Falling Down

You may be wondering where I've been at.

 

 

 

I seem to have fallen off the blogospere.

 

Leaves are falling and we can't keep up with them...

 

the rider is busted, which we we were using to mulch the leaves quickly

 

and get the nutrients back into the drought ridden ground anyway.

 

 

 

 

Work has us feeling like the movie Ground Hog Day lately.

 

Get up early, face the same issues. get home, more work to do.

 

Try to get to bed early to rest.

 

The next morning feels like a broken record.

 

 

 

 

The kids have an overwhelming amount of homework to do and always need help.

 

We help them every day, but 3-4 hours a night in 4th grade wears you down, man.

 

Not even joking on that.

 

(BTW, textbook companies need to seriously reconsider the weight

 

of these books these kids carry home every day).

 

It seems there has been little time to devote to my little blog as of late.

 

 

 

 

What is down the road for me?

 

Hopefully, sunshine.

 

As soon as I turn the corner, and pop out of my funk,

 

I'll do my best to prepare

 

T&P

 

for the holidays in a proper festive manner.

 

I feel it is near, I just have to shove myself through this rough patch.

 

Please bear with me, folks!

 

 

*****

Linking with Friday Fences





Chocolate-Pumpkin Love

Does anybody else love the pumpkin-chocolate combo as much as I do?

 

 

I have been making these every Sunday for the last month...

 

and they don't last longer than 48 hours because everyone gobbles them up.

 

 

 

 

Here's my easy-peasy super cheap recipe:

 

*1 package of chocolate cake mix

 

*2 eggs (farm fresh, no less!)

 

*1 can of canned pumpkin

 

*half bag of choco-chips (optional, but so worth the extra pop of chocolate!)

 

 

 



 

Line your muffin tin with paper liners,

 

heat that oven up to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.

 

 

Trust me, you won't regret it!

 

The canned pumpkin gives your mix enough natural moisture

 

so that you don't need to add any oils.

 

 

 



 

 

Served with milk around here!

 

 

Sharing with:

 

Sunday Best at My 1929 Charmer

 

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

 

Savvy Southern Style's Wow US Wednesday

Holding on to Autumn

The air is getting colder and colder...

 

we finally broke down and put the heat on this week (just a little).

 

 

 

 

The fall colors are amazing.

 

With the horrible drought and then the cold weather,

 

the remaining leaves are actually pretty bright.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes fall around here tends to be rainy

 

and everything turns brown and falls rather quickly.

 

 

 

 

But this year, a drive in the country

 

is sure to reward you with colorful vistas.

 

 

 

 

These little purple blooms...

 

are they wild asters?

 

...are all over the roadsides.

 

 

 

 

Milkweeds are just exploding with energy!

 

I had to bring a handful of pods home, like a little kid.

 

 

 

 

Even thorny thistles acquire

 

the regal stance of natural scepters.

 

 

 

 

And so autumn hangs on... truly the longest season.

 

Not marked by dates on calendars,

 

but by events..we enjoy her

 

from August's back to school season till Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

Linking this week with:

 

Rural Journal

 

Friday Fences

 

 



A Fall Dinner

This past weekend was an extended one for us,

 

in observance of Columbus day,

 

and since we had a little extra time, we put a little extra time into dinner.

 

 

 

 

That's right!  We roasted a turkey!

 

 

 

 

No special occasion, except we had a bird in the freezer

 

and you know those leftovers make great sandwiches for the next lazy day!

 

 

 

 

I also was dying to use these amber colored goblets

 

that I purchased at Homegoods this past summer.

 

They'll make another appearance at the real Thanksgiving feast.

 

 

 

 

The kids were excited and starving. 

 

Extra mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing,

 

and sauteed cabbage, mushrooms, and onions, please!

 

If you don't like the cabbage, then, "You're just not European enough!"

 

(This is what I tell the boys to get them to eat more Polish and German foods

 

and to bust out of the chicken nugget mold).

 

Although, I am glad that the nugget consumption in our home has been

 

thwarted for the most part!

 

Dan gave one boy a dollar to finish off the pot of beets last week

 

so we didn't have to refridgerate or toss the leftovers.

 

I myself am NOT a beet fan.

 

But I ate my beets.

 

 

 

 

Sharing this fall tablescape with:

 

Marty's Table Top Tuesday at a Stroll Through Life

 

Savvy Southen Style's Wow Us Wednesday



The Beverly

 

This classic 1920s antique buffet server was a find on craig.

 

We found her listed at a Beverly, Chicago neighborhood home,

 

where she has lived her whole life, since 1921, until now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you imagine a piece of furniture being in a home

 

for 90 years?

 

Begging to be redone, of course we accomodated her request.

 

Look at that little carved drop detail!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She preferred the classic white chocolate paint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She is headed off to a church auction,

 

so hopefully she will raise some funds for the church!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the way, here's her "before" shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And again, her "after."

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this little guy?

 

He's a Home Goods find... a Bethany Lowell.

 

He's a holiday favorite!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be seeing you this week at:

 

Sunday Best at My 1929 Charmer

 

Savvy Southern Style's Wow Us Wedneday

 

Primp Your Style Wednesday

 

Vintage Inspiration at Common Ground

 

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage



She Was Wearing Jean Shorts and Chucks...

Ever since I saw the

 

Better Homes and Gardens 2010 Halloween publication,

 

I have been on the look out for mannequin legs.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you remember the issue now?

 

I saved it.  I had to search through my stack of "saves" to find it.

 

Well, one summer night's trash-pickin, yielded me a pair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were out furniture hunting in an older neighborhood,

 

and just as we turned a corner,

 

I saw two teenagers pulling these legs out of someone's trash can

 

and start to walk away with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She had on jean shorts and chucks at the time.

 

Someone had colored all over her legs with a marker.

 

 

 

 

 

No, no, NO!!!

 

They would only abuse her, I thought.

 

Why hadn't we left the house 5 minutes earlier?

 

Maybe we could've beat them to her.

 

Too late.  It was not meant to be.  They had her hostage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They were headed down the street with her in tow.

 

We kept driving around,

 

hoping they would discard her.

 

But they didn't, they walked on with -my legs-.

 

 

 

 

 

After some more fruitless furniture searching that night,

 

we drove home.

 

Late that night Dan went back out--

 

on a hunch--

 

to the same neighborhood-

 

and found my legs *discarded* (funny, hah ha)

 

in someone else's trash heap.

 

The teenage hoopla, done.

 

 

 

 

So, she's mine now, all mine!

 

She's gone and stuck herself in the coal bucket,

 

and she'll not be gettin' out till Nov. 1st.

 

 

Sharing with:

 

Sunday Best at My 1929 Charmer

 

Nifty Thrify Tuesday at Coasta Charm

 

Savvy Southern Style's Wow Us Wednesday

 

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

 

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

 

Potpourri at 2805

 

Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk