Halloween Cemetery Window

Halloween is just around the corner!

Normally I would have up my decorations by now.

Spiders, Webs, Owls, Birds (lots of birds), Potions, you name it.

But, we are hosting a baby shower here the 2nd week of October

and i'm not sure how the guest would feel about all the creepy stuff lying around during a shower..

so until then....

I'll just get things ready!

Yesterday, I was playing around on the clip art pages and came across this really spooky cemetery picture.

So in between rain bands (we had a tropical storm)

I went outside and grabbed one of the old windows.

(and if my mother is reading this...no it wasn't lighting or thundering I promise)

Enlarged the picture section by section to the best of my ability.

And Modge Podge'd it to the window.

Now when you look out my kitchen window it looks like my backyard is a graveyard!

This is the picture I used. 

 I could only trace it back to a website...hope they don't care that I used it...

But it's a really spooky picture. 

(rnw.nl)

Well maybe just one little bird can stay for the shower....

But maybe he needs a friend too?????


I'm linking up to
The Fall Festival at The Blessed Nest

Metal Bowls

Ever since I saw the metal bowls for sale in the Pottery Barn Magazine I have coveted them.

 

But they were WAY out of my budget at $99 a piece, now times that by two...

because of course I would need two....that just goes without saying

 

So I was quietly hoping, praying, waiting for them to go on sale...

 

And then wouldn't you know it

 the thrifting gods shined down upon me!

 

Wouldn't you know it....there where two!!

 

And the very best part.....

$10 dollars for BOTH!!!!!!

YIPPEE

 

This is the one in the Pottery Barn magazine....

I think after Fall is over i'll paint them to look more like the PB one,

 because the color is one of the reasons I love it so much.

Found this cute little clock too.....

It was a great thrifting day...

Oh by the way.....

if you love homemade Pumpkin Pie at Thanksgiving

 or have favorite recipes that include canned pumpkin 

start looking now for your cans of Libby's Pumpkin!!

There is a shortage and the minute it hits the shelves it's gone

It took me two weeks of haunting the pumpkin can aisle at

 4 different grocery stores

to find my cans for holiday baking.

Happy Pumpkin Hunting!

How many coats of paint does it take?

Well, I finally did it!

After lots of debating and lots of procrastination

I painted the dresser white.

The minute I started painting it I had major guilt. 

But it does fit much better in my house now. 

Not that i'm finished with the painting yet...

this is the FOURTH coat and I still have more to go.

Poor dresser, it didn't want to be painted. 

I thought I could cover it up with a couple of coats of white.

But now it seems I need to bring out the Kilz and then

my white paint.

Aren't these the cutest drawer knobs! 

Have you all seen them on the dollar rack at Michael's?

They have a whole line of stamps, note cards, journals, etc.

For a dollar!!!!! 

I bought all the knobs I could. 

 Except the birdcage one...they didn't have any left.



Does anyone want to guess just how many coats of paint it's going to take to cover this dresser?

I'm going with 6.....maybe 7!

Before and After

Yesterday I woke up and heard the thrift stores calling my name!!!!

You know what I mean....

it's a feeling.....

because you know there is something good waiting for you to come and buy it!

First stop the AmVets Thrift.

It's my favorite...I always find good stuff and the staff is very friendly.

Plus they haven't lost their minds when it comes to pricing items.

Unlike our local Goodwills....they mark things higher than the antique stores

Anyways back to the good stuff....

This is what I found at AmVets

Four glass light globe things, 3 little metal chairs for the fairy garden (aren't they sooo cute),

a tall candlestick?? and tart tins. 

I have a minor obsession with the little tart tins, I don't use them for baking,

 really I don't use them for anything.  But I am compelled to buy them when I see them. 

If anyone has a great idea on what to do with them let me know.  

I'll show you my collection, mind you I'm gonna hear about it when husband sees this picture. 

 He's never seen how many I actually have... 

It's not that bad....right???

With the candlestick thing I painted it white and will use it as a pedestal. 

 Or maybe in my daughters room to display her hat(s) on. 

 Which maybe that is what this is and not a candlestick......

Now with the glass light covers I did two things!

Because I have a very smart and creative girlfriend

(go to her blog for lots of great ideas....Bella Treasures)

She taught me how to make cloches out of them.....Smart Girl!!

Just take an old door handle or cabinet handle and glue it on!

(I still have to cut the screw off of this one and glue it down)

With the other two I took silver candlestick holders that I already had and made these...

 

This idea has been going around blog land lately. 

And every time I see them I just love them. 

The ones i've seen have been with glass candlesticks, but I didn't have any so I just used silver.

Maybe i'll put little pumpkins in them.

 

AND NOW DRUM ROLL PLEASE

It required the use of a pickup truck

a lot of muscle strength

and a tiny amount of grumbling from my husband

the coolest thing I found while thrifting yesterday..........

 

The missing piece for the redo of our son's bedroom.

Okay maybe not missing,

 because I had found a smaller one that had lots

of little lockers and needed to be redone. 

 But this one is better

 (at least that's the way the pleading went on the phone when I called him from the thrift store)

 

Yes I realize it's blocking a window right now and YES that is a no no in my book.

But I was too tired last night to rearrange everything and figure out how in the world this massive thing is going to fit in his room.  And he was so excited about it and couldn't wait to fill it up. 

 

So that will have to be a project for another day.

Friendship Bench

When I'm out thrifting one of my favorite things to find is old headboard and footboards.

So much in fact that I have a little collection in my garage of them.

They just hang out there until the time comes to do something with them,  much to the annoyance of my husband who really one day would like to have his garage back. 

(Maybe someone should tell him there is no chance of that in the near future)

Anyways, one day this little beauty came my way for under $20.00 so I brought it home.

It wasn't here but a day or two and a friend of mine came over and saw it. 

She fell in love with it right away....it reminded her of the bed her grandparents had when she was little. 

So sweet husband promised her that he would make her a bench out of it.

Now, here is why I call it the Friendship Bench.

In my dining area there is a bench on one side of the table

and it never fails that when friends come over this is where they like to sit.

It always makes me think of the quote

"Sit Long ~ Talk Much ~ Laugh Often"

Well this bench is going in her dining area and I hope she is blessed

with as many wonderful friends sitting around her table as I am at mine.

Now if I could just get her to pick out fabric we could get to making the pillows and seat cover.

Maybe that can be next weeks challenge.............

 

I'm linking up to

 

 

Come on over and join the party

Table Runner

A while back I saw this really awesome table runner at

Pottery Barn

But it was a bit out of my budget.

So I was "inspired" to create my own

(if inspired means completely copy theirs)

For the tassels I just unraveled the edges of the burlap until I had enough string like pieces.

Once I cut them all to the same length I just folded it in half,

 took another piece of string and tied it in the middle to secure.

Then I just took a very long piece of the string and wrapped it over and over around the top to form a ball.

Hemmed the sides and stitched on the tassels. 

Done!

Although now looking at these pictures

I think I need to trim the tassels.

PB's are a bit more dainty.

Nothing a pair of scissors can't fix!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend

Cranberry-Pumpkin Loaf

In my effort not to decorate the entire house in fall colors this afternoon

I decided to attempt a recipe I've been meaning to try.

It is so easy, makes the house smell so good and taste yummy.

Now go....QUICK to the store and buy the ingredients...you will not be disappointed.

And it adds a little Fall feeling to the house without the husband calling in the white coats!

Cranberry-Pumpkin Loaf

2 cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

16 oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce (i bought the 14oz can and it was just fine)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

1 T pumpkin pie spice

1 cup chopped pecans

Blend together sugar, eggs, oil, pumpkin and cranberry sauce in a large bowl; set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda and spice.  Add flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, a little at a time; stir until well mixed.  Stir in pecans.  Spread batter into 2 lightly greased and floured 9 X 5 loaf pans.   Bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Makes 2 loaves.

I am so ready for Autumn

Yes it is only the first week in September....I realize this!

But I am SOOOOO ready to get out

all the Halloween and Autumn Decorations

Maybe if I keep it simple

Do you think that would tide me over for a couple more weeks?

At least until it's time to pull out all the Halloween Decor.

I wonder if dear old husband would think I've gone batty????

Perhaps I'll just go poke around in the garage and

see if any of the pumpkins would like to come out early..................

(all images from Country Living Magazine)

You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast...

I hope you all are having a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!!!

We are enjoying the weekend on the beach with

Wonderful Friends! 

Things were so crazy last week, it's so nice to get time to relax

 and enjoy great friends, sweet children and beautiful weather.

Yesterday we spent time just blowing bubbles off the balcony

 (while a lovely wedding went on down below)

And as we sat at the pool today we realized that across from us sat a very famous country

music singer with his family. 

He sings one of my favorite songs, it really means a lot to me and it always makes me tear up a little.

We didn't bother him...he should be allowed his own family time. 

But thanks Mr. Adkins for reminding me that..

"these are some good times

 so take a good look around

 you may not know it now

 but you're gonna miss this"

But more importantly...

Thank you Garv and Sondra for such a wonderful time.....

you've created such wonderful memories for all of us.

We love you all!

Happy Labor Day!!!