A Happy Halloween

 

My dear pal Carmella wanted to make a  wedding card for her daughter Kristen, (Yes I have 3 friends that also have daughters named Kristen!) and her soon to be hubby.  They are getting married today in a civil ceremony, because Halloween is her favorite holiday.
We had a nice visit and  used some stickers, velum and some black seam binding to make this unusual card.
(This fulfills my obligation of Halloween content!
Yes, I do open my doors for trick or treaters, I am not a total Scrooge... and if Penny were here, well then that would be a different story!)

 

With today behind me, I start thinking of Thanksgiving and the move into winter.  I so like these fabric pine cones and knew they would look great in this bowl my dear  SIL Elizabeth got for me a few years ago.

 

It's got a matching candle with the same beautiful pine cone and evergreen sprig pattern.

 

I set them in a bed of acorns. It looks so pretty.


 

There is a even larger bowl from Elizabeth filled with potpourri. (Elizabeth does spoil me so!) Both of these bowls can stay out well into the new year. Thank you Betty!

I'm getting ready for my meeting this week and still crafting.  I am making something for my son Mikey, who will be celebrating a birthday very soon.  I have a stack of library books to peruse while waiting for the doorbell to ring, and one last fall themed craft project to work on between the ghouls and ghosts.

My New Yorkers are doing well, no word when they will return to work. Buses are running today,  but power is still out on most of Manhattan.  Cabin fever is starting to set in, and I think a little someone misses the outdoors.  Luckily the sun is shining today in their neighborhood...I expect some cute photos of sweet p's first Halloween. 

Enjoy this beautiful day my friends.

Safe and Sound

 

Sandy, a hurricane I will remember...My sweet p. and Kris and Doug in it's path.  They made it safe and sound through the storm. They lost Internet and cable last night, and it was up and running again this morning. They never lost power.  Kris said that their block might be the only block in NY that didn't flood.  I was so happy to hear from them this morning and get a some smiles from that little sweetheart.  Now the cleanup begins.  I think they will be home for a while until things return to normal.  Darn, wish I could get in some snuggles! ;-)

Thanks for all the kind thoughts and prayers.  It meant the world to me to know that so many friends cared.  Love to you all.

Now, I will stop cleaning and return to my regularly scheduled life!

Sandy vs Sweet p.

 

It will be several nerve wracking days till the storm passes my little sweet p. and her dear Mom and Dad.  They have been preparing for the hurricane with bottled water, extra food, flashlights and candles, even the offer of a safe haven on higher ground if things get really bad.  I'll be keeping busy, watching the news and waiting to hear the familiar marimba tone calling me to the ipad for some face time. Have I mentioned that I wish they were here and that I miss them all so much?  (Only kidding, it's all I ever talk about...sorry)

It was a quiet weekend.  My sweetheart gave blood on Saturday.  He's my hero, giving over a gallon and a half of life saving blood over the last several years.  Work for my guild kept me busy, as our meeting is this week and our auction just a couple of weeks away.   I've got many projects to finish and a couple of new projects on the horizon.  

Josh and Brent were in last place on the Amazing Race, but are still in the race.  It is very emotional watching them, seeing all they are going through, is tough.  I was almost relieved when I thought it was over for them when they came in last.   Oh well, they are fearless...and Josh was especially sweet at the end.  I love those guys!  Go Team Beekman! 

Thanks friends for stopping by, have a great day!

But Then Comes the Morning...

I had my iPad close by as I looked out the window at sunrise. This came to mind... We sang this song in choir in my youth...

But then comes the morning
Yesterday's sorrow behind
Wake it 's the day of your dawning
Life returns, mercy comes,
It's morning.




The sky changed in seconds, from gray to this, and then back to gray. Amazing!
Have a beautiful Sunday my friends.

Penny



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Recycled Pumpkin Cans

 

Since the first cool days set in here in English Valley, I've been baking...making pumpkin bread, pumpkin coffee cake...  Bringing it to meetings, service nights, home with my son and enjoying it here at home.
I always wash out and save the cans from the pumpkin...I've used them for floral arrangements, a vessel to hold a poured candle, and now as a cute presentation for a hand towel.

 

 I found this beautiful graphic of Le Citrouille on Pinterest, that took me to Confessions of a Plate Addict and a free image.  I used my old standby transfer paper in my printer to make 6 transfers.
Ironing them on is easy and quick.  The towels are flour sack towels, that I washed to insure a good transfer.


 

Rolling them up,


 

putting them in the cans,


 

and gluing the lids back on.  I have that kind of can opener that unseals the can from the sides, letting you replace the lid back on the can.

 I ran a bead of Aleene's Tacky glue around the edge of the lid, careful so no glue dripped into the can.
Then before I put the lid on, I adder a hang tag with a photo of the graphic and a description.

 I used clear labels to put the description into the little hang tag. (Some clever people know how to do this in one step...alas, I am not one of them, thus the labels.)

 I got this StazOn white opaque stamp pad for another project, but thought that a greeting on the clear bag would be a nice finishing touch.

 I had the perfect stamp.

 It looks good, not too fussy. 

One way to recycle your pumpkin cans, but any can would do...
Just remove the labels and use scrapbook paper.  There you have it...A nice hostess gift for the cook on Thanksgiving!

We've got company today, woo hoo.  Dear son Jon and beautiful Charlotte.  A crock pot dinner and a little baking...pumpkin cake anyone?  ;-)   Sweet Mike is off today too, oh how I love a house full of family!

Have a great weekend my friends!

Gifts of Nature

 

Take a little walk anytime of the year, and with your eyes open, you will find gifts of nature.
This time it was Osage oranges.  My neighbors toss them into large leaf collection bags.  They are a nuisance to the home owners that live in close proximity to one of these trees, but to me they are treasures of the season.  So pretty in a bowl, that pop of color is beautiful with all the gold and rust and
orange of this time of year.


 

Considering the drought we had this year, these fruits are huge.  More grapefruit sized than orange sized.

 

Another neighbor, having his driveway widened, cut down some cedars.  I just had to break some twigs to add to my arrangement.

 

If I could, I'd walk the neighborhood with snips to sample all the colors and beautiful leaves.
Instead I walk and find treasures on the ground.  No one minds when you pick up their fallen leaves.
After almost 2 hours of raking and blowing the leaves off my own front yard...I wish someone would come and take a couple of bushels! ;-)


 

Gifts free for the taking.  Life is a banquet, and I am enjoying the complimentary buffet!  Have a beautiful day my friends.

Weekend Update, In the Hood Edition

 

Yes, we spent the weekend, mostly in the neighborhood.  It was a beautiful weekend, a little Indian Summer
weather.  When we drove a few burbs down the road, it seemed everyone was burning leaves.  We rolled down the windows to catch the scent of what fall smelled like in our youth.

 

This gazebo is in our town.  A sweet place for a quick lunch between our errands.

 

We even managed to find a small rummage sale and scored these two treasures.  A small
suitcase, with a plastic lining.  Advantage, no musty smell, disadvantage, it's plastic...

 

This hand thrown pot.  Perfect for chips or crackers while entertaining, someone did a fine job on this.

 

This suitcase is crying out for a makeover of some sort.

I've made a couple of these fabric pine cones.  To me they look more like artichokes, or Audrey 2 from Little Shop of Horrors...Remember, Feed me Seymour!  Anyway, I used the vanilla bean bags from my dear pal Barb.  They have such a nice color with little variations that make them look vintage.

I saw these on Pinterest with a tutorial but I cannot link to the site.  Just look for fabric acorns.  They take some time to put together and a thimble to protect your finger as you push in the pins that hold it all together.

I'm going to make three, since that is the number of Styrofoam balls I had around.  They will look beautiful in a bowl.

This is just more busy work to help with the anxiety of watching Josh and Brent on the Great Race.  I would not go to Bangladesh for all the tea in China, but they were champs and managed to get fourth place this week.  Go Team Beekman!

This baby girl, our sweet p. is five months old today. Look at that face!  A perfect combination of Mommy and Daddy. We start most mornings having face time.  A couple of minutes, a half hour or more of Penny and Mom and Grandma time. For the first time, Penny saw me and smiled and looked so happy to see me.  She has smiled at me before, but this was different.  It was, Hey, there's Grandma!  I hope that our time together makes our reunion in November a smooth transition, from Flat Grandma on the screen to 3D Grandma who can't wait to hold and snuggle, kiss and play with my grand daughter.  I am smitten!

Penny is pure joy.  The surprise to me is how much I enjoy seeing Penny and her Mom interact.  Kris is a great Mom, so patient and loving. I sit and watch them together and am in awe. My baby girl with her baby girl.  Blows my mind!  Doug is a rock star in Penny's eyes.  She watches his every move and lights up for Daddy.  They are my favorite little family.

I have considered TV dinners for Thanksgiving to optimize my time with Penny, but that idea has no fans except for Penny and me. ;-) I can't wait...  The good thing is that time flies this time of the year.  Halloween is about a week away, then Thanksgiving will be here in a blink.  The trick is to slow down and enjoy every moment I'll have with this sweetheart and my whole family.  

Hope all is well in your hood.   Thanks for visiting.  Take care my friends and enjoy this beautiful day.

and I forgot my camera!

 

Friday was a moody, cloudy October day.  The perfect day to take photos of the landscape and the clouds.  The autumn light is different and the colors pop in the most beautiful way...and I forgot my camera!
These three photos are from my phone,  I had to take a couple of photos when the sky cleared for a bit.


 

These are fields filled with ripe orange pumpkins, ready for the swarms of people who will visit the Edwards Apple Orchard in Poplar Grove this weekend.

 

I was visiting with my dear old pal Laura.  We get together each October to celebrate her birthday and our 25 year friendship.  We became friends in the worst circumstances imaginable.  My brother was in intensive care, suffering from a traumatic brain injury.  As I sat in the waiting room at the hospital, waiting for my chance to see him, a beautiful young girl came up to me and introduced herself as my brother's girlfriend. That was Laura.  To make a long story short, we bonded during my brother's recovery.  Their romance was short lived, but this was one ex girlfriend that I would not ever let go. We had a great day and saw so many things I wish I had photos of...

 

I didn't accomplish much this week...I glittered my pumpkin...

 

and learned how to print tags in my printer.  I don't know why I never tried it before.  Just print on regular paper until you have the size you need.  Then tape the tags securely over the image, and print again.  So easy but very cool. 
Have a great weekend my friends, and thank you for all the tattered garland love.