

 I am using today to do a lot of different things before the dogs arrive for 4 days-which should be any time now-and so I thought I would catch you up on a few of those things as I go.

When I decorated my dining room, the console looked like this.

Honestly, every time I make a canvas I question myself as to why! I think I mainly do them so that I have something to craft when I feel the need and have no other ideas. And, sometimes a canvas on an easel will work just fine...and other times, not! This was one of those NOT times.

As it turned out, I had some different candle holders sitting out in my office because I was thinking of ways to change up some bottle brush trees for Christmas. One of the holders was the clear glass from $Tree that I have used for many things and always just seem to have a few in my stash. I have actually used them before to "elevate" a canvas. And so, before I even knew what I was doing I painted it burnt orange, "rusted" it up with some cinnamon, glued small dowels to the back of the canvas, filled the hole in the holder with floral foam and inserted the dowels and embellished with some leaves and acorns that I "stole" from my dough bowl. It isn't rocket science but I like it so much better now.

In between steps while those things were drying, I headed out back to check the fountains and once again hit on a conundrum. I have seen this a number of times and have NO clue what is happening around my pool. Near the steps I have often noticed a lot of water and I see some small foot prints so I'm guessing some raccoons are using the pool to wash their food and have an occasional swim. That seems likely. But, today I noticed lots of water all around the deep end of the pool as well.

The water near the deep end goes all the way around the edges. We have had NO rain and the irrigation system is off. I am completely at a loss for an explanation unless there is some kind of creature that can hop out without the benefit of help from steps...and continued to do so all the way around the pool. Thinking this might be a good time to get some cameras. Lol

While I was out there I found my Meyer lemon looking better than it has for awhile. This tree used to give me lemons but recently something has been eating off the lemons just as they start. I could not figure out what it was but I kept spraying with an organic spray to no avail. It made me so sad that I finally broke down and bought a systemic. I have applied it twice and I think I may finally have had some success. The tree is full of buds and looking good. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

And then I promised you I would share any treasures I found when out and about the other day. I ended up just going to Target before the grocery store and I think I was already late for the "good" stuff. I was astounded at how empty almost all of the shelves in the Hand & Hearth and Magnolia sections were. All of the things that everyone was posting about were gone. I could see the label on the shelves but that was it. And so, my pocketbook was happy but my Christmas loving self, not so much. I did pick up a pretty large candle ring, a set of 3 small bowls in deep Christmas colors that spoke to me and 2 sets of inexpensive lights to use on garlands over mirrors, doorways, etc. I'm just hedging my bet on the lights because it seems like every year as I am decorating at least one goes out. This way I have saved myself another trip...and, they were 40% off so, win-win.

That's all I've got. I'm off to fill up some water bowls and get things ready for the puppers. I got a nice surprise this morning when daughter #2 asked if I would like some company tomorrow so I am looking forward to spending the day with her but, I will be back soon to move along on our tour. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Let's Get Cooking!

 Let's get cooking...or at least visit the kitchen today. Lol We're having another beautiful autumn day albeit still just a bit too nippy to enjoy a lot of time outside in clothes that are comfortable for all of the chores I have ahead. And so, I am staying inside again and catching up on the inside things that are always needing doing. My grand dogs will be here either tomorrow or early Friday so things that can get done without them following behind my heels are on the docket right now. But first, let's head to the kitchen. I don't really think there are a lot of changes but let's go check it out anyway.

I still love all of my local, seasonal tea towels. I love them because of their sentiment but mostly I think because of their watercolor feel. I am always drawn to watercolor...sure wish I could do it but it seems to be a talent that I am totally lacking.

Just look at those little hands and feet on the turkeys on the side of the fridge.

If I have anything that has a turkey on it, you can be sure that it will find its way into this month's decor...even all of the little handprint turkeys that I have from so long ago!

Every time I put out these ceramic pilgrims that I did back in my "ceramic making obsessed" stage of life. I marvel that I once not only hand hands steady enough to paint that small detail but eyes good enough to see it! Lol And I still love the pilgrim hat flower pot that daughter #3 helped my very young grandson make oh so many years ago!

 The cross stitch I made back in 1985-again, much better eyes-and my beloved candle Thanksgiving set from Woolworths that hubby and I bought for our first Thanksgiving after getting married-60 years ago now!! Every time I look at them I am transported right back to my childhood because my mom had the same ones for all of my growing up years as well. That is what made them so important to add to my newlywed holiday decor-it wouldn't have been Thanksgiving without them in our home.

So here is where I put the flower bucket I got from daughter #1 after I got it rusted up to my liking. And, I slipped the wheat that I've had for years and used in other places into it for now.

That is this year's kitchen. I must admit that as I watch all of the posts of people decorating for Christmas, I am starting to feel the itch but, I know I won't cave. I am just making note of all of the things that I see that speak to me. I have always been very traditional in my Christmas decor-mostly just lots of red, green, greenery and vintage Santas. My likes haven't changed but I think I might add even more of the greenery now that they have the faux stuff that looks and feels so real-that is, if I can still even find any more and it doesn't break the bank to buy it. Now that there are so many decor influencers touting all of their finds, things go viral and sell out so quickly. In the old days I probably would have been able to find anything I wanted because I was always in a store somewhere but these days even though I still enjoy the shopping just as much, I don't enjoy the traffic, crowds and obscene prices...not to mention the fact that I really do have a lot of this kind of stuff so some of my fun these days is finding new ways to use the old stuff.

I am heading off tomorrow while I am still "dog free" so I will let you see any treasures I find. Until then, stay safe and stay tuned.

Just as Promised!

 What an incredible day we're having. I woke up to 33 degrees but "feels like" of 21 and fully expected to be freezing but I'm not. The heat didn't even come on during the night even with those temperatures. The meteorologist explained it all with strong wind gusts, etc., etc. but, I just know for my very simple brain, it is actually beautiful out there. It's a bit chilly but, after all, it IS November and that is what one would expect.

In any case, we have a soccer game here in town tonight-and it might be a bit nippy-but, until then I'm catching up on lots of things and remembered I promised you I would be back today...so, here I am. Let's head into the living room.

Since Thanksgiving decor is few and far between these days as people rush Christmas more and more, I end up putting out all of the pilgrims and turkeys I have and then just bringing back lots of my autumn decor to fill in the gaps.

So, once again, this area gives me pause. Thankfully it is the last time I have to worry about it because the "new" shelf went up about a year ago so it has now found decor for each of those months. That being said, I didn't want to do more peat pots and kind of just forgot about anything else until it was decorating time. I was hoping I could find two similar turkeys, pilgrims or whatever but I couldn't so I started here with the wood pumpkin on the left and the tin one on the right.

And, I didn't like it but left it for a bit. As I was going through pictures, I realized it might look better with some antique gold Rub n' Buff so....

...I tried that, And it still bothered me a bit. I liked the gold better because of the gold leaf dish and gold frame on the chest below the shelf but, I didn't like the gold pumpkin next to the gold turkey-and the turkey couldn't switch sides because you would lose too much of the pumpkin on the sign. And so...

It still isn't pleasing to my very "symmetrical self" but, it is what it is. Lol

So that is the living room for this year. I'm off to have some lunch and then start to think about our soccer game tonight. It's going to be chilly but, soccer doesn't last as long as their other games so I think we will survive. Stay safe and stay tuned.