Sofa pillows from Goodwill....

Amy loves to get in front of the camera to check out what is holding my interest....


Today, it's the cute pillows that I picked up at GW for just $2 each. This is the green fringed one. As you can tell from the mantle scarf, I do like my fringe.


This is in my parlor room, which is in the deep fall colors of greens and oranges. And the sweetest decor is Amy.....


The other pillow I got was in the deep russet colors. The fringe has some reflective quality, it seems.


What a deal and they fit flawlessly onto my vintage sofas....

A day at the pumpkin farm with family

This was the funnel cakes and lemonade stand. The bees were liking very much the lemonade and swarmed around the yellow container. I stayed away....far away.

Lots of spooky displays..... This was a gorilla wedding scene.

Painted gourds.....

A mad scientist's lab..... More funny than anything. Even the rat in the lower right bottom looks a little crazed.... Click pic to see more of this - up close!

One of the loves of my life: Ian, my middle grandchild.

Ha! My hubby, running with the shadow kids!

Looks like someone needed just 1 white pumpkin....

There were many creative, Halloween displays. My DD is having fun with this one, pretending that the "thing" was leaning on her.....

At the teepee display, a horse made entirely from bamboo and old mops...

Isn't this a lovely fall display? Looks like a row of perfect teeth...with one missing in front.

There were so many displays that I'm sure we didn't see all of them.

And there were pony rides. This is my oldest gs, Jacob.

Turban squash, I believe......

This couple just got engaged. The guy had the pumpkins to say: "Will you marry me Kristen" You can see the family taping the event.... I turned to my hubby and joked that that was what romance is...... hint-hint..... yeah, he didn't get it.....

And me. With my new, crazy hat and big shirt to keep out the sun. They are both rated 50+.



We had so much fun!!!! I love fall and I welcome the coming snow! (Should I say that in a hushed tone??)

Mantle fall decor

Okay, so I don't have a real fireplace (my hubby, the fireman, has gone to too many house fires that started with fireplaces, and so we don't have one), but I do have an old, wooden mantle that I can dress up for fall. I found a small bookshelf that fits in the opening and I decoupaged it in old sheet music and stain.

A piece of old sheet music is also in the vintage picture frame. ( It's tea-stained, but I don't think it shows up that way in the flash of the camera.)

The candles are handmade and still have the long wicks. These were a gift from my sister-n-law. The candles are in old bronze candle sticks that are dolphins blowing a water stream. (love dophins!)

The violin was recently bought off Craiglist and though I had planned to learn how to play..... I just haven't found the time, so until then, it will be a decor item. I like the look of the polished wood, don't you?

The old mirror is nice above the mantle, but I'm not one for mirrors by themselves. They seem kind of cold that way. But an old wreath helps with that.

The lamps are vintage and a gift from my mom. I added the updated shades and glued on some yummy trim that matched the trim on the drapes.

A garland of silk fall leaves rounds out my fall decor for this year. I do plan on making a Thanksgiving garland for my dinner company - coming soon!

Crazy!

skillet cherry pie....

This is my FIRST homemade pie crust! I only had whole wheat flour, so I'm not expecting a flaky crust, but more of a rustic bite. An iron skillet will also provide more iron to this to increase the healthiness. Ahhh, I can have my pie and know I'm getting some good stuff. (Ignore the lard in the crust....if I don't see it, it isn't there....)

Deacon's bench in fall colors....

I'm taking full advantage of these wonderful days and dressing up the front porch. There's a place for you to sit and I'll bring you a cup of hot green tea. I have a cherry pie in the oven, too!

2 vintage sofas in place

Finally got my 2 vintage sofas in place in the "sitting room". Got these off Craigslist and I love 'em. I have big, family gatherings and this makes for more seating.

The reason I like these so much is because of the simple lines and an earthy tone that comes from the wood trim. My house is on the "french country" side, so the curvy legs fit right in. As the cold weather seeps in, I am feathering the nest with coziness. Next will come some comfy pillows and afghans....

Haven't posted in a while because I'm being lazy....

Yeah, I know. The dead possum is gross. But I feel lazy and blah, so this fits.

My favorite talking cat video

Clothing Protectors

From Jane at

Life From My Point of View - I'm copying her post to spread the word about these fabulous clothing protectors. These are simply GREAT and think of the many times we have stained our clothes because we weren't amply protected.

From Jane:
Look at these cool "clothing protectors". My niece Connie is creating them so we never have to worry about stains on our clothing anymore. If you are like Bob and I, there are times when we don't want to change out of our clothes and need just a lightweight protector. Here's Bob enjoying his chips worry free. The collar uses Velcro to close. No more "Shout" every time we eat.

If you would like to purchase:
Adults: $8.00 for 1, $7:00 for 2 or more.
Children: $5.00 for 1, $4.00 for 2 or more. You will be responsible for the mailing charges to your area.

If you would be interested, please email Connie at: girlfriday_service@yahoo.com She can answer any question you may have. Tell her TJ sent ya...

I have ordered several for my family. I am planning on ordering extras for company when having those BBQ outings and maybe as Christmas presents. What a great conversation piece.
If you know of others that would be interested, please send this post to them. Connie is using the funds to help with her children's music lessons. Her children are young and that's the best time for them to soak up all the knowledge they can. They are using their talents for the Lord and we are praying for a blessing in this area. Thank you.

Sofas from where else? (CL)

Just when I thought I didn't need another thing from Craigslist, I find these charming sofas. I gave our sectional away today to my son, for he has a rather large family and could use the big-ness of it. I have hated that thing from the day I got it about 10 years ago. The texture of the material was rough, to me. And I disliked the "modernness" of it.












But this!.......is ME! I can hardly wait to get it home in a couple of days. And there are TWO of them. I'm getting both, of course. That should double my pleasure, for sure. I have some nice, vintage pillows waiting to hop on those babies! (oh, and it was $250 for both)

A before and after Hutch

I'm participating in the Met Monday, hosted by Between Naps On The Porch . Go visit Susan's blog to see links to many more creative blogs!










Here is a $45 Craigslist hutch that I knew would give me much needed storage space. However, that 70's wood look had to go! But it's got good lines and is solid wood - that's why I love vintage furniture.


And now.....look at my freshly-painted hutch! You can see the good lines now. And it feels so clean and ready for my kitchen goods.


I also put up a neighboring baker's rack to hold baskets and boxes - what I have now is a "junk drawer" and THAT will soon be eliminated. The baskets will hold useful items, like scissors, rulers, note paper, clothes pins, etc.


It seems everyone in blog town has been putting numbers on baskets, boxes, trunks, stairs, etc. and I want to jump onboard. Here are my humble baskets with their imperfect lettering....but I'm calling the imperfection "charming". (Ha! with that definition, I have a lot of "charming" things around the house!)


A wire fruit bowl does the trick for a cheap and easy Halloween display.


For a little flourish, I added some wood embellishment.


Oops, I should have warned ya to look away! This is hideous and makes me a little queasy.


Ahhhhh, this is more like it. The hardware was painted a gun metal gray that I mixed up with a little black and white hobby paint.


Ta-Da!! I love it. And my pocket book loves it, too!


(Note: I lost 4 comments when I had to re-do this post because I reformatted my blog. Sorry about that....)